The Igbo goddess Ala

The Igbo goddess ala

Ala in the Igbo tradition is one of the most important deities in the land , it's name is translated to mean the earth or ground, hence the Ala deity is known as the mother earth 

Ala is always present from the beginning of life , she puts babies in the womb of their mothers and receive dead ones into her own body as the ritual of burial implies

Ala is the only daughter of chukwu okie , the supreme God. As the owner of all men , both alive and dead , Ala is reverenced by the igbos as the queen of the underworld and the source of human morality .

Ala is believed to be involved in judging human actions and that the reason the igbos dread sins that are done against ala , they are know as nso ala and are very much avoided because breaking of laws of the land is equivalent to severe punishment both in this life and the after life . The generally accepted messenger of Ala is the python or Eke , that's is why it is regarded in most Igbo land as a taboo to hurt the eke . 

Ala is the goddess of fertility, multiplication and fruitfulness, she is still worshipped in most parts of the igbo land