The literature of West Africa offers the most passionate expression of the colonial confrontation with the African traditional values as well as the consequences of these confrontations. Many African writers are therefore committed to the depiction of African history which is human deeds and experiences that lie in the past in their works. In this historical process, two categories of actors were involved: The African Igbos and the Europeans who represent the invaded and the invaders respectively. This work explores how Igbo spirituality and religious life die an ignominious death when confronted by Christianity which is backed by the Whiteman’s military and political power. Drawing on postcolonial and sacred theories, the study interrogates how the disruption of sacred order through missionary incursion and colonial administration lead to cultural disintegration in Umuaro. The colonial administrators set the tragedy in motion and left Umuaro to destroy its own god in destroying their chief priest. Ezeulu watches helplessly as the old order at whose head he is, disintegrates and is swept aside. Ezeulu falls after the death of his favourite son, Obika, dragging along with him, Ulu and his clan. By situating Ezeulu’s downfall within the broader socio-religious break caused by colonialism, the study reveals how imposed modernity destabilizes indigenous knowledge and beliefs. The analysis contributes to ongoing debates on religion, power, and identity in African literature.
Keywords: Arrow of God, Colonialism, Igbo religion, When the Arrow Rebounds, sacred transgression, tragedy
