5 Taboos In Igbo Land That Strangers Should Avoid While Visiting

Many travellers enjoy defying people’s customs and traditions. It is necessary to learn about people’s ways of life and to respect it with caution. Most people have gotten themselves into trouble because they have disrespected the traditions and cultures of the people whose land they have visited. In this brief article, I will discuss some of the taboos that exist in Igbo land.

1. You are permitted to hunt animals in the wild. However, killing Python is prohibited in some Igbo communities. In Anambra state, some Igbo communities always say “Nwadianna bu Eke” in their local dialect. This means Snake is always welcome in their home. If you accidentally kill a Python, you must perform the necessary burial rites and bury it as if it were a human being.

2. Only men are permitted to break the Kolanut in public. Women are permitted to eat kola nuts, but they are not permitted to pray over them or break them in a gathering. This is a common taboo in the Igbo land, and every woman in the Igbo community adheres to it to this day.

3. Women are free to pursue odd jobs such as fishing, carpentry, and so on. They are not permitted to climb palm trees in order to harvest palm wine. This is strictly forbidden, and some ladies who have no knowledge of the Igbo tradition climb palm trees just to take pictures.

4. In the Igbo community, you are free to wear whatever you want. Women, on the other hand, are not permitted to wear masquerades. Only men wear masquerades and perform for the king of the land. Masquerade is a sacred deity and women are not allowed to wear it. According to rumours, women are not permitted to wear it because they menstruate.

5. Do not, under any circumstances, throw an elder to the ground in Igbo land, especially if the elder is a titled member of the Igwe’s cabinet. Before he can stand up from the ground, you must bring one cow or goat. The majority of the Igbo community still adheres to this tradition, and visitors should do the same.