User:JoshTheRoman/Alexandros III

The Igbo people (: Ṇ́dị́ Ìgbò) are an native to the Kingdom of Nri, a country located in. The kingdom, and by association, the Igbo homeland, is divided into two unequal sections by the, an eastern (which is the larger of the two) and western section. Culturally and linguistically, the Niger River has provided an easy means of communication and unity among the Igbo natives on both sides, as well as promoted ancient trade and movement of peoples between the kingdom and the rest of the world.

The Igbo call themselves Ṇ́dị́ Ìgbò, and occasionally identify by their respective or province, such as Aro and Ngwa. The culture of the Igbos has been primarily shaped by the region's rainforest climate, its historic trade network, ancient folklore, and social ties with neighboring states, as well as far-flung political allies. Most Igbo people speak the and follow Odinani, the  of the Igbo people.

Religion
The religion of the Igbo is known as Odinani, a faith featuring and, having a single God as the source of all things. Although a pantheon of spirits exists, these are minor deities who act as servants of Chukwu, the supreme being or high god. These lesser deities, known as alusi, operate below Chukwu, and are aspects of him divided by gender. Alusi usually represent natural forces, such as Ala, the alusi of land, or Amadioha, the alusi of lightning.

Alusi are venerated in large community shrines, while smaller shrines are located in the household for ancestral veneration. Alusi and deceased ancestors can be contacted by priests known as dibia, who communicate the will and demands of the alusi to the living. Animals, and occasionally humans, are sacrificed to please the alusi, espicially if a disaster strikes a community. Shrines are maintained by monks and nuns known as osu, a caste of outcasts dedicated to serving the alusi.

Birth
Any Igbo birth is a cause for celebration for the mother, her family, and the entire community. Shortly after birth, the umbilical cord of the newborn is cut about eight inches from the base and the baby is washed by women attending the delivery, usually family members and friends of the mother. After the umbilical cord is cut, the mother and her baby are kept in seclusion while she rests. When the baby's umbilical falls off, usually within four days, it is buried at the foot of a in honor of Ala, the alusi of land and fertility.

Eight days after birth, the rite of circumcision is performed on boys and girls. No reputable Igbo father will permit his child to go uncircumcised. The circumcision itself is usually accompanied with minor religious customs and sacrifices to spiritually purify the infant. The mother leaves the hospital for the first time on this day to gather the items needed for the circumcision: chalk,, , and a white fowl to be sacrificed.

On the twentieth day after birth, the infant's hair and nails are cut for the first time. The Igbo believe that all children born into the family are reincarnations of deceased ancestors; and therefore, every child is believed to be living some kind of life in the spirit world before coming into the real world. So when an infant is born, the hairs on his head and the nails on his fingers or toes are regarded as sacred. An old woman, typically the grandmother of the infant, will shave the head of the child, typically the grandfather of the infant, will cut the nails. Following this, the sacred hair and nails are buried. The Igbo believe that this liquidates the infant's soul of the spiritual world and finally makes the infant a part of the physical world.

Among the Igbo, the naming ceremony is the most elaborate and religiously significant of all infancy rites. The naming does not come until after the 28th day after birth. On the day of the ceremony, the mother will go to bathe in a nearby stream. She carries a pot of and an egg. Before she gets into the stream, she will say prayers to the alusi and ancestors, telling them that she is becoming clean and pure again on that day. She rubs the camwood on the root of every tree she passes. Upon reaching the stream, she throws the materials into the water. the camwood signifies the menses which has stopped, and the egg shows that the new baby is no longer a "yoke" but an individual. After bathing, the woman goes home to prepare food for the feast following the naming ceremony.

The actual naming ceremony is an important event. It is a mark of honor and respect to be invited to give a name, and the privilege is usually reserved for an older member of the family. The child's parents and grandparents have prominent parts in the naming ceremony. All family members are expected to attend, even the most distant relatives. The ceremony begins with the child is placed by the household shrine to the ancestors. The child's name is given by the father of the child, and occasionally, the grandparents. All present cheer loudly as the he gives the infant his name. Next, the father says:
 * My child, with dedication and virtue, your fathers lived well. We call upon you to acquaint yourself with them properly and be hard working. We wish you good fruits out of your labors and work. Live, grow and wax strong and may the alusi of this land bless and guide you.

