CULTURE
Culture
as the name sounds simply means the totality way of people’s life which is
determined by the environmental factor around them which includes:
·
Modes of dressing
·
Greetings
·
Dancing
·
Behaviors
·
Eating
·
Belief
·
Languages
·
Values
Culture can also be defined as the arts and other
manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.
Culture as we all know is very dynamic-changes from
time to time, it is also learned and can differs from one place to another.
During the period under review (1941-1960), Nigeria in
general and Edda in particular knew nothing about the embalmment of dead
persons.
Having said that burial culture differs from one
community to another, I will now restrict my work to Edda burial culture.
According to Chief
(Osuu) Robert Omaka Anya who is presently hundred and thirty years old (130
years) as at the time of writing this my work, said that as soon as man dies,
message will be delivered to his relatives within and outside the village. On
the reception of the message, the relatives of the deceased person will
immediately converge to make arrangement for the burial.
Chief (Osuu) Robert went further to say that if a man is confirmed dead
he will be burial almost the same day or the next day as people knew nothing
about embalmment and as such could not preserve corpse in the mortuary as done in
the contemporary society.
During the period under review (1914-1960), four categories of burial rite in Edda were
given to dead people according to their age grades and life conditions. Which
were:-
1.
The ‘ANUMKPU’ age grade (which were the
highest title holders in Edda community.
2.
The ‘EME–EKWE’ age grade (which were the
second highest title holders in Edda community.
3.
The ‘ONARA UBI’ age grade (which were the
third and last title holders in Edda community) and lastly
4.
The ‘LEPERS’ (who were usually
excommunicated in the community due to the contagiousness of their disease.
CHAPTER ONE
FIRST CATEGORY OF BURIAL RITES
If an ‘ANUMKPU’ (the highest title holder in Edda community) dies, the
relatives of the deceased:
·
Children
·
Kinsmen
·
Brothers
·
Sisters
Friends and well-wishers were usually in the village,
hence there was no need for further delay. The first son of the deceased person
will meet their kinsmen with a bottle of hot drink or a pot of palm wine to
inform them about the death of his father.
Immediately the death was confirmed, tradition demands
that his wife/wives will put on sackcloth and have her/their hairs cut as a
sign of mourning. She/they will be restricted from bathing, drinking or eating
anything until the corpse has been lowered to the grave.
Tradition demands that his grave must be dogged inside
his house and a talking drum (Ikoro) will be ordered to be brought down inside
the compound of the deceased and is beaten from time to time to announce the
departure of an important personality in the society or village or even
community.
The digging of the deceased grade was usually done by
four (4) or five (5) able bodied men appointed by his immediate family,
compound or his kinsmen.
At this juncture, the corpse is taken to the village
square for proper burial rites as demanded by the tradition.
In the course of burial ceremony, the relatives of the
deceased that is:-
i.
The sons
ii.
The daughters
iii.
The brothers
iv.
The sisters and
v.
Maternal relatives.
Play
some vital roles
The
first son was expected to preserve the following under listed items:
·
Two pieces of
traditional cloths
·
A pot of palm
wine
·
A bottle of hot
drink
·
Ogene or Ogele
·
Apar
·
Two eagle
feathers
·
Nkpola-ocha
(money formed with rod)
·
A he-goat
·
A cock
·
An Okpuagu
(chieftaincy cap)
Other sons of the deceased were expected to present
similar articles except off course:
·
A he-goat
·
A cock
·
An apar
·
An okpuagu
(chieftaincy cap) and
·
Eagle feather
The brothers of the deceased person were expected to
present the following items:-
·
A bottle of hot
drink each
·
A piece or 2
pieces of traditional cloths
The sisters on the other hand were expected to present
the following items listed below:-
1. Mat (ute)
2. Earthen pot (‘oku’)
The significant of these two items presented from the
sisters of the deceased was in consonance with the ancient belief of life after
death. Those two items were meant to enable the deceased sleep on the mat, wash
and bath with the earthen pot (‘oku’).
The daughters, if married with their
husbands will present the following:-
·
‘Oku’ (Earthen
pot)
·
‘Ute’ (Mat)
·
Two (2) pieces of
traditional cloths
·
A bottle of hot
drink
·
A pot palm wine
If he had grand children, they will in turn present
‘Nkpola-ocha’ (money).
The wife/ wire will bring an ‘Odo’ (A traditional
paint red in color).
At this juncture, two men will be called out to
collect and take can of all these offers received and it will be announced to
the pubic.
