Art as Salvation: Reflections on Chinelo Anyadiegwu’s “Introduction to Igbo Mythology for Kids”
For the longest time, I have had one reoccurring worry. It is the worry that Igbo dialects, beliefs and cultures would die out.
As someone who has invested considerable time in exploring African spiritualities, particularly within the South of Nigeria, I have been repeatedly fascinated by how the Yorubas have been able to not only preserve their languages and cultures within Africa but to also sustain bonds in the diaspora that, while mutated to account for the marriage of cultures caused by the transatlantic slave trade, have somehow been able to hold on to many of the original Yoruba traditional beliefs. Almost every day on TikTok, I come across someone who may not have been raised within any cultures that trace ancestry to the Yorubas but have somehow become initiated into Ifa or had some sort of Ifa divination done for them. There are so many online guides and so much literature and art dedicated to offering people some sort of entrance into Yoruba mythologies and cultures.
I longed for this for my people. I longed for this for years as I watched younger Igbo people lose touch with what it means to be Igbo. I longed for literature that provides simplified explanations of Igbo mythology, culture and beliefs. Every time someone asked me where I got my knowledge about Igbo mythology from and asked for literature so they could learn more, every time I had to tell them that most of my knowledge has been gained from my ancestors, my living family and other mmụọ (spirit) like me who have dedicated their lives to curating and transmitting the culture, I prayed for literature to fill this gap. I prayed for literature that I could readily whip out as an answer to a beginner looking to connect with my heritage.
If there is one thing I am thankful for about my existence as mmụọ, it is that eventually, the universe and my chi conspire to bring my longings to pass. I was given the gift of Chinelo’s Introduction To Igbo Mythology For Kids as an answer to all my yearnings. This book is all I hoped it would be. It is a light read, like sweet water passing down the parched throat of a weary traveller. Rather than going into the heavier, finer points of Igbo mythology, it provides a beginner with the basic information they need about Igbo culture, arụsị (deities), mythology and stories. As the name implies, it is simply an introduction, a call to look and see if you find something that grips your heart and mind long enough to invest your time in learning more about the Igbos.
While the introduction to the deities, customs, communal way of life and norms contained in the book’s first part is stellar and is now an essential part of my research for my debut novel, it is the second part of the book that held me by hand and took me back to some of my best memories. As I read the stories about the tortoise’s trickery and the wrestler who did astonishing exploits in ala mmụọ (the spirit land), I was transported to blissful childhood holidays spent in my father’s village. I could almost taste the joy of listening to an older cousin tell us tales under the moonlit sky. I could clearly remember some of the songs we sang to accompany the storytelling. Chinelo’s stories took me back to my childhood before pain learnt how to properly pronounce my name and grief became an acquaintance. Beyond a mere trip down memory lane, the stories have helped me connect with my inner child and the parts of myself I thought I had lost. I believe it is no coincidence that this book came to me at a time when I was doing essential healing work from past brokenness.
I am thankful for this gift, this work of art that has contributed to the salvation of our Igboness. I am thankful for this book, which contains stories that embody the Igbo maxim “onye aghala nwanne ya”, a call to always work towards the good of one’s kinsmen and to centre community in our interactions.
Introduction to Igbo Mythology for Kids is an important work of art that I hope will be a gift to the people who need it; the adults looking to connect with our shared heritage as Igbos, the parents looking to introduce their children to the ways of their ancestors, and the children in need of vital lessons told through stories that explore the interconnectedness of human life as well as the presence of the divine in and around us.
