Comparing Greek And Igbo's Religion

730 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The rise & spread of Christianity

Do you know that all the religions have different gods, and those gods have different roles, and powers? In this comparison, I’m introducing about Greek and Igbo’s religion which also compare both religions in several different ways. For example, the role of each gods, how do they worship in their religions and why those religions die down. There are twelve supreme gods in Greek mythology and all of them are in charge in different roles, powers, and symbols. For example, Zeus is the most important god in Olympia that the lightning and eagles represent his power. Poseidon is the god of the ocean, earthquakes and horses which are also his symbols. Hades is the god of the dead which means that he controls the death of people. Black crow and helmet are his symbols. On the other hand, Igbo’s religion only have four major gods. Which are Ala, Amadioha, Ekwensu, and Ikenga. Ala is the feminine earth spirit who is responsible for mortality, fertility. The dead ancestor, who store in the underworld and in her womb is just like Gaea in the Greek mythology who creates the earth. White ram represent Amadioha, who is the Alusi of justice, thunder, lightning and the sky just like Zeus. Ekwensu is the Alusi who is adept at bargains and trade. They pray to Ekwensu is also say to guarantee the victories in …show more content…

How do those beliefs die down? In Greek, the decline of the belief first came when Rome conquered Greece and forced to worship Roman gods. Fortunately, Roman gods were based on Greek gods so there wasn't that big change. But the biggest change come from the spread of Christianity. “Honestly, once Christianity was formed it whirlwind-ed throughout the world, annihilating all other religions.”(yahoo) In Igbo, they have the same situation because the priest came to their clan and talk about Jesus Christ. This changes everything and Igbo people start to believe there is only one

Show More
Related

  • Egyptian Religion Vs Aztec Religion

    336 Words  | 1 Pages

    Have you ever thought how different and similar the Aztec religion was to the Egyptian religion they are different cultures but with similar and different things in them.They both worship many different Gods as a polytheistic religion and their different because they worship their Gods different.

    Read More

  • How Is The Hawaiian Mythology In Hawaiian Mythology

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Hawaiian mythology, all forms of nature has its own god who represents a specific aspect. Christianity has the same concept where there are entities who are usually known as

    Read More

  • How the Greek Revered Their Gods

    3757 Words  | 8 Pages

    The ancient Greeks practiced a religion that was in effect, a building block to many ensuing pagan religions. This religion revolved around their reverence to the gods. Essentially, the Greeks worshipped numerous gods, making their religion polytheistic. They believed that exercising the opportunity to choose between a wide array of gods to worship offered them a great sense of freedom that they treasured. After all, the Greeks were known for their intellectual distinction of which their means of worship played a huge part. Each city-state, or polis, thus had an affiliated god who protected and guided its residents. Within a given polis, the belief in common gods unified the people. Ultimately, the Greeks yearned for this unity and order in the universe, which is a characteristic that is not unlike that of people today. It might seem contradictory that they believed in many gods and sought organization at the same time, for larger numbers are inherently unstable. But, to the god-fearing Greeks, each god represented a different facet of life that together upheld an organized universe if each of these gods was properly appeased. To satisfy these gods, the Greeks participated in activities such as prayer and sacrifice and erected divine temples and centers for oracles in honor of specific gods. There is evidence of this institutionalization early on in the reign of the Olympian gods, thus forming the Olympian religion.

    Read More

  • Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano

    1506 Words  | 4 Pages

    To begin, most Africans have come from societies with traditional African religious backgrounds unrelated to Islam or Christianity. As a whole, African religious traditions combine belief in a Supreme Being with the worship of other gods and ancestors and use ritual and magic to mediate between human beings, nature, and the gods. In many African languages, there is no word for God, because in their tradition every thing and place embodies God. Many African religions have common tenets. They share a belief in a community of deities, the idea that ancestors serve as a way to communicate with these deities. They also share the belief...

    Read More

  • Greek Mythology Vs Christianity

    1570 Words  | 4 Pages

    Unlike Greek mythology, Christianity has one God, who is good and peaceful, and Satan who was evil. Unlike Christianity, Greek gods and goddesses were both good and evil, similar to humans.The Greek gods have flaws that caused them to appear almost human-like and not so much as a god (Schmucker). The most common thought of a god is that they are powerful and without mistake, which contradicts the appearance of Greek gods/goddesses (Burns). They have been known in stories, such as the one with Zeus turning a woman (Io) he had an affair with into a cow, to lie and cheat for their own personal enjoyment (Hamilton 78-80). The saying “humans make mistakes” and if the Greek gods and goddesses did too, then why did the Greeks worship them. Almost all of the gods had flaws such as lust, adultery, and even hatred. The Greek gods acted so much like humans that the only major difference between the two is that the gods/goddesses had powers. The Greeks putting all of their faith and reliance in these flawed gods and goddesses created an unstable foundation which would have easily been why their religion died. The followers of Greek mythology didn’t always obey what the gods/goddesses told them to do out of love, but sometimes out of fear (“Powerful”). All of the sexual harassment and cruelty in Greek mythology could have led to the Greeks leaving mythology and

