Nsibidi: Decoding The Ancient Script Of Nigerian Culture

Nsibidi is a form of pictographic writing developed and used in some parts of West Africa before the beginning of colonialism. It was used by a select few in several West African communities to pass messages to themselves. These messages were of high value and were often detrimental to the security, growth, and peace of these communities. 

Nsibidi is called pictographic writing because it is a form of writing that is more of images than alphabets. These images-alphabets have their different and peculiar meanings. When Nsibidi letters or symbols are used together, they tend to make meaning and pass across a message. 

Nsibidi was used by ancient West African communities of Ekoi, Igbo, Ibibio, and other surrounding ethnic groups before the coming of the Europeans in the area. As stated earlier, it wasn’t everyone in the community who knew how to write and read Nsibidi, it was for the elite or members of a secret cult. Now, what is the history of Nsibidi and its use in the West African region?

History of Nsibidi

Nsibidi was developed by the Ekoi people of Southeast, Nigeria, in the present-day Cross River State. It was developed around 2000 BC. It is the mode of writing and messaging where images look like alphabets are combined to make a statement. From the Ekoi people, this style of writing and messaging got to neighbouring ethnic groups like the Ibibio and the Igbo people.

When the Europeans came to the region, some of them wrongly termed Nsibidi as ‘primitive writing.‘ Scholars like P. A. Talbot considered it ‘primitive writing painted on all primitive objects.’ The fact is that at the point of the coming of the Europeans, they met a form of writing that was thriving in the region.

Nsibidi was not only used in passing across messages or making statements, the letters or images were also used on artworks, houses, and regular household items. They were vital parts of the local communities. Nsibidi letters were used for passing information, warfare, espionage, enhancing the culture of the clans, and so on. 

Like what was stated earlier in this article, Nsibidi is not known to everyone in the community. The style and form of this writing were mostly known by the members of the Ekpe secret society. It is the members of this secret society who get to learn the process and methodologies of this Nsibidi. It was an exclusive language, and in the present day, it is still an exclusive language. 

Recently, the knowledge of Nsibidi has been dying gradually as people who know the style of writing are dying. However, there have been several attempts to revive and study the language for proper documentation. This study is limited. There are over 1800 Nsibidi letters, and the majority of these are getting lost.

Decoding the Ancient Script of Nsibidi

There are several steps one must take to be able to decode Nsibidi scripts. This is because it’s a strange form of writing that you must know before you begin to read or understand the writing form. These steps are: 

1. Get a Teacher 

The first step in decoding Nsibidi is that you need to get a teacher or someone knowledgeable about Nsibidi. This person will teach you the symbols or letters of Nsibidi and their meanings. With that knowledge, you can be able to decode Nsibidi scripts.

In addition to that, you can learn on your own with available resources and material. Nonetheless, it is more advisable to get a teacher or person who is knowledgeable about the subject matter. 

2. Pictographic Writing 

You have to know that Nsibidi is a pictographic writing – a type of writing where images and ideas are Thus, it will be easier for you to associate each symbol with what they represent and learn faster. It is the fastest way to learn this style of writing. There are symbols representing several ideas like war, happiness, good harvest, yam, and so on. 

3. Over 1800 Nsibidi Symbols/Letters 

There are over 1800 Nsibidi symbols or letters, so, you should know how the meaning of most of them and how to use them. You should be prepared to learn every one of them. The higher the number of Nsibidi you know, the more you get to read scripts written with it. 

4. Perfect Communication Model 

Every Nsibidi symbol passes a message, so, it’s easier to pass across messages with Nsibidi than most alphabets of other languages. It is a perfect communication model. With this writing style, you sure have a perfect communication model. It will be easier to learn if you agree that Nsibidi is a perfect communication model and process. 

Conclusion 

Nsibidi is an important and old form of writing originating from Ekoi culture in West Africa. It was used in Nigeria, Cameroon, and other West African communities. Even though it is not used widely at the moment, it is studied and documented in several parts of the world. If you learn the various Nsibidi symbols, you are sure to know how to use them and understand them when they are used.