Eri (c.900 CE) is said to be the original legendary cultural head of the
Nri-IgboNri, in Anambra State Nigeria, was a center of learning, religion, and commerce in pre-colonial West Africa and beyond. Historians have compared the significance of Nri, at its peak, to the religious cities of Rome or Mecca: it was the seat of a powerful and imperial state that influenced much of...
, a subgroup of the
Igbo peopleIgbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern and south Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
. From oral and recorded accounts, he is said to some down from the sky, having been sent by God . Eri settled and established in the middle of
AnambraAnambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its state theme is "Light Of The Nation" Its boundaries are formed by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State to the north. The origin of the name is derived from the "Omambala River" which is easily called...
river valley where he married two wives. The first wife, Nneamakụ, bore him five children. The first was Agulu, the founder of
AguleriAguleri is a predominantly Catholic community in NigeriaVillages:- Ivite, Igboezunu, Eziagulu, Enugu :- homeland Ivite-otu,Igboezunu-otu,Eziagulu-otu & Enugu-otu:- riverine or Aguleri-otu...
, the second was
Nri Ifikuanim, the founder of Umunri/
Kingdom of NriThe Kingdom of Nri was the West African medieval state of the Nri-Igbo, a subgroup of the Igbo people, and is the oldest kingdom in Nigeria. The Kingdom of Nri was unusual in the history of world government in that its leader exercised no military power over his subjects...
, followed by Nri Onugu, the founder of Igbariam and Ogbodulu, the founder of Amanuke.
Eri (c.900 CE) is said to be the original legendary cultural head of the
Nri-IgboNri, in Anambra State Nigeria, was a center of learning, religion, and commerce in pre-colonial West Africa and beyond. Historians have compared the significance of Nri, at its peak, to the religious cities of Rome or Mecca: it was the seat of a powerful and imperial state that influenced much of...
, a subgroup of the
Igbo peopleIgbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern and south Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
. From oral and recorded accounts, he is said to some down from the sky, having been sent by God . Eri settled and established in the middle of
AnambraAnambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its state theme is "Light Of The Nation" Its boundaries are formed by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State to the north. The origin of the name is derived from the "Omambala River" which is easily called...
river valley where he married two wives. The first wife, Nneamakụ, bore him five children. The first was Agulu, the founder of
AguleriAguleri is a predominantly Catholic community in NigeriaVillages:- Ivite, Igboezunu, Eziagulu, Enugu :- homeland Ivite-otu,Igboezunu-otu,Eziagulu-otu & Enugu-otu:- riverine or Aguleri-otu...
, the second was
Nri Ifikuanim, the founder of Umunri/
Kingdom of NriThe Kingdom of Nri was the West African medieval state of the Nri-Igbo, a subgroup of the Igbo people, and is the oldest kingdom in Nigeria. The Kingdom of Nri was unusual in the history of world government in that its leader exercised no military power over his subjects...
, followed by Nri Onugu, the founder of Igbariam and Ogbodulu, the founder of Amanuke. The fifth one was a daughter called Iguedo, who is said to have born the founders of Nteje, and
Awkuzu-Mythological Founding and Borders:Awkuzu is one of the progenies of the fifth children of Eri , his only daughter called Iguedo, who is also said to have born the founders of Ogbunike and Nando...
,[Ogbunike]], Umuleri,
NandoIn the early 1990s, NandO or Nando.net was one of the first Internet newspaper sites and a pioneering model for later news websites.-Inception:Nando was produced by the New Media division of The News & Observer newspaper in Raleigh, North Carolina...
and Ogboli in Onitsha. As one of the children of Eri, Nri Ifikuanim migrated from Aguleri, which was and still is, the ancestral temple of the people, in search of a place of settlement. His second wife Oboli begot Ọnọja, the only son who founded the
IgalaIgala are an ethnic group of Nigeria. Igala practice a number of different religions, including animism, Christianity, and Islam.The home of the Igala people is situated east of the river Niger and Benue confluence and astride the Niger in Lokoja...
Kingdom in Kogi State.
Eri is the founder of Umueri and Umunri clans which was the most influential and powerful dynasty of priests, diviners, and civilizing agents in Igboland and adjacent areas such as Benin and
IgalaIgala are an ethnic group of Nigeria. Igala practice a number of different religions, including animism, Christianity, and Islam.The home of the Igala people is situated east of the river Niger and Benue confluence and astride the Niger in Lokoja...
/
IdomaThe Idoma are an ethno-linguistic group that primarily inhabit lower and western areas of Benue State, Nigeria, and kindred groups can be found in Cross Rivers and Nasarawa States in Nigeria. Idoma is classified in the Akweya subgroup of the Idomoid languages of the Volta-Niger family. The Akweya...
areas. Him and his children are responsible for the Igbo Ukwu sites, Four market days,
NsibidiNsibidi is a traditional ideographic set of symbols indigenous to West Africa. The name has also been used to refer to the clerical secret society, the Ekpe secret society of Calabar Kingdom believed to have invented the script....
(disputed), Okonko society, Ozo/nze title systems, Igu alu, and other practices of the Igbo people and their neighbors.
The myth
When Eri was sent by Chukwu from the Sky to the earth, he sat on an anti-hill because he saw watery marshy earth. When Eri complained to Chukwu, sent an Awka blacksmith with his fiery bellow and charcoal to dry the earth. After the assignment, the Awka blacksmith was given ọfọ as a mark of authority for his smithing profession. While Eri lived, Chukwu fed him and his people with azu-igwe. But this special food ceased after the death of Eri. Nri his first son complained to Chukwu for food. Chukwu ordered Nri to sacrifice his first son and daughter and bury them in separate graves. Nri complied with it. Later after three-Igbo-weeks (Izu atọ = 12 days) yam grew from the grave of the son and coco yam from that of the daughter. When Nri and his people ate these, they slept for the first time; later still Nri killed a male and female slaves burying them separately. Again, after Izu Ato, an oil palm grew from the grave of the male slave, and a bread fruit tree (ukwa) from that of the female-slave. With this new food supply, Nri and his people ate and prospered. Chukwu asked him to distribute the new food items to all people but Nri refused because he bought them at the cost of sacrificing his own children and slave. Nri and; Chukwu made an agreement. According to M. D. W. Jeffreys (1956:123) a tradition has it that:
"As a reward for distributing food to the other towns Nri would have the right of cleansing every town of an abomination (nso) or breach, of crowning the ezeEze is an Igbo word that means "king." A popular saying in Igbo is "Igbo enwe eze", which translates to "Igbo have no king." This popular saying does not, however, capture the complexity of Igbo societies as portrayed in many centuries of anthropological, sociological, and political research.Igbo...
at Aguleri, and of tying the Ngulu (ankle cords) when a man takes the title of ozo. Also he and his successor’s would have the privilege of making the Oguji, or yam medicine, each year for ensuring a plentiful supply of yams in all surrounding towns, or in all towns that subjected themselves to the Eze Nri. For this medicine all the surrounding towns would come in and pay tribute and Umunmdri people then could travel unarmed through the world and no one would attack or harm them."