Eyo Festival Lagos,Nigeria

 

Eyo masquerades dancing and displaying during Eyo festival

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 The Eyo Festival, otherwise known as the Adamu Orisha Play, is a Yoruba festival unique to Lagos, Nigeria. In modern times, it is presented by the people of Lagos as a tourist event and, due to its history, is traditionally performed on Lagos Island.

Background

Lagos is a very popular city that almost everybody hears about. The former capital city of Nigeria, and presently the commercial capital of Nigeria, is popularly called the “Centre of Excellence.” The city, called Lagos is in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. Ikeja is the state capital.

Lagos city is divided or separated by a Lagoon. Thus, it is in to two parts: the Lagos Island and the Lagos Mainland. The indigenes of Lagos are mostly domiciled in Lagos Island, known also as, Isale Eko. It is these indigenes, who celebrate the Eyo festival, a cultural and traditional masquerade display, which emerges from the Iga (palace) of the Oba or any of his cabinet members.

The Eyo Festival

The Eyo is the masquerade that comes out only in Lagos Island. It is believed to represent the spirits of the ancestors. The Eyo festival may be held in honour of a chief or an elder of a ruling family or an Oba, who had died. It may also be held when a new head of an Iga (palace) or a new Oba is installed. With the advent of westernization and modernization, a governor or a political leader may also request that the festival be organized to add colour to an occasion for a fee. Eyo is usually held on a Saturday.

                      

Eyo masqurades

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Each Eyo comes out of an Iga (palace) of a ruling family in the morning and heads for the shrine (Agodo). It is robed from head to toe in white flowing cloth. The white flowing costume consists of an ‘agbada’ (the top robe), and the ‘aropale’ (the bottom wrap around). No part of the person carrying the Eyo is expected to be seen. The Eyo also wears an ‘Akete’ a hat that bears the colours and shield of the Iga from which he comes. An Eyo may tie ribbons in his Iga’s colours to the Opambata (palm branch) that he carries. An Iga’s Eyo may have up to 50 to 100 or more members. Each person carrying a robe as Eyo must pay a fee for the privilege. This fee is paid to the Iga – ruling house, whose colours and Akete the Eyo wears.

Only adult males may robe as Eyo; but sometimes, there may be a child Eyo in a group. The sons and daughters and wives, as well as friends and neighbours of the Iga follow the Eyo on a parade from one end of Lagos Island to the other. The route of each Eyo goes from the Iga, where the Iga’s Eyo leave en masse, and then on to the Agodo – the shrine of the Orisa Eyo. After this, the Eyo may go anywhere on Lagos Island their feet can carry them, all the way from Ebute Ero to Obalende, via Oke Popo, Campus, Lafiaji and all neighbourhoods the Eyo’s whims may carry him. In fact, an Eyo may easily cover 20 to 30 kilometres on that day. The crowd of supporters following the Eyo does not wear white robes

                       

Imagine the spectacle of thousands of white robed figures in colourful hats, flowing ribbons, men women and children milling about the streets singing and dancing. The Lagos Eyo gives good meaning to the words, festival and spectacle.

The only Eyo that is not part of a group is the most senior Eyo-Adimu Orisa. This Eyo’s nose is forever running, hence, the name Adimu. Only a very old and spiritually advanced male can robe as the Adimu. It is the last Eyo to leave the “agodo.”

The Eyo, when it encounters people, greets them with the phrase, “E sunrunkunrun, we ma jagbon die!” meaning, “Don’t fear anything, have a taste of the palm tree,” and taps the individual on the shoulders with the “opambata.” When he is given money, he will pray for the person and recite the praise song of his Iga. The phrase, “e sunrunkunrun, we ma jagbon die!” is in the Ijebu dialect of Yoruba. It was rendered as a wedding present when the Oba of Lagos married an Ijebu princess.

It is however, a taboo to either wear the Eyo costume overnight or cross any body of water, such as the Lagoon, Rivers, and so on.

Relevance

The Eyo festival is organized under the auspices of the Yoruba tradition, as well as social organizations or clubs. It is an outlet used to showcase the culture of the Isale Eko people, since it can be organized for special occasions apart from the death of prominent chiefs, elders, or installation of a new Oba. It can be used to entertain at special state functions or occasions.

