Outline and Interpretation of Ritual Symbols and Behaviours in Isiokpo-Ikwerre Religious Thought

Abstract

This study focuses on ritual symbols and behaviours among the Isiokpo-Ikwerre, a people who occupy the north-eastern fringes of the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Our findings reveal that symbol in Isiokpo-Ikwerre religious thought is a kind of representation, but it is also more than that. When it occurs spontaneously, it can foretell the occurrence of that which it represents. Thus, symbols for the Isiokpo-Ikwerre, are not just mere representations or labels. They are seen as capable of affecting the objects they symbolize. In sum, they are seen as having representative, predictive and causal powers.

Key Words: Interpretation; Ritual Symbols; Behaviours and Religious Thought