    Read More

  • Hermes

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    The idea of gods and goddesses began as far back as the ancient Egyptians, but the ancient Greeks were the first group to form a religion based on gods and goddesses. They believed that the gods and goddesses were not different from humans. Some of the few ways humans were different from gods were that the gods were stronger and lived forever. Since the Greeks believe in many gods, they are Polytheists.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of the Christian and Ancient Greek Cultures

    1271 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most Christians (or those religions that follow the basic principles of the Bible) believe in the stories told in the Bible. In fact, these stories are usually regarded not only as mere stories, but also as actual historical accounts of important people, events, and concepts of the Christian faith. However, stories of Greek and Roman mythology are typically regarded as nothing more than fictional, fantasy stories. The idea that Ancient Greeks viewed these stories to be their religion seems insane to many people of Biblical Faith. This idea seems to cast a stigma of irrationality, almost ignorance, upon the Ancient Greeks. Although placing this stigmatism on a long-dead culture may seem to be unimportant in much of the contemporary world, it is important because this long-dead culture represents the history of a large portion of the world (the Ancient Greek empire was much more vast than modern-day Greece). Just as many Americans would find it offensive to have their history as irrational and ignorant, it seems logical that Greeks might as well. Therefore, it is necessary to try and understand that both Ancient Greeks and Ancient Christians may have held similar beliefs about the world they were living in. The fact is that Greek myths contain unrealistic and unbelievable characters, events, and other elements, but upon comparison of Greek mythology stories with different Biblical accounts, it is apparent that some parallels between the two do exist, and that the Ancient Greeks view of the events of the early world are very similar to the views of both ancient and contemporary Christians.

    Read More

  • Wicca vs. Scientology

    1334 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...igions appear to be lacking in any similarities, it is apparent after some thoughtful research that they share distinct standards and beliefs for their members and their way of life.

    Read More

  • Should gods be Moral?

    580 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ancient Greek religion was a polytheistic religion that believed in many gods and goddesses. To Greeks, these gods and goddesses would be able to control everything. Each god or goddess had his or her own distinct personality and territory. “Greek myths explained the origins of the gods and their individual relations with mankind” (Hemingway). Unlike current religions, like Christianity and Judaism, Greek gods were not known for being moral or being truly good or evil. Many of the Greek gods and goddesses were disorganized and self-contradicting. Although this was apparent to the Greeks, the Greeks believed that their religion was to brighten their own lives, rather than give them godlike guidance. The best example of a self-contradicting Greek god is Zeus – father of all gods and humans (Cunningham and Reich 32-33).

    Read More

  • Essay On Igbo People

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    Religion and the Igbo People The Igbo are a profoundly religious people who believe in a benevolent creator, usually known as Chukwu, who created the visible universe (uwa). Opposing this force for good is agbara, meaning spirit or supernatural being. In some situations people are referred to as agbara in describing an almost impossible feat performed by them. In a common phrase the igbo people will say Bekee wu agbara.

    Read More

  • African and African American according to Achebe and Douglass

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although the Igbo religious may often times seem unclear. It was very evident that the religious authorities are well respected. Achebe work displays the value that the community has for the powers that be. Achebe also shows that Igbo religious authorities, such as the Oracle, seem to possess supernatural insights. He approaches the matter of Igbo religion with a sense of wonder (Draper 15).

    Read More

  • Influence Of Imperialism In Things Fall Apart

    1262 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Igbo culture is one that is based off different Gods based on nature and ancestors, how much

    Read More

  • Comparing Christianity, Judaism, and Islam

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    Similarities and Differences between Christianity, Judaism and Islam. There are many similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There are also many differences that separate the three major religions of the world. This paper will delve into all three of these.

    Read More

  • Culture Of Nigeria Essay

    2606 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Hausa and Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo make up the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Both Hausa and Fulani come from the Muslim north. The Yoruba, who come from southwestern Nigeria, are mostly farmers, and practice both Islam and Christianity, the Igbo of the southeast are also Christian, but there’s a notable overlap between organized religion and traditional indigenous beliefs – it’s common for Muslims and Christians to also observe some degree of indigenous practices, similar to smaller groups including the Ibibio, the Edo, the Tiv and the Nupe.

    Read More

  • African American Literature

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    African mythology play a big part in passing down values and beliefs of the African culture. African myths “include supernatural beings who influence human life” (Mythencyclopedia) and usually drive the everyday lives of the people. Myths were a direct way of teaching younger generations about the higher beliefs and religion; in most cases they will include supreme god who the tribes won’t worship directly but through other gods lesser in status. The supreme gods and goddess are also referred to as deities, which are accompanied by spirits who are “are less grand, less powerful, and less like humans than the gods, who often have weaknesses and emotions”(Mythencyclopedia). Another characteristic found in a myth would be the asking of basic questions like who created the world. Who created man? Why does man have to die? This type of myth speaks of a world before the current one, it helps teach generations how the world took its form and acquired its customs. African myths were an essential part of African literary history and a big part in preserving the culture.

    Read More

More about Comparing Greek And Igbo's Religion

Open Document