Source:Scout

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The Tarok Tribe And Culture

       

Culture,Heritage,Africa,Nigeria,America

Tarok people dressed in their leopard skin attire

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           The Tarok people call themselves oTárók, their language iTárók and their land ìTàrók. They are found principally in Langtang-North, Langtang-South, Wase, Mikang and Kanke Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Plateau State in Central Nigeria. Their main town of Langtang is located about 186 kilometres south-east of Jos, the state capital. They are also found in large numbers in Shendam, Qua'an-Pan, Kanam, Pankshin LGAs and some part of Tafawa Balewa LGA of Bauchi state the Sur (Tapshin). Scattered in Nasarawa and Taraba states are Tarok farming communities. The people have been described to some extent in anthropological and ethnographical works by Fitzpatrick (1910), Roger Blench, Lamle (1995), Famwang and Longtau (1997). The oTárók is an amalgamation of various peoples who now form a more or less ‘homogeneous’ group. The constituents were of Pe, Ngas, Jukun, Boghom, Tel ( Montol ) and probably Tal origins, while others still remain obscure or unknown. The culture at a micro level portrays this admixture of peoples of the Tarok nation. The focus here is a description of their language.

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The Tarok people have an ancestral cult which retains considerable prestige and importance, despite major inroads of Christianity into the area. The ancestors, orìm, are represented by initiated males and post-menopausal women. Cult activities take place in sacred groves outside almost all Tarok settlements. Orìm are mostly heard, but emerge as masked figures under some circumstances, especially for the disciplining of ‘stubborn’ women and for making prophecies. Orìm figures speak through voice disguisers in a language dotted with code words although framed in normal Tarok syntax and their utterances are interpreted by unmasked figures.

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Each Tarok settlement of any size has a sacred grove outside it, which is conserved as the place of the orim or ancestors. The singular form, ùrìm, is applied to a dead person or an ancestor, while orìm refers to the collective ancestors and the cult itself. Men above a certain age are allowed to enter the grove and engage with the ancestors. These inhabit the land of the dead and are thus in contact with all those who have died, including young people and children who were not admitted to the orìm. On certain nights when the ‘orìm are out’, women and children must stay in their houses. Orim can also be seen ‘dressed’, i.e. appearing as masquerades, when they engage with women through an interpreter. Surprisingly, most Tarok are Christian and Langtang hosts some large churches, but the association of the orìm with power ensures that these two systems continue to coexist. Indeed, it is said that the orìm take care to visit the houses of the retired generals and other influential figures at night to cement the bonds between two very different types of power. Orìm society is graded, in the sense that there are members who are not fully initiated and so cannot be let into the inner secrets of the society. Some of the orìm vocabulary is therefore for internal concealment, that is, there are code-words among the elder members to conceal the meaning of what is being said from junior members.

The main function of the orim from the external point of view is to maintain order, both spiritual and actual, within the society but also to prepare for warfare and other collective action. In practice, maintaining order seems to be about disciplining women, who are forced to cook food as a punishment for being lazy or ‘stubborn’. This category of orìm is called orìm aga., literally ‘masquerade that gives trouble’ and its speciality is to fine women. There is a special season, aga. ‘time of trouble’, for meting out fines to offenders. The orìm are also in contact with the dead and it is believed that the spirits of dead children require to be fed; hence they will request special meals from the mother of such children. Orìm also have a marriage-broking function; for example, young women tell the orìm the name of the young man they would like to marry, and they find ways of passing on the message.

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The Maasai Tribe

       

MAASAI TRIBE FROM KENYA

                                          

Maasai women dancing

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Itsekiri people: Kingdom History and culture of the Iwere

                                      

dressed in Itsekiri Attire

Once upon a time in the fifteenth century, there lived a hot blooded and self-willed young man known as Prince Iginuwa (Ginuwa).

Prince Iginuwa was the eldest son of Oba Olua- the fourteenth Oba of Bini (Benin) kingdom. He was well loved by his father the king but disliked by the chiefs because he was impatient of the taboos and traditional conventions of the times.

And not willing to wait for his time as an Oba to come before doing away with that which he considered as wrong, he paraded gangs of fellow hot heads and began a frequent terrorization on the chiefs and their supporters.

