To learn more about this great country, it is necessary to explore its history and culture, its art, music, literature, custom and tradition, because they bring to the world of wealth in all these areas and more.
But why this country is so rich in term of culture?, the answer is simple and it is because Nigeria is a country of over 200 different ethnic groups, each with their own contributions to making Nigeria a country rich in culture, not to mention that besides, this is one of the oldest countries in our history of the humanity.
The Nigerian art dates back a long time, over 2000 years by some archeological beliefs. The Nok Terracotta and the Igbo Ukwu are examples of some excavations that have been discovered by archeologists to indicate a highly developed artistic and technologically based civilization. Some of the really old art found shows very much detail and very distinctive features suggesting technological skills way back when. The Nok art for instance, has many images made from iron-smelting. The Igbo artifacts show skills in bronze and copper utensils as well as sacred objects. The Ife bronze heads are said to represent some of the past Ooni's (rulers)
of Ife.
Nigerian literature was influenced by different sources; western influences began affecting Nigerian literature as early as the eighth century when Arabic ideas and culture were introduced to Africa. During the fourteenth century, written and spoken Arabic flourished in northern Nigeria and by the seventeenth century, some Hausa literature had been translated into Arabic. Christian missionaries accelerated the importation of western education into Nigeria during the nineteenth century.
Nigerian literature was in its infancy orally and through contact with other cultures such as Muslims, Spanish and Portuguese, who were the first Europeans who traded with them, his writing took contributions from each of these cultures.
One of the most important exponent of lieterature was Wole Soyinka was the first Nigerian writer to get the Noble Prize. In 1967, is arrested during the civil war for having written an article calling for an armistice. Charged with conspiracy, is locked up for 20 months and only at the end of 1969 is released
The Music of Nigeria includes many kinds of music, because in this country is mixed ethnically diverse, each one with its own techniques, instruments and songs, although little is known of its history until the arrival of Europeans. Nigerian music is included in 12 genres: Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Palm Wine, Juju, Apala, Highlife, Fuji, Yo-pop, Afrobeat, Waka, Afrojùjú...The music was not part of the art, until the arrival of the Europeans, who introduced his influences being assimilated rapidly.Politic
One of the fact most important was the Biafra war. This war marked its history, politics and economy. The political situation in Nigeria, after its independence in 1960, was devastating, since surfaced political differences, differences in ideals in addition to the ethnic problem.
Having ethnicities as important as the Igbo, who were in charge of governing, the other ethnic groups were separated by political ideologies, becoming racial strife. Nigeria is now growing slightly, but stands out from its African neighbors and stands as one of the emerging economies of the continent and with oil profits revive their economy.
The religious aspect is a very important and in which lie all other customs. Religion is present in every aspect of their lives and govern your music, literature (in the beginning), their customs and celebrations. This helps to further accentuate the differences between ethnic groups. Today, Islam, Protestant and Christianity syncretism religions are prevalent in Nigeria.
Each event in Nigeria as the birth of a child, marriage or death of a relative one are occasions that are celebrated and they are part of their customs and tradition. But each is celebrated differently in each ethnic group.
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| wedding attire Yoruba |
At the ceremony of marriage there are three types of marriage: religious marriage, civil marriage, and traditional marriage, in general these ceremonies are always a feast with dancing and live music, like any traditional wedding. The Yoruba, however, have a habit of dressing the bride and two or three women dressed head to toe in a white shroud, to recognize that the groom to his bride from among the other women, which means he deserves her. The Hausa Fulani clan, have a practice reminiscent of the ancient scriptures, where if the household head dies, the brother of this is who inherits the property and the wife.
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| Mmanwu Festival |
Africa over its long history has been characterized by the use of masks in various celebrations, a practice that has been lost by the arrival of various colonial governments, by imposing their own customs. The ceremonie of the Masks or "Mmanwu Festivals" is one of the most important. However in Nigeria this festival is an integral part of the life of the Igbos. The purpose of this festival is to honor the ancestors and bless the abundance of life and sometimes punish wrongdoers, which are represented by the spirits of masks becoming visible, a curious point is the role of women, which should not touch the masked, with a punishment that, for who dares to contradict the usual risk of suffering bodily as well as your fertility.
There are many myths and legends Nigeria, from diverse ethnic groups, which would be cumbersome to speak of them all, so I plan to focus on one of the ethnic groups, the Yoruba origin, considering this the most important people in both, numeric appearance in the cultural significance in the country. The mythology of the Yoruba people is myths, songs, stories and other cultural concepts which make up society and religion of this people.
