Introduction

Umuosu, Ubakala autonomous community is in Umuahia South Local Government Area

of Abia State. Traditional Marriage (Igba nkwu) in Umuosu is just like any other ceremony
happening in Igboland, based on the way it is celebrated. It is always a big ceremony, with
different activities involved in it. The traditional marriage ceremony starts with the courtship of
those who are to get married in the traditional marriage. They try to understand themselves
during this period that last for some months or years. This traditional marriage goes through
different stage of proposal, family visit for marriage request, traditional marriage proper and the
taking home of the new bride to experience a new home.
Traditional Marriage in Umuosu, Ubakala Autonomous Community
The traditional marriage of a matured male and female in ubakala commences with the
stage of courtship, where the future groom meets with the bride in a stage of courtship (ima ta
madu), for both parties to understand themselves. During this stage, the groom proposes to the
bridegroom asking her to marry him. If the bride agrees to his proposal, then the next stage
begins where the groom with his parents makes an important visit in the home of the bride (Iku
aka nzo). At the home of the bride, the groom’s father introduce himself with his family
members to the bride family and explains the purpose of their visit. At this stage the bridegroom’s
father welcomes the guests and calls his daughter to make enquiry if she knows the groom. If she
confirmation that she knows the groom and she is willing to marry him, then, the parent of bride fix
another date to visit the groom’s parents, where they would receive the traditional marriage list of the
people of Umuosu, Ubakala Autonomous community. When the time comes for the visit to the home of
the bride, the groom moves with his parents and some elders to visits the bride’s home at an appropriate
time, to collect the list.
Traditional Igbo Wedding
After the list has been collected, the groom with his parents looks in the list to see the
items and things that are required of them to bring for the preparation of the traditional marriage.
The list will always contain things to be given to the men (umu woke), female (umu waye) and
the youth of the community. After proper checking of the list, the groom prepares and send
money to the bride’s family for the preparation of food and drinks to be taken on the day of their
traditional marriage. On the day fixed for the traditional marriage (igba ukwu), the groom with
his parents, family members, relatives and some elders move to the home of the bride. At the
notice of their in-law the bride is kept in a place where the groom will not be able to see her. The
groom’s family with some elders, either one chosen from the bride’s village, someone who will
comes to help them negotiate in cutting down the price item in the list. As soon as they move
into the house for the negotiation, different events like greetings and movements would be going
on in the compound of the bride. Inside the house of the bride, palm wine and kola nuts are
presented to the bride’s father who collects and keeps on the table prepared for it. And in turn the
bride’s family are served a meal to eat then, the stage of negotiation begins. Most of the time,
this stage of negotiation takes a longer time if the family of the groom are not well prepared but,
if they are prepared for the items the negotiation goes smoothly. The grooms family brings with
them several items the bride’s price is negotiated between the fathers. In most cases there is only
a symbolic price to be paid for the bride but in addition other prerequisites (kola nuts, goats,
chicken, wine, etc.) are listed as well. Usually, it takes more than one evening before the final
bride’s price is settled, offering guests from both sides a glamorous feast.

Another evening is spent for the payment of the bride’s price at the bride’s compound when the
groom’s family hands over the money and other agreed prerequisites. The money and goods are
counted, while relatives and friends are served drinks and food in the bride’s compound. After
all is settled, the traditional wedding day is planned. The wedding day is again at the bride’s
compound, where the guests welcome the couple and invite them in front of the families. First
the bride goes around selling boiled eggs to the guests, showing to both families that she has the
capability to open a shop and make money. Then, the bride’s father fills a wooden cup (Iko) with
palm wine and passes it on to the girl while the groom finds a place between the guests. It is the
custom for her to look for her husband while being distracted by the invitees. Only after she had
found the groom, she offered the cup to him and he sipped the wine, the couple is married
traditionally. During this ceremony, there is also the nuptial dance where the couple dances,
while guests wish the newlyweds prosperity by throwing money around them or putting bills on
their forehead.
Nowadays, church weddings follow traditional marriage. During this ceremony, the
bride’s train, made up of the bride followed by her single female friends, enters the church
dancing on the music, while the guests bless the bride’s train by throwing money over the bride
and her entourage. The groom receives the bride at the altar for the final church blessing by the
priest. Sometimes, the traditional marriage is combined with the reception that is then preceded
by the church ceremony.
Igbo Church Wedding
Birth celebrations, like the wedding ceremony, vary from village to village. On the eighth
day, the child (male only, though there are some discussions whether it should apply females as
well) is prepared for circumcision, and on the twenty-eighth day, the naming ceremony is
performed, each event accompanied by a feast for the relatives.

Death in Igboland is regarded as the passing away of the person from the world existence to the
spirit world. However, only after the second burial rites, it is believed that the person can reach
the spirit world, as otherwise, the departed relative would still wander between earth and the
spirit world. The honour of the death varies dependent on the background, title, gender,
relationship with family and circumstances around the death. The corpse is normally buried at
the village in the person’s compound after it has been preceded by the wake keeping. During the
funeral ceremonies, relatives and friends of the deceased pay their last respects to the dead and
mourn the bereaved in colorful ceremonies marked with singing and traditional dances. In the
olden days, the wake keeping was accompanied by masquerades, traditional music, and animal
sacrifices. A high-ranking chief or traditional ruler would be buried with two human heads
alongside his body and would go along with the release of canon gun shots to notify the public of
the loss. Many more customs surrounded the burial rites, but the church nowadays has overtaken
most of these traditions. To go into more details would go beyond the scope of this book, and I
would suggest reading the books mentioned above for further research.

♬ Click here to listen to this conversation.

- Biko, olee ebe ülö oriri dï? Please, where is the hotel?
- Ülö oriri dï na ndïda na aka ekpe. The hotel is down (this road) on the left
 hand.
N’ülö oriri: In the hotel:
- Ehihie öma, Good-afternoon,
i nwere mgbe? do you have a room?
- E-e. Yes.
- Ö dï igwe ntuonyi? Is it air-conditioned?
- Mba, ö dïghï, ihe o nwere bü nkucha
No, it is not, it has a fan.
oyibo.
- Ï chörö otu akwa ka ö bü abüö? Do you want one or two beds?
- Achörö m abüö. Nwunye m ga-
I want two. My wife is joining me.
anonyere m.
- Ego ole ka ö bü? How much is that?
- Ö bü otu puku naira na narï naira That is one thousand and three hundred
atö otu abalï. naira per night.
- Ö dï oke ölü. That is expensive.
- I nwere ndörö mmiri? Do you have a swimming-pool?
- E-e, i nwere ike igwu mmiri ebe ahu. Yes, you can swim there.
- I nwere ebe ana agba bölü ebea? Do you have a football field here?
Yes, do you know how to play football
- E-e, ï ma ka esi agba bolu öfüma?
well?
- E-e, ama m. Yes, I know.
- Ka anyï gba bölü echi. Let us play tomorrow.
- I riela nrï ütütü? Do you have breakfast?
- E-e, anyï eriela nrï ütütü. Yes, we have breakfast.
Ügwö abalï ole ka ï ga-akwü? How many nights are you paying?
- M ga-akwü ügwö abalï atö. I will pay for three nights.
- Imela. Thank you.
- Kodi. Bye.
Vocabulary
 ülö
ekpe Left toilet
mposi
right (as well as food as it is
nrï obu bedroom
eaten with that hand)
oche chair
akwü Door
usekwu kitchen
igodo key
akpatï cupboard (box
mbara living-room
nrï for food)
Grammar: Conjunctions
Words that can connect two words or sentences are called conjunctions. Most of the
conjunctions start with an initial consonant:
Kama instead of
mgbe ahü then
Tupu until
Maka as, so
Out as, that
Mana but, if, that, whether
Na and, that
ka mgbe since
Ka so that, that
Examples:
achörö m anü kama ökükü I want meat instead of chicken
i risie nrï mgbe ahü gaba you eat, then you go
eri kwala nrï, tupu na mü agaba do not eat until I go
maka na ihea dï mma, ka m jïrï goro ya as this is good, I buy it
ö dï mma otu osighi wee dï önü it is good, as it is cheap
ïhea mara mma mana ödï önü this is good, but expensive
mü na gï nö ebea me and you are here