All present respond with the chorus of "So let it be! So let it be!", with cheers and numerous exchange greetings. Finally, presents are given to the child and the feast begins.

In contrast with the related Yoruba, bearing twins are seen as a bad omen among the Igbo, as they upset Ala, who will burden the family and entire community if the twins are kept alive. To rid the family of such a curse, the pregnancy is usually aborted as soon as possible.

Weddings
An Igbo wedding is a relatively straightforward affair. After taking all the necessary steps to marry a woman, including gathering the requested by the bride's family, the groom will go to the house of the bride's family with his own family, friends, and other people invited to the wedding. The bride's family will prepare different kinds of dishes to entertain both families and guests; who will eat, dance and drink together. At some point during the feasting, the bride will kneel and present to the groom. The parents and elders in the family of both the bride and groom will pray for the newlyweds and the success of their marriage, after which the bride and groom will dance along with their family members. When the ceremony is over, the bride will go home with the family of the groom, signifying that the two are now husband and wife.

Funerals
A funeral is performed when an Igbo adult person dies in order to facilitate a transition of the departed soul into the spirit world. The Igbo do not perform funeral rites for everybody. For instance, funerals are not performed when a child dies, since the soul of the child has not yet unfolded on earth like that of an adult, and is still anchored in the beyond from where it came, the spiritual world. The soul is unfolded and anchored within the physical world only when the child reaches puberty at 13. The burial rites involve not one, but two funerals. Only after a successful second funeral can the deceased pass from the time of torment into a state of peace and contentment in the spiritual world

When an elderly man or woman dies, the corpse is immediately stretched out, cleansed down thoroughly, and rubbed with red camwood dye to mark it as sacred. Once the body has been prepared for its passage from the world of the living into the spirit world, a wake is held in the home of the deceased. The eldest son of the bereaved family welcomes anybody attending with palm wine and kola nuts, a sacred food eaten on special occasions. Prayers are spoken during the wake to beckon ancestral spirits into the home to escort the spirit of the deceased.

After the wake, the body is immediately taken to be buried in the local cemetery. Also buried is some of the deceased's clothes and most valued possessions in life, usually a gun for men, and jewelry for women. The body is then placed in the grave by young men, enclosed by a coffin.

The first burial, however, is not the end of the Igbo funeral. Several months after the body is buried, a second funeral is held, but this time, it is accompanied by feasting and merrymaking rather than mourning. Visitors dress in their best attire to sing and dance. After the second funeral, the deceased is said to have been sent off to take up a new place in the spiritual world.

Calender
The Igbo calendar generally follows the same model as most, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa. The calendar has 13 months in a year, 7 weeks in a month, and 4 days in a week plus an extra day in the last month; totaling 365 days a year. Due to the actually lasting 365 1⁄4 days, another additional day is added to the last month of a —every four years.

Many parts of this calendar are named for or dedicated to certain spirits and deities in the Igbo ethnic religion, Odinani. Some of the spirits and deities were believed to have given the Igbo people knowledge of time. The calendar counts years from the founding of the Kingdom of Nri, the of the Igbo people.

Days
The Igbo people have four days, the first of which, Eke, is the day people typically take off as a day of rest and leisure, avoiding work or marriages on that day. Newborn babies are sometimes named after the day they were born on. Names such as Mgbeke (girl born on the day of Eke), Mgborie (girl born on the Orie) and so on are common among the Igbo people. For males, Mgb- is replaced by Ok- (male child of) or Nwa (child of).