As a result of this, the provoked chiefs who already harboured a dislike for him converged secretly and the meeting was presided by the chief minister (Iyase).

A consensus would be reached: The young Prince Iginuwa and his associates are to be eliminated.

Traditionally, it is the custom of the Bini kingdom for the son who was chosen Edaiken (crowned prince) to live outside the capital among the hereditary chiefs to whose ranks he belonged.

This was the reason that made it possible for the young Prince to carry out his crusade without the curtailment of his father- Oba Olua. And likewise, the decision of the chiefs.

However, upon hearing the secret conclusion of what was likely to happen to his son, Oba Olua consulted his chief priest ( Ogiefa ) as to what must be done to save the life of his boy.

                     

"An innovative way of smuggling the prince out of the kingdom as soon as possible," was the counsel the priest gave the king after consulting the oracle.

Without further hesitation, Oba Olua ordered an "ark of iroko wood" to be hastily constructed: An ark big enough to convey not only the prince but also the eldest sons of the seventy chiefs of Bini.

With this intention, a meeting of the central council was summoned when the ark was completed. Oba Olua informed the chiefs that he was sending his son Prince Iginuwa to perform desirable rites to the river goddess- Olokun; and to accompany him, he demanded from them their first sons.

The king has spoken, and from the council, no objection was made.

So, it happened that when the appointed day came, except for the Oba, the chief priest, and the palace attendant who birthed the escape plan, every other person including the chiefs didn't know that Prince Iginuwa and his entourage- their sons- were embarking on a voyage they would never return.

And in their ignorance, they joined the Oba in wishing the prince safety and good luck on his journey in Edo language by saying "OKHIENWERE O..."

Thereupon, the ark was carried by slaves through the dense forest which spans across the present route of Sapele for days...

Upon arrival at the banks of river Ethiope, the iroko ark was lowered and prince Iginuwa came out, adorned himself with the regalia of kingship, and assumed the role of one.

The rugged Prince made himself a king without a kingdom.

However, after a long wait, the Bini chiefs got to realize that they've been deluded by their king and their next line of action was to dispatch soldiers to bring Prince Iginuwa and their sons back to the Kingdom.

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Somehow information would reach the prince that an onslaught for him was on. Upon hearing this he ordered a quick evacuation as he instructed them to board the ark.

And from Ugharegin where it is believed the Prince and his retinue had first settled, they sailed to Efurokpe, but not being satisfied with the safety of the new place of settlement, the prince king launched another voyage.

But this time the voyage would be long; tedious, and difficult.

History has refused to tell us, precisely, how long it took the prince and his royal entourage to sail through the high waves of the Forcados River. And we in return are in no position to question why.

Nonetheless, it came to be that their sail led them to the small settlement of Amatu, where they squatted for a prolonged while.

It is said that Amatu was a place of beauty and wonder. Its glittering white sand was bed to crocodiles and alligators. The sun beam was soothing to the skin and the air a pleasure to exhale.

But then these men were sojourners and not tourists: Food to them was far more important than the splendor of Nature.

Amatu with all its wonders was unproductive.

There were, however, more fertile headlands inhabited by the Ijohs (Ijaws). Oruselemo was one of them.

A cordial relationship with the royal entourage was birthed as a result of the accommodating spirit of the Ijaws. Thus Oruselemo did not only become their home, Prince Iginuwa also married an Ijoh woman named Derumo.

Incidentally, after several years at Oruselemo, a dispute arose between the migrants and the Ijaws of Gulani (Ogulagha) on the account of the woman Derumo.

The hot-tempered prince had killed her.

And the cordiality that existed between the royal entourage and the Ijaws was replaced with coldness.

It is as a result of this that the prince king in his wisdom thought it more reasonable to move again.

The ark was launched... and another voyage was embarked.

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They sailed passed the present site of Forcados and Burutu as the Ark steered north into the Warri River. It is said that the days of this particular quest were not only filled with strain and misery, depression and gloominess also thought it fit to take comfort in their souls.

After days of hardship, Prince Iginuwa and his entourage finally landed at a virgin land that would be later known as Ijala. And as at now he had become the father of two fine boys: Prince Ijijen (Ijiyem) and Prince Irame.

They would raise a mini town and settle there.

