The Tarok Tribe And Culture

       

Culture,Heritage,Africa,Nigeria,America

Tarok people dressed in their leopard skin attire

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THE KOMA TRIBE WHO STILL WALK AROUND NAKED AND KILL THEIR TWINS

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OSUN OSOGBO SACRED GROVE

           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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YORUBA TRIBE AND CULTURE

THE MAASAI TRIBE AND CULTURE

THE FULANI TRIBE AND CULTURE

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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IGBO TRADITION AND CULTURE

ANCIENT BINI KINGDOM

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 TIV PEOPLE

Tiv women

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INTRODUCTION

 The TIV people lives on both sides of the Benue River in the middle belt region of Nigeria; they speak a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo family.
The Tiv are subsistence farmers whose main crops are yams, millet, and sorghum, all of which are eaten as porridge or are made more palatable by their combination in sauces and stews, the TIV people are also good hunters and they love eating most of their kills. Although goats and chickens are plentiful, few cattle are kept because of the tsetse fly.
The polygamous Tiv family occupies a cluster of round huts surrounding a reception hut; brothers usually live next to one another.

Tiv residential setting.

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The Tiv social organization is based on patrilineages that are closely associated with particular geographic features; in segmentary lineage systems such as the Tiv’s, a given lineage may be associated, more or less exactly, to a particular village, a group of lineages to a larger district, and so on. Genealogies go back many generations to a single ancestor; the descendants (through the male line) of each person in the genealogy thus form a territorial kinship group. The force of patrilineal descent, while dominant in Tiv institutions, is balanced by institutions such as age grades (groups of men of about the same age who provide mutual assistance and allies against lineage pressure), cooperative groups, and institutionalized friendships. Although traditionally the Tiv had no chiefs (political decisions were made by lineage elders), the British administration established a paramount chief in 1948. 

The Tiv’s complex system of exchange marriage was outlawed in 1927 and was replaced by marriage with bride wealth.
 Some Tivs have converted to Christianity, and a lesser number have adopted Islam; but their traditional religion, based on the manipulation of forces (akombo) entrusted to humans by a creator god, remains strong. The akombo are manifested in certain symbols or emblems and in diseases that they create. An organization of elders who have the ability to manipulate these forces meets at night to repair those manifestations of akombo (e.g., epidemics) that affect the group; these phenomena require human sacrifice or its metaphorical equivalent. The Tiv numbered about 2,500,000 in the late 20th century.

The Tiv people have specific marriage rites that seem to be one of the most interesting things to foreigners and strangers. It’s curious and notable that all these rites are still alive and used by Tiv people who want to get married. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1199698-tiv-culture-nigeria.html

The Tiv people have specific marriage rites that seem to be one of the most interesting things to foreigners and strangers. It’s curious and notable that all these rites are still alive and used by Tiv people who want to get married. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1199698-tiv-culture-nigeria.html

The Tiv people have specific marriage rites that seem to be one of the most interesting things to foreigners and strangers. It’s curious and notable that all these rites are still alive and used by Tiv people who want to get married. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1199698-tiv-culture-nigeria.html

TIV MARRIAGES

Tiv wedding

 The Tiv people have specific marriage rites that seem to be one of the most interesting things to foreigners and strangers. It is curious and notable that all these rites are still alive and used by the Tiv people who want to get married. There are four methods of getting oneself a wife and here they are.

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 Getting married by exchange

Tiv bride and groom

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This means exactly what this means. Two men who want to have a wife meet and agree to exchange the women they already have. These may be each other’s daughters or each other’s current wives. This way of getting married is called yamshe. Of course, the deal will be sealed only if both of them have women suitable for the exchange.

 Getting married by capture

 This way of getting married is called kwase-ngohol. It means capturing another man’s wife while her husband is away. This is one of the most traditional ways of getting oneself a wife dating back to the times when the tribe was migrating all the time. Actually, this habit of stealing other men’s wives caused a range of wars and confrontations within the ethnic group. However, there’s another way of "capturing wives". This is a far nobler way that’s respected a lot, unlike the described above. A man needs to go to another country and take his friends with him. The entire group chooses communities where they are going to look for single unmarried women. Then, they go to those communities and start to perform traditional dances in the eyes of the chosen women. The women are naturally attracted to the skilled dancers and go out to watch them. Such a way of capturing women’s hearts is called lye. As a rule, the chosen women agree to go with the dancers and become their wives. This is a romantic and sweet way and many women love it sincerely.

 Getting married by purchase

 Everything you need to do is capture a girl as a slave and get married to her. That’s it, nothing complicated as it looks. However, this is the way that’s not as popular as it used to be hundreds of years ago. Today, the Tiv use more civilized ways of getting married.

