SYMBOLISM OF KOLA NUT AND PALM WINE AMONG THE IGBO OF SOUTHEAST NIGERIA: PAST AND PRESENT

Abstract

In every human culture there is always a mark of identity which defines the people’s origin and existence. Kola nut and palm wine are two significant socio-cultural symbols of identification among the Igbo which defines their origin, festivity, hospitality, homogeneity, unity and integration. Scholars of different hues have written extensively on kola nut as it is generally significant in Nigeria’s heterogeneous setting. In Yoruba it is grown and harvested in commercial quantity, in Hausa it is consumed almost as food, and it is mythically celebrated, adored, cherished and ritualized by the Igbo of south east Nigeria. This study, therefore, aimed at a historical and phenomenological investigation into the meaning and symbolism of kola nut, particularly Oji Igbo (cola acuminate), and to see why it is more valued than the other species of kola nut in Igbo tradition. The study also looked into the symbolism of palm wine among the Igbo. The study adopted the primary and secondary methods of the qualitative approach for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using the phenomenological approach. It was discovered that sacredness of kola nut is attached to the foundation of Igbo origin, Nto Ala Igbo, and the symbolism of palm wine is understood as a seal of covenant between the ancestors and the living. However, it is regrettably observed that these cherished symbolisms of kola nut and palm wine are almost at the verge of extinction owing to Igbo encounter with Christianity and its accompanying western culture and civilization. The paper, therefore, calls for a socio-cultural and religious revival of the symbolism of Igbo kola nut and palm wine as a way of maintaining pristine Igbo cultural heritage and identity.