The Contributions of Sacred Specialists to Igbo Traditional Religion

Abstract

The Igbo is an ethnic group found in South-Eastern Nigeria. They are intensely religious. Their primal religion is the Igbo traditional Religion. It is an indigenous religion practised by the forebears and is handed down from one generation to another. It has a clear-cut belief in Supreme Being and other minor deities as intermediaries. It also acknowledges special categories of people who are known as sacred specialists. The sacred specialists are experts who through revelations training and initiations posses diverse knowledge on how to approach the spiritual world for the betterment of the society. They assist people in every area of life. They offer advice and enhance holistic solution techniques to the myriads of human problems. Though the influences of modernity portends great threat to their position in this fast-changing society, the importance of their services and in the resilient nature of Igbo traditional religion have kept them in service and they will continue to survive. They contribute in no small measure to the Igbo traditional religion.