Things Fall Apart: Chapters 9,10 "Oracles"

Things Fall Apart: Chapters 9,10 "Oracles and Egwugwu"

"After the death of Ekwifi's second child, Okonkwo had gone to a medicine man, who was also a diviner of the Afa Oracle, to inquire what was amiss. This man told him that the child was an ogbanje, one of those wicked children who, when they died, entered their mothers' wombs to be be born again" (Achebe 77).

"And then the egwugwu appeared. The women and children sent up a great shout and took to their heels. It was instinctive. A woman fled as soon as an egwugwu came in sight. And when, as on that day, nine of the greatest masked spirits in the clan came out together it was a terrifying spectacle"
(Achebe, 79).

In this chapter, there are two main things that may clash with the Europeans christian beliefs. One of these things is the Oracle and all of its helpers/assistants like the medicine man. This clashes with christian beliefs because 1, it is a different god that the oracle is talking to. 2, she is the only one that can talk to the god while in Christianity many people can talk to god, although the priest has the closest connection. Also, the Oracles assistants provide another obstacle for the Europeans to go through, with their unique ways of medicine that the Umuofian people believe in. Another thing that could cause problems is the egwugwu. These egwugwu are the titled clanman that dress up as a god of one of the nine villages. They dance around and cause noise havoc all around the village, this is definitely something the Europeans will want gone.