The names of the days have their roots in Odinani lore: a legendary king, had gone on to break the mystery of time and on his journey he had saluted and counted the four days by the names of the spirits that governed them, hence the names of the spirits Eke, Orie, Afọ, and Nkwọ became those of the days of the week. The days also correspond to the four cardinal points, Afọ corresponds to north, Nkwọ to south, Eke to east, and Orie to west. These spirits, who were fishmongers, were sent down in order to establish markets throughout the Igbo people, which they did by selling fish.

Months
An example of a month: Ọnwa Mbụ

Holidays
The Igbo are widely known for their elaborate masquerades, or masked street-performances, during many festivities. These masquerades are held in accordance during festivals, annual festivities, burial rites, weddings, and other social gatherings. The performers are geared in colorful robes and masks made of wood or fabric. These performances are associated with spiritual elements, as according to Odinani, they represent images of deities or sometimes even dead relatives. The identity of the masquerade is a well-kept secret and performed exclusively by men.

Even to the present day, masquerades are regarded as the means as moral law enforcement. Entire communities and neighborhoods come out for colorful masquerade ceremonies. While entertaining the audience through dances and flips, the performers often confront certain individuals and humorously expose any bad habits or misbehavior of that person. As people would always take corrections from these exposures, these masquerades are effective in keeping up with strict traditions within any Igbo community.

The Igbo only have two observed holidays; the first of which is Iwa Ji, which observes the harvest of , the sole most important food to the Igbo people and countless other ethnic groups in West Africa. This festival is always held on the first day of Ọnwa Alọm Chi, near the end of the. The other major holiday is known as Ofala, which is meant to renew the King's spiritual power. This two day festival is usually begins on the first day of Ọnwa Ana, ending on the second day.

Language
All Igbo people speak the language known as. The language is very closely related to other languages in Nigeria, such as, , among others; all of which belong to the large. The language is written in the, which bases itself off. Due to the similarity of neighboring languages, many Igbo children easily learn languages such as Yoruba while still in school. Most Igbo people, by the age of sixteen, can speak two, if not three or even four languages fluently.

Naming
Similar to many cultures around the world, and espicially in Africa, the Igbo people do not have. Instead, an Igbo name consists of an individual personal name and a separate. In this way, children are given a name at birth, by which name they will be known, while they inherit their father's given name. A baby's given name often references an event surrounding the birth, a deceased ancestor, or the time and place of birth. Igbo people are most often called by their given name, and are only called by their patronymic during formalities. When married, Igbo women change their patronymic from her father's given name to her husband's given name.

Family
The ordinary Igbo household consists of a man, his wife, and all of their children. While the average Igbo man will only marry one woman in his lifetime; a successful, wealthy, or otherwise important man frequently has multiple wives and is not restricted to how many women he can marry. In these polygamous households, the women generally lead seperate lives from one another, living separately and raising their own children. In these polygamous households, the women generally lead seperate lives from one another, living apart from one another and raising their own children. As a result of this, there is often fierce, but beneficial competition between wives in polygamous families.

In the Igbo family, the father is the breadwinner and pillar of the household, as every aspect of family life falls under his control. It is considered his responsibility to build and protect the family wealth, in addition to representing the family in matters of business. In the domestic setting, the father serves as the spiritual leader and the teacher of discipline to the members of his family, correcting deviant members of the household where they go wrong. It rests on the mother's shoulders to make the household homely and comfortable for every member of the family or occasional guests, in addition to loving her husband and raising her children to become virtuous men and women.

Like Confucian-based ethnic groups in Asia such as the Han, there is a strict and defined hierarchy in any Igbo family. The father of the household makes all decisions regarding the family, while the mother supports him, right or wrong, quick to offer her advice or opinion. Igbo children are expected to abide by all of their parents' rules and are taught that obedience is the sole responsibility they have in the family. If a child is disobedient or does not meet expectations (especially in school), it is considered the father's responsibility to quickly discipline them.

