
Who killed the royal python in the jungle?
When Mr. Kiaga demands to know why, they explain that they believe Okoli, one of the converts, killed the royal python. Okoli himself falls ill and dies, showing the clan members that the gods are fighting back.
Did Okoli kill the sacred python?
A year later, one of the osu converts named Okoli is rumored to have killed the sacred python, the clan's most respected animal. The clan rulers and elders gather in Mbanta to decide on a punishment for the crime that they believed would never happen.
Did a convert kill a royal python in Umuofia?
Even with the converts’ blatant disrespect of Umuofia’s customs—rumor has it that a convert has killed a royal python—the clan leaders vote for a peaceful solution, deciding to ostracize rather than attack the Christians. Okonkwo is not happy with their decision and advocates a violent reaction.
What happens in Chapter 17 of Things Fall Apart?
Things Fall Apart Summary: Chapter 17 The missionaries request a piece of land on which to build a church. The village leaders and elders offer them a plot in the Evil Forest, believing that the missionaries will not accept it.

Who kills the sacred python in Things Fall Apart?
OkoliA year later, one of the osu converts named Okoli is rumored to have killed the sacred python, the clan's most respected animal.
Who killed the royal python?
Six brothers in the village of Umuama killed the python and ate it.
What was the Royal python referred to as Things Fall Apart?
In Chinua Achebe's novel, “Things Fall Apart”, the python is presented as a sacred animal in Ibo culture, because it is literally a symbol of the god of water. This python has its own way of being addressed, as well as a specialized ceremony if killed accidentally.
What does Okonkwo want to do after killing the sacred python?
To the clan's disbelief, one boasts that he killed the sacred royal python. Okonkwo urges Mbanta to drive the Christians out with violence, but the rulers and elders decide to ostracize them instead. Okonkwo bitterly remarks that this is a “womanly” clan.
Has a python ever killed a human?
Like all pythons, it is a non-venomous constrictor. Adult humans have been killed (and in at least two reported cases, eaten) by reticulated pythons.
Has anyone been killed by a boa?
Elliot Senseman died just days after being suffocated by a boa constrictor he had taken in; the coroner says his death is being ruled an accident. A Pennsylvania man is dead after being strangled by an 18-foot boa constrictor last week.
Why is there no punishment for killing a python?
Answers 1. The clan doesn't have to punish the man who killed the python. The python is a sacred animal, and the man, Okoli, who killed the python, falls ill mysteriously and dies. His death proves the gods are watching; after that, the clan relaxes its stance towards the Christians.
Why is the sacred python important?
It finds that the sacred python is a symbol of the people's cultural identity and plays a fundamental role in their religious life; as such, attacks on the python is a breach of the people's cultural rights. The paper joins the call for the preservation of innocuous intangible cultural heritage.
What is the significance of the sacred python in Things Fall Apart?
This python, of the subspecies sebae, lives in Southern Nigeria and is worshiped as a representation of a god by the villagers of Mbanta. When a Christian church convert allegedly kills one, it causes the village to outlaw all of the Christian converts and raises tensions between the villagers and Christians.
How does Obierika react to Okonkwo's death?
Obierika displays an uncharacteristic flash of temper and lashes out at the commissioner, blaming him for Okonkwo's death and praising his friend's greatness. The commissioner decides to honor the group's request, but he leaves and orders his messengers to do the work.
Who burned down the church in Things Fall Apart?
One such convert, Enoch, dares to unmask an egwugwu during the annual ceremony to honor the earth deity, an act equivalent to killing an ancestral spirit. The next day, the egwugwu burn Enoch's compound and Reverend Smith's church to the ground.
What is Okonkwo's popular nickname?
Okonkwo was popularly called the “Roaring Flame.” As he looked into the log fire he recalled the name.
Are royal pythons friendly?
Ball pythons are docile snakes, but they can be very friendly and comfortable being handled by humans if you hold them once per day and handle them gently. An adult ball python will enjoy wrapping themselves around your arm or waist, but you can easily unwrap them when you need to.
Why is it called royal python?
Animal Info The name “ball” python comes from the fact that this snake rolls into a ball to hide and protect its head. The name “royal” python is due to a legend that many African rulers were known to have worn live pythons as jewelry, especially Cleopatra.
Has a snake ever eaten its owner?
Is this the first time a python has eaten a human? No. In 2002, a 10-year-old boy was reportedly swallowed by a rock python in South Africa.
Is royal python poisonous?
Ball pythons are not venomous and don't have fangs, so a bite may not be as severe as other snake bites. Always use caution if you're bitten by a ball python, and seek medical treatment. Ball pythons are also known as royal pythons.
What is the LitCharts theme in Things Fall Apart?
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Things Fall Apart, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. At first, the Mbanta remain relatively unworried about the church in the Evil Forest. They have little interaction, until the missionaries overstep their bounds. Three converts—villages who have converted ...
What does Okoli kill?
One of the outcasts, however, brings the church into conflict with the clan when he kills the royal python, the most revered animal in Mbanta. The clan decides to ostracize the Christians, preventing them from using the stream. When Mr. Kiaga demands to know why, they explain that they believe Okoli, one of the converts, killed the royal python. Okoli himself falls ill and dies, showing the clan members that the gods are fighting back. They decide to pursue no further actions against the Christians.
What is the plot in Chapter 17?
Summary: Chapter 17. The missionaries request a piece of land on which to build a church. The village leaders and elders offer them a plot in the Evil Forest, believing that the missionaries will not accept it. To the elders’ amazement, the missionaries rejoice in the offer. But the elders are certain that the forest’s sinister spirits ...
What does Okonkwo say about the snake?
Okonkwo bitterly remarks that this is a “womanly” clan. After announcing the new policy of ostracism, the elders learn that the man who boasted of killing the snake has died of an illness. The villagers’ trust in their gods is thereby reaffirmed, and they cease to ostracize the converts.
Who tells Okonkwo to let go of the boy?
When Nwoye returns, Okonkwo chokes him by the neck, demanding to know where he has been. Uchendu orders him to let go of the boy. Nwoye leaves his father’s compound and travels to a school in Umuofia to learn reading and writing.
What does Nwoye's conversion do to Okonkwo?
Nwoye’s conversion devastates Okonkwo. Although he has always been harsh with his son, Okonkwo still believes in Nwoye’s potential to become a great clansman. Nwoye’s rejection of Igbo values, however, strikes a dire blow to Okonkwo’s hopes for him. Additionally, Nwoye’s actions undermine Okonkwo’s own status and prestige. It is, as Okonkwo thinks at the end of Chapter 17, as though all of Okonkwo’s hard work to distance himself from the legacy of his father has been destroyed. He sighs and thinks to himself: “Living fire begets cold impotent ash.”
