The Place of Igbo Myths in Igbo-African Philosophy
Kanu, Ikechukwu Anthony

Abstract
The present piece has studied the place of myths in African Philosophy and more precisely in African metaphysics. It asserts that Igbo-Mythology carries within itself the history and philosophy of the African people. They are the encyclopaedia engraved in the chambers of the African mind to be passed from generation to generation. In today’s search for an African identity, and move for a cultural renaissance, myths are indispensable if the African must find his real essence, and the remnant of his being distorted as a consequence of his encounter with Western powers. This is true as African myths preserve the last drop of our Africanness. For a better analysis of the topic in question, this piece explores the meaning of myths with samples from the Igbo cultural area, the spazio-cultural horizon of the Igbo cultural space and the relationship between Igbo myths and Igbo-African philosophy. It discovered that myths and philosophy both gear towards proffering answers to the fundamental questions that burg the human heart. However, on the one hand, while philosophy investigates the reasonableness of answers proffered by myths, on the other hand, myths provide raw materials for philosophical reflection. Not minding the distinct roles they play, they walk together in accompanying mankind in their search for meaning.

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