On Odinani in Modern Times, Interview with Derick Ofodirinwa
We’ve had the great honor of interviewing Derick Ofodirinwa, the brilliant mind behind Medicine Shell. Derick is a dedicated researcher and teacher, who has captivated his audience with insightful videos on Igbo spirituality, cosmology, and history. Through his work, he sheds light on the ancient wisdom and cultural heritage of Igbo people, making these ancient traditions accessible in our modern world.
The truth is that Derick shines so bright already that he needs no introduction. The answers he gave to the questions we asked are very insightful. Read on to see what Derick has to say on Odinani in modern times.
Oma: Derick, thank you so much for agreeing to do this. With all the work you’ve done and continue to do with Medicine Shell, your insight on this subject is invaluable. Let’s get right into it. Tell us your story, what led you to start the Medicine Shell?
Derick Ofodirinwa: Hard to pinpoint ‘where it started’ because it was a decision to just be myself but put it on Youtube. I will say that I had several moments in a short period of time that awakened me and led to the decision. One was a dream where a stern old woman who I now realize is Arobinagu, made me look at the two palms of my hand and acknowledge that they were different.
Oma: How would you describe the role of Odinani in shaping modern cultural identity and values?
Derick Ofodirinwa: Odinani is being Igbo. There’s nothing about Igbo identity and values that isn’t Odinani. This is the reason many are having issues transferring their traditions to their kids when they are Christian. 100% of that culture is not Christian. So at most you can take them to parties, give them jollof rice which isn’t even Igbo. But everything about the language, culture, people, history is all Odinani and it continues to shape us today.
Oma: What role do you think ritual practice plays in preserving the spiritual traditions of Odinani in the face of societal change?
Derick Ofodirinwa: There is no preservation without ritual. Even if you write the tradition, if there isn’t a ritual of reading what is written from generation to generation, then it’s gone. So everything is a ritual. Igbo is the spirit, and rituals awaken certain spirits within you. There is a spirit you feel when you hear Ogene or Oja, or go home and feel the soil, or dance a certain way, or break Oji.
Igbo people believe they as a people have many good traits. Most Igbo people believe the average Igbo person is born with intelligence, savviness, business acumen, and a lot of other traits. What they are describing are the attributes of that spirit I was talking about. The spirit of Igbo.
Leave a person detached from the rituals that awaken and nurture that spirit for two generations and you’ll quickly see that there is nothing different about Igbo blood or being born to Igbo parents. We’re just like everyone else. But those things many believe are uniquely Igbo are expressions of a spirit. Every culture has a spirit, and that spirit has the rituals used to awaken and nurture it. Think of spirit like a flame.
So that spirit that we call Igbo has within it everything necessary to make society move in whatever direction it wants it to move. It rebuilt an entire country after a genocide with 20 pounds. It fought off colonialism, it has done well in every endeavor it has been channeled towards. So a person can use ritual to keep the flame alive, and whichever direction they head while holding that flame, they’ll have light.
Oma: Can you elaborate on what you think Odinani’s contribution is to ecological consciousness and sustainability, as a knowledge system?
Derick Ofodirinwa: Odinala sees nature and humanity as equal. So an Igbo person engages nature the way anyone would engage family or friends. If we take from a tree, we give back to the tree the way you would take something from a market stall and give money in exchange. Only, we give what the tree values like water for positive words for example. We thank the river for sustaining us the way we would thank a generous host for sustaining us. We understand that we are in community with people, but also animals, earth and sky, and so forth.
The entire world has a lot to learn from Odinala as far as ecological consciousness and sustainability. From small details like the fact that if a good dibia needs leaves from a plant that makes 5 leaves per bushel, they will only take four and leave one for the next person. Rotating farms to avoid soil failure, I can go on and on but it’s all about being in community with nature, and that naturally leads to sustainability and consciousness.
Oma: In what ways do you think the resurgence of interest in Odinani reflects a broader global trend towards reconnecting with ancestral wisdom and spirituality, and what role does Medicine Shell play in all that?
Derick Ofodirinwa: Everyone has more exposure to information and perspectives, and they are picking what they feel works best for them or matches their worldview. So there will be a natural shift. But the dream I spoke about earlier, I’m not the only one that had that dream, so there’s something in the works that is not meant to be fully understood at this phase.
Oma: Do you think the oral tradition of storytelling contributes to the transmission and preservation of Odinani teachings and philosophy in modern times?
Derick Ofodirinwa: Absolutely, but we do have the tools of animation, video, music, and so forth and we should also acknowledge these resources as opportunities to preserve and pass on.
Oma: How do you envision the future of Odinani evolving in an increasingly diverse world, where traditional beliefs intersect with modernity?