But not long after they found comfort, news of their whereabouts reached Bini and as expected, an Army was sent to bring back the running prince.

It should be emphasized here that this was the era when men were more spiritually inclined; and owing to this, messages will always find ways to deliver themselves.

The information had come to them at Ijala and without hesitation the mobile kingdom started making preparations for another evacuation.

But exertion has made weary the soul of their commander. King Iginuwa would not make it out of Ijala. He joined his ancestors amidst the preparations.

And there, he was buried.

It is for this reason that Ijala had become the only burial place of Olus (Itsekiri kings) since 1500 AD till date.

Certainly, there was no time for exaggerated mourning... danger was fast approaching.

Primogeniture would help pave the way for Prince Ijijen to take up the royal command. And without objection the honour of a king was duly accorded him.

Thus, the planned movement from Ijala was, therefore, executed by Prince Ijijen with the aid of an Idibie (medicine man or a diviner) who threw a magical spear (Egan or Etsoro) that was believed to have landed at a location called Okotomu, now Ode-itsekiri (Big Warri).

The tracing of that spear by Prince Ijijen and his people, with the help of the Idibie, finally brought them to the spear's location.

Historically, the Itsekiris are painted as a collection of people with diverse origin. A people with complex mixture, different ethnicities and many races.

According to Jackson Omasanjuwa Ireyefoju and Florence Ejuogharanmakelesan Ireyefoju in their seminal work "Ife Oracle in Itsekiri Social System of Nigeria," Itsekiri people came from Egypt after the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. The Mahim arrived and settled in the present Warri Kingdom in about 28 B.C in Gborodo, Ureju and Ode Itsekiri.

The leaders of the teams were Iset, Iweret and Ipi. This part of Itsekiri history is one that cannot be kicked aside as there are more similarity in Itsekiri language and custom with those of the ancient Egyptians than any other civilization in the world.

Tribes of Itsekiri People

The people, Iset, Ipi Seikiri and Iweret came with some religions. Most of the gods were of the water.

Present day Itsekiri

Undoubtedly, the rich traditional and cultural heritage of the Itsekiris is as a result of an evolution brought about by a hybrid of cultures.

The Itsekiri people practice a gerontocratic system of governance where elders are chosen as leaders. The priests are also highly revered.

They still confer with their deities through the Ife oracle. Still they believe in an overall God known as "Oritse".

Itsekiri People's dressing

Traditionally, Itsekiri men wear long-sleeved shirts with George wrapper and coral beads. The women wear George wrapper and depending on the occasion, either have the wrapper tied on their chest or it is worn with a blouse.

Marriage among Itsekiri People

In the olden days, marriage took place through the family arrangement. The groom never met with the bride before the wedding day. The bride is dressed in George and elaborate ornaments of coral beads, gold and silver.

The men are dressed in an attire called ‘Kimeje’

Additionally, their women are known as good cooks and stories have it that they cook so well that a man can hardly resist.

The soups peculiar to the Itsekiris include Banga Soup, made from oil palm, and Owo soup both eaten with starch.

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The Ovazimba Tribe in Namibia Still Practices Sharing Their Wives To Their Friends And Guest

 

The tribe in Namibia Who Swap Their Wives And Offers Sex To Guests.

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A few African cultures and traditional practices have been greatly frowned upon and stopped while others continue to stir up controversies. One such cultural practice is the “Okujepisa Omukazenda” among the Ovahimba and Ovazemba tribes in northern Namibia.

This practice, referred to as “Okujepisa Omukazendu”, is common among Ovahimba and Ovazimba tribes in the Kunene and Pomusati regions, nomadic tribe in Namibia. These communities are largely isolated from the rest of the country. They have resided the trappings of modern life, they keep livestock, live off the land and practice ancestral worship. Many still reside in pole-and-mud huts and both men and women go bare chested. The phrase, “Okujepisa Omukazendu”, literally means “offering wife to guest”. It is a practice where a man decides to please a friend or a highly esteemed guest by allowing him to sleep with his wife the night of his visit.

That practice night, the husband has to sleep in another hut altogether and in a situation whereby there is no other hut or room, he will sleep outside. Many might think that this practice is absurd or just plain evil but one thing we would always need to remind ourselves is that, that is their “normal”. Young boys and girls grow up knowing only that, the preservation of their culture is something we think is beautiful. Women who are borrowed to their friends or guests would be shocked at those who refuse to practice this cultural obligation as they find it to be more of a privilege.

