They have existed throughout human history and may be a significant factor in the development of a stable adult personality. African rites rituals in africa, just as in other parts of the world, utilize symbols to express and convey meanings, verbally and nonverbally. It is a rite of passage that ushers young virgins of the community into womanhood. Crazy rites of passage rituals from around the world.
Participants are usually young girls who are eighteen years and above. African centered rites of passage and education goggins ii, lathardus on. One rite of passage from boyhood to the status of junior warrior is a painful circumcision ceremony, which is performed without anaesthetic. At initiation, an adolescent assumes the responsibilities of adulthood. 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. Hausa, a nigerian language introduced into ghana nearly 200 years ago, has become a lingua franca common language throughout the country. 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. Increase brain power, focus music, reduce anxiety, binaural and isochronic beats duration. 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. Bauchi, borno, niger,taraba, jigawa, kaduna, kano, kastina, kebbi, sokoto with. Nigeria rites of passage okrika tribe girls 1416 years after ceremony, they are marriageable. 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. Through these journeys of the spirit, as the west african shaman and teacher maildoma patrice some has called them, people are able to transcend the everyday concerns of life to connect with. Rites of passage as could be seen in this work dealt with the various ritual which an individual.
Among many african countries, including nigeria, initiation rights were carried out to enhance generative process and this cut across both sex. First, the young men werent allowed to eat, drink or sleep for four days, after which they had a friendlysounding celebration called the bison dance. Most ghanaians speak two or more african languages. Okrika tribe nigeria the iria is a rite performed by the females of the african okrika tribe. In another chapter, puberty rites were mentioned as another rites of passage. The planning for this ceremony itself takes two months. In the 1880s, the british took control of the palm oil plantations at the mouth of the niger river and created the colony of nigeria by combining the territories of a number of local kingdoms and chiefdoms. Most boys undertake circumcision after completing primary school, as they wait to join high school. I applied for the position and two weeks later i recived an invitation for an interview. They were basic cultural fundamentals of their life. Thats why the young girls perform this ritual, to sever the ties with the spirits. These rites of passages are quite unique and interesting to.
Modern american culture does not have any initiations into adulthood. Recommended books of related native american legends yonder mountain. These rites were very important in the life of the gikuyu especially in indigenous education. This displayed that every ritual and ceremony is an ideal part in igbo culture as well as aiding in perserving this cuture. A woman becomes part of her husbands family after marriage. Fascinating rites of passage from around the world becoming an adult is a very important transition in an individuals lifetime. Girls between the ages 14 and 16 live in fattening rooms and receive the richest foods available to the tribe. 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. African american rites of passage summer academy updated information for 2020 will be available soon, please check back.
Fulani rituals and the seven characteristics sahlas stories. Hausa is the biggest tribe in nigeria they are the major inhabitants of about 10 states in nigeria which includes. Among the okrika tribe of the ijaw people, when a girl is about 17 years old. The tribes are described in separate chapters, each of which divides into the same five headings covering tribal origins, history. Childrens book based on a story by a cherokee elder about a mountaintop rite of passage.
Iria ritual the okrika tribe of nigeria believe that girls form romantic relationships with water spirits and. While most of these rites of passage share a great deal of resemblance and tradition, the style of celebration varies according to ones ethnic group. Nigerians introduction, location, language, folklore. First, the boys must give away everything that they own.
The following is a nonexhaustive list of ethnic groups in nigeria kamwe adamawa state and borno state republic of cameroon. Many cultures around the world honor this passage with various different ceremonies and rituals. Moreover, the rite of passage of the african culture rites is another that i find quite interesting from childhood to adulthood. One of the more pleasant initiations into womanhood is as rite performed by the african okrika tribe. I have learned a lot and seriously recommend that everyone read it. The word akyum is used to describe a group of three states. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. 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. Although african rites of passage appear similar, there is notable difference in the style of celebration. Rites of passage in the magnificent wonder that is life there is a beginning. The gikuyu rites of passage are here given the foregoing meaning the life crisis rites. A rite is a ceremonial act that can be connected with religion, heritage, culture, andor a custom. The okrika tribe of nigeria believe that the young women of the tribe form romantic relationships with water spirits during their childhood. Music for body and spirit meditation music recommended for you.
