ABSTRACT
WHAT ARE KNOWN AS " Mbari " houses are curious and interesting both from an artistic and an ethical standpoint. They are distinctly local and are confined en-
tirely to a part of the Owerri Division. I would go further, and venture to suggest that they are not Ibo in origin. The ideas underlying them, that is, those that render homage to " Ala" are, to some extent, similar to the use of " Qmumu " among other Ibos. (Vide p. 167.) The houses, with their many and varied embellishments, are novel features which have been imported, like so many other ideas and customs in the Owerri Province. (Vide Introduction.) In addition to the artistic skill displayed, they are of interest in other respects. In the course of my travels, I have visited a score or more" Mbari " houses and seen them in all stages of development, from the early beginnings behind the stout high fences to the crumbling remains of the last vestiges of ruin. Up to the time of writing, I know of no other European who has been admitted within the secret enclosure prior to the usual public opening of an " Mbari " house.
