THE PLACE OF IGBO ORAL LITERATURE IN REKINDLING IGBO VALUES: A SEMANTIC APPROACH

Abstract

The world today has drastically changed; human values are no longer cared for. The erosion of values is causing havoc in our society. Today, both developed and developing nations face erosion of humanistic, ethical and moral values. The Igbo nation is not left out. A lot of Igbo cherished values are fast disappearing. The Igbo culture is sated with traditional beliefs which are rooted in native folklore, proverbs and popular legends. Through this oral literature, the Igbo had preserved their rich values until the colonial era. Oral literature encapsulates traditional knowledge, beliefs and values about the environment and the nature of society itself. It contains the history of society and its experiences and society's knowledge to be passed on to succeeding generations. Using semantic approach, the two Igbo aetiological tales collected as data were interpreted. The analysis revealed that Igbo oral literature can be very effective in rekindling the Igbo values in Igbo children. The paper advocates the inclusion of Igbo oral literature in the school curriculum from nursery to post-primary level.