African societies are known for marking the different transitions of a persons life cycle with different ritual or rites of passage. Hipple in 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. 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. Would i like a different rite of passage i like our so could rites of passage were you just celebrate your sixteenth birthday. The sign systems of traditional customs and rituals, including the rites of passage, ensure transmission of cultural values and information between and within generations. We examine rites of passage in japanese traditional culture from the perspective of semiotic method. Here again the writer made mention of the various ceremonies which accompany puberty and its significance in african traditional religion. The iria is a rite performed by the females of the african okrika tribe. Ghanaians introduction, location, language, folklore. Though the process is quite frequently rebuked at, it is an ancient tradition in nigeria for women to perform a enduring ritual. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel.
They asked me to come in for the first portion which was the interview and then request i come back within 3 days to shadow. Orita meaning crossroads prepares participants for adulthood by teaching life management skills in the context of african heritage and biblical principles. In this culture, the men are conditioned to have a preference for round, fat, overweight women which in their eyes is the epitome of beauty and symbol of desire. In nigeria, most of these rites are typically celebrated through music, dance and ceremony.
Their rite of passage, called the okipa ceremony, basically came about when a bunch of them sat down to brainstorm the most horrible things that they could possibly do to a person. Nigeria a pregnant woman can eat any food she likes except on the advice of elders, midwives, nurses or doctors. 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 main idea the author was trying to convey were the different rites of passages in the tribe. Okrika in the orika tribe a special rite called iria, is a process for young women to become mature for possible marriage. Hausa is a second language for more ghanaians, but can be used to communicate with people from other groups. Native american stories about rites of passage native languages. On average, it will take you less than 3 minutes to read.
Sure there are some religious affiliated ceremonies like a barbat mitzvah, or getting confirmed, but as a society we dont have a common ritual to mark this moment. We are going to take a look into the different worlds that we all live in. Moreover the rite of passage of the african culture rites. Modern rites of passage tend to come closer to how modern text books define adolescence. 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.
Ojibwe legends about a boys rite of passage that goes tragically wrong. Their rite of passage ceremony is similar for girls and for boys, ages 14 to 16, though the genders are. Unique ways different african cultures celebrate rites of passage. This book is a guide for parents seeking to design a rites of passage program for their adolescent youth and for parents considering such a program. The ways of the tribe explores the indigenous tribes in the area and draws from them a cornucopia of african traditions, philosophies and humour in a manner that calls for a renaissance of african identity. I interviewed at rite of passage denver, co in february 2017. Interesting rites of passage in nigeria the guardian. The okieks of kenya for instance, initiate the adolescent girls and boys at the age of 1416 years of age, after which the boys and girls are deemed to be adults gennep, a 2007.
Sep 17, 2017 we hope to answer any question you might have about nigeria tribes here. In the fulani tribe they have very intriguing rituals to display the transition from childhood to adulthood in the fulani tribe, boys have to endure a great deal of pain to be. Adventist youth honors answer bookarts and craftsafrica lore. A member of the igbo tribe of nigeria who became a nun and trained as an. The abovementioned rites of passage are not the way things are done traditionally in nigeria but in order for people who were not born into and raised in the tradition, it was felt the above rites would assist in the development of understanding ifa and the lifestyle that goes with it. The 5 most terrifying rites of passage from around the world photo 18, 2015. Most of the time, the end comes far too soon, as i know all too well. At his or her naming ceremony a child becomes a member of the community. In okrika, young maidens undergoing the iria ceremony are fed temburu during their stay in the fattening room. Sep 20, 2017 among the igbo people of southeastern nigeria, death is traditionally a highly ritualized event filled with deep mourning. The town can be reached by vessels of a draft of 29 feet 9 metres or less. Weddings are usually followed by a trip in a special black limousine marked with two large interlinked rings on the top to pay respect and leave flowers at a local memorial.
These rites of passages are quite unique and interesting to know, and they are a crucial aspect of the culture of africans. In researching on this topic, i have discovered the important role rites of passage play for youth around the world, and i. It was through these rites that an individual was ushered into the. The territory that is now nigeria has witnessed the rise and decline of many different kingdoms and empires since ad 600. Dec 28, 2016 increase brain power, focus music, reduce anxiety, binaural and isochronic beats duration. Semiotics is a study of signs, symbols and significations. Which genital mutilation circumcision and circumcision of the boys is. A rite of passage, however, is a ceremony or event that marks a coming of age transition or milestone. In societies around the world, collective rites of passage have been seen as ways to initiate young people into adult life. Jul 30, 2015 below is a detailed focus on the ten kenyan tribes that shelter the most obscure and bonechilling rites of passages. Then, on the day of the ceremony, the boys shave their heads