Ch.+5b+Festivals

The Igbo Yam Festival By: Harry David pg. 36-45 Eze Nri, the king of Nri, killed his son and daughter and then cut them into small pieces and buried them. After 5- 6 months yams grew. When people came to him he gave them a piece of yam. They ate it and went home; when they got home they fell asleep and could not remember what happened so they went back. Before the king would give them the yam he charged them a lot and then told them the secret to how to plant the yam. Yams were seen throughout the country of Nigeria since then.
 * __The Yam Myth__**

__**Background Information**__ The Igbo people give thanks to their yam harvest every year. The New Yam Festival is usually in the beginning of August, when the rainy season is over. The yam is the first crop to be harvested of the year and the Igbo people rely on the crop to support themselves for the year. In Igbo the festival is called "Iwaji or Iriji". In their festival they give yams to the gods and ancestors to keep them happy. They give thanks to the Earth god, Ala and the Yam god Ihejiok for their harvest.

__**Background Link**__ []

A Farmer in Tonga shows off a prize-winning yam The yam is a root vegetable that looks like a tube. They take a full yard to grow in the ground, taking up precious space for other crops. The yam is the most relied on crop for the Igbo people.

Foster, James. //A farmer in Tonga shows off a prize-winning yam//. Photograph. //Daily Yonder//. 8 Aug. 2007. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. .

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This is an Igbo mask used in the Yam festivals. The pieces sticking out from the mask are thought to represent teeth. The top part of the mask is made to represent the hatchet used to cut the yams in the festival. It is 13 inches tall and made from wood.

"Igbo Yam festival mask from Nigeria, Africa." Masks from Around the World - About Us Page. Web. 04 Nov. 2009. .

__**Works Cited**__

"Igbo Tribal Mask art history and culture." //Rebirth African Tribal Art Gallery//. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. . Ikejiani, Okechukwu. "Igbo Net: the Igbo Network:: The Yam Festival Series:: Yam Festival in Igboland: The Origin of Yam:: Okechukwu Ikejiani, IgboNet is the Gateway to IgboLand, Africa." //Igbo Net: Igbo Kaleidoscope, Society, Culture, Technology, More...// The Igbo Network. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. .

Williams, Richard. "The Igbo, the Yam, and a Few Other Varieties of Foods of This Nigerian Tribe -." //Associated Content - associatedcontent.com//. 31 Dec. 2008. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. .

"Yam Festival." //A Multicultural Thanksgiving at FamilyCulture.com//. Web. 05 Nov. 2009. .