Journal of Philosophy and Theology

Myth and Mystery from an Igbocosmological Worldview and her Relation to Them
Dibia Emmanuel Ogormegbunem

Abstract
Everyday life is filled with stories of myth and mystery and life in general seem riddled with them or better still should we say everyday living and existence is filled with its own share of myth and mystery. And everybody at some point seems to have experienced such. This is common to both Africans and Westerners as they are not free of this. The history of humanity is replete with myths as every culture is built and surrounded by them as it also reflects, express and explore a people’s selfimage. Myth tends to play a central role and function in all cultures and tradition because it affects every facet of human existence and endeavour. The place of mystery also cannot be overemphasized as the universe is filled with events and nature that cannot be rationally or logically explained thereby relying on the notion of myth in other to gain an understanding of the nature of the universe. This paper intends to investigate and analyze an Africans experience of myth and mystery using the Igbo people of Eastern Nigeria as a backdrop as we seek answers to the following questions; should myth and mystery be viewed only from a negative perspective? Do Africans (Igbo in particular) like to be awed by things they cannot explain and would always prefer this or do they so much value the mysterious as against reality?

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