Everything You Need to Know About Uli!
Our goal with this series is to help Igbo descents worldwide reconnect with their roots and gain a clearer understanding of who they are.
Do you know the name of your town and village? What kindred your family belongs to, both maternally and paternally? How did your surname come to be, and what stories shape your cultural identity?
We hope this series inspires you to explore, document, and preserve your history for generations to come. Enjoy!
Uli Town Overview
Uli is an Igbo town located in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State. It shares its borders with Ihiala, Amorka, Amaofuo, and Ubuluisiuzo. It is also bordered by Egbuoma, Ozara, and Ohakpu, communities in neighboring Imo State.
Main Villages in Uli
Eziama
Ihite
Umuoma
Umuaku
Major Deities
Atammiri Uli
Ihuala
Ogwugwu Amamputu
Aja-Ana Ubahudara
Egbuamuma
Rivers and Streams
Mmili Oshamu
Atammiri
Masquerades
Ozarigbe Amamputu
Main Market Day
The main market day in Uli is Eke, and the market itself is locally known as Eke-Agbaba Uli.
Major Festivals
Elimeli Iri-Ji: Held annually on the first Saturday of October, this is the official New Yam Festival of Uli.
Uli day: Held annually on December 30th, this festival celebrates Uli culture and tradition. It features community festivities and performances by Ozarigbe, the town's revered masquerade.
Communal Taboos
Stealing yams
Stealing Atulu (sheep)
Incest
Murder
Eating Ji Ona (a type of potato) in some parts of Uli is forbidden
Women climbing or cutting palm-trees (Nkwu)
Killing of Eke (python)
In the Amamputu clan of Ihite, farming on Eke Nta (small Eke day) is prohibited.
Founder and History
There are conflicting accounts of Uli’s origin. The first says that Uli descends from a man named Achala who is said to have had four sons (Ihembosi, Okija, Ihiala and Uli) who expanded the settlements of Achala into the towns now known by their names. Uli himself is said to have moved from the Nkwo-Ogwe area of Ihiala. In the other story, Uli is not named after a person, and the earliest settlement in Uli was known as Egwe na Ogbu. According to this tradition, the forefathers took shelter under an Ogbu tree, next to which grew an Uli tree. They used the fruit's extract to paint marks on their bodies, leading outsiders who saw these body decorations to call them Ndi Uli (Uli people), from which the town ultimately derived its name.
Major Occupations
Farming
Trading
Local Government Area
Uli is a part of Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria.
Did we miss any key details or get something mixed up?
Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
What else do you know about Uli that isn’t covered here? Let us know below. Daalu!
Source:
Chief Akaonyewetara
Research Credit:
Chinualumogu
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