At this time the elders of the village incorporation with
the first son of the deceased and one of the deceased kinsmen will seat for
private discussion an how to share all those items in accordance of the
traditions demand. At the end of the private meeting or discussion, the woman
who sees the affairs of the deceased man right from the time he was alive
mostly at his sick bed till death will be given two (2) pieces of traditional
cloth, one cloth for ‘Ikoro’ (talking drum), one for village square and one for
his yam barn
After all these, few yards of cloth, ‘Nkpola-ocha’(money),
‘Ogene or ‘Ogele; ‘Okpuagu’ (chieftaincy cap), Apar, and eagle feather
goes into the grave with the corpse.
NOTE: The above
mentioned items are used in the next world as follows:
·
‘Nkpola-ocha’
(money) for feeding
·
‘Oku’ (earthen
pot) for washing and bathing
·
‘Ute (mat) for
sleeping
·
Okpu agu’
(chieftaincy cap) and eagle feathers for dressing.
·
Cock and he-goat
to breed in the spirit world.
·
Wine for
merriment
Then traditional demands that the deceased must also
he dressed as follows.
·
His body robbed
with ‘Odo’ ( a traditional paint red in colour)
·
Covered with two
(2) piece of cloths
·
Cover his head
with ‘Okpu agu’ (chieftaincy cap).
·
Chained his two
hands with ‘Nkpola-ocha’ (rod used as money)
·
Pined his head
with the two eagle feathers
·
Finally wrapped
his whole body with ‘ute’ (mat)
At this juncture, where the real sacrifices takes
place, the women including his wife/wives and all the under aged youths
(uninitiated) are send inside the village or compound. Before the deceased will
be taken to the grave, his age grade members the ‘Anumkpu’ will come out with their staffs. Two among them will stand
by his head side, cross their staffs which is known as (Igwa aka’) and his body is left open for ritual scarifies as
culture or tradition demands. After all this, his body will never be allowed
open again, and the deceased is now taken to the grave then his first son is
called to put some sands into the grave when the deceased is lowered to the
grave with a fare ware speech- rest in peace. This is also done by other
members of the family and relatives including friends, then his grave are
covered with sands.
At the end of this, all the remaining items are handed
over to one of his kinsmen and he is expected to present them in the next seven
(7) days time which is the second burial ceremony.
NOTE: Those that dig the grave including the deceased wife/wives are not
expected to eat or drink anything and even bath until the deceased is lowered
to the grave.
Four days later, second burial
starts and his wife/wives were expected to prepare pounded yam and pepe soup.
Shutting of guns, presentation of cola nuts, bitter cola and drinking of wine
were the order of the day. The pounded yam will be divided into four and is
deposited at his grave with the soup, bitter cola, cola nut shell and wine (hot
wine). This means that the deceased should never feel hungry again even in the
next world.
When the corpse was finally buried,
the properties of the deceased will be shared among his male children or among
the houses that made up of the family if he was a polygamist. But if he was a
monogamist, all his properties will be shared only to the male ones as
tradition demands.
NOTE: The culture or tradition had little or no regard for female children
and consequently could not partake in the sharing of the properties.
Seven days later, the grave which
was invariably dogged inside the deceased house will be scrubbed or leveled
down as recommended by the tradition so as to enable the members of the family
live comfortably in the house.
A month after the burial, the
‘Ikoro’ (talking drum) will be taken back to the normal place of storage (obi
ogo) as recommended by the tradition. It is imperative to note that there were
certain traditions associated with the taking out and bringing in eh ‘Ikoro’
(talking drum) which include mostly preparation of massive quantity of food
which was usually pounded yam and soup.
This food was only enjoyed by the
highest title holders or elders in the village and must be prepared with cock
and he-goat accompanied with pots of palm wine.
A year later, the burial ceremony
continues with a lot of activities like:
·
Preparation of a
great soup with pounded yam
·
Shutting of guns
·
Masquerades of
different kinds ranging from:
·
Okere –nkwa
·
‘Obinikornkor
·
‘Ota ekirika’
·
‘Ife –ocha
·
Olaka ekpirikpa
and
·
Oko-Oku
NOTE: ‘Oko-oku’ is the final burial ceremony that is accorded to a wealthy
deceased ‘Anumkpu’ (highest title holders)
ATTRIBUTES OF AN ‘ANUMKPU’
·
He was one of the
oldest man in the village
·
He was one of the
highest title holders
·
He had one of the
biggest yam barns
·
He had one of the
biggest oil palm tree garden
·
He had fulfilled
all the traditional rites as required or demanded by the traditions
·
Killing of a
horse on his father’s burial.
NOTE: A man must meet all the above mentioned conditions before being
regarded as an ‘ANUMKPU’
CHAPTER TWO
SECOND CATEGORY OF BURIAL RITES
According to Chief
Godwin Isu Eseni who is presently at the age of hundred years (100 years)
as at the of this work, said that those who receive this category of burial
rites were regarded as the ‘EME-EKWE’
age grade .