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 Getting married by paying a bride price

First, a man needs to send plenty of gifts to the family of the bride. The gifts are being sent until the family says that they are finally satisfied. When they are, the groom can finally get down to paying the bride’s own price. This is the prevailing way of getting married in the modern Tiv lands. However, in most cases, young people don’t start with paying the bride price off. Now, it’s allowed that they stayed together as a couple for a while and then decided to pay the bride price or not. 

 TIV CULTURAL DANCE AND SONG

Tiv cat dance

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In the Tiv culture, music and dancing are a certain specific form of communication. They have a range of unique musical instruments, which they skillfully play, and a number of lovely dances, which they perform for different occasions. There are dances that attract sweethearts, there are ancient ritual dances, and modern ones that are performed at diverse festive occasions. Songs are still an effective means of communication between people and between people and the nature. The Tiv still believe in rainmakers and their powers, in the strength of herbalists and wizards of all types. All this influences their life greatly and implies the appearance of new habits and customs, new songs and dances. 

Tiv traditional dancers from Benue state middle belt of Nigeria

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The dances and songs are closely connected to the beliefs of the Tiv tribe. In spite of the fact that their ancestors have been Christianized successfully and that a part of the people accepted Islam, they do believe in the human ability to manipulate natural forces. If something happens like an epidemic disease, the ones who can rule these powers go outside at night and perform ancient rituals to repair the damage. 

Source- Encyclopedia Britanica and Naij.

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NUPE PEOPLE AND CULTURE

Nupe cultural drummers

 Introduction

    We will graciously start this blog with the rich cultural heritage of the Nupe people, The Nupe are divided into different subgroups, including Batau, Kyedye, Eghagi, Ebe, and Benu, along with several others that speak related languages. Some Nupe have always lived outside the group's boundaries, and other peoples have lived in Nupeland. Although the Nupe are scattered over several states in west-central and northern Nigeria, the majority resides in Niger State in Nigeria. A sizable population lives in Kwara and Kogi states as well as in the Federal Capital Territory. The main towns are Bida, Minna, Agaie, Lapai, Mokwa, Jebba, Lafiagi, and Pategi.

Population.

Recently due to reduced infant mortality rate and increased birth rate in the region the population has greatly increased the population of the Nupe nation. The Census of 1952-1953 carried out by the British government puts the population of the Nupe province at 319,465. Censuses conducted by the independent Nigerian governments in 1962 (revised in 1963) and 1973 are considered unreliable. The controversial 1991 census placed the population of Nupe at 1,062,000.

Today we have over 3.5 million Nupe people principally within Niger state alone not to talk of the ones living in various locations all over Nigeria and a considerable growing Nupe population in the diaspora.

 Linguistic Affiliation

  Linguistic evidence suggests that the Nupe language belongs to a branch (Nupoid) of the Benue-Congo group of languages. Others languages in the group are Igbira (Ebira), Gbagyi (Gbari), Gade, and Kakanda. Nupe is related most closely to Gbari and Kakanda in structure and vocabulary. There are at least two markedly different dialects: Nupe central and Nupe Tako.

 History and Cultural Relations

The oral traditions of the Nupe credit the foundation of the Nupe state to Tsoede in the fifteenth century. Before his time there were a number of small semiautonomous states in the area, such as Ebe, Gbidye, Kusopa, Benu, Beni, Dibo, Kede, Ebagi, Batsoi, Kupa, Cekpa, and Gwagba. Tsoede, who first took the title of Etsu (king), was an Igala prince from Idah, south of the Niger River. The Nupe state was brought about by conquest. The Nupe have influenced and been influenced by their neighbors in cultural matters, including language, religion, arts, agricultural techniques, and trade. Bronze figures found at Tada and Jebba suggest a connection with Ife and Benin. Stone figures found among the Igbomina-Yoruba of west-central Nigeria that have Nupe and Yoruba cultural traits suggest interactions between those groups.

The history of Nupe in the early part of the nineteenth century was marked by political instability caused by disputes over succession. This conflict culminated in 1796, when two rival Etsu, Jimada and Majiya II, claimed the throne. Islam has been an important northern influence, and the first Nupe king to become a muslim reigned about 1770. The fulani conquest that occurred in stages after 1820 was even more influential. At the end of the century British rule was established through the activities of the Royal Niger Company. The Bida Emirate was governed as part of the British colony of Nigeria until 1960, when Nigeria gained independence. During the creation of states by subsequent Nigerian governments, Minna was made the capital of Niger State, although Bida remains the largest predominantly Nupe town. Although there have been controversy about the legitimacy of the current current family of the Etsu Nupe stool, history shows that during the reign of Muhammadu, prince Jimada went on exile to Patigi southwest of Bida, on the southern and opposite bank of the Niger River protesting against being ruled by a Fulani (Vandeleur 1898). Now Jimada’s descendants are fighting for the post of Etsu Nupe claiming to be the only existing pure Nupe ruling family.The present Etsu Nupe is Yahaya Abubakar Kusodu Nupe.