Derick Ofodirinwa: We’re at a crossroad. A lot of the people coming back to Odinani are coming from the church and from the western minded world. I worry that that will bring all of the things they’re running from into the house with them, because whether they know it or not, they’ve been infected with the virus.
For example, most Christians and western educated people believe they are superior to Africans, even though they are Africans. So many of them will come to Odinani and immediately start talking about how we need to modernize it. What an Odinani person knows is that an ancient mind can see further and do more than a modern mind, but their false sense of superiority will make it hard for them to accept this. Many of them believe they have something to teach Odinani, when it’s Odinani that has something to teach them.
And if you check their modernizations, they just want it to look more like church, to help them with their inferiority complex. They want things in a book. They don't want any blood even though they eat meat. They want things to fit their consumerist western mindset that they are running from.
The other day I saw a family give their child to a dibia so that the dibia can name their child, and claim this was Odinani. This has never been our tradition. But in Christianity, you are a slave and slaves don’t name their children, the priest or pastor does. So they took their slave mentality, dressed it up like a Nollywood dibia and re-enslaved themselves.
So the crossroads is whether we will allow the volume of ignorance, slave mentality, and inferiority complexes that people are running from to overrun our tradition. It is inevitable that it makes an impact, so I feel sorry for those who will not experience our tradition in the liberating self-affirming empowering way I experienced it.
Oma: From your research and study on various Igbo deities, would you say they embody different aspects of the natural and spiritual worlds, and what significance do they hold in contemporary Igbo society?
Derick Ofodirinwa: Agbara are elements of nature. It’s that simple. Earlier I said we have community with nature. When someone says Igwe, they’re not speaking about the God of the Sky, they are speaking about The Sky. When someone says Ala, there is no other word in Igbo for Earth. That is earth. When someone says Nne Mmiri, they are saying exactly what that word implies.
Our ancestors are also aware of elements of nature that we may not be aware of. Omumu is real, Ikenga is real, Ofo na Ogu is real. Ekwensu, Amadioha. These are not things to be believed in, they’re actual elements of nature that can be proven and interacted with time and time again. Nobody would ever tell you Gravity is the God of Falling, the same way they shouldn’t be able to tell you Amadioha is God of Thunder or Ikenga is the God of Wealth.
All of the Agbara are forces of nature, the way contemporary western science has a periodic table of elements, our ancestors do too.
At the same time, because they are nature, so long as people drink water, seek justice, or motivate themselves, they are still playing a role in contemporary Igbo society. You don’t need to see air to breathe it. Of course many of our traditions have references or are dedicated to these concepts.
Oma: Can you discuss the role of Dibias as traditional healers and spiritual mediators in Igbo communities, and how their practices have evolved in response to modern healthcare systems and societal changes?
Derick Ofodirinwa: Dibias are individuals who are born to be the source of healing for the world around them. That healing comes as divine inspiration, reaches them directly and allows them to share it with the rest of the world.
So our dibias can do many things contemporary science cannot, because how they source their wisdom is different. At the same time, there are things contemporary science can do that they cannot. I think what contributes to this is many people are going to dibias believing that they are pastors, because they are running from christianity but bringing their mentality with them. The virus I spoke about earlier.
So for decades dibias have been under minimal pressure to actually bring forth healing and new ways to approach healing, because 9 out of 10 people going to them want them to do magic or something they saw in a Nollywood movie.
I have seen dibias use traditional medicine to heal things that the rest of the world has no answer to. But I hope those who use their dibiahood to be dibias and not african themed pastors stay focused on their true calling. I feel that western medicine lacks many answers that we either have or are on the cusp of fully understanding. But if everyone that visits you only wants you to address their christian paranoia about ancestral curse and juju, we will advance our native sciences slowly and we can’t afford that.
Oma: Masquerades play a central role in Igbo cultural and religious ceremonies. Do you agree that these performances connect with ancestral spirits and cosmic forces, and what meanings do they convey in the context of modern Igbo identity?
Derick Ofodirinwa: Masquerades are everything. They bind everything, so I completely agree that this is what they do. As far as meaning, they are our museums, they are our history books, they are our theater, they are schools, they are universities, and they are physical displays of our ethereal spirits. They are mediums for communication in some sense. They are used to connect directly to spirit members of a community. The ones that speak with words are teachers, and if you’re able to listen to one of them, you will walk away several times richer in wisdom and understanding.
Oma: Thank you so much for your responses so far. Please let readers know where they can find you and tell us some of the projects you’re working on currently
Derick Ofodirinwa: Best way to reach me is by searching TheMedicineShell on Youtube. Best way to connect is on Patreon. It’s been an honor talking to you, and knowing you. Udo diri gi.
