Igbo Spirituality

Understanding Ndị Ịchie In Igbo Cosmology: Who Are Ndi Ichie In Odinana na Omenana Ìgbò?

The Igbo belief in the afterlife cannot be complete without an understanding of Ndi Ichie in Igbo Cosmology, as expressed in Odinana na Omenana Igbo. In the Igbo pantheon, the veneration of Ndi Ichie through Iwa Oji/Igo Oji (the breaking of Kola) and Itu mmanya (pouring of libation), is as vital as the worship of Chukwu itself. It is safe to say that without the veneration of Ndi Ichie, Odinana na Omenana will be useless to the Igbo – without Ndi Ichie the Igbo will dare not seek the face of Chukwu; we will be a people without any spiritual and physical heritage.

Who Are Ndi Ichie?

In Igbo Odinana na Omenana, when we call on Ndi Ichie, we are strictly referring to our holy, noble, and accomplished ancestors – not all of our ancestors. Ndi ichie are a group of our ancestors who are set aside for their noble contributions to our race – they are men and women who lived upright lives and obeyed the laws of Chukwu, given to us as Nso ani/ana, and above all achieved their purpose in life as agreed with their CHI.

They are hallowed ancestors who have also completed their Ilo/Ino Uwa (reincarnations circle) which the ancients called Uwa mu asaa/asato (my world seven/eight times), and now reside in a realm known as Obi Ndi Ichie, from where they intercede for us, protect us, and guide us on our paths in life.

When we pray with the Kola nut, nzu, Ose Oji (and other objects of worship), we call our holy and accomplished ancestors to come to partake in the breaking of Oji (Kola nut) and bless us. We say:

“Anyi akpokuo Ndi ichie ka ha bia taa/were Oji”, meaning we call on our hallowed, holy, and accomplished ancestors to come and partake in the breaking of Kola nut.

As a part of Ndi Ichie, we also call on Ndi Mbu na Ndi Egede (the first men/women of our bloodline and the mystical men/women who made contact with higher spiritual powers).

So, during Igo Oji OR Igo Ofo, we say: “Anyi akpokuo Ndi Ichie, Ndi Mbu na Ndi Egede, ka ha bia taa/were Oji”.

We call on them as a sign of respect and reverence, but with a deep sense of their presence with us at all times, since we carry their blood, which is the biological deposit of their genetic memories and consciousness.

Many have referred to Ndi Ichie to be an equivalent of saints in European cultures, but the Igbo understanding of Ndi Ichie goes beyond the understanding of Saints in religions and cultures, such as Christianity. Ndi ichie are not just dead ancestors interceding for us from a spiritual realm; they are ever present in our consciousness, directing us, fighting for us, and removing obstacles in our ways.

In his understanding of Ndi Ichie, Ekene Okwuba, an Odinani na Omenani promoter, and philosopher, said that they are our ancestors who lived and died in the past, who had certain experiences which they encoded in their DNA and passed on to the coming generation. And by proxy, those of us who are alive today are also Ndi Ichie since we carry their memories and experiences in our blood and DNA.

For Ekene Okwuba, Ndi ichie are ancestors who did noble things, and in turn direct those of us who are alive in our navigation of life, to preserve that which they, Ndi Ichie, had achieved while they were alive. If there is a wrong step to be taken by their living descendants, they step in to prevent them from taking that step – they do this when one intends to take steps that will prevent the family from progressing. For example, if one of their living relatives goes to bring a bad charm (Ajo Ogwu) that will kill people, Ndi Ichie knowing the spiritual consequences of taking human life, will block such charm from being effective. Ndi ichie performs all these functions with the aid of male and female spirits that are close to them.

In explaining the presence of the memories of Ndi Ichie in the DNA, he made an example with the day-old chicks of the popular “genetically enhanced” Broiler chickens that did not have the privilege of being incubated and hatched by mother hens, rather are hatched by machines. He recounted when his wife bought the day-old chicks, and had them out in the yard while she cleaned the pen where she would house them. Kites flew past, and the day-old broiler chicks, without a mother, quickly ducked and ran for safety. He observed the occurrence and wondered how the chicks knew the Kite was dangerous without a mother to teach and guide them, just like the local chickens (Okuko Igbo). He concluded that just like humans, these chickens possessed a genetic memory dedicated to the survival of their offspring.