The Etsu Nupe Yahaya Abubakar

Economy.

Most Nupes are subsistence farmers, and they grow staple crops e.g millet, guinea-corn, yams, rice, groundnuts. Cassava, maize, and sweet potatoes are of secondary importance to this the Nupe nation. The large proportion of seasonally flooded (fadama) land has allowed a greater emphasis on growing rice, sugarcane, and onions. This has encouraged the establishment of commercial growing and refining of sugar at Bacita. The Nupe practice hoe agriculture, using a large, heavy hoe called a zuku and a small hoe called dugba. The Nupe system of agriculture is based on shifting cultivation combined with rotation of crops. The low population densities and less intense form of agriculture allowed more of the original savanna to survive, and woodland products are significant, particularly from the shea-butter tree and the locust-bean tree. There are many fishermen in the villages on the banks of the Niger and Kaduna rivers and their tributaries. Cattle raising is engaged in by the Bororo Fulani, who move their herds from one pasture to another as necessity dictates.

Marriage.

  Traditionally, marriage could be contracted in one of two ways: The would-be bridegroom asked for the consent of the girl (sometimes the girl suggested to her father whom she wanted to marry), or the marriage was arranged by the heads of the families. Polygymous marriages were very common both before and after the introduction of the Islamic faith. Marriage involves the payment of a bride-price by the groom, and pos-tmarital residence is patrilocal. Marriage has no real meaning without procreation a ceremony is carried out on the eve of every marriage where the bride her sisters and other maidens shows their dance steps. Barrenness is regarded as a curse and a misfortune, and traditional means are utilized to secure fertility or cure barrenness. Divorce rarely occurs because men want to avoid the publicity and ridicule of divorce proceedings in Alkali court (Islamic court). Most marriages are terminated only by the death of a spouse. Widows must remain in the compound for five months before they can remarry.

 

Inheritance.

  The deceased's property is divided between his oldest son, other sons, full brothers, and daughter in decreasing proportions. If the children are very young, the money is held in trust for them. If the marriage did not produce children, a woman may inherit from her husband or the deceased's brothers may forgo their right in her favor if they feel she has been a very good wife.

Social Organization. 

 Social organization in Nupe villages and towns follows a consistent pattern. Normally, the village chief rules over his community, assisted by the village elders, the nusazi, or Old Ones. The elders are the heads of families or of groups of families that live together in one compound or efu. Appointment to the position of an elder is expressed in the titles the chief confers on these members of his council. The office of the elders is very loosely specialized. Certain titles reflect the special occupations nusazi and their families follow, such as hunters, drummers, and blacksmiths. No "house" may be excluded from a share of village offices or "own" more than one title. The village elders are the representatives of the chief through whom his orders reach the community; the informants on whom the chief depends, and the spokesperson of the people they represent both in their official capacity and as heads of kin groups.

Political Organization.

  Among the pre-Fulani (Islamic) Nupe the link with magic and myth, rituals and taboos, and the law of succession separated the king from his subjects. Fulani rule turned this semisacred kingship into strong rulership. The king became the highest rank holder in a royal nobility characterized by precedence and promotion. The elimination of primogeniture provided a system of succession that allowed for a balance of power that could satisfy rivals. The Fulani created emirs (kings), who in a loose sense became vassals of the Fulani Empire of Gwandu. Under British indirect rule in Nigeria the Etsu was still elected from the ranks of the royal princes by gitsuzi and sarakizi (title royal and non-royal elites) and assisted by a council of four.

The Etsu is the head of his government. He is responsible for law and order in his domain, carries out measures of administration, and tries certain legal cases, advised and guided by the district officer in charge of the division. The appointment of a new Etsu was subject to confirmation by the colonial governor of Nigeria, and in some cases the governor could depose the emir on the advice of the district officer. The Etsu Bida and other chiefs of the emirate are paid a salary in accordance with the importance of the office. Since the independence of Nigeria in 1960, the position of Nupe king has continued to be affected by the political situation. However, the practice of compensating traditional rulers with salaries and confirmation of new appointments to the throne has continued under subsequent Nigerian governments.

Conflict. 

 Before the British conquest Nupe history was characterized by conflict with other groups for the purpose of expansion, conquest, or revenue. Villages frequently were involved in the wars of the kingdom, either causing wars by rebelling against the central government or being forced to take part in the wars the kingdom waged against other groups. Three subgroups of the Yoruba close to Nupeland—the Yagba, Abunu, and Igbomina were victims of this aggression. The defeat of Old Oyo (katunga) by the Nupe took place in the early sixteenth century. The Nupe later penetrated deep into Yorubaland, sacking Ede on the Osun River and raiding some Ijesha villages. These military activities continued until the Nupe were conquered by the Fulani and then by the British Royal Niger Company in about 1900.