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DURBA FESTIVAL IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

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For centuries the tribes have done it. Men who are friends can come to an agreement and let each other have fun with their wives. Surely, swapping exists in many countries. Some couples try it to prevent cheating and allow each other the freedom they need in sex.

This practice has been in place for generations in these Namibian communities. It started raising some global dust when Mr Kazeongere Tjeundo made a move towards soliciting for enshrining it init The Namibian Constitution. He argues that it should be made legal with some reasons which he felt are enough. This is what he said: 

Its a culture that gives us unity and friendship, its up to you to choose [among] your mates who you like the most… to allow him to sleep with you wife, we just need to research more on how the practice can be regulated.

Kazeongere Tjeundo

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THE KOMA TRIBE IN NIGERIA, WHO STILL WALK NAKED AND KILL THEIR TWINS.

                                           

the Koma people dancing naked

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The Koma people are found in Ganye Chiefdom, in the present Jada local government area of Adamawa State. It is a district of mountainous settlements bordering Cameroun Republic and all the inhabitants live in caves, naked. Writers have often described the hill settlements as a big animal farm because the people co-habit with animals, sharing food and drinking water sources. Worthy of note are the beautiful hanging mountainous sceneries over looking one another with valleys that combine to regulate the weather condition of the area. Koma hill is a serene hideout blessed with natural and beautiful topography and lively inhabitants who are accommodating but do things their own way.

There are about 36 settlements on the mountain top led by different clan heads or chiefs. Amazingly, too, the 36 settlements or clans have different languages but with similar dialects. They also have cultural variations. The only common or identical thing about them is geography. They all dwell on the mountain and they have similar anthropology due to long historical linkages. While those who accepted modern civilization moved down to the plain land, those who prefer to maintain the Stone Age life style remain in their cave-like settlements on the mountains and are still naked.

                       

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Each clan is governed by the clan leader or clan head, but once in a while they hold meeting with the agent of the government who is the district head. At such meetings they speak Fulfude and those who do not understand Fufulde contribute through an interpreter. Each time they come down for the meetings or markets in Nasarawo Koma, they wear leafs and animal skins covering only their vital parts.

The Koma people, according to findings, have respect for their chiefs, elders and the government agents, but would never trade their beliefs, culture and tradition for anything, not even money, but they are cut-off from the rest of the Nigerian societies in terms of modern civilization.“(One-quarter century) after this jaw-dropping story first hit the limelight, the people of Koma are still floundering in their ‘Dark Age.’ The Nigeria Television Authority continued that one “cold fact is that the Koma people are yet to be weaned of some of the primitive ways. There still exists a defiant few among this mountain-dwelling tribe who strut around naked or near-naked in broad daylight. Others even go to farm or come to their markets in their state of semi-nudity.”

The Koma people became recognized as Nigerians in 1961, a year after independence, along with the old provinces of northern Cameroun. Today Koma is part of the seven districts of Ganye local Government in Adamawa State.

The Koma man can share his wife with a friend or visitor, this stone age practice still exist amongst this people. The Koma people still practice the killing of twins immediately they are born ,the mother along with the twins are buried alive, because they believe the birth of twins is a sign of evil.

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The Ashanti People of Ghana

 

                                        

The Ghanian Flag

Ashanti

The Ashanti live in central Ghana in the Rain forests of West Africa approximately 150 miles away from the coast. The Ashanti are a major ethnic group of the Akans (Ashanti and Fanti) in Ghana, Ghana is a fairly new nation, barely more than 50 years old, and Ghana was previously called the Gold Coast. Much of the modern nation of Ghana was dominated from the late 17th through the late 19th century by a state known as Asante. Asante was the largest and most powerful of a series of states formed in the forest region of southern Ghana by people known as the Akan. Among the factors leading the Akan to form states, perhaps the most important was that they were rich in gold. It is now politically separated into four main parts. Ashanti is in the center and Kumasi is the capital. The Ashanti are the largest tribe in Ghana and one of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa. The area of Ashanti is 9400 square miles with a population of about one million.

