Rites of passage for yoruba king in the us funeral rites of his royal highness, oba efuntola oseijeman adelabu adefunmi i, who passed away on thursday, february 10, 2005 at oyotunji african village in beaufort county, south carolina, commence today at 1 p. The iria rite of the okrika tribe upon reaching puberty, the girls of the okrika tribe in nigeria are sent to what is called a fattening room for a period of five weeks, where they are force fed rich foods such as goats milk to force their adult body to grow. Sep 25, 20 your contribution to the book is well designed and informs your audience about the history of the coming of age tradition, a description of the ceremonies or rituals involved, including the ritual items and symbols used and their significance, and explanation of how this coming of age is practiced today. To the nomadic tribes of africa, the pursuit of beauty.
In rural nigeria, igbo people work mostly as craftsmen, farmers and traders. Nigerians introduction, location, language, folklore. In okrika, there are basically three stages of marriage 1 the iyaa, 2 igwa, and finally 3 ohuru which is the ohurikaka. A member of the igbo tribe of nigeria who became a nun and trained as an anthropologist, joseph. Broken down into its most basic elements, a rite of passage involves 1 a separation from society, 2 preparation or instruction from an elder, 3 a transition in. For instance, the otnuanya festival rite of passage into.
African american rites of passage summer academy updated information for 2020 will be available soon, please check back. Universal primary education has become the norm in southern nigeria, where the yoruba live. Okrika in the orika tribe a special rite called iria, is a process for young women to become mature for possible marriage. In the same text, however, grimes argues that effective rites of passage have certain char acteristics that enhance their efficacy.
Rites of passage are not always effective, as explained by arthur magida in. They sing by the river for days until a man from their tribe rescues them. Nigeria a pregnant woman can eat any food she likes except. At the end of my speech, my audience will understand how cultures use adolescent rites of passage to help people mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. Iria, the female initiation ritual on okrika island, in the niger delta, prescribes that girls getting close to. For this union to be legal this couple has to do needful the traditional marriage rites of okrika must be observer because jane is a native of okrika. Rites of passafe for lady kofo ademola, the widow of sir adetokunbo ademola the first indigeneous chief justice of nigeria who died on wednesday, may 15, 2002 would soon begin, family sources. A woman becomes part of her husbands family after marriage.
First, the boys must give away everything that they own. This book is a guide for parents seeking to design a ritesofpassage program for their adolescent youth and for parents considering such a program. Educating the world on the igbos of southeastern nigeria. Adventist youth honors answer bookarts and craftsafrica. African american rites of passage multicultural center. Before british colonial rule in the 20th century, the igbo were a politically fragmented group, with a number of centralized chiefdoms such as nri, aro confederacy, agbor and onitsha.
Ikwerre intergroup relations and its impact on their culture african. Womens initiation rites in africa african female initiation ceremonies are rites of passage for girls entering womanhood, and are usually a public annoucement of the girls eligibility for marriage. Mar 29, 20 whether part 1 or part 2 of this series was right for you, accepting these tasks as rites of passage will prepare you for retirement and help keep you a secure and happy member of the golden years. The changing concept of adolescence in kenya ginsberg. Throughout the process of this rite of passage the women chant and sing to. These rites of passages are quite unique and interesting to know, and they are a crucial aspect of the culture of africans. The stage implies the period at which the body is capable of sexual. Crazy rites of passage rituals from around the world. Semiotics is a study of signs, symbols and significations. In some of these tribes the iria ritual is practiced. The kindoki are often known as witches practicing their black magic which are whispered to eat your soul away at night and to cause sicknesses.
There is the miracle of birth the start of something special. The town is situated on a small island south of port harcourt, making it a suburb of the much larger city the average elevation of okrika is 452 metres. For the okrika people of the niger delta in nigeria, girls become women through a ceremony called the iria rite. In another chapter, puberty rites were mentioned as another rites of passage.
These rites of passages are quite unique and interesting to. This displayed that every ritual and ceremony is an ideal part in igbo culture as well as aiding in perserving this cuture. Puberty comes from the latin pubertas that refers to age of manhood. Although african rites of passage appear similar, there is notable difference in the style of celebration. African rites rituals in africa, just as in other parts of the world, utilize symbols to express and convey meanings, verbally and nonverbally. Okrika tribe of nigeria woman 14 16 are feed rich local foods and are taught songs. Thats why the young girls perform this ritual, to sever the ties with the spirits.