Religious Beliefs.

  Precontact religion involved a variety of local deities and the honoring of ancestors. Among pre-Islamic Nupe veneration of the guardian spirit Gunu was the most widespread religious practice and represented the peak of ceremonial life. Animals are sacrificed in his honor, and their blood is poured out as a libation to him. Every eleven months the men go to his altar, where they kneel down and bow their foreheads to the ground. There is also a semireligious institution called Ndakogboiya, in which a man may complain of a wife's conduct and beg that she be exposed, together with any other guilty party. The man then mounts a stilt and appears among the people, proclaiming their evil deeds and receiving propitiatory offerings of goats and fowl. The Ndakogboiya lost most of its efficacy when Islam replaced ancient religious beliefs.

Jubril, a Nupe king of about 1770, was the first to adopt Islam, though Islamic influence in the area may date back to 1700 c.e. Toward the end of the eighteenth century, under Etsu Mu'azu, the impact of Islam was felt through the activities of Mallam Dendo, who came to Nupeland as an emissary of the Fulani.

Religious Practitioners.

  In Nupe communities religious rituals are relegated to different officials. At Doko the Dibo Saba ritual addressed to an ancestor chief is performed by the chief, while the sako ritual, which involves a small group of hereditary hunters, is performed by the head of that group. The hereditary gunnu priest is known as Gunnuko (Great gunnu) or, more specifically, Ndazo, "the rare man." In Jebba the Ejuko is the guardian of the lineage of Tsoede. The importance of these rituals has not shielded them from the impact of cultural change. After Islamization these activities were curtailed, and they now are regarded as Satanic worship.

Ceremonies.

  Ceremonial events play a major role in the social life of the Nupe. Ceremonial occasions include funerals, weddings, the naming of newborn, the coronation of a new chief, graduation from a school, the anniversary of Nigeria's independence from Britain, and Islamic and church events. The advent of Islam brought many celebrations to Nupe life: the Islamic New year (Muharram), Id el Fitri (Ramadan) , and Id el-Kabir (falling in the month of pilgrimage). These ceremonies involve the giving of alms and the sacrifice of a ram by those who can afford it to commemorate the name of God On these occasions people wear their best clothes and visit friends, relatives, and persons of importance.

Arts. 

At the time of the Fulani conquest the main forms of artistic expression included weaving, cotton spinning, and hairdressing by women. Other art forms include embroidery, leatherwork, indigo dyeing, straw hat making, mat making, the manufacture of rope and twine, basketwork, and canoe building. These items are not marketed overseas. Drumming, singing, dancing, and oratory (including preaching) are also prevalent art forms.

Medicine.

  Therapeutic practices among the Nupe include the use of natural materials such as herbs, grasses, roots, and the leaves of trees, which are processed by pulverizing, boiling, or mixing. The manufacture or application of medicine often involves invocations of the deity and sacrifices. The knowledge of medicine is transmitted through teaching and in some cases is considered hereditary. With Islam came Mal· lams, who administer cures and sell charms or amulets prepared in accordance with Islamic belief. Western medicine is practiced in hospitals and dispensaries, but the high cost of such treatment leads people to depend on traditional medicine.

Death and Afterlife. 

 After conversion to Islam the Nupe came to believe that life emanates from God and exists with God in the sky. At birth it is sent down when the child is in the womb, and at death "God takes it away." During sleep body and life soul are separated temporarily; normally the soul will return to the body, but at times a person may die while asleep. Death is accompanied by ceremonial observance. This is consistent with the Nupe religion, which emphasizes ends rather than beginnings. While Islam has reduced the incidence of extravagant burials, ritual elaboration at the death of old people continues, since "they have seen the world" and there is no cause for grief. Drumming, singing, dancing, and feasting accompany their death. This festive aspect is absent in the case of younger people, whose death makes "the heart ache." The funeral includes the burial, called mba, and funeral rites performed after 8 days, 40 days, and 120 days in some cases. The number and scale of funeral rites vary with the age, sex, and status of the deceased. Old men and family heads and old women are buried in their sleeping rooms, beneath the floor; everyone else is buried in the space between the houses or by the compound wall. Sometimes graves are built from concrete cement blocks to make them more permanent and keep the memory of the deceased alive.

