Do Words Really Have Spiritual Power?
I was watching a video about Igbo traditional religious practices today, and something came to my mind.
Shakespeare famously said in “Romeo and Juliet”:
“What’s in a name?”
I believe the story was that Juliet was a royal blood, and Romeo was a commoner. Juliet’s argument against their relationship was that his last name was not nobility.
“A rose by any other name smells just as sweet,” he argued.
First of all, roses stink. So, I don’t know if that was supposed to be a Shakespearean joke of some sort, or if some people actually think roses smell sweet, but…roses stink.
Secondly, I think Westerners hold this view, and it is becoming more and more widespread with globalization. People are playing with the idea of the pliability of culture.
People can learn new languages, dye their skin and hair, change their names, get plastic surgery.
Nothing’s sacred…or is it?
Igbos traditionally believed that names (words) are powerful, spiritual gatekeepers. That is why they often spoke in proverbs. That is why tonality was a feature of the language. The unique features of the language were vestiges of even their spiritual beliefs.
