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Studies on Igbo women have ignored the part played by either fear of women or respect for them in the evolution of festivals and some customary practices. Embedded in this neglect is the non-recognition of their contribution to the development of their societies. However, evidence that some cultural practices evolved out of fear of women and respect for them by the men abounds as manifest in the evolution of some spirit being institutions, memorialisation of women's war exploits, and veneration of kola nut. Anchored on extensive field investigation, the application of historical narrative and qualitative research method, this study traced the origin of some Igbo customary practices, their gender origins and rationale for some observances. This research, it is hoped, would ensure that the very histories of such festivals and customs are preserved and the efforts of Igbo heroines past are not interred with their bones. Equally, the findings would mitigate the spate of denigration of women. Keywords: Fear, Respect, Women, Festivals, Culture, Igbo, Nigeria, Custom., Introduction In the words of Ugwoke (2017:129-132), since the creation of the universe, man has always exercised superiority over other creations including women. She concludes that part of the reason [...]

Traditional medical practice among the Igbo is not limited to therapeutic or curative role of healing the sick. It extends to exploration and manipulation of powers inherent in nature and material entities to achieve some ends. This is popularly known as ime ọgwụ (igwọ ọgwọ) in Igbo parlance. One of such manipulative function is the phenomenon of postponement or transfer of death from a patient to another individual without any direct or physical contact. The process raises serious philosophical concerns about causation as well as the ethical justification of the act. Employing simultaneously the empirical method, the philosophical methods of phenomenological analysis and hermeneutics, the present paper sets out to investigate the possibility of relating the cause with the effect in the phenomenon of postponement and porting of death from an individual to another. The paper explores the Igbo-African ontological understanding of realities as forces and mutual interaction of forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]