The Nupe people peace loving people in Nigeria, with a rich cultural heritage. 

 source-1. Encyclopedia 2.wikipedia

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THE PEOPLE OF OGOJA

OGOJA MASQURADE DANCING

         Ogoja is a Local Government Area in Cross River State , Nigeri. The town was one of the provinces during pre-colonial independence. It consists of many tribal units, including Ishibori (this village has different clans such as Uhmuria, Ikaptang, Ikajor, Ishinyema, Ikariku, Imerakorm) and Igoli as the central town. Mbube, being one of the major tribes, comprises different villages, including: Odajie, Adagum, Ekumtak, Idum, Ojerim, Egbe, Nkim, Ogberia Ogang & Ogberia Ochoro, Oboso, Benkpe, Edide, Bansan, Aragban, etc. Their major source of livelihood is subsistence agriculture, basically farming of cassava, yams, palm oil, palm wine etc. Ekajuk, is one of the major clan in Ogoja Local government area. Divided into Ward I and Ward II, and includes major communities such as Nwang, Ekpogrinya, Esham, Egbong, Nnang, Ewinimba and Bansara -HISTORY OF OGOJA PEOPLE

OGOJA NEW YAM FESTIVAL

  Ogoja is bounded to the north by Benue State, Ikom in the South, Boki and Okundi in the east and Yala in the West. It has an estimated population of about 430,000 and a land mass of about 960,5689 sq. km.
Ogoja has for long remained a potential area of socio-economic development, especially in agriculture where the main products that are mostly produced are yam, cassava, rice, groundnuts, guinea corn, ground beans, sweet potatoes, millet and fruit trees.
The influence of the early missionaries was significantly felt in the area, thus, Christianity is the predominant religion. The area is also endowed with different cultural value and some of them are revived and modernized to emphasize the cultural heritage of the people. Very songs also exist in different areas for different festivals such as the new yam festivals, traditional marriages, birth and burials.

Ogoja is linguistically diverse. The numbers of languages spoken in the area is about six (6) and they distributed through out the five (5) clans. The major languages spoken in the area are Bekwarra, Bakor, Mbe and Nkum.
Ethically, Ogoja is very complex but of the diversity of the area and this enable a considerable amount of communication amongst the ethnic groups.

 MARKET

The Ogoja people generally operate a five-day market week. The major markets in the area are found at Ishibori and Ogboja in Ogoja Urban, Odajie, Idum and Ojerim in Mbube, Ogidi, Ukpa and Afrike in Bekwarra and Ndok, Aladim. There is also the the Okpe and Ogoja Ndem markets. Markets such as Ishibori and Ogboja operate daily. Items such as garri, beans, yams, maize and vegetables are all sold here. There are several super markets at Igli and Abakpa as well as several provision stores in all the communities.

In addition Ogoja is well blessed with highly tropical climate, well marked by wet and dry seasons. The area is also blessed with food crops and very rich trees of different species. The area is also blessed with large quarry rich with by-product which could be used for industrial and commercial activities. -Ogoja history






DAN NAIJERIA

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FULANI TRIBE AND CULTURE

                                                                                                                                                                     This is the Fulani ethnic group. The Fulani ethnic group is largely nomadic. They are believed to have originated from the Futa Jalon highland region of West Africa from where they migrated in stages to various places in the West African

 

Fulani is a notable ethnic group in Northern Nigeria. They are described differently as follows: “Peul” by the Wolof, “Fula” by the Bambara, “Fell

ata” by the Kanuri and are generally called Fulani by other Nigerians. The Fulani call themselves Fulbe”. They profess Islam while others maintain syncretic practice and their main occupational activity is cattle rearing by the males and cow milking by the females.The Fulanis are of two categories, namely: fulanin daji (nomadic) fulani and fulanin

gida (sedentary) fulani. The former, who have maintained their nomadic way of life, move from one place to another in search of pasture or grazing land for their livestock. The latter have settled in towns and villages teaching, farming, trading etc.

The Fulani are widely distributed in West Africa most especially in the Sahel, wandering from one spot to another with their herds of cattle  In fact, they are found in almost every country of the Sudan zone of West Africa extending from the Senegal area in the West to the Upper Nile in the east

the pastoral Fulani’s life is principally basic and simple. They strive to maintain their tradition and culture wherever they go. They generally adhere to a code of behaviour referred to as pulaaku which suggests they must exhibit the following qualities: shiness, bravery, ownership of cows etc. In the precolonial period, the Fulani, under Shehu Usman Danfodiyo’s leadership, were able to revive Islam in most parts of the Hausaland. Following the Jihad, (an aggressive campaign for an idea) they functioned basically as administrators and sometimes as cultivators. As devout Muslims, they were very instrumental in assisting Shehu Usman Danfodiyo in the execution of the popular Sokoto Jihad which helped in the sociopolitical as well as the religious changes of Northern Nigeria in the course of the nineteenth century.