This category of men had the second to the highest
title holders and was also highly respected in the society.
If a man under this group is confirmed dead, he
receives almost the same burial rites as that of the ‘Anumkpu’ (the highest title
holder) but there are always a striking difference as recommended by the
tradition of the land.
Some of these differences were:-
·
His corpse was
not allowed to be taken to the village square for burial ceremony rather will
be celebrated in his compound.
·
He will not receive
the second burial rite that was given to an ‘Anumkpu’ (the highest title
holder) after seven weeks of his death.
ATTRIBUTES
OF AN ‘EME-EKWE’
o
He was among the
second oldest men in the community
o
He was among the
second highest title holders in the society or village
o
He had second to
the highest oil palm plantation.
o
He had fulfilled
half of the traditional rites as required by the tradition
o
He had the second
to the biggest yam barn in the community
o
He must pay his
tax.
CHAPTER THREE
THIRD CATEGORY OF BURIAL RITES
According to Chief (Osuu’) James Arua Eseni who is now
presently at the age of hundred and twenty years (120 years) as at the time of
writing this work, said that this category of men in the society who receive
this burial rites are regarded as the ONARA
UBI age grade.
This category of men is the least title holders in the
society and the youngest. They performed various duties in the society
like.
Clearing the road paths that leads to:-
ü
The
ü
Streams
ü
Market
ü
Schools
ü
Hospitals
ü
Public places
(village square)
In
addition to this contributions, Osuu David Eni Agwu, who is
presently at the same age with Chief Godwin Isu Eseni that is hundred years presently said that if
an ‘Onara
ubi’ dies no burial rite was accorded to him. He was buried immediately
confirmed dead.
The
immediate family, friends, well-wishers and neighbors will stay and mourn for
him while other villagers may even go about their daily business.
ATTRIBUTES
OF AN ‘ONARA UBI’
·
He was among the
youngest age grade in the society
·
He was among the
least title holder in the village
·
They are made up
of married and unmarried youths.
·
They do not have
any oil palm plantation
·
They do not have
any yam barn.
·
They must pay their tax.
CHAPTER FOUR
FOURTH (LAST) CATEGORY OF BURIAL RITES
According to Chief (Sir) Anthony O.
Anya who is presently at the age of hundred and ten years (110 years) as at the
time of this work said that this fourth and last category of burial rites were
given to LEPERS. He went further to stress it that this category of burial rite
was very sympathetic, sorrowful and uncompassionate.
The Lepers’ who lived the same place
with their members or fellow lepers at the leper colony had nothing in common
with the people in the society. They were excommunicated and made to remain
uncommucado because of the contagious nature of their disease.
Consequently the society does not
contribute meaningfully during and after their dead because they are mostly
pushed to the bush areas as their place of living.
If a leper is dead, the immediate
family alone will arrange for the burial of the man in the bush after receiving
a message on the demise of the lepers. He will be burial in the bush without
any burial rite.
Also speaking, he further made us to
know that some lepers who where tired of this world of uncertainties or feels
to die could not wait until they gave up to the ghost. Instead they will
contact their immediate family in the society to dig their grave for them,
Hence the grave is done, a wine will
be given to him to drink to stupor (a state of unconsciousness) and sweet songs
will be given to lead him to the grave yard. On getting to the grave yard, he
will climb down inside the grave with the help of a ladder and he made his last
speech by saying “my people do not listen to anything but do it because it is
what you suppose to do” (that is even though he is shouting they shouldn’t
listen to his shout but do the right thing which is to cover him with sand)
immediately the corpse is covered with sand by the entire family that comes the
end of an innocent man.
ATTRIBUTES OF A LEPER
·
They live in a
separate territory called leper colony
·
They do not have
anything in common with the society or village entirely.
·
They were burial
in a bush areas.
REFERENCES
·
Chief ‘Osuu Rober
Omaka Anya (The Burial of the ‘ANUMKPU’ The highest title holder in the
village)
·
Chief Godwin Isu
Eseni (The Burial of the ‘EME-EKWE’ the second highest title holder in the
society)
·
Chief ‘Osuu’
James Azua Eseni (The Burial of the ONARA-UBI’ the youngest and last stage of
Age grades in the community)
·
‘Osuu’ Joel Agwu
Nnachi (The Burial of the youngest and last stage of Age Grade in the
community).
·
Chief David Eni
Agwu (The Burial of the ‘EME-EKWE’ age Grade, the second highest title holder
in the society).
·
Chief (Sir)
Anthony Oko Anya (The Burial of the last category of burial and leper
colony).