Marriage
When an Igbo man finds a woman he wishes to marry, usually a friend or acquaintance, he must first tell his own parents. The man, accompanied by his parents, siblings, and other close family members, contacts the family of the bride-to-be. A date is set for both families to meet and get to know each other. During this meeting, the groom-to-be's father will state his son's intention to marry the woman. The father of the bride does not respond right away, but schedules another date to meet with the groom-to-be's family again, usually a month after the first meeting. During this waiting period, the bride-to-be enters a sort of courtship (ineta uma) with the groom-to-be, in which the woman goes to live with her betrothed. The couple will often participate in social activities together, such as watching a movie, walking, dining at a restaurant, and so on.

During the second meeting, the groom-to-be's parents will reiterate that their son wishes to marry the bride-to-be. At this stage, it is expected that the bride-to-be's family has concluded their investigation and consent from the bride-to-be. If the bride-to-be's and her family approves of the marriage, they will then request a bride price which will given to the bride's family at the wedding. The bride price typically includes a large cash gift,, , , , and expensive clothing, among others. Since this bride price often seems intimidating to young Igbo men who have only just started to earn a living, the groom-to-be's family helps pay for it. Following this, the families will set a date for the actual wedding (Igba Nkwu).

To Igbo people, male homosexuality is viewed as morally wrong, abnormal, and detrimental the Igbo way of life. However, the same view is not held for female homosexuals; as in very specific conditions, a woman may marry another woman. Since only men may inherit property, if a man finds that he has no male offspring and is entering old age, he may appoint his oldest daughter (Ada), if unmarried, to become a "female husband". She is expected to take up the roles of a man, including marrying another woman. In order to produce offspring, the closest male relative to the female husband will impregnate the female husband's wife until a son is born.

Alternatively, instead of becoming a female husband, a woman can also become a "male daughter" if her father has no male children. A woman with this title, instead of marrying, remains at her parents' home, seeks out a sex mate (ikonwanna) to impregnate her, and eventually, her son will inherit the family possessions.

Only wealthy and important fathers can afford to appoint one of their daughters as a female husband or a male daughter. To go through with the appointment, the father must first gain the approval of both the royal priests (Dibia) and the King himself. Following this, the father must pay a large tax, and only then is a daughter recognized as a female husband or a male daughter.

Parenthood
Raising a child is one of the most celebrated events that occurs during an individual's lifetime in Igbo society. When an Igbo woman becomes a mother, she typically breastfeeds her child for two or three years, which calms her infant when fussing and wards off most illness. When her child reaches school age, at about 6 years old, she is expected to be very involved in her child's education, pushing him to get the highest grades. An Igbo mother, as her daughter enters puberty, serves as a mentor and role model, showing her daughter what a woman is supposed to behave like and what her responsibilities are.

Other than supporting his wife, an Igbo father does not have many responsibilities of parenthood during the first years of his child. As his child reaches school age, it is considered his responsibility to properly discipline his child wherever he is disobedient. In addition to discipline and obedience, an Igbo father also teaches his son physical skills: running, swimming, and playing sports. Like his wife, when his son enters puberty, he serves as a role model and mentor to his son, showing him a man's responsibilities in life.

Occupations
After completing his education, an Igbo man is expected to find a job to contribute to his family, and eventually, to support a wife and children of his own. During his initial years in the workforce, a young man frequently garners necessary occupational experience by working as an unpaid intern in his respective field of work. Before finding a man and marrying, young Igbo women almost always head into the retail or service industry to support her parents, working as a saleswoman, hairdresser, waitress, and so on.

Igbos are expected to pursue work regardless of their class, with the lower class typically providing the bulk of unskilled workers as farmers and laborers, the upper class serving as politicians, administrators, and businessmen, while the middle class serves as everything in between. Rather than taking the ordinary career path, some young men choose to join the military instead, which is especially beneficial to poor, working-class Igbos.

Housing
Overall, there are two forms of Igbo housing. The urban, monogamous lower and middle class live in (ulo); while the polygamous upper class live in large suburban family compounds (umunna), usually situated outside crowded population centers. The idea of an apartment is a relatively new concept to the Igbo, as a solution to the challenges of urbanization and increasing population density within cities. These apartments vary in design, but generally include two bedrooms, one for the parents and one for the children, a bathroom, and a kitchen.

