What is traditional marriage in Igboland?
Question
What is traditional marriage in Igboland? What should I expect if I am looking to marry a girl from Igbo in Nigeria. We hope to get married soon if all things go as planned. Please help a brother.
Answers ( 4 )
Traditional marriage in Igboland involves certain traditional rites that are performed before an Igbo girl is given out to a man.
The Igbos are one of the ethnic groups in Nigeria they are among the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria as we all know there are various ways in which a man and a woman can be joined together as husband and wife in the Union of marriage.
Usually, it follow this three stages
Traditional marriage
Christian marriage (church wedding) or Islamic marriage
Court marriage
In igboland traditional marriage is regarded as the most important marriage. it is very important because it is part of their cultural heritage.
Traditional marriage in Igbo land involves the joining of a man and woman as husband and wife following certain laid down customary and traditional methods.
Traditional marriage in igboland is very important as it shows that the girl in question is worth the marriage. Here also marriage is conducted traditionally by performing the necessary rites and privileges.
These rites and privileges are different as you move from one community to another. However, there is always an already prepared “list” which every suitor must obtain before going ahead with the marital rites. The list contains every item that is needed in the course of the traditional marriage.
Currently, traditional marriage in igboland is the most expensive but all the same traditional marriage in igboland is great and one of the most anticipated event in the life of a Nigerian woman.
You will perform the traditional rites of gift presentation to the parents, traditional rights of looking for your husband with a palm wine and also the traditional rites of paying the Bride price. once all these traditional rites are performed you are free to go home with your wife.
In Igbo land traditional marriage is taken very seriously like many other ethnic groups in Nigeria… The expected things in Igbo land vary as you move from one community to another. Basically, the list below are things that are required.
1. Pamie (some gallons of palm wine).
2. Some bottles of local gin
3. Bitter kola
4. Bags of salts
5. Crates of mineris, stars and other drinks
6. Goats
8. Tubers of yams
9. Jewelries, lace, and wrappers for the mother
10. Walking stick, shoes, laces and wrapper for the father.
11. Then you see each of the immediate family members …
The list above are very important to the Igbo families then there are some other small list
10. Some huge amount of money. Then once these are provided, the rites can be perform… Note the list does not come from the father alone…it is an arranged list prepared by the tribe …after the list the rites can be performed.
Traditional marriage in Igboland involves certain customary rites that are carried out before a woman is finally given out to a man as wife.
Traditional marriage stages differ as you move from one community to another, however, there are three major stages involved in Igboland
1) Knocking on Door
2) Introduction
3) Traditional Marriage main (Igba nkwu)
1) Knocking on door indicate the agreement between a man and women to be joined together as husband and wife.
It is Usually between the two families involved. A day is usually fixed by the two fathers or representative of fathers.
On that day, the families gather together to hear the opinions of the man and woman interested in getting married. This is a formal rite performed in the process of traditional marriage in Igboland.
The man and woman intending to get marriage informed their families officially about their intentions.
2 Introduction involves the extended family and relatives, everyone that is family to the two people intending to get married are gathered together for a mild ceremony.
The modalities of the introduction day is always enshrined in the “list” the suitor previously obtained.
Some part of the bride price is paid, then other things follow.
3) The traditional marriage (main) is the last part. After a traditional marriage in Igboland you can take your wife to your house and start making babies.
However, if you are a christian, you are expected to perform a church wedding before you can live together as husband and wife.
Everybody is invited to the main traditional wedding in Igboland.
1) Families
2) Friends
3) Fre-nemies (just to spite them)
It is a memorable day in the life of every every Igbo girl, it is laced with musics, dances and beauties. It is also time for singles to look out for potential partners.
The bride is always escorted by bride maids during a traditional marriage in Igboland.
People Travel several miles just to attend traditional marriages, especially when a family member is involved.
The Igbo marriage ceremony is based on the marriage deal as pre-arrnaged by different Igbo clans.
All Marriages usually starts with the groom asking for the bride’s hand in marriage.
There are three phases of the traditional Igbo marriage, which also includes proposing to her before her family members and making them accept you into their circle.
At the beginning of the marriage ceremony, the bride and groom would stand in front of relatives. The leader of a family or tribe ties them together with a veil. This symbolizes that the bride and groom are united until death does them apart.
Another important phase of the ceremony which involves the two families i.e. bride and groom’s family is the ‘’wine-carrying’’. Here, the bride usually has to find her groom among the guests and expresses her gratitude by giving him a cup of wine. When the groom drinks the wine, the ceremony will go on and people celebrate together. It is quite tricky to find the groom in the crowd because of likeness in clothing of the guests. The guests often distract the bride on purpose to make her job complicated.