UWAM UWA ASAA: A PANACEA FOR THE IGBO BEL IEF IN REINCARNATION

Abstract

The idea of reincarnation has always been shrouded in mystery from the beginning of time. It is not surprising that the Igbo has a fascinating perception of this concept. In Igbo cycle of life, it is believed that each human has a total of seven lives before final resting in the ancestral home. This study attempts to present a soft approach to the Igbo belief in coming back to earthly life called ilo-uwa. This study made use of both primary and secondary sources of data collection with descriptive and the area-cultural methods. The paper douses the tension on ilo-uwa using the doctrine of seven life rounds in the evolutionary cycles of man (uwam uwa asaa), experience of child’s prodigy, the birthmarks to demonstrate the existence of reincarnation in Igbo religious community.