Family compounds, reserved for the polygamous upper-class, provide much more room for a family than apartments. The typical compound has several separate houses (umunne), each owned by one wife of the household. While children live with their mother in her house, the husband of the household lives by himself in a house of his own. The entire compound is enclosed by a large wall, typically 10 feet (3 meters) in height.

A wife's house is relatively large, in order to accommodate herself and all of her children. Her house typically has three bedrooms, one for herself and two for her children, a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, and a small garden. The husband's house is quite small, containing only a bedroom and bathroom. This house is more often used as a reception space rather than living quarters, as the husband usually sleeps in one of his wives' houses on a scheduled rotation.

Sports
Among the Igbo, (igba mgba) is by far the most common sport, participated in by children and young adults. Not only is wrestling played for recreation, but it is also used to settle trivial disputes. In some cases, wrestling may even be used to find a husband for a woman who has several suitors; the winner of the match will then become the woman's husband. Loud drumming is frequently present at these events, as it helps the crowd cheer as they watch the two contestants. Large wrestling grounds or stadiums are frequently built in cities for people to watch famous athletes wrestle.

The second most common sport,, is primarily played by boys and very young men. Compared to wrestling, soccer is viewed as an inferior sport, since it shows no feats of strength, although it is still popular when wrestling is in its.

Leisure
In their leisure time, Igbos enjoy consuming a wide variety of media. They watch television and movies at the movie theater or streamed on the internet. Adults regularly spend their evenings visiting their relatives or friend's house; or inviting guests to their own household for dinner. Storytelling is a common leisure for young children. Many teachers and parents tell their children folktales or fables that contain moral lessons.

Elders and the highly educated will frequently be found playing , the local form of. The game requires two players, a board, and 48 seeds. A typical board has two straight rows of six pits, called "houses", and optionally one large "score" house at either end. Each player controls the six houses on their side of the board, and the score house on their end. The game begins with four seeds in each of the twelve smaller houses. The object of the game is to capture more seeds than one's opponent; and since the game has only 48 seeds, capturing 25 is sufficient to win the game. Because there is an even number of seeds, it is possible for the game to end in a draw, where each player has captured 24. Occasionally, a crowd gathers to watch the game, with a spectator replacing the loser of each game.

Cuisine
Nigeria's warm climate provides a variety of foods for the Igbos to choose from. The Igbo diet is primarily based on  served with soup and, usually accompanied by other dishes. Side dishes often consist of, fish, and , along with other fruits and vegetables. Other than being made into fufu, yams can also be boiled, smoked, fried, or grilled; making it the staple food of the Igbo people. While children usually drink a sort of juice; most adults usually drink after eating a meal.

Greeting
Among the Igbo, greetings are highly valued, as is the same with any ethnic group of Nigeria. Igbos are courteous and cheerful when exchanging greetings, and neglecting to greet another person is frequently taken as a sign of disrespect or conveys a sense of condescension. The most common Igbo greeting is kọdi (hello), but ibọlachi (good morning), efife ọma (good afternoon), mgbede ọma (good evening), and kachifo (good night) are more common. After the initial greeting, Igbos usually inquire about each upcoming occasions, other's well-being, work, spouse, to which the typical response is a short ọma (well), but one listens to the whole response before carrying on the conversation. People may also shake hands or hug when greeting. Personal space between members of the same sex is virtually non-existent, and some Igbos may stand or sit very close when conversing.

Visiting
Visiting plays an important role in maintaining family and friendship ties. Igbos often visit their extended family and friends regularly, typically twice or thrice a week. Hosts go out of their way to make guests feel comfortable and are expected to offer them refreshments or a meal. Occasionally, in return, invited guests might give small gifts.

Dining
While dining, Igbos eat finger foods, such as using the fingers of the right hand, while certain foods, such as rice, are always eaten with utensils. Families usually eat around a mat placed on the floor. Invited guests are expected to try any food that is offered; and before eating, Igbos say a blessing on their food.