The Ashanti people have always been known as fierce fighters. The people of this tribe have a slogan: "If I go forward I die, If I go backward I die, Better go forward and die." When the Ashanti tribe was faced with war, they used drums to signal the upcoming battle. The beat of these drums could be heard through the dense forest. The Ashanti have a special handshake, in which you hold your left hand out to shake hands. This comes from the Ashanti's explanation that the left hand holds the shield, and the right hand holds the spears. So, in order to show your trust in someone, you put down your shield and therefore have your left hand free.

To the Ashanti, the family and the mother's clan are most important. A child is said to inherit the father's soul or spirit and from the mother a child receives flesh and blood This relates them more closely to the mother's clan. The Ashanti live in an extended family. The family lives in various homes or huts that are set up around a courtyard. The head of the household is usually the oldest brother that lives there. The elders choose him. He is called either Father or House father and is obeyed by everyone.

The Ashanti religion is a mixture of spiritual and supernatural powers. They believe that plants, animals, and trees have souls. They also believe in fairies, witches, and forest monsters. There are a variety of religious beliefs involving ancestors, higher gods, or abosom, and 'Nyame', the Supreme Being of Ashanti. The Ashanti also practice many ceremonies for marriage, death, puberty, and birth.

The golden stool is sacred to the Ashanti; today great pride in the Ashanti King lives on in the tradition of the Golden Stool. There is an elaborate legend surrounding it that is told by the old men of Ashanti. The golden stool is very carefully protected. No one has ever sat on it and since its arrival; it has not touched the ground. As an Ashanti symbol, 

the golden stool represents the worship of ancestors, well-being, and the nation of Ashanti. As a symbol of nationhood, and because if contains the sumsum or Soul of Ashanti, the Golden Stool is considered to be so sacred that no person whatsoever is allowed to sit upon it. It is kept with the strictest security and precaution; and is taken outside only on exceptionally grand occasions. Never must it come in contact with the earth or the ground. It is always lying on its own stool or on the skin of an animal such as the leopard. Ashanti's have on many occasions made great sacrifices to defend it when its safety had been threatened. In 1896 they submitted to the deportation of their King, Prempeh I, rather than resort to a war in which they feared they might suffer defeat and risk the loss of the Golden stool. They deemed the loss of their King a small thing compared with the loss of their Golden Stool.

An elegantly dressed Ashanti man

The village is a social as well as an economic unit. Everyone participates in the major ceremonies, the most frequent of which are funeral celebrations, which typically last several days. Attendance at funerals is normally expected from everyone in the village and expenditure on funerals is a substantial part of the household budget.

The Ashanti are noted for their expertise in a variety of specialized crafts. These include weaving, wood carving, ceramics, the reknown kente cloth and metallurgy. Of these crafts, only pottery making is primarily a female activity; the others are restricted to male specialists. Even in the case of pottery making, only men are allowed to fashion pots or pipes.

Bark cloth was used for clothing before weaving was introduced. With weaving, there is cotton and silk. Women may pick cotton or spin materials into thread, but only men are allowed to weave. There are different patterns in weaving, each with its own name. Sometimes the pattern represents social status, a clan, a saying, or the sex of the one wearing it. Patterns are not always woven in the cloth. It can also be stamped on in many designs.

Kente cloth is only worn in the southern half of the country and - as distinct from other forms of traditional weaving - is reserved mainly for joyous occasions. Traditionally the Kente cloth is a festival cloth worn mainly during the annual and seasonal festivals, which are happy occasions. Today they are not only used for festive occasions but also during the rituals associated with the important events of life; for example, marriage, death, and religious worship. Therefore, it is quite appropriate for outsiders to wear it for religious and festive occasions.

Wood carving is divided into many branches, each with its own specialists. Among the major products are wooden sculptures of outstanding artistic quality and the talking-drums. The Ashanti fertility doll or "Akua ba" doll is commonly found in the homes of the Ashanti and given to the females in the village to bring them closer to the spirit of Fertility Gods.

Kikogo game played by the Ashanti people

The Ashanti play an African game called "Kikogo" which means transferring and refers to players moving markers that are usually beads or stones around a wooden board that has cups or depressions similar to that of an egg carton. The game is as popular as draughts (checkers) are in the western countries.

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