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Works from Don Bosco Technical Institute, Onitsha – Nigeria
DRAMA (THIS IS OUR CHANCE) BY JAMES ENE HENSHAW ACTED AND
RECORDED BY THE STUDENTS OF DON BOSCO TECHNICAL INSTITUTE,
ONITSHA IN NIGERIA.
In the village of Koloro, there was a king named Damba, he has a wife
named Ansa who gave birth to a daughter called Kudaro. Kudaro has a maid
named Ayi who serves in the Royal Palace.
The princess was brought back from the city to the village because of male
child problem. King Damba wants her to bear him a male child at home.
Princess Kudaro refused because she love furthering her education in the city
than in the village. Her father paid a village teacher named Bambulu who
always teach her Queen’s English. Princess Kudaro was in love with Ndamu,
the prince of Udura who was also furthering his education in the city. Princess
Kudaro and prince Ndamu agreed to get married outside their villages because
the two villages were enemies; and both royal parents did not agree to their
marriage.
Princess Kudaro and Prince Ndamu ran away to get married without the
notice of anyone except Ayi the maid to the royal palace of Koloro who was
told by princess Kudaro as her age mate. Ayi tried to stop her but she refused.
On the process of the escape, Kudaro was caught by the people of Udura
while Ndamu was caught by the people of Koloro. King Damba decided that
there will be war between the two villages while his wife and Enusi, the
second minister adviced him not to go to war. But Ajugo the prime minister
adviced him to go on with his decision. Ansa later died of her sickness
because of the coming war and because of her lost daughter; but before she
died, she gave Ayi some words for the king and for her lost daughter if she
comes back alive. Ayi later delivered the message after the death of Ansa.
King Damba of Koloro and Chief Mboli of Udura exchange messages with
each other through Chief Mboli’s ambassador but they both later surrendered
to the marriage of their children after Chief Mboli visited the native doctor
“Oku gbara mmiri” who told him that the gods made the couple to fall deeply
in love with each other, He also explained how the enemity of both villages
started and the solution to the problem. Also, when princess Kudaro healed
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the second son of Chief Mboli who was bitten by a snake, with the anti-snake
bite vaccine given to her by her teacher Bambulu.
Chief Mboli and the entire village of Udura came back with princess
Kudaro dressed in beautiful clothes and gifts from the villagers. King Damba
accepted them and both villages became friends again. From that day on, the
people of Koloro and Udura were given freedom to marry each other. Prince
Ndamu and Bambulu who were King Damba’s prisoners were released while
Prince Ndamu and Princess Kudaro married each other. Enusi was made the
prime minister of King Damba while Ajugo the former prime minister was
punished for his wickedness.
King Damba blessed the couple and everyone went home happily.
BY
OGBODO HENRIETHA
SECRETARIAL DEPARTMENT
DON BOSCO TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
ONITSHA IN NIGERIA
BURIAL OF A TITTLED MAN IN ‘IGBO’ LAND OF NIGERIAL
The burial of a tittled man in the Igbo cultural setting is often an elaborate
one. Many rituals and incantations are performed to show the significance of
the person in the society and to prepare him for the safe journey to the great
beyond. A tittled man is buried when sun or star is not seen.
If the deceased was an ‘Ozo’ (tittled man), elaborate rituals are performed
to rob him these tittles. During this burial, sacrifices are offered. Objects used
as offering in this sacrifice symbolise the supremacy of God,- an eagle, which
for the ‘Igbo’ is the king of the birds, ‘Ji Ocha’(White yam) the best species of
yam, and ‘Aku ebelebe’ (The ‘broadest’ leaf in the forest).
The purpose of this sacrifice is to ask God to admit him and give him a
place of honour among the dead in the spirit-land. Also, a part of a young
lamb is placed in the coffin and the remainder is eaten by the ‘Umuada’ (The
married daughters of the extended family kindred)
Before the deceased is laid to rest, the ritual of absolution is performed in
order to cleanse4 the deceased of all the evils he might have committed that
could impede his reincarnation and to open the door of blessing for his family.
The ritual is normally performed by an old man who calls to mind all the
atrocities and evils the deceased may have committed. The grave at this point
is filled with tubers of yam which the deceased is expected to plant in the
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world of the spirits. Also, the name of the dead person is called for nine
weeks.
When the burial is completed, the social activities take place. There is
normally firing guns, drumming display by some brave men, and parading of
masquerades who are believed to have come from the spirit world. The
children of the deceased, dance with some objects of the deceased as a mark
of homage. Relati9ves and friends gather at one corner of the house of the
deceased to share the food and drinks brought by friends, in-laws, and well
wishers of the deceased.
This is done to make sure that the deceased is given a befitting burial that
makes the deceased happy and ensures him his place of honour in the spiritland.
BY
NWOBI FAITH
SECRETARIAL DEPARTMENT
DON BOSCO TRAINING INSTITUTE
ONITSHA, NIGERIA.
IMPORTANCE OF NATIVE DOCTORS IN IBO LAND OF NIGERIA
In Ibo land, Native Doctors are taken as the Chief priests who are
the mediators between God and man. As the priest in the church perform
sacrifices on behalf of the Christian
house) decorated with red and white clothes, to show something sacred and
something that is connected with the gods. They have their local pot which
they use for sacrifices; they also have the white chalk which they rob on their
parts of the body, on the ground, especially on their left eye which they use to
see their ancestors or gods that they worship. The palm font (omu in Ibo land)
which is used to show that there is sacred things in their shrine.
The native doctors in Ibo land believe to perform some
incantations when they are consulted, if there is a problem in the land. They
are consulted before a festival can take place like new yam festival,
;ozo’’festival (chief title), masquerade festival e.t.c. to know whether all will be
well or whether there will be any problem and also to find the solution on it.
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They are also believed to be the fortune teller who claims to have
magic powers, to tell people what will happen to them in the future. They
made sacrifices to their gods like tubers of yam, goat, cow, eggs and even
human blood to their oracle, in order to appeal to the gods of the land. Once
sacrifices are made and are accepted by the gods, the problem is solved and
there will be happiness in the land.
Dear Friends,
By:
EZEOKE GRACE IFEYINWA
DON BOSCO TRAINING INSTITUTE ONITSHA
OF NIGERIA.
I am happy for this great privilege to write to you, someone I have not met
and to share my view of life with you. I believe that you will be happy to
welcome this idea.
I want to share two aspects of my culture; widow’s maltreatment and burial of
an illegal marriage with you, concerning the womanhood in particular. This
has to do with the way woman especially the widows are being maltreated by
their husband’s people during their husband’s burial and burial in illegal
marriage.
There is this bad side of my culture that treats women badly. When a woman
is married to a family where she is greatly disliked by her husband’s people,
she is likely to face so many problems should she loose her husband
prematurely.
Where this is the case, or when the kinsmen suspect the woman of being
responsible for her husband’s death, the new widow has to undergo the
following conditions:
First, the daughters of the kindred (umuada) will shave the widow’s hair clean.
Then she will be brought before the kinsmen, where the dead body of her
husband lies, to swear ever having anything to with his death.
Second, the chief priest (ezemmuo) from the shrine comes with their
concussion to the scene, and with the help of some of the elderly men, they
washes the corpse and the water from the corpse will be given to the woman
to drink. Then, she will be asked by the chief priest to cross his medicine pot
after saying some incantation and this, she must gladly do.
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Finally, the husband’s body is laid in the grave. This is believed that if the
woman actually killed her husband, after 24 market days, which is counted in
4 days to make up the Igbo’s week instead of 7 days, the dead man’s spirit will
strike back at the woman.
On the side of the men, if a man happens to take a girl on whom he has not
paid the bride’s price and lived with her. And if she becomes pregnant for
him, since the man has not legally married her, if that young girl dies in this
condition, the man will have to marry her and her unborn child before her
burial. The ceremony takes the following procedure:
People are invited to the diseased compound where her dead body will be laid
in a position as the chief celebrant. The man after paying the diseased bride’s
prices for two (the girl and her unborn child) takes wine in a cup to the place
where the dead body is laid, there, he drinks the wine, which the girl would
have done before him if she was alive on her traditional marriage day.
After this, he dances to the tune of the music round the body of his late wife.
Then, towards the evening, a room is prepared where the man will sleep with
his dead wife, with the door well locked by an elderly man who will act as the
girl’s father. Assuming you are a man in such condition, what will be your
state? Well, such a man will find it difficult to sleep because of the awareness
that he is in a room with a corpse
In the morning, the door is opened and the corpse is redressed for burial.
Then, the body is finally buried. This is usually done, I believe to prevent or
stop our men from living with girls they have not properly married. This two
aspects of my culture are no longer as active as in the olden days because of
civilization and Christianity.
Friends, I hope you enjoyed this aspect of my culture which may sound so
strange to you. I wish to hear from you concerning your own culture. Write
me at: ogdestiny4real2007”yahoo.com.
Yours truly,
Maureen O.
NEW YAM FESTIVAL IN UGWULANGWU VILLAGE, OHAOZARA LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AREA EBONYI STATE OF NIGERIA.
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It has been observed that every tribe has their own culture and traditions.
Culture is the people`s way of life, the custom and beliefs, art and social
organization of a particular country or group. In Igbo land, there are many
culture and tradition but let us discuss new ''IRI JI'' in Igbo culture. New yam
festival is a festival which is highly recognized in Igbo land and it highly
valued. Though the dates which each community celebrate their own may
vary but all is almost the same way.
The feast is observed between the month of August and September. In
every year the date of new yam festival is usually announced. In Igbo land no
body is expected to eat new yam till the festival day. It is a taboo for
somebody to harvest his/her yam or eat new yam before the day of new yam
festival.
In Igbo culture, it is believed that when you harvest your yam before the
day of new yam festival, the gods will not be happy with you and something
like bores will be on the every parts of your body. On the day of the new
yam festival every body is expected to go to his farm and harvest some tubers
of yam. The chief celebrant which may come from the family that is in charge
of sacrificing the yam to the gods will announce to the public to carry their
yams to respective homes and pay tribute to the deity using kolanut, piles
yam, fawl, and some leaves that the gods have accepted that year's yam will be
good faith.
Immediately after the sacrifice, the yam will be cooked and every body will
eat. After follows the celebration. Many families organize party in their
compound such as cultural dancers, masquerades and other dancers which
makes the compound verylively, so that every members of the family will be
enjoying it.
Children will put on their new clothes and visit their relations such as, their
grandmother, grandfather, uncle and thy will go with some tubers of yam
which they will offer to them. It is a great thing in Igbo land to be alive from
the last festival till the new yam festival because some people die before the
day especially those that indulge in bad ways.
BY EMMANUEL ANASTASIA C.
SECRETERIAL DEPARTMENT
DON BOSCO TRANING INSTITUTE, ONITSHA IN NIGERIA.
MASQUERADE FESTIVAL IN ENUGU-EZIKE IN IGBOEZE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AREA, ENUGU STATE IN NIGERIA.
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There are many cultural festivals in my town Enugu-Ezike in Igboeze
Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. Usually organized once a
year, but the one that is most interesting is the Masquerade Festival, known as
"Omaba Festival"
.
Omaba festival is a great period in my town, people from far and
near come to celebrate this festival. All the sons and daughters of the land that
are abroad normally travel home for this festival. It lasts for a week; it
normally takes place every 2nd week of August in the year with activities.
On the first day, around 4:30 am, a town crier will go round the
town, beating the gong, showing that the festival has started. During this time
(4:30), nobody is allowed to go out to fetch water from stream or to carry on
any activity that will be done outside, expect the members of the masquerade
group because they do some sacrifices to the gods of the land, asking them to
guide and protect the land throughout the period. Then after some hours the
gong will be rung again to inform people that they are through and then
people will be coming out dressed in cultural attire, heading to the king's
palace for the opening ceremony, after that, different sizes and types of
masquerades will be parading the town, visiting the elders of the land, the Ede
(the oldest woman), the king's cabinet etc.
Then a day before the final day, a palm frond will be tied in the
entrance of the town, signifying sacred i.e. no visitor is allowed to come
inside the town. That day, all the title men, elders both male and female,
king's cabinet and the chief priest will go to the masquerade shrine for final
rituals, nobody is allowed to parade till dawn.
On the final day, the masquerades will go out to the town's
gathering ground, after that the highest masquerade "Odegbu" will come out
with young ladies (virgins) and heroes, then the chief priest will come out and
address everybody and also deliver message which we believe that is from the
god's of the land, and after that, the king will thank everybody for participating
during the festival and the festival will be declared close.
But now Christianity has taken place everything, all the sacrifices
and rituals incarnation are past tense. Morning Prayer is being said together
and after that presentation of dramas, dancing from different group, cultural
songs will take place and this has made it to be more lively.
BY
AYOGU EUCHARIA
SECRETARIAL STUDIES DEPT.
DON BOSCO TECHNICAL INSTITUTE,
ONITSHA
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VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRL-CHILD IN NIGERIA
Women and girl-child are facing a lot of challenges in the country because of
some unnecessary reasons that are more or less effective on the side of girlchild
and such reasons are:
EARLY MARRIAGE:
This problem has led most of our females to an unconditional position that
may effect their children in future. They are forced to early marriage because
of the money imposed on school fees by the government and no finance for
further education, the parents may advise the young girls to get married and
give way for the boys, that is to say that Nigerians believe that a boy is the
good fruit of the family.
SENSITIZATION:
Females are maltreated in their husbands’ house because they lack occupation,
they are not engaged in anything meaningful that will contribute positively to
the family affairs, instead they engage themselves in menial work. The men
make decision for their wives because they think that women should not have
any right and opportunities as men in the country.
POLYGAMOUS FAMILY:
Women are no more important in the society that a man will choose to marry
more than two wives in a family, what an incredible act! Go to the streets,
majority of the hawkers on the road are females and housemaids that could be
something great in future. The house works are imposed on the girl-child, yet
the government are doing nothing about it.
By
Iweajunwa Roseline
Secretarial Department
Don Bosco Technical Institute,
Onitsha in Nigeria
THE TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE OF THE YORUBA PEOPLE IN NIGERIA
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The traditional marriage system of my tribe, the Yoruba is different from what
is obtained nowadays among the people of other tribes. The system is
interesting and error free if it is followed strictly as a process of getting
married. However, the infiltration of the Western culture has affected the
traditional marriage systems in Africa.
In the traditional marriage system of the Yoruba people, a man does not just
get engaged to a woman or goes into courtship simply because they happened
to meet on the road or in a party but in a tortuous manner. A man’s marriage
to a woman is a gradual process through which a man systematically, as it
were, gets interested in a woman and works his way towards achieving his
aim.
In Yoruba land, a woman can be bestowed when the woman was still a baby,
but then the man has to convince the family of the woman that he is of a good
character. There are lots of things considered before a man can get a woman
to marry as a wife among my people. He has to come from a good family
lineage which does not have a trace of inherited diseases and which has been
known to possess some attractable virtues worthy of such association as
marriage.
It is worthwhile to note that in the Yoruba traditional marriage system, a man
woos a woman through ”alarinna” the traditional marriage counsellor and
intermediary, who will go to declare the affections of a would-be suitor to the
would-be bride. The ‘alarinna’ who is usually a matured woman in the society,
and in most cases not a member of any of the families and makes the desire of
the man known to the woman.
After the woman must have consented through the ‘alarinna’, the man is not
freed to visit the woman; he will now have to go further to get consent of the
family of the woman. It is after the family of the woman has consented and
given its tacit agreement that the man and the woman can be said to be
engaged. The agreement will even come after the two families must have
investigated each other and found out that they both have good lineage.
The open expression of the agreement starts when the family of the man visits
the parents of the woman to publicly declare that there is a beautiful “flower”,
which metaphorically means the woman, in their compound that they want to
pluck. It is after this first visit that a date will be fixed for the traditional
marriage ceremony where the nuptial knot will be tied.
The traditional engagement ceremony is the culmination of the process which
begins either when the woman was bestowed to the man while she was a
baby, mostly as an indication of friendship between the two families, or when
he sees the woman as a matured adult and goes through the intermediary.
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The two families get prepared for the day they will come together to give the
woman to the man.
Among my people, before a woman can be regarded as a wife of a man, the
man will have to pay the bride price known as “Owo ori” and other charges
which is known as “owo idiana”, along with other gifts like tubers of yam,
schnapps gin and others. When the family is satisfied with what the family of
the man has offered that they will join them together as husband and wife.
BY
Amadi Patricia
Secretarial Department
St. John Bosco Technical Institution,
Onitsha, Nigeria.
THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE DRAMA “THIS IS OUR CHANCE”
The King in Ibo land is known as “Igwe”. Every town in Ibo land has a King.
“Igwe” is highly honoured in Ibo land when ever the villagers have problems
they go to the King because he is the only one who has the authority to say
what will happen. They normally address the King as “your highness” and
bow down to him.
Thy marry wives to give him joy, children and good advice on what to do.
Kings wives are known as “Lolo” meaning Queen. The Lolo’s always dress in
local attire, first male and female child is called Princes and Princesses.
Princesses have female mate whose works are to advice the Princess and run
errands for her.
The women in the drama help to fetch fire wood and water from the stream.
These women help to give hints on what the Princess does. She ran away
with the Prince of “Mboil” because both want to marry each other without the
consent of their parents. The woman pity the Queen’s mother whom as a
result of the daughter’s elopement died on hearing that.
By Onyeagba Mary in Secrtarial Department
St. John Bosco Technical Institute in Onitsha,
Nigeria.
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