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MINISTER DISPLAYS PLATEAU CULTURE

 

 Tarok Culture

The Tarok people are located in Nigeria, Plateau state highly concentrated in Langtang north LGA, Langtang south LGA, Wase LGA all located in the southern senatorial district of Plateau state Nigeria, there are also substantial number of Tarok people in Nassarawa state, Nigeria and Taraba.

By proclivity the Tarok people are known to be fearless and, outstandingly confident, from generation to generation they have proven to be strong and industrious.

Above all a

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CULTURE AND TRADITION OF THE YORUBA PEOPLE

 

          The ethnic group  now  commonly  referred to  as the ‘Yoruba’  have  been  identified by  different  names spanning  millenniums and  centuries.  Pacheco Pereira  identified them  in  1500  as the  Lucumi  while early  missionary  accounts  of the 19th  Century referred to  them  as the  Aku. Yoruba, which originally  referred to  the Oyo, began  to be used for the generality  of  the group  by  the Europeans  and it  has caught  on.  The earliest  known  account  of their  existence in  the region  according  to  archaeological evidence  dates to  around  9000  BCE  as revealed by  human  remains  at  Iwo  Eleru. However, their inability  to  develop  arts  of writing  early  in  their history  gave rise to fables and conflicting  accounts  of their origin. 

Southwest Nigeria, predominantly populated by Yorubas.

 R.C.C. Law traced the first  written account  of Yoruba origin  to  the  second  Sultan of the Sokoto  Caliphate, Sultan Mohammed Bello.  In his  writing,  Infaq  al  Maisuri, Bello  in  his  version  in  1812 stated that  the Yoruba derived from  Nimrod,  a descendant  of  the cursed Ham  who fled Mecca while resisting  Islam. This  account  was later  appropriated  by  new Oyo palace historians  who  expanded  it  to  identify  Nimrod as  Lamurudu  whom  they now referred to  as the father  of  Oduduwa, the acclaimed  progenitor  of the Yoruba. Samuel  Johnson  on  his  part  adapted this  account  but  replaced the  Meccan  origin with  Egyptian Coptic Christians. 

Another  myth  of the Yoruba origin  alleged  that  Oduduwa  descended from  heaven sent  by  God  to  create the earth.  That  Oduduwa’s first  point  of  arrival on  earth  was Ile-Ife, hence the notion  that  Ile-Ife  is  the centre  of the earth.  What  is  however certain  is  the fact that  the Yorubas are indigenous  to  Southwest  Nigeria. The Itsekiri are their kins.  They constitute a  sizeable population  of  Middle  Belt  states  of Kwara and Kogi.

 There are  indigenous  Yoruba in  Edo  state. Until  the  colonial  conquest  of Africa, the Yoruba region  extended from Benin  Republic  to  parts  of Togo. A sizeable number also  settled  in  Sudan en route to  or from  Mecca

In Nigeria, the Yoruba constitute a  homogenous  socio-linguistic and  cultural  group. Their language  belongs  to  the  Niger-Congo  language family  and  shares basic characteristics with  the Igbo, Edo, Fulani, Bariba, Efik,  Jukun,  among  other  groups. Ile-Ife developed a centralized  state  system, complex artistic and  craftsmanship abilities, socio-cultural  and religious  practices,  as well  as economic versatility.  It became a  cultural  and political  model for other  Yoruba communities which began to  replicate the Ife model in  their domains. Ile-Ife became the spiritual

Ooni of Ife and Alaafin of Oyo

  motherland of the Yoruba. However, Oyo  soon  developed a more  complex political  and military  system.   

The Yoruba political  system  is  very  complex. The Oba (king) is  an absolute ruler with  divine authority,  yet  his  powers  are checked by  various  institutions  such as  the council  of chiefs  (the  Oyomesi  –  hereditary  advisers in  Oyo  in  particular  and  Ilu  in other Yorubalands), the  Ogboni  society,  Ifa  divination,  and  sometimes by  mass rebellion  or rejection  of  his  authority  or person.  Any  member  of the council  of chiefs  could  in  turn be deposed  by  the king.  Kingship  rotates  among  several  royal houses,  hence, the son  of a reigning  king  cannot  succeed  his  father. A  paramount ruler  (the king)  seldom  appeared  in  public and  was not  commonly  accessible to  his subjects. His  subordinate chiefs  administered the quarters,  villages,  the towns  and other  domains  on  his  behalf.  Yet, each of the chiefs  has  specific traditional duties limited  to  each of them  alone.  Yoruba settlement  had the  Oba’s  palace in  the centre. Village  heads  (Baale) are  subject  to  the king  through  his  chiefs,  while  lineage heads (baale  and  mogaji  in  Ibadan)  administer  the quarters  and  the  wards  but  are subjected  to  the  immediate higher  head.  Youths  and quarter  children  have  their roles and rights.  The rights  of women  are assured  as their  leader  is  an  official  member  of the council  of chiefs.

