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Beyond Currency: The Enduring Lives of the Cowrie Shell in Igbo Cosmology
A shell once carried from hand to hand as currency, became a vessel through which history, spirituality, and identity continue to speak
By Akunna Danugwu· 6 min read
Eight Ways a Dead Twin Becomes a Bird in Ga Ritual
When a Ga twin dies, the story does not end with burial.
By Benjamin neil Ibrahim· 5 min read
Coming Home Through Gborodigondi
A viral TikTok clip of a twenty-year-old Nsukka music video pulls a childhood memory back into focus
By Nneoma Sally· 7 min read
The Literal Voice of the Oja
A flute I dismissed as too archaic to notice stopped me mid-stride on an NYSC parade ground
By Nneoma Sally· 6 min read
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From the Oriire Codex
Open the codex →From the podcast
All episodes →The Myth of Bayajidda
Bayajidda is the founding myth of the Hausa kingdoms. Or legend, depending on who you ask. Shamsudeen joins this episode to tell the story and weigh in.
African Folktales, Folklore and More
Many African folktales repeat across the continent with small changes, and a surprising number of them turn up reshaped in modern films, books and cartoons. Imisi joins this episode to put a few side by side.
Voodoo vs Hoodoo
Voodoo and Hoodoo get used interchangeably, but they aren't the same thing. This episode draws the line between Voodoo, the religion, and Hoodoo, the magical practice that grew out of it.
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