This above event explains the model of how Ndi Ichie guides us throughout our lives, to achieve the ultimate goal which is the prosperity and longevity of our lineage. He pointed to this phenomenon in the enterprising nature of Ndi Igbo, stating that this is because our ancestors were enterprising and were great achievers in business and other endeavors, and as such that trait became encoded in our DNA, and we inherited it, making us very successful in whatever we do. That is why in referring to traits, Ndi Igbo says “na o di onye ahu na obala” – meaning “The trait is in the person’s blood.” And in the case of a thief, for instance, we say “Oshi di ya na obala”, meaning “stealing is in his/her blood.” Ekene Okwuba said that in such cases, it is because the ancestors encoded the Oshi/Ohi in the DNA and the said trait was passed down to the descendants. It will take someone (in the family) with a strong will to decode the DNA and implant new/different memories that will guide the coming generation.

We see this passing of traits through the DNA (blood = Obala) in the spiritual gifts of a Dibia. In most cases in Igbo land, there are no “new” highly gifted Dibias – many today are descendants of highly powerful Dibias, with some families possessing the gifts for more than 1000 years. These gifts of healing/seeing/ forecasting/controlling the weather/prophecy keep transferring from generation to generation in that same family – all embedded in the genes/DNA/Obala.

Ekene Okwuba also pointed out that Ndi Ichie, as ancestors, reached certain agreements with various Mmuo na Alusi (energies/spirits/deities) in their lifetimes. And that these forces helped them to live accomplished lives and actualize their purpose in life. He said that these agreements are encoded in our DNAs (genetic memories). The Alusi/Mmuo that entered these agreements with our ancestors still keeps their promises to guide, protect, enrich, and help multiply the lineage. A man can run off to a new land for safety, and promise the land (Ani) that he will make so and so sacrifices to it, as long as the land allows him to stay and also prosper him. The Mmuo/Alusi of that land will agree and bless him. Even after the man dies, that blessing does not depart from his lineage, for his blood (DNA) still lives on. His offspring will continue to enjoy the benefits of that agreement their ancestor made with the Mmuo/Alusi, till a point when they cease to do so. After a while of not keeping up with the agreement, the Mmuo/Alusi will withdraw its patronage, and the family begins to suffer – that land that favored them will then become hostile to them.

It is for situations like this, that Ndi Ichie stands in the gap for us, to intercede for us and to remind us through dreams (nlo) and Afa (divination) of the duties we must observe for the betterment of our lineage. A good example, he pointed to, is the Nnewi people, who are known for their wealth – the wealth of the Nnewi land. He observed that the Nnewi people have kept their Alusi/Mmuo and ancient ways intact, thereby preserving and upholding the ancient covenants of their ancestors with the spirits and deities of their land.

Ekene Okwuba concludes that Ndi Ichie are those great men and women in our lineage’s past who did great things while they were alive, and have gone ahead of us to make preparations for the continuous success of their bloodline. They guide us in spirit, making sure that their works while alive are not tarnished.

Ndi Ichie And Guidance Of Their Descendants

In our spirituality and cosmology as Ndi Igbo, we experience and recognize a hierarchy of ascendance, from us Mmadu (humans), through our Chi, Agwu, and Ndi Ichie (among other divinities) till we arrive at Chukwu (the creator of the known and unknown forces of the universe). We do not believe that we are here by chance or that our journeys here are ordinary without a spiritual destination. And since we have a spiritual destination, our ancestors in their wisdom (assigned by Agwu) discovered that path that leads us home – to CHUKWU. In their discovery of our spiritual path and purpose, they understood the blessings and duties of Ndi Ichie. They passed this understanding to us through Odianni na Omenani, and we who are their descendants who practice the ways of our ancestors, bear witness to the experience and validity of the spiritual relevance of Ndi Ichie in our lives.

Ndi ichie fights spiritually on our behalf and protects us from Ajo Ogwu (bad charms), Nsi (poison), ife mberede (misfortunes), and many other negative attacks and outcomes in life. Ndi Ichie plays a major role in childbearing, determining who comes into the family, thereby acting directly on the survival of a particular lineage, and also making sure that the destiny of the lineage is protected. Ndi Ichie provides ultimately spiritual guidance to those of us still alive, although more potently to those who recognize and accept them. Ndi Ichie mediates between us and the creator, Chukwu. They do this by communicating to us through dreams, apparitions, and also through Agwu which possesses a Dibia Afa (seer).