royal crown for the oba in yoruba land

  

Marriage among  the Yoruba was exogenous, hence, it  was not  a mere event between  two  individuals  but  an  event  involving  two  previously  unrelated families. After  betrothal, a man must  not  only  give presents  to  his  future  wife, but  also  should help  her  father  on  his  farm  or when building  a house. The would-be in-law also plays  important  role in  funeral  rites. The Yoruba operate patrilineal  societies. Polygamy  is  a common  feature  among  the Yoruba. Apart  from farming, the Yoruba were  also  traders  and craftsmen.  Cooperative efforts  used  in  farming  include ‘aaro’ and ‘owe’. The ‘aaro’ form  of labour mobilisation  was reciprocal  in  that  farmer who  was assisted to  weed  his  farm  or build  his  house today would  be called upon tomorrow  to  render  similar  service. While  the ‘owe’  was not  reciprocal. Drumming and feasting  would  normally  follow  after  the execution  of an ‘owe’  or an ‘aaro’ task

yoruba masqurades

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HOW NIGERIANS CELEBRATED THE NEWYEAR

                                           HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.

fire works on 2019 new year

       Good morning to another era of the 21st century, 2019, as Nigerians we are known to always celebrate the new year in style, New year celebration is always and very often like the continuation of the Christmas celebration which marks the birth of Jesus Christ for Christians all over the universe as it is always one week after the Christmas celebration.. The celebration of new year in Nigeria starts from the new year eve preparation for the next day,

Nigerians celebrating new year

                            

one of the most important tradition is the cross over night church service, where clergies declares a a beginning to the year and prays to God almighty for a blessed prosperous year for people, next is the joy and happiness, wishing friends ,families and foes a happy new year and the fire works continues non stop until late that day, when it is dawn families celebrate together in merriment with different delicacies and drinks. In various streets in Nigeria youths are known to be up and doing in organizing carnivals and parties. also this is the best time for entertainers and show business organizers to cash in on their ideas of getting people entertained and getting paid for it. e.g comedy shows, fun fair for children etc

                     

                     

                                   

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IGBO CULTURAL HERITAGE

                       

The OMU AROCHUKWU

      Another  notable ethnic group  in  Nigeria are the Igbos.The Igbos have a  unique culture. There are  three account  on  the origin of the Igbo people and tribe.

The Igbo are the second largest group of people living in southern Nigeria. They are one of the three major tribes in Nigeria. They consist of many subgroups and are known to be socially and culturally diverse. Although Igbos are mostly Christians today, they have a deep and original culture.
Igbo culture includes the various customs, practices and traditions of the people. It comprises ancient practices as well as modern concepts added into the Igbo culture either through evolution or outside influences.

 HISTORY

 The  first  version  says  the Igbos  migrated from the Middle  East  to  their present  location. The second  version says  they  have  been  in  their present  location  in  eastern  Nigeria  from time immemorial. The third  version  says  they descended from the sky.The language  of  the Igbos belongs  to  the Niger-Congo  family.  The Igbo  people thrived  in  the Igbo-Ukwu  art culture  while they cherished Arochukwu  in  the spiritual  realm. You  need  to  know  that  birth,  marriage and  burial are considered  the three most important  family  events.

MARRIAGE

 Igbo  traditional  marriage, known  as  igbankwu  is  not  just  an affair between  the future  husband  and wife,  it  involves  parents, the extended family and the whole village. The would-be grooms  parent  will  bring  palm  wine  and kolanuts  to  the bride’s  family  and  other  items  such as  goats, chickens  etc.  as requested by  the family.  We wish  to  state that  the wedding  ceremony  varies from village  to  village. Birth  is  also  celebrated among  the Igbos  but  the naming  ceremony is  usually  performed on  the 28th  day.

 DEATH

 Many  customs  surround  the burial  rites such as paying  last  respect  to  the dead,  singing  traditional ballads  and traditional  dances, acrobatic  displays  by  masquerades, etc.

ART

The village of Igbo-Ukwu  is  the harbinger  of the oldest  known  sculpture  from Igboland. In  that  village  (Igbo-Ukwu), there was  an excavation  of the grave of a man of some  importance  and wealth  dating  back  to  the 9th  Century which  produced some of the earliest  bronze  castings,  glass  beads, bowls  and ornaments.  

MAP OF IGO LAND SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

The objects found  at Igbo-Ukwu  are also  for ritual  as well  as secular  purposes.The objects found  at this  site were  a large collection  of objects  and regalia  mostly  made  through the “lost  wax”  technique and  others  made  through  smiting  and  casting  method.   In terms  of style,  the artifacts  found  at Igbo-Ukwu  are not  similar to  the Bini, Ife  or any other  Nigerian arts;  they are originally  local  in  shape  and  content.  The findings at this  site indicate a  very  well  developed economy with  surplus  to  engage in artistic production. The Igbo  political  system  is  a  segmentary  system  of governance  where you  have hierarchy of power from  the family  to  the age  group  and to  special titles. This power is  often distributed among  the following  title holders:  Ozo,  Ichie,  Mazi, Ozioko,  Nze,  Diokpa,  Isi,  Okpara,  Ezeji  and a few  others.

