Igbo Symbols: Developing Aesthetic Values on the Igbo Child

Abstract

Ndi Igbo are known by their symbols. Aesthetic relates to the principles of beauty and taste of an art. Aesthetics and Ethics often overlap to the degree that this impression is embodied in a moral ethical code. The symbols in Igbo land are of the ethical codes of the society that project its aesthetic values as such they have what they value as beauty in art or expression. Today, the average Igbo child has lost the grip of the meaning and value of these symbols. It is difficult for such a child to recognize and understand the meaning of such art, both as an expression and as an object. The writers therefore want to use this medium to awaken the interest and consciousness of the Igbo child about one of the African (Igbo) most valued culture, which is in symbols. The researchers attend this goal by reviewing related works and interviewed people. The findings of this work are that a lot of Igbo symbols abound and not much of them are transmitted to the younger generations. As a result, Igbo children do not use them or understand them as symbols rather they see them as ordinary words, expressions and objects. Therefore, the writers suggest that the Igbo child of today’s aesthetic and value can be developed through symbolic treasure.