Ibo beliefs in Spiritual
In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the belief of an afterlife and spirit world were strong motivating factors in the daily events of an Ibo tribesman's life. These beliefs controlled his actions and thoughts throughout the day and into the night. The Ibo believed in not only personal spirits, but also in a supreme deity, the Creator of the world and the Ibo, as well as the minor gods and entities of the spirit world. To the Ibo, it was customary for one to approach a great and powerful man through his servants. Sacrifices were made to the minor gods and spirits, but when these fail to bring about the desired result, the Ibo went to the Supreme Deity for final intervention.
The personal god, or chi, that the person worshipped was not the most important spirit worshipped by the Ibo, but was seen as a protector spirit, somewhat like a guardian angel, of a previous incarnation of the person, possibly a grandfather, in the case of a male child, or a grandmother, in the case of a female child. The actual Supreme Deity, or God, of the Ibo religion was called Chukwu, which seems to be a corruption of the Asaba word Chi-ukwu, meaning the highest or the biggest Chi. Both Asaba and Ibo men therefore adore and worship two powers, one the biggest and highest power - the Ruler of the Universe, and the other power through which from Chuckwu/Chi-ukwu they derives their existence in this world, that is, their personal chi.
The importance of this relationship can be illustrated by Okonkwo's, the main character in Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, reverence for his personal chi. He, as did the others of the tribe, had a small shrine built near his barn, called a "medicine hut", devoted to the offerings of sacrifice and worship to his chi. There, he also prayed on behalf of himself, his wives, and his children. Common sacrifices included kola nut, food, and palm-wine.
One form of worship of a particular deity, not specifically Chukwu, but a minor god of some aspect of nature, was to offer a slave, called osu, to that god. This was usually done after a series of misfortunes or illnesses drove an individual or whole lineage to consult an oracle regarding the cause of the trouble. If the oracle announced that it was caused by their sins, the individual or clan could offer a slave as a scapegoat to the offended god to relieve themselves of the trouble. The cult slaves were thus living monuments to Ibo shame, and as such, were hated and despised by the tribe. At the same time, no one dared to harm them, because they were considered to be protected by their god and indeed served an indispensable role as priest of the deity. In their priestly functions, they did not gain prestige, as did the freeborn priest, and the osu were ranked even lower than any ordinary slaves. They lived apart from other people, near the markets, whereas ordinary slaves shared much of the same accommodations and food as their masters. Because of their outcast status, osu were among the first converts to Christianity.
Many proverbs in Ibo culture illustrate that there is certainly one universal Supreme God, Creator of the Universe. The proverbs also demonstrate that the same word, chi, in different contexts, refers to three different spiritual entities: the Supreme Being, the Personal God, and Destiny. It is possible for malevolent spirits, witches, wizards, and divinities to make conditions difficult for a person to fulfill his Destiny. This is why an Ibo man must constantly seek the aid of his chi, ancestral spirits, and other divinities to ensure that the unfolding of his chosen Destiny is not thwarted by any force. This suggests that a person's Destiny is not, strictly speaking, a predestination, but rather a blueprint which requires much effort, human and supernatural, to bring to fruition.
The belief of a spirit world full of uncontrollable, but petitionable, entities was a powerful factor in the life of an Ibo tribesman. This led to the developments of various forms or worship and sacrifice that could be used to please these gods, and prevent hardships and misery, while furthering a person's destiny.