 Shrines for the ancestors in Igbo society were made in the central house, or "òbí" or "òbú", of the patriarch of a housing compound.The patriarchal head of the household is in charge of venerating the patriarchal ancestors through libations and offerings, through this the living maintain contact with the dead.Only a patriarch whose father is dead, and therefore in the spirit world where they await reincarnation into the community, were able to venerate ancestors.