Článek
Odinala is a name for the religious traditions of the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria and, in the broadest sense, also a complex social system where religion cannot be accurately separated from culture and the overall social tradition that shapes the identity of an individual. 1 The word odinala 2 is a compound word meaning: located within the one God. In various dialects, the religion is called: odinani, odinana, omenala, omenana and omenani. 3 Although the vast majority of the Igbo formally profess Christianity in the census, their religious identity is actually more complex: The Igbo 4 do not forget their traditional religion (in fact, given the way religion shapes their identity, shapes the person and permeates the overall culture, they cannot forget it) 5 and they practise it together with Christianity without blending (multiple religious belonging) or in combination with Christianity (syncretism). Odinala is basically a polytheistic religious system where the central position in the pantheon belongs to the Supreme God called Chukwu. 6
The aim of the paper is to look at the traditional Igbo religion of Odinala centred in Nigeria and its influence on the co-formation of the identity of the Igbo Catholic Christian. Through the ontological categories of Odinala religion – in particular the personal deity chi and the human person – as well as the cosmological ideas of the believers, this paper will explore how Odinala co-shapes the Igbo worldview, how it shapes Igbo identity and helps to establish the human person (which, according to Igbo belief, is born during life through initiation and rites of passage). The topic is elaborated by the method of own field research, supported by a comparison of relevant literature. Between 2001 and 2025, the author spent a total of three years on research (and working) stays in Africa, 7 of which 12 months were devoted to West and Central Africa 8 and the study of local syncretic 9 religions. 10 Field research in Igbo society was conducted in Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana. The research method is centralized in the participant observation of religious ceremonies and structured and semi-structured interviews with representatives (expert interviews) conducted in English as well as ordinary believers of the given religion from different social strata in the cities and in the countryside, conducted mostly also in English with the help of an Igbo interpreter.
I. Traditional Religion of Odinala
