Traditional marriage rites take place in most Big Compounds and as tradition demands, the groom to be must visit the family of the bride. The parents of the bride have little say about what will be given as a bride’s price. The price for the first girl of a family is paid at the mother’s family Big Compound as tradition requires, and the other girls are paid for at the father’s Big Compound. Tradition of the family compound demands that is what was paid for your mother will be the same that will be paid for you, the bride to be, and it can be in the form of cash or kind, but mostly the groom’s family is provided with a list of things to bring as a bride- price.
The most common items on the list are red oil, salt, matches, roofing zinc, palm wine, hen, cock (rooster), goats and loin clothes commonly known as wrappers. Items like the chicken will be slaughtered for the traditional rite and offered as sacrifice to the gods together with the palm wine. This is done to ensure a happy marriage life with children which tradition regards as being so important. At the ritual area where only the head of the family can visit and who can be the Fai, Shey, and Biki will sprinkle red oil and salt to awake the gods. As a sign of acceptance that the girl wants the groom to be her husband, palm wine is poured in a traditional cup made from pumpkin skin by the head of the Big Compound. He makes a speech, drinks a bit and asks the girl to drink a bit, then hands over the rest to the man who will become her husband. The husband then must finish the wine that is left in the cup to show he has taken possession of his wife. The remaining items will be shared to the people living in the Big Compound. You may be wondering what happens to the roofing zinc, it is used to build a new house in the big compound for children who come home to visit. Traditional marriages in Nso land are a great symbol.
nice job brenda
ReplyDeleteNice job!!!
ReplyDeleteBut how is birth rite carried out in the nso land?
Wow nice
ReplyDeleteNice,thanks.
ReplyDeleteNice now I can boast for my tradition .But can a pride price be paid for a woman who is already pregnant for a man whom he has not yet marry?
ReplyDeleteNice now I can boast for my tradition .But can a pride price be paid for a woman who is already pregnant for a man whom he has not yet marry?
ReplyDeleteI love my tribe. The traditional rites are so captivating yet simple
ReplyDeleteWoow nice, at least I have an idea now
ReplyDeleteThank you for article. Just to find out the content of the head of the big compound. Also to find out where exactly is the chicken slaughtered by the Fai and given as sacrefice to the gods for a happy marriage. Is it on the graves of the ancestors? Why is there blood shed during a marriage rite in Nso.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful one
ReplyDeleteNice post. Brief, rich and straight to the point. I love it.
ReplyDeleteBongjuBo Lizzette
ReplyDeleteNice work
ReplyDelete