Birth
Any Igbo birth (Omumu) is a case for celebration for everyone involved; even for extended family members and friends. The first birth custom, the cutting and burial of the umbilical cord (Ili Alo), begins shortly after delivery of the newborn. The doctor attending the delivery, pretending to cut very close to the base of the cord, asks:


 * “Do you want me to cut here?”

In reply, the group of women present in the delivery shout:


 * “No! No! No!”

The doctor keeps on asking this question until she touches the right place, about six to eight inches from the base of the umbilical cord, which she then cuts. The placenta is discarded and the baby is washed by all the women present attending the delivery, typically family members and friends of the mother.

After the cutting, the mother and her baby are kept in seclusion while she rests. While in seclusion, the baby's umbilical cord is tended with care until it falls off, usually within 4 days. When it falls off, it is buried at the base of a tree in honor of Ala, the goddess of the land.

Twenty days after the birth of an Igbo infant is when the first hair-cutting (Ikpu Ise Uwa) and nail-cutting (Ibe Mbo Uwa) occurs. The Igbo believe that all children are reincarnations of departed family members. Every child, therefore, is believed to be living some kind of life in the spirit-world before coming into the world. So when he is born, the hairs on his head and the nails on his fingers or toes are regarded as sacred.

An old woman, usually a grandmother of the infant, will shave the head of the child, while an old man, usually a grandfather of the infant, will cut the nails. After the cutting, the sacred hair and nails are buried. The Igbo believe that this liquidates the infant's soul of the spiritual world and officially makes the infant a part of the real world.

The infancy customs of the Igbo only come to a close with the naming ceremony (Igu Afa), which commences on the 28th day after birth. On this day, the mother of the child will go to bathe in a nearby river or stream and sing prayers to spirits, thanking them for her child. After returning home, the mother will prepare food with family and friends for the feast to take place later on. The actual naming ceremony begins when the commences when the child is placed by the household shrine to ancestors (Ndebunze). Next, the father says a prayer:
 * My child, with hard work, dedication, and virtue, your fathers lived well. We call upon you to acquaint yourself with them properly and be hard working. We wish you good fruits out of your labours. Live, grow and wax strong and may the gods of our land bless and guide you.

After this prayer, the father will give his child his name. All present respond with the chorus of ''Eha! Eha!'' (So let it be! So let it be!), with cheers and exchange greetings. Finally, presents are given to the child and the feast begins, ending the Igbo infancy customs.

Wedding
For the Igbo people, weddings are usually very festive and colorful. Parents of the couple, their extended families, and townspeople play active roles in the wedding ceremony. The wedding process begins when the future groom finds the lady he wants to marry and tells his parents. He is then accompanied by his parents, siblings, and other family members, and contacts the family of the bride-to-be. A date is then set for both families to meet.

During the meeting, the groom-to-be's father will state their intention. The father of the groom normally will not expect the family of the bride to give them positive or negative answer right away. They then will schedule another date to meet. Before the next meeting, both families normally carry out investigations on each other to see if the families are of good character and moral standing.

On their return visit to the bride-to-be’s home, the groom’s parents will reiterate their intention that their son wants to marry the woman in question. At this stage, it is expected that the bride-to-be’s family must have concluded their investigation and consultation with their daughter and should be ready to give the groom either positive or negative answer. If the bride's family gives a positive answer, the bride-to-be is then summoned before both families asked if she is interested in her future husband. If she agrees to marry her future husband, then both families will set another date for the actual marriage ceremony called Igba Nkwu. The family of the bride usually compiles a list of items that the groom’s family will bring to the wedding ceremony as demanded by Igbo customs. Typically, the list includes the following:


 * Gallons of
 * A cash gift
 * Bottle of
 * One
 * Bags of
 * Tubers of
 * Crates of
 * Jewellery for the bride
 * Jewellery for the bride
 * Jewellery for the bride

In the final stage of the marriage rites, the groom will go to the house of the bride-to-be with his immediate and extended family, villagers and townspeople with the above items. Host families will prepare different kinds of dishes to entertain their guests and both families, including members of their communities, will eat, dance and drink together. During the feasting, the bride will be asked to give palm wine to her husband, which she will do while kneeling down. The parents and elders in the family of both the bride and groom will pray for the newlyweds and the for success of their marriage. Afterwards, the bride and groom will dance along with their family members. When the ceremony is over, the bride will go home with the family of the groom signifying that the two are now husband and wife.

Funeral
The Igbo funeral rite, Akwamozu, is performed when an Igbo adult person dies in order to facilitate a smooth transition of the departed soul into the ethereal world or the world beyond our physical senses – the other side of life. The Igbo do not perform funeral rites for everybody. For instance, funerals are not performed when a child dies, since the soul of the child has not yet unfolded on earth like that of an adult, and is still anchored in the beyond from where it came, the spiritual world. The soul is unfolded and anchored within the physical world only when the child reaches full maturity on earth as either a man or a woman at 16. The burial rites involve not one, but two funerals. Only after a successful second funeral can the deceased pass from the time of ita okazi -- a period of torment -- into a state of peace and contentment.

When an man or woman dies, the corpse is immediately stretched out, sponged down thoroughly, and rubbed with camwood dye to mark it as sacred. After the cleaning, the body is laid out in their living room, lying down with the feet facing the entryway of the house. Once the body has been prepared for its passage from the world of the living into the spirit world, a wake is held. The eldest son of the bereaved family welcomes the community into the home with kola nuts and palm wine. Prayers and libations are spoken to beckon ancestral spirits into the home to escort the spirit of the deceased.

After the wake takes place, the body is immediately taken to be buried in the local cemetery, typically very close to the deceased's house. Also enclosed are a large quantity of clothes and some of the deceased's most valued possessions in life. Men are often buried with their knife or gun, and women with their pots and dishes. The body is then placed in the grave by young men and encased in wooden planks.

The first burial, however, is not the end of the Igbo funeral. Several months after the body is buried, a second funeral is held, but this time, it is accompanied by feasting and merrymaking rather than mourning. Visitors dress in their best attire, and sing and dance to alert the community of the event that is about to be held. After the second funeral, the deceased is said to have been sent off to take up a new place in the land of the dead.

Family
The typical Bini household consists of a father, a mother, their children, and their extended family. However, while the average Bini man will only marry one woman, wealthy or attractive men frequently have multiple wives, and are not restricted to how many women he can marry. In these polygamous households, the first wife of the husband is regarded as the most respected wife and the leader of the household's women. Rather than compete for the man's attention, wives in these households are expected to work together to improve the household as a coordinated group, led by the first wife.

While the immediate family, comprising the father, wife/wives, and children, is considered central to family life, the Bini frequently live with their extended family in addition to immediate family. The extended family in Bini society is a pillar of support for each member of the household, as some family members may need financial help or become ill. The popular Bini saying: "Igwe bu Ike" (Multitude is power) was originally coined to reflect the high value the Bini place on extended family. The extended family also helps the upbringing of children, as their training is not only confined to the limits of their parents. It also reduces the financial burden and woes of the elderly members of the household, as both the young and old have to work together to make money and sustain the family.

In a Bini household, the father is the one to represent the family in matters of business in addition to acting as the main provider for the family. It is his responsibility to cultivate and develop the family wealth and resources. He serves as the spiritual leader and teacher of discipline to the members of his household, correcting deviant members of the family when they go wrong. It rests on the mother(s) of the household to uphold standards of morality and purity of the girls in the family. She has to make the household homely and comfortable for every member of the family, and even occasional guests. Finally, it is her duty to love her husband and cook meals for the family. The boys of the household are regarded to be exclusively under the mentor-ship of the father, while the girls of the household are regarded to be exclusively under the mentor-ship of the mother(s). When a father makes a decision in a Bini household, the wife(s)