When the Ancestors Speak: Igbo Literary Wisdom and Resilience
Conference: The 23rd Annual International Conference of the Igbo Studies Association (ISA) (2026)
Presenter(s): Chinasa Ekeoma, Jane Nkechi Onuoha
Presentation Date: May 14, 2026 @ 01:34 AM
Tags: Nigeria Lagos Abia Chinasa Ekeoma Every Living Soul Church Jane Nkechi Onuoha OgbonnayaOnu Polytechnic
Abstract
This paper explores how Igbo oral and written literary traditions function as living records of communal memory, ethical teachings, directives, and cultural resilience. The study equally considers how such traditions mutually shape Igbo proverbs, folktales, masquerade performances, and ritual chants. The work argues that ancestral voices are encoded in language and imagery to guide social conduct, negotiate crisis, and uphold the identity of the people. It therefore addresses the Igbo tradition and literary wisdom as a process in which the ancestors “speak.” This speaking is done through stories, metaphors, and performance to address both past and present realities. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines literary analysis, cultural hermeneutics, and ethno-poetics, this work shows how Igbo expressions such as proverbs and masquerade songs communicate resilience during the colonial disruption, their innovation, and the socio-economic uncertainty. The methods aim to preserve history and foster communal endurance by teaching adaptability, moral balance, and collective responsibility. Most importantly, this paper views Igbo literary wisdom as a counter-narrative to the domineering Western dogmatism about Africa, emphasizing communal knowledge, oral beliefs, and spirituality as valid modes of understanding the people.
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