Yoruba gods are called "Orishas" which means "Lord of the head" and they are 400 different deities. One of the most important is the "Shangó", which is the god of thunder. The Yoruba traditional beliefs suggest that the creation of the world was made by connecting two worlds, the visible world "Aye" and the spiritual world "Orishas”. All cultures have myths that explain the creation of the universe, to the Yoruba was kind of help from the various gods who unwittingly formed the world as we see it.
Although it is believed that everything is already predetermined before coming to life, the divination also exists as a contradiction is explained by the differences between the same villages. Divination "Ifa" is a ceremony among the Yoruba to solve problems and predict the future; this ceremony has existed for thousands of years and has spread around the world. Although myths and legends usually remain in the areas of origin, thanks to the slave market, many of these myths and legends spread to another continent, helping to keep alive all these ways, perhaps with some differences, but they denote African influences, including some one practiced today in many African countries as Americans countries, like Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, United States, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela and to a lesser extent Colombia.
In Nigeria like any other country, the food is adapted to its habitat, to its resources more accessible, and the different weather conditions like drought or humidity fluctuations.
Previously we have seen the yam cultivation is a very important commodity and for the people of Nigeria, this species, is native to tropical and temperate locations. But this food is not the only one in which their food is based, are also bananas, rice, cereals, corn, beans, meat and fish, and poultry, sheep, pigs and cattle. Fish is a regular product due to greater access to seas, rivers and lakes that abound in Nigeria, and is sold in local markets, fresh or dried, as well as shrimp.
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| Egusi |
Some typical dishes are:
- Egusi, is a kind of spicy stew meat or red peppers.
- Tuwo, made from corn, rice or millet.
- Kilishi, seasoned with dried meat and spices
- Ukwaka, cake grain and bananas.
The typical drink palm wine, natural liquid out of the palm tree and beer. The diet is supplemented with a varied selection of fruit. Because of the tsetse fly, guilty of transmitting a fatal disease in animals, livestock and milk are scarce in the coastal regions, which will replace packaged margarine, cheese and milk powder.
Nigerian food in general is one of the easiest to Africa, compared with those of their neighbors. This meal, fits like any other food to their habitat, this is how we see, as they use products that are grown on their land, fertile soil that will provide all kinds of fruits, vegetables and cereals. Nigerian food is made mostly of stew dishes, food plentiful and vitalizing to the great physical strain to which the people of Nigeria are used to. Nigerian food also has been evolving and adapting products or recipes brought from countries that have influenced, as were Britain, Portugal and Saudi.
Nigerian food in general is one of the easiest to Africa, compared with those of their neighbors. This meal, fits like any other food to their habitat, this is how we see, as they use products that are grown on their land, fertile soil that will provide all kinds of fruits, vegetables and cereals. Nigerian food is made mostly of stew dishes, food plentiful and vitalizing to the great physical strain to which the people of Nigeria are used to. Nigerian food also has been evolving and adapting products or recipes brought from countries that have influenced, as were Britain, Portugal and Saudi.
Nigeria shares with other African countries its pastimes (Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Togo, Ghana, Burkina, Mali) the “Laamb”, kind of fighting outdoors, which is considered the most important sport and more money moves around it. Champions characters become very popular and created numerous songs in his honor.
Laamb” has two ways: first fighters are allowed to hit with his bare hands, bumps that can become painful, the second, the struggle is more acrobatic shots are not allowed. Beat the wrestler that gets back to knock down his opponent.
Currently the most popular sport in Nigeria is football, sports introduced by the British during colonization. In 1945 creates the national soccer federation, however, was in 1990 when it could just talk to a professional league. Nigeria has made great achievements in football, and with great international history, as the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, beating Argentina and its significant achievements in the World Cup 1994 and 1996.Laamb” has two ways: first fighters are allowed to hit with his bare hands, bumps that can become painful, the second, the struggle is more acrobatic shots are not allowed. Beat the wrestler that gets back to knock down his opponent.
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| Laam |
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| Futboll team |
In general the recreation of the inhabitants of Nigeria does not have major differences to other cultures.
In general the recreation of the inhabitants of Nigeria does not have major differences to other cultures.
In the course of this investigation, we have seen Nigeria is a country that has absorbed the culture of more than 200 ethnic groups, in addition to British influences, Portuguese and Arabic, which gives it a cosmopolitan culture, but with a tinge own. This is also true in sports, which are shared with its African neighbors, interests and hobbies are also to some extent shared with the world, which shows that the globalization is not a term which only touches the present.
Nigeria is a country rich in culture, which has a long and stirring history, has grown from a great of ethnicities, with all the advantages and disadvantages that this entails, in its long history also can appreciate the history of struggles for independence of an unjust British colony, as the internal wars has led to a disunity that still endures as a country with government corruption and extreme poverty in its people that both have had to suffer, however, is a country proud of their race, their origins and identity, a beautiful country with great contributions to mankind.
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