EZI GBARA ?N?/AN?: THE CROSS-ROAD IN IGBO RELIGIOUS CULTURE, THE CROSS IN CHRISTIANITY AND OTHER RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS – A STUDY IN COMPARATIVE RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM
Ezi gbara?n?/an? is crossroad. This work found that Ezi gbara ?n?/an? is not just human access road; it is the meeting point of all manner of spirits in Igbo religious culture (Agama et al., 2024, p. 148). The work is an investigation in religious symbolism, especially in Igbo religious culture. Symbol is at the very heart of religion; revealing what the senses are not perceiving and taking the practitioner into the mystical realm. Symbols offer hidden meaning of life and things in the world; many times, taking the practitioner away from material experiences. Ezi gbara ?n?/an? was found to be more than a space or location; it is a symbol whose deep mystical sense is not easily made known to the users. The orientation, reverence and ritual uses of Ezi gbara ?n?/an? proved to be something more than a spot. The work also did a comparative study of Ezi gbara ?n?/an? and other related symbols in other religions. The comparison was done in the regions of physical character, symbolization, significance and religious uses. The work found that Ezi gbara ?n?/an? is the oldest version of its equivalents and the most natural of all. The work is a multidimensional approach to the study of symbols in religion.
Keywords: an?, christianity, comparative, cross, cross-road, culture, ezi, gbara, igbo, ?n?, religious, study, symbolism, symbols