Onụ – Mouth in Igbo Culture
In Igbo cosmology, Onụ (mouth) is not taken lightly. It is through the mouth that the elders bless, the priest prays, the storyteller teaches, and the ancestor responds. Words carry power, and the Onụ is the gate through which they enter the world. That’s why the Igbo say, “Onụ nwere ike imeru ma ọ nwekwara ike ịgwọ”—“the mouth can harm, but it can also heal.”
During rituals, the spoken word is everything. Àjà (sacrifice) without utterance is incomplete. When a libation is poured, the elder must use the Onụ to call the ancestors by name, declare intentions, and speak peace into the land. In marriages, funerals, naming ceremonies, and title-taking, the Onụ is the tool that binds agreements and invokes blessings. Silence in these moments is not neutral—it’s absence.
Beyond ritual, Onụ is the seat of proverbial wisdom. The Igbo are known for saying “okwu bu ndu”—words are life. Elders with wise mouths are respected, and children are trained to watch their tongues. The mouth is also how identity is preserved, through oral tradition, song, and greetings that carry centuries of cultural weight. To misuse the mouth is to misuse power. To speak well is to walk with dignity.