A man/woman who neglects his/her Ndi Ichie is open and prone to negative spiritual attacks. He/she loses their blessings, and in some cases where he or she speaks evil of them, they punish such descendant with tribulations as a correction for disrespecting and disregarding them – this is not different from the scolding we get from our parents when we do wrong as children.

Ndi Ichie And Reincarnation

In Odinani na Omemani which is the collection of our spirituality, culture, and traditions as Ndi Igbo, we call our ancestors Ndi nna nna anyi ha/Ndi nne nne anyi ha. These names for us represent a collection of our dead great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents. They stand alone and apart from Ndi Ichie (but in close proximity), being that ‘Ndi nna nna anyi ha/Ndi nne nne anyi ha’ are dead ancestors, both good and bad, who are still reincarnating in different lifetimes and have not completed their seventh/eight reincarnation cycle (Ilo/Ino Uwa).

Ndi Ichie however are dead ancestors, who have completed their Ilo/Ino Uwa reincarnation cycle – have come to the world seven/eight times, have achieved their purpose in life, and have led upright lives following the laws of Chukwu, the creator.

This demarcation between Ndi Ichie and Ndi nna nna anyi ha/Ndi nne nne anyi ha is evident in our prayers, rituals, libations, and incarnations. To call on our dead ancestors who are yet to join Ndi Ichie, we call them by their names and titles, to come and partake in our Igo Oji. We also sacrifice cows, rams/goats, and chickens to remember them and celebrate them, at special occasions called Ofala (in some parts of Igboland).

We say, for instance, in the case of a dead father: ‘anyi na egbulu nna anyi efi/ehi”, meaning “we are killing a cow for our dead father”. In this regard, the modern Igbo might not understand the spiritual implications of this. Many do this as a worthy ceremony and sign of respect, but spiritually, it holds great importance for Ndi Odinani na Omemani, because we understand the direct link between us and Ndi Ichie, which our immediate past ancestors hold.

In Odinani na Omenani, we also kill cows, rams/goats, and chickens as forms of Aja (sacrifice) to our multitude of nameless Ndi Ichie – the hallowed, accomplished, and holy forerunners of our bloodline. This Aja is one of the most potent in the list of sacrifices that we offer in Odinani na Ommeni as a supreme form of spirituality for our people.

Conclusion On Understanding Ndi Ichie In Igbo Cosmology

The belief in and reverence of Ndi Ichie for us Ndi Igbo stands at the top of our pantheon as established in Odinani na Omemani – our one true path to the understanding, veneration, and communication with the divinity within and around us. In our homage and reverence to our hallowed ancestors, we pay ourselves/bloodlines the highest forms of respect, and with much pride and obedience, worship Chukwu (the creator of all things visible and invisible).

I make bold to say that Ndi Ichie belongs to a trinity of our highest spiritual connection to Chukwu, with Chi and Agwu being the other parts of that all-important trinity.

Our ancestors in their wisdom and apex spirituality understood that we are nothing without reverencing them, and above all, we are lost without those of them who have gone ahead to dwell in Obi Ndi Ichie, close to Chukwu, interceding and guiding our paths.

We who are Odinani na Omenani adherents worship Chukwu through our reverence/worship of Ndi Ichie, and this is by no means fetish or evil like troublemakers would assert. We believe in the potency of the protection of Ndi Ichie and insist that it is only those of us who are truly spiritually Intune with Odinani na Omenani (and its practices) that can explain the concept of Ndi Ichie. Anyone who seeks to understand must come through us. A researcher (who is a Christian) and has never interfaced/practiced/believe in Odinani na Omenani (as forms of spirituality), can never fully understand nor explain the concept of Ndi Ichie in Igbo cosmology, no matter the number of interviews they conduct. For they know not if their findings are from an Ofeke or an Odinani na Omenani initiate.

This Article Was Written By Chuka Nduneseokwu, Editor-In-Chief, of Voice Of The Sun