The igbo ukwu rope pot

 

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THE BINI KINGDOM

bronze work on the Bini culture

        The ancient Bini Kingdom dates back to 900 AD. Historical evidence lends credence to the fact that the Oba of Benin used to send his sons to different parts of the then Bini Kingdom as vassals to establish and consolidate his imperial authority in these areas. This explains the cultural similarities of these people with the coreBini ethnic stock.- EDO STATE GOVERNMENT

Plaque showing the Oba of benin on a horse with his attendants

 READ ALSO YORUBA HISTORY AND CULTURE

This  is  another  notable culture  in  Nigeria. There  are three versions  of the origin  of the Benin  kingdom. The first  version  is  from Edo  mythology.  According  to  this mythology, the Benin  Kingdom  was founded by  the youngest  of the children  of Osanubua  (the  high  god). This  child  came with  his  elder  brothers  who  subsequently founded Ife  and Yoruba Kingdoms. The Second  Version  talks  about  the elders  of Benin  requested King  of Ife  (Oduduwa) to  send his  son  as  the  King  of Benin. Oduduwa  complied by  sending  Oranmiyan. But  Oranmiyan  did  not  stay for  long. He impregnated the daughter  of the  Onogie  of Edo.  This  woman later  delivered a son  who  was installed as  the first  Oba  of Benin.  This  Oba  was  later  called  Eweka. He and  the people of Benin  lived at  Usama. The Third Version  according  to Igharevba (1968), the Bini  migrated from Egypt  and  in  the course of their journey southward, they  settled at Ile-Ife and  finally  moved to  their present  location.   

Oba of Bening flanked by two europeans during the colonial era

READ ALSO NIGERIAN MINISTER DISPLAYS TAROK CULTURE 
                                    

 The leadership  of  the Bini  people was  based on segmentary  system  where authority  is  exercised  right from the family.  There are  three types  of families:    The Nuclear Family   The Joint  Family   The Extended Family   Each  is  headed by  an elder  who  sanctions  each member  of the family.  Similarly,  there are  societal elders constituting  authority  based on  the village system  and there are  representative title holders  who constitute a  councillor  court  for  discharging  laws  and justice  in  the whole  kingdom.

 READ ALSO THE PEOPLE AND CULTURE OF OGOJA LGA

MARRIAGE IN BINI KINGDOM

bride and groom in bini wedding

bride in a bini wedding

 The traditions connected to getting married are worth a separate mentioning. A good deal of the existing traditions stem from ancient times but are still alive and kicking today. First of all, an Edo wedding begins with preliminary visits to the future in-laws. These visits are necessary to arrange everything in a proper way in advance. To be ready for everything, young people usually get to know all the requirements that should be known before such visits. For instance, there’s no use visiting the bride’s parents for the first time without a gift. It’s quite funny that even still it’s necessary to pay a certain bride’s price during the negotiations between the bride’s family and the groom’s one. Of course, these are formalities because the future spouses already know each other and agree to get married to each other. Still, money is paid even today.

 Another funny ceremony is identifying the bride among other girls and women chosen by older ladies of the bride’s family. The groom is expected to choose the bride over and over again among other females, paying money again, and finally pick her out. Since that time, she’s given to the groom’s family for good. 

DEATH AND FUNERALS IN BINI KINGDOM

5th day of bini funeral rites

 READ ALSO NUPE PEOPLE OF NIGER STATE

Another ritual that should be mentioned separately is the ritual of funeral over a deceased member of the community. The funeral events take place during seven whole days in case the deceased one was a regular person and fourteen days in case a chief or even a king. Every day separate rites are held. Day one: the body is washed and embalmed Day two: all those present are offered food and other treats. The guests sing burial songs till the morning Day three: a cow or a goat is given as an offering by the eldest surviving child of the deceased to honor the spirit Day four is dedicated to the preparation for the day five Day five: the children of the deceased walk through the town carrying a red box. This procession symbolizes the prosperity of the deceased one’s spirit Day six: a person is dressed to represent the spirit of the deceased one. This person should by no means sleep till the dawn of the next day unless he or she might die soon Day seven: the body of the deceased is taken to the burial ground where the person who represents the deceased one is standing like a statue. Another goat is chosen as a sacrifice These are the amazing and unusual Edo traditions that have survived through many centuries. 

members of the Bini royal court

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