Here also naming ceremonies entails a lot of preparation and sacrifices to appease the god. Female initiation rituals in the niger delta, nigeria. At his or her naming ceremony a child becomes a member of the community. The town can be reached by vessels of a draft of 29 feet 9 metres or less. May 10, 2019 the birr is the unit of currency in ethiopia. Owing to their value and strategic importance in the peoples mentality and culture, this work proposes the igbo rites of passage as a. Igbo funeral rites is about the rigorous and complex nature of death and burial obsequies in igboland. This is a ceremony that starts within 12 weeks of first menstruation where a girl is in seclusion for two days hiding from dangerous demons and then emerges to destroy the demons with her family and then celebrate. Girls from the ages of fourteen to sixteen enter into fatting rooms where they are fed rich local foods to make the body come out. Akan rites of passage and their reception into christianity. Impact of cultural value system on the personality development of. Among the igbo people of southeastern nigeria, death is traditionally a highly ritualized event filled with deep mourning. Nearly every culture in the world ritualizes the important milestones throughout life. The african american rites of passage summer academy is designed to address the cultural, career, academic and social needs of high school and middle school african american and multicultural students of african descent in lane county.
The planning for this ceremony itself takes two months. Rites of passage in adolescence by delaney, cassandra halleh. Pdf the views of women in the limpopo province of south africa. It will deal with a comprehensive interpretation of ritual and their meaning or meanings. Yoruba introduction, location, language, folklore, religion.
Ogoni is an ethnic group in the niger delta region, in nigeria, located in the. Fascinating rites of passage from around the world becoming an adult is a very important transition in an individuals lifetime. Since attaining independence 1960, nigeria has set a high priority on education. Rites of passage conducted within the african massai tribe. Okrika tribe nigeria the iria is a rite performed by the females of the african okrika tribe. Okrika clan consisted of nine towns, okrika, ogoloma. Opobo, okrika and others during the colonial days was caused by. Secondary school high school education also became common. This done, the power of the noo is broken, and the tukuna female is safely entered into womanhood. Many cultures around the world honor this passage with various different ceremonies and rituals.
The sign systems of traditional customs and rituals, including the rites of passage, ensure transmission of cultural values and information between and within generations. Orita meaning crossroads prepares participants for adulthood by teaching life management skills in the context of african heritage and biblical principles. Would i like a different rite of passage i like our so could rites of passage were you just celebrate your sixteenth birthday. Okrika, town and port, rivers state, southern nigeria. Oct 22, 2015 traveling in nigeria has its own rites of passage, various experiences that change your outlook on life and leave you with those excellent stories you tell when you get back. However, in okrika, an ethnic group in rivers state, nigeria, marriage is not complete without the ohurikaka, a highly placed marriage rite in the coastal community in nigeria. The traditional burial rites involve not one, but two funerals whose main. O box 3420, thika kenya abstract this essay is an analysis of the rituals in african cosmology. The joshua project progress scale is an estimate of the progress of church planting among a people group, people cluster, country or language. The iria the iria is a rite performed by the females of the african okrika tribe. Okrika tribe of nigeria, they also use postmenopausal. Then, on the day of the ceremony, the boys shave their heads and paint their faces with white chalk.
The three main forms of the ritual are the kala egeribite, opu egeribiteegeribite, and okrika. In nigeria, most of these rites are typically celebrated through music, dance and ceremony. Okrika clan consisted of nine towns, okrika, ogoloma, ibaka, ogbogbo, ogu, abuloma, isaka, bolo, and ele. This rite of passage is one of the most important masai festivals it marks the coming of age of masai boys who are 1225 years old. Adolescence comes from the latin word adolescere that means to grow into maturity. Analytical as it is descriptive and anthropological as it is theological, the book is an attempt to provide new insights for handling some of the pastoral challenges of igbo funeral rites. Among many african countries, including nigeria, initiation rights were carried out to enhance generative process and this cut across both sex. Ant 111 schwartz syracuse test 2 flashcards quizlet. African societies are known for marking the different transitions of a persons life cycle with different ritual or rites of passage. Van gennep, 19062010 yet when femalespecific rites of passage are examined, lincoln 1981 observes a distinctly. Hipplein nigeria, young girls known as iriabo spend several weeks in fattening rooms being pampered and wearing copper coils around their legs to restrict movement as part of a ritual marking their official transition into womanhood. On the last day of singing they are expected to be dragged back by the spirits, so a senior male strikes the girls with sticks to return them to the village where they can. Rites of passage as could be seen in this work dealt with the various ritual which an individual.
Jumia travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 unique african rites of passage. The 5 most terrifying rites of passage from around the world photo 18, 2015. The main idea the author was trying to convey were the different rites of passages in the tribe. They then go to the river and sing these songs to sever ties from the water spirits. Girls from the ages of 14 to 16 enter into fatting rooms where they are fed rich local foods to make the body come out. Most of the time, the end comes far too soon, as i know all too well. It is a transitional stage marked at the beginning by puberty and at the end by attainment of adult status kaczmarek, 2011, p. The amhara live at high altitudes 21004200 meters, so their clothing is designed to be warm. In traditional african societies, a firm stress is placed on the performance of rituals as customary, standardized, and symbolic social communication that is repeatable according to fixed patterns. Ebook igbo funeral rites today as pdf download portable. Though the process is quite frequently rebuked at, it is an ancient tradition in nigeria for women to perform a enduring ritual. Interesting rites of passage in nigeria the guardian. Five females, fifteen to seventeen years old, undergo a traditional rite of passage that used to be a necessary prelude to marriage in okrika. Traveling by road is the most common way to travel in nigeria.
Jul 30, 2015 below is a detailed focus on the ten kenyan tribes that shelter the most obscure and bonechilling rites of passages. A rite of passage, however, is a ceremony or event that marks a coming of age transition or milestone. For those that dont know okrika is in river state, southern nigeria. Apr 14, 2016 fulani rituals and the seven characteristics a rite is a ceremonial act that can be connected with religion, heritage, culture, andor a custom. It lies on the north bank of the bonny river and on okrika island, 35 miles 56 km upstream from the bight of benin. Adolescent rites of passage have marked the passage of children into adulthood around the world, and elements of those rituals are. Unique cultural rites of passage in nigeria the guardian nigeria. Also in chapter three, another rites of passage written upon was naming rites. The town is situated on a small island south of port harcourt, making it a suburb of the much larger city. Oct 12, 2017 african societies are known for marking the different transitions of a persons life cycle with different ritual or rites of passage. Arnold van gennep coined the term rites of passage, in 1906, identifying three stages to initiate adolescents into adulthood separation, liminality, and reincorporation. Some examples rituals and rites abound in yoruba traditional religion. Formerly a small fishing village of the ijo ijaw people in the mangrove swamps of the eastern niger river delta, okrika became the capital of the.
In the magnificent wonder that is life there is a beginning. Igbo rites of passage this page is still being built child birth male coming of age iwa akwa. Let us start with the ritual in connection with the worship of god olodumare and gods orisa. I ordered this book as a followup reading to the 2000 book the africans who wrote the bible, which makes a connection between todays west african akans and ancient egyptians and by that with the. Marriage customs of okrika people in river state, nigeria. The okrika tribe of nigeria believe that the young women of the tribe form romantic relationships with water spirits during their childhood.
The word akyum is used to describe a group of three states. Initiation rites and rituals in african cosmology prof. The first university in nigeria was located in a yoruba city. These rites may be similar to one or more tribes, bearing a different name somewhere else and having a. The prospects of inculturation europaische hochschulschriften european university studies publications universitaires europeennes charles o. At initiation, an adolescent assumes the responsibilities of adulthood. The massai is home to a series of different rites of passage. While almost all cultures across the world observe unique rites of passage that allow adolescents to transition from childhood into adulthood, kenya is one of the last remaining countries where truly remarkable adulthood.
Before 1976, dollar was the official english translation of birr. The 5 most terrifying rites of passage from around the. Paul kyalo school of humanities and social sciences mount kenya university p. There is a specific cult of olodumare in y orubaland. It lies on the north of the bonny river and on okrika island, 35 miles 56 km upstream from the bight of bonny. These are nations located in the eastern region of modern day ghana. Many ways in which it differs in african countries was mentioned. Unique ways different african cultures celebrate rites of passage. Maturity and the rite of passage my generation people born.
We examine rites of passage in japanese traditional culture from the perspective of semiotic method. The progress scale is derived from people group values for percent evangelical and percent christian adherent. The ceremonies are named differently according to the tribal tongue but usually represent the same thing, the transition for a boy into a warrior or a girl into an eligible wife. Girls initiation ceremonies are rites of passage where. They are taught by the elderly women of the tribe to sing the traditional iria songs.