Answers From Agbala example essay topic

The divine authority or heavenly power given to the Egwugwa and Aglaba to govern Umaformia is fear of the unknown. When asked the egwugwa do you know me the answer was sure to be how can i know you, you are beyond my knowledge. This to me showed that they needed a higher power to govern them. The egwugwa was in a sense a governing council much like our judicial system. The egwugwa were nine masked people of the umaformia tribe. It was beleive d that when masked they were possessed by the ancestral spirits.

Cases come before them for their review and applications of the law. The Aglaba was the priestess of the oracle of the "hill and caves" she possessed ancestral like powers also. People seemed out the priestess of the oracle of the hill of caves for answers to questions. The service that she provides is well need to the people of the clan. It is like going before a God and getting answer for your qustion when you ask it. In comparison to today's religious society where we seek answers to moral and elit cal questions. they depend on the answers to that she rendered on every question that was asked.

She gave them important answers such as when to plant, why the harvest was bad, what a dead an sector had to convey or why a women chouldn't carry a baby to full term. Human motives can be expressed through the gods inadvertently. the masted Egwugwa where men of the clan and what they sai was Law. there was no higher authority that could be addressed. Human motives could have been expressed in the case where Uzowulu sought to get his wife (Mgbafo) back from her brothers. the brothers took Mgbafo from Uzowulu because they said that he beat her excessively even to make her miscarry. The egwugwa heard from the neighbors and they confirmed the stories of the beatings. they went away to ponder on the case and returned with a verdict. the told him to take a bottle of wine to the brothers and beg for your wife back. they also added a phase to there verdict it is not beary to fight with woman. their was instructions to the brother as well... if your in-law comes to you with a bottle of wine then let your sister go with him. this verdict comes from men that are masqueraders who in personates a god. one of whom was Okonkwo who ruled with fear and a heavy hand. At time Chielo was possessed with the spirit of her God she recieved strength and power. Her voice would crack like the angry bark of thunder in the dry season.

When this occurs she is feared by all. Not a man nor woman would dare to stand in her way. she warned Okonkwo to "beware of exchanging words with Agbala. Does a man speak when a god speaks?" Chielo uttered these words when she came to his village to take his daughter. she was needed by Agbala and it was expected that no words would be exchanged or questions asked. She placed Ezinma on her back and walked the length of the nine villages without tiring. while Ekwefi an (ordinary woman) wife of Okonkwo followed and started to feel a slight numbness in her limbs and in the head. The ability to strike fear in people and the strengths that she show was from a divine authority. all the hope of the clan was placed in the tridictions that was so en richly in place. the act of worshiping the gods and seeking answers from Agbala was all they knew. much like today we are raised in the religion of our parents and in most cases we don't ask questions or leave that religion. this is the same thing for them it was important to them to see power as divine rather that secular or human. this will tear away form thier society and what will they have to live by? this qustion was answered when some of the clan joined the chirstian missionaries their their replacement was found. it was improtant to them to believe that the Agbala and the Egwugwa were divine to keep the faith of their fathers. things were usually done decently and in order. anything of importance was first consulted with the divine authorities. the worldly things that that was done without out of the fear of the unknown such as the killing of the white man. the clan Aba me killed a White man and in turn was wiped out. they was warned that a strange man was going to bring them trouble. they saw this white man and forgot the warning of the Oracle and they killed him. another instance where political motives were made without consulting the a divine authority ws when Oknokwo killed the messenger of the District Commissioner. Oknokwo was filled with hate and di cust not only of the christians but of all of the converts. he had some animosity toward some of the clansmen because they last there will t fifth. they were no longer warriors. while looking at the tribe of Umuofia you would find a people that was traded in the religion or their father. not to say that som things wrong with that, they placed a great deal of trust in men that are suppose to be divine. fear of the unknown is what ruled Umuofia.