1. Things Fall Apart Project
Michael Chong – pd. 6

2. Examining cultural
characteristics of the
Ibo people

3. The native Ibo people of Umuofia
populated what is today the country
of Nigeria. They were predominantly
located on the Niger River and had
a society based on religion and
agriculture.
Background

4. An approximate location of where the Ibo people would have lived.

5. The average Ibo family lived in polygamous
households. The husband would live in a main
complex while his wives and children would
live in separate ones, according to whose
child is whose. Most marriages were based off
agreements set by one family to another for
selling them a daughter through the amount of
palm wine (a common drink for such occasion)
provided by the bride’s family. The groom’s
family during these ceremonies would prepare
a large and food-heavy feast.
Society

6. An example of what a common house formation would look like.

7. The Ibo people based a majority of their
wealth and income through the farming
and cultivation of yams. In a town, the
top men who have the most amount of
yams could receive honorary titles to
which the men and their wives would
wear, signifying their yam dominance.
Agricultural Hierarchy

8. Yams!

9. The Ibo people believed in a
polytheistic religion based on a main
creator god, Chukwu, and four other
ones. If a person does the correct
ceremonies and pleases these gods
then they believe that the gods will
reward them with positive chi (energy).
Positive chi = positive life.
Religion

10. Ani, the Earth Goddess, is one of the more important deities.

11. In most Ibo villages, there live oracles
and priestesses who are the town’s
religious leaders. They often give
fortunes that could vary from the
outcome of a yam harvest or whether or
not to wage war on enemies. Egwugwu’s
are also connected to the spirit world by
acting as masqueraders who
impersonate ancient village spirits.
Religion (cont.)

12. Egwugwu in action.

13. Ibo people of all ages told many different
stories and tales to communicate
teachings passed down by several
generations of families. They are often
complex and include many different
interpretations and are meant to convey
life lessons.
Oral Tradition

14. Storytelling.

15. The Ibo people that lived in Umuofia had
a very sophisticated culture which most
villages shared the same general
concept. In Things Fall Apart, it is made
clear of the many distinctive cultural
practices of the Ibo people that lived in
modern day Nigeria.
Analysis