Our traditional marriage study pick for this week is the Okrika of Rivers State, Nigeria. In this article, we introduce the Okrikans and discuss their marriage practices as part of our traditional wedding series.
Okrika town and port is based in Rivers state, Southern Nigeria. It lies on the north bank of the Bonny River and on Okrika Island, 35 miles (56 km) upstream from the Bight of Benin. The Okrikans are part of the ethnic Izons in Rivers, who inhabit the most southern part of the country, the Niger-Delta estuaries. Okrika clan comprised of nine towns, Okrika, Ogoloma, Ibaka, Ogbogbo, Ogu, Abuloma, Isaka, Bolo, and Ele,. The town has considerable local trade in fish, oil palm produce, locally processed salt, cassava (manioc), taro, plantains, and yams.
Okrika town and port is based in Rivers state, Southern Nigeria. It lies on the north bank of the Bonny River and on Okrika Island, 35 miles (56 km) upstream from the Bight of Benin. The Okrikans are part of the ethnic Izons in Rivers, who inhabit the most southern part of the country, the Niger-Delta estuaries. Okrika clan comprised of nine towns, Okrika, Ogoloma, Ibaka, Ogbogbo, Ogu, Abuloma, Isaka, Bolo, and Ele,. The town has considerable local trade in fish, oil palm produce, locally processed salt, cassava (manioc), taro, plantains, and yams.
OKRIKA PEOPLE
Each town is organized into War-Canoe houses called wari or omu-aru, the basic unit of social administration in Okrika. The war-canoe house is composed of families, extendedly defined laterally and vertically. Family membership is defined naturally and by marriage. Women in marriage and the children from it belong in the man's family. Wives obtained from outside of Okrika, typically from the hinterlands, become members of their husbands' families. Slaves (male and female) were absorbed through marriage to Free-borns. Refugees were absorbed by the war-canoe house through a family (furo) in which they had membership rights and obligations. Okrikans use the terms ila and furo to refer to the family at different levels. At the lowest level is the nuclear unit called ila. ILA is also the name for the family at the first level of extension to include three generations. A further extension of the ila traced vertically involves four generations, laterally has more than one nuclear unit whose members share a common ancestor .The Furo, on the other hand, is comprised of two or more ila, in their fully extended form. A number of furo comprise the opo-chuku, a number of which constitute the war-canoe house (Warri). The opo-chuku has no official role in issues of marriage. The furo and the ila perform substantially different roles in traditional Okrika marriage as will become evident below.
Marriage Pattern and Spouse Selection in Okrika
Marriage in Okrika, as is the case elsewhere, has evolved over time. The Okrikans operate two types of marriage: Ya or Iyaa and Igwa. Awoala (a writer) considers Ya as natural because it is a permanent union and predates Igwa which he views as an adaptation to emerging new circumstances as the settler population increased. The population increase led to increase cross family/war-canoe-house interactions including coital relationships that were accommodated through Igwa while preserving the right of the woman's family to her progeny.
Each town is organized into War-Canoe houses called wari or omu-aru, the basic unit of social administration in Okrika. The war-canoe house is composed of families, extendedly defined laterally and vertically. Family membership is defined naturally and by marriage. Women in marriage and the children from it belong in the man's family. Wives obtained from outside of Okrika, typically from the hinterlands, become members of their husbands' families. Slaves (male and female) were absorbed through marriage to Free-borns. Refugees were absorbed by the war-canoe house through a family (furo) in which they had membership rights and obligations. Okrikans use the terms ila and furo to refer to the family at different levels. At the lowest level is the nuclear unit called ila. ILA is also the name for the family at the first level of extension to include three generations. A further extension of the ila traced vertically involves four generations, laterally has more than one nuclear unit whose members share a common ancestor .The Furo, on the other hand, is comprised of two or more ila, in their fully extended form. A number of furo comprise the opo-chuku, a number of which constitute the war-canoe house (Warri). The opo-chuku has no official role in issues of marriage. The furo and the ila perform substantially different roles in traditional Okrika marriage as will become evident below.
Marriage Pattern and Spouse Selection in Okrika
Marriage in Okrika, as is the case elsewhere, has evolved over time. The Okrikans operate two types of marriage: Ya or Iyaa and Igwa. Awoala (a writer) considers Ya as natural because it is a permanent union and predates Igwa which he views as an adaptation to emerging new circumstances as the settler population increased. The population increase led to increase cross family/war-canoe-house interactions including coital relationships that were accommodated through Igwa while preserving the right of the woman's family to her progeny.
The Ya marriage ceremony involves certain customary functions that precede the consummation of the marriage. Here the bride and groom must come from the same tribe. When the husband is ready, members of the family assemble for the essential marriage rites, including the tying of the knot. The man is required to produce three to five pieces of Kano cloth or Ikpo, one piece of real India cloth, or Injiri, four yards of raffia palm cloth sewn together (okuru), and another separate yard of the same material. If the husband is wealthy, he adds additional kinds of cloth. He also provides three or four large pots of palmwine and twenty-two or twenty-four manila. These offerings are placed in the shrine of the family ancestors, and an elderly person in the family takes up the single yard of raffia cloth and ties the knot. The husband and wife stand before the shrine, side by side. The elder ties the raffia cloth round the waist of the wife seven times, each time uttering some words that invoke blessings on the couple.
Palmwine is poured into a drinking cup, and the bride and groom drink from it. The knot has thus been tied, and divorce becomes virtually impossible. The single yard of raffia cloth is the most essential thing to make the marriage binding. In case of unavoidable divorce as a result of adultery on the woman's part, the parents of the wife are bound to return double the cumulative expenses of the husband (Ikiriko 1984).
The second system, Igwa, means mixed; the woman and the man may marry even though they are from different families. A woman married under the Ya system can be married under Igwa if the Ya husband is not living with her as husband and wife under the same roof. All offspring of this second marriage belong not to the biological father but to the Ya husband, who by custom is regarded as their legal father. If the woman has not been previously married to any man under the Ya system, children from the Igwa marriage belong either to the lawful husband of the wife's mother or to her brothers.
However, the once unchangeable custom of the possession of children born under the Igwa system of marriage is relaxing under the pressure of modern times. Many adult men and young people engage in Igwa marriage if their previous marriage produced no children. Widows are forbidden from contracting women for marriage. (Omokhodion 1998)
Palmwine is poured into a drinking cup, and the bride and groom drink from it. The knot has thus been tied, and divorce becomes virtually impossible. The single yard of raffia cloth is the most essential thing to make the marriage binding. In case of unavoidable divorce as a result of adultery on the woman's part, the parents of the wife are bound to return double the cumulative expenses of the husband (Ikiriko 1984).
The second system, Igwa, means mixed; the woman and the man may marry even though they are from different families. A woman married under the Ya system can be married under Igwa if the Ya husband is not living with her as husband and wife under the same roof. All offspring of this second marriage belong not to the biological father but to the Ya husband, who by custom is regarded as their legal father. If the woman has not been previously married to any man under the Ya system, children from the Igwa marriage belong either to the lawful husband of the wife's mother or to her brothers.
However, the once unchangeable custom of the possession of children born under the Igwa system of marriage is relaxing under the pressure of modern times. Many adult men and young people engage in Igwa marriage if their previous marriage produced no children. Widows are forbidden from contracting women for marriage. (Omokhodion 1998)
Marriage List - for the father
1. 2 pieces of Holland’s Wax
2. 1 native shirt
3. 1 hat
4. 1 big towel
5. 1 pair of shoes and socks
6. 1 walking stick
7. 1 wristwatch
8. 1 dozen pairs of underwear
9. 1 she goat with N10, 000.00 for cutting goat’s head
10. Matchet with cover and beet
11. 15 cartons of star beer
12. 5 cartons of champion beer
13. 2 cartons of brandy
14. 3 bottles of 3 in one whisky
15. 1 carton of wine
16. 5 crates of minerals (Soft drinks)
17. 4 crates of Guinness malt
18. 4 heads of Tobacco
19. 1 bottle of grinding suff
20. 4 line stones
21. 4 bunches of cola nuts
22. 1 small basin and knife for the cola nuts
23. 15 Jars of palm wine
24. 20 liters of native gin
25. 1 brief case with N150, 000.00
26. Bitter kola
1. 2 pieces of Holland’s Wax
2. 1 native shirt
3. 1 hat
4. 1 big towel
5. 1 pair of shoes and socks
6. 1 walking stick
7. 1 wristwatch
8. 1 dozen pairs of underwear
9. 1 she goat with N10, 000.00 for cutting goat’s head
10. Matchet with cover and beet
11. 15 cartons of star beer
12. 5 cartons of champion beer
13. 2 cartons of brandy
14. 3 bottles of 3 in one whisky
15. 1 carton of wine
16. 5 crates of minerals (Soft drinks)
17. 4 crates of Guinness malt
18. 4 heads of Tobacco
19. 1 bottle of grinding suff
20. 4 line stones
21. 4 bunches of cola nuts
22. 1 small basin and knife for the cola nuts
23. 15 Jars of palm wine
24. 20 liters of native gin
25. 1 brief case with N150, 000.00
26. Bitter kola
For the Mother
1. 2 pieces of Wax and one material lace (fabric varies)
2. 3 assorted blouses
3. Head tie (canopy)
4. Pairs of shoes
5. One wrist watch + 1 dozen of brassieres
6. A hand bag and 6 pairs of underwear
7. 1 big basin full of crayfish with cover
8. 1 big basin full of pepper with cover
9. 3 bags of salt
10. 1 umbrella
11. 1 suitcase with N50, 000.00
12. 1 carton of Eva wine
13. 1 big bottle of Yago wine
14. 4 crates of Guinness malt
15. 4 crates of minerals (soft drinks)
16. 1 bag of rice
17. 5 tubers of yams
Family members:
3 cartons of star beer, 1 bottles of St. Remy, 3 Jars of palm wine, 1 roll of Benson and hedges cigarettes, 1 pack of matches and Cash - N10, 000.00
1. 2 pieces of Wax and one material lace (fabric varies)
2. 3 assorted blouses
3. Head tie (canopy)
4. Pairs of shoes
5. One wrist watch + 1 dozen of brassieres
6. A hand bag and 6 pairs of underwear
7. 1 big basin full of crayfish with cover
8. 1 big basin full of pepper with cover
9. 3 bags of salt
10. 1 umbrella
11. 1 suitcase with N50, 000.00
12. 1 carton of Eva wine
13. 1 big bottle of Yago wine
14. 4 crates of Guinness malt
15. 4 crates of minerals (soft drinks)
16. 1 bag of rice
17. 5 tubers of yams
Family members:
3 cartons of star beer, 1 bottles of St. Remy, 3 Jars of palm wine, 1 roll of Benson and hedges cigarettes, 1 pack of matches and Cash - N10, 000.00
Youth:
Food items, Football, 1 bottle of gin , 1 roll of St. Morris cigarette, 1 packet of matches, N2, 000.00 or more (this is negotiable), 73 bottles of hot drinks and 4 kegs of palm wine
*And other items as listed by the youth leader
Food items, Football, 1 bottle of gin , 1 roll of St. Morris cigarette, 1 packet of matches, N2, 000.00 or more (this is negotiable), 73 bottles of hot drinks and 4 kegs of palm wine
*And other items as listed by the youth leader
Grandfather and Uncles:
Piece of wax loin cloth, 1 long sleeves shirt, 1 bottle of brandy, 1 wristwatch.
Piece of wax loin cloth, 1 long sleeves shirt, 1 bottle of brandy, 1 wristwatch.
Mother’s people
1 carton of beer, 1 bottle of brandy, 1 Jar of palm wine, 1 piece of English wax, 1 long sleeves shirt, 1 bag of salt, Guinness malt, onions basket, yam, palm oil,
1 carton of beer, 1 bottle of brandy, 1 Jar of palm wine, 1 piece of English wax, 1 long sleeves shirt, 1 bag of salt, Guinness malt, onions basket, yam, palm oil,
Unmarried girls (bride’s age group)
2 crates of Guinness malt, mineral, 2 packets of cabin biscuit, chewing stick,
2 crates of Guinness malt, mineral, 2 packets of cabin biscuit, chewing stick,
NB: The list differs according to culture and family customs.