The Meaning Of Odinala And Omenala In Igbo Cosmology And Worldview

In the last decade or more, the term Odinala has become popular among Ndi Igbo when referring to Igo Mmuo (Igbo Spiritual practices = communing with divinities), which is only an aspect of Odinala. Many have called these spiritual practices Omenala, while others have maintained that it is Odinala na Omenala. No matter what it is called, one clear thing is that there is a reawakening among the young Igbo, which has seen a resurgence in the practice of various aspects of culture and traditions, such as Igo Mmuo (spirituality), Igba/Iti/Ime Mmanwu (masquerades), Isu asusu Igbo (speaking the Igbo language), Agugu ala (history), among other aspects of our traditions, culture, and spirituality. All of these are what many of our people have put under the umbrella of Odinala and Omenala. However, Odinala means one thing, while Omenala stands for a group of cultural activities practiced under Odinala.

ODINALA:
To dive into the meaning of Odinala, and its practices, we must first understand the etymology of the word in the Igbo parlance; for the truth about any Igbo word or philosophy is found in its etymology – Its root. As such, there are four words that make up the term Odinala, and they are: ‘O,’ ‘DI,’ ‘NA,’ and ‘ALA.’

‘O’ can mean “It, he, she, What, Who,” and is used to point/refer to anything in creation, both living and non-living, before its name is called, or its location is disclosed.

‘DI’ can mean “is” and it is a pointer word, that states that a thing/practice/phenomenon/location exists somewhere.

‘NA’ can mean “At, On, In”, and is also a pointer word, showing the location of a thing/practice/phenomenon/location or thing that exists.

‘ALA’ is then the ecosystem, in which we live. Ndi Igbo understand the word ‘Ala’ to mean various things, which are then intertwined, to mean one thing. Ala is the ‘mother earth’ and a deity (an Mmuo) to us. Ala is also ‘the ground/soil’ to us. Ala is also a ‘piece of land’ to Ndi Igbo. Ala also means a ‘community, town, or region’ to us Ndi Igbo. Whether Ala is a deity (mother earth), the soil, a piece of land, a community, a town, or a region, ‘Ala’ in this context encompasses all, and means ‘Ecosystem’, which is a summation of all living and non-living things in our universe (not just earth).

So, when we bring together the four words explained above into one term ‘ODINALA’, what it means in layman’s terms is: “It/what Is On/At/In the Ecosystem.” Or put it shortly and accurately to fit the Igbo understanding of the word, it would be: “What Is In The Ecosystem,” OR “All ‘What’ there is in the Ecosystem as pertaining Ndi Igbo.”

Now, going forward, let us break down Odinala (All ‘What’ there is in the Ecosystem as pertaining to Ndi Igbo), to the understanding of the layman, as it pertains to the day-to-day practices of those of us who call ourselves Ndi Odinala Igbo.

Firstly, it is important to note that Odinala transcends Igo Mmuo (spirituality, metaphysics, etc.), which has various departments, such as Ichu Aja (sacrifice), Igwo Ogwu (Alchemy), and Afa (Divination), etc. This is to correct the now popular notion that supposes that Odinala Igbo ends with only Igo Mmuo, peddled by the majority of Ndi Igbo in this era.

O di na ala is a collection of all things (animate and inanimate) in the Igbo world and ecosystem. It is the knowledge of and interaction with, all the Mmuo (spirits) and matter (soil, trees, animals, humans, etc.) in our ecosystem. It also encompasses our interaction with the celestial bodies, such as Anyanwu (Sun), Onwa (Moon), and Kpakpakpa Ndu (Stars). O di na Ala transcends spirituality. It is a collection of all the faculties in existence, such as Astrology, Zoology, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Art, Linguistics, Medicine, Alchemy, Geography, Metaphysics, Food and Nutrition, Spirituality, Faith, and many more. Everything that the Igbo sees, does, and knows of in this ecosystem, is what makes up the Igbo worldview, and this worldview encompasses Igo Mmuo (spirituality and metaphysics), Igwo Ogwu (medicine and alchemy), Agugu Ala (history), Asusu (language), Ama Ala (Geography, culture, tradition, etc.), Omenala (culture and tradition), among many others.

When the Igbo man says that he is an Odinala practitioner, or that “he/she is going back to Odinala,” what it means, in essence, is that he/she is returning to the complete knowledge of the Igbo worldview, understanding of and practical interaction with the universe, Ala. And as such we refer to the study and knowledge of Igbo Odinala to be ‘Igbo Cosmology.’

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