International Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sciences Vol 9,No.1 A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF IGBE-AME RELIGION: THE CULT OF THE WATER DIVINITY IN URHOBOLAND Philo U. Ofuafo University of Lagos, Lagos Abstract Religion is a vital aspect of man‟s life and this has given rise to various new religious movement springing up every day from both the indigenous traditional religion and the orthodox or foreign religions such as Christianity and Islam. The word Igbe is a general name used in classifying all religious sects that use white attire as their costumes in Urhobo land. These religious sects appeared on the historical scene in the 19th century when there was a wide spread of indigenous religious revival in Nigeria. Thus there are, Igbe-Orhen or Igbe Ubiesha, Igbe –Uku or Oghene-Uku and Igbe- Ame. The objective of this paper is to establish the claim that Igbe Ame like all religions sprang out of encounter with the Numinous. This study is anchored on the Revelation theory by Rudolf Otto which says that all religions start with experience and expression. Various scholars have written on origin of Igbe religious sects, but no study has been carried out on the historical origin of Igbe-Ame, as revitalization indigenous religious movement within Urhobo Traditional Religion. The work is a qualitative, narrative, descriptive and contextual research on Igbe-Ame, a religious sect founded in Urhobo land based on the experience and expression of the founder. Introduction Igbe is an Urhobo word which means "dance". Whenever a group of Urhobo people meet in communal worship, like many other Africans, they resort to singing and dancing. In such a situation, they like to sing, clap their hands and dance, overtly expressing their inner religious feelings, joy and faithfulness to the God of their hearts, the God of their realization and to any other spiritual beings they may acknowledge. Even in some cases when an Urhobo is engaged in private worship, like charging his charm or offering sacrifices and pouring libations to his private object of worship in his inner chamber, there is some form of dance or the other, however, informal and restricted such private it may be. It is through music, singing and dancing that the Urhobo mostly expresses their inner religious experiences and feelings. This is their most favourable media for communing with the divine. To them, dance is not a luxury, it is a necessity because it is the physical manifestations of their mystical experience, inner conviction and religion requires that they should commune with and attempt to control through ritual drama, those forces over which they have no actual control. Dancing is thus one of the most effective avenues through which they can be in communion with those spiritual forces which they believe in. (Nabofa 1986: 1) The Urhobo word for "dance" is Egha, which connotes play. In strict religious sense dance is known as Igbe which springs out of the verb gbe, which means "shake" or quiver or rock and row. The process of dancing is known as Egha egba, which can 2016 Page - 12 - International Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sciences Vol 9,No.1 be translated as quivering or shaking in response to dance. Thus the sense behind the Urhobo word Igbe, that is, quivering, or shaking or rocking and rowing is very operative and significant in describing religious dance because it is believed that when the divine enters man and take full possession of him he would start to gbe, that is vibrate, shake, quiver and or- rock and row. It is significant that different religious groups or sects of Urhobo traditional religion have come to be known as Igbe,. For example, there are Igbe Ubiesha, Igbe-Ame, Igbe Everhe, Igbe Olokun, Igbe Ogheneku. In fact when Christianity was first introduced into some parts of Urhobo, it was initially referred to as Igbe Ijesu or Igbe Ishoshi that is dance in the worship or honour of Jesus. In the same way Muslims were described as those who are members of Igbe Alfa. Thus Igbe which could be translate as dance also carries the meaning of worship and religion. Thus dance which is a very prominent feature in Urhobo indigenous way of worship springs from the worshipper's experience of joy welling out of their religious experience. Such prominence arises from the common observation by Lincoln Kirstein: Under the stress of joy, man makes words. These words are not enough; he prolongs them. The prolonged words are not enough; he modulates them. The modulated words are not enough, and without perceiving it, his hands make gestures and his feet stare to move. (Lincoln Kirstein. 1970:1) Ame -"Water" and Its Mysteries The Urhobo believe in the mysterious power that inheres water. Most streams are believed to be the abode of spiritual forces, mostly benevolent ones. These spiritual beings are believed to be guardians of wealth and all forms of good fortune. The people's general idea is that if one is able to attracted any of these aquatic spiritual forces, he or she could be infused with great spiritual power and through such power, the person would be able to perform wonders: such as, divination, healing, vision and freeing people from their various ailments and problems; provided the terms of covenant is kept by both parties. The importance of water to mankind cannot be underestimated. It is used as a source of life; a good natured and kind. Hence, person who is believed to have come from the water, are usually refer to as Owho r‟ame meaning “a person from water". Water is so gentle in nature that the Urhobo would say "Ame da evv-u", that is "water does not ache the stomach or intoxicate one like alcoholic drinks”. Without water, all creatures would die. It is regarded as the sperm of God (Qghene) from above, which fertilizes the earth and enables her to act in her fecundity. Water is also used for cooking, bathing, washing, drinking; in short for all purposes of daily life. Its solvent nature cleanses, purifies and cools man. Hence when one is angry, water is offered to him to calm his anger. Also it is used to revive a dying or fainting person back to life. It also serves as a means of transport, most especially among those living around the riverine area. In short water could be said to be all purposeful and all powerful. Hence the Urhobo would say "Ame sivwi owo, Ame Je whe pwho" ― "Water kills and at the same time water saves life". Historical Origin of Igbe-Ame: The religion Igbe-Ame means literally “Dance of the Water” is found in Urhobo Land. In Urhobo land, the cult of the water divinities is known as Igbe-Ame, and from investigation the origin of the religion is shroud in secrecy, because it was 2016 Page - 13 - International Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sciences Vol 9,No.1 originally confused and grouped among all other religious sects whose costume are similarly in white apparels and was popularly known by the then District Officer as the white-chalk juju".(Nabofa1997:3). While some cross section of the Urhobo people believe that the idea and religion originated from Edo (Binis) and tried to link its origin with the cult of Olukun since historically, the Urhobo are generally believed to have migrated from Bini. (Otite,1982:48). However, the Urhobo uphold the idea that every portion of water be it lake, pond, river, sea or ocean constitutes an abode of mysterious powers. The larger a portion or mass of water is, the more and more powerful the powers that dwell in it. Each lake or portion of water is thought to be under the control of a particular divinity and when it pleases it, it will release fishes, and if it is not pleased, it will lock them up. Hence fishermen operating in a particular lake usually establish a shrine by the water where the divine forces around could be invoked and worshipped. (Philomina Otite, 1987:23) There are various stories, myths and legends surrounding this belief system and witnesses are bound to whom edjo ame or "Mami-wota" had appeared to and with whom contacts have been established. Most of them exhibit abundance of wealth from the submarine visitor. Once such relationship has been established between the mortal and the divine, both of them become espoused to each other and thus a kind of covenant relationship is establish, which is obligatory and also Suzerainty in nature. Similarly according to Awolalu, (1976:87) the Ijebu and the Ilaje people who dwell along the rivers, and the Ijo, firmly believe that there are divine creatures living under water and that they have wonderful towns of their own, such creatures are believed to be light in complexion and gorgeously attired in coral beads and costly garments and they refer to them as mammi wota. The Urhobo firmly believe that as there are cities, towns and villages on the surface of the earth for human beings, so there are cities, towns, and villages under the water for spiritual beings. Their abodes are said to be more beautiful than those of the mortals. Arising from the above belief there are lots of cultic activities or shrines in every rivers and streams in Urhobo Land. For example among the Idjerhe people, there is a myth surrounding the origin of Okunuvu - The "cult of a water divinity.” Oral tradition has it that the cult was founded by Erhiekevwe and Onovwo who are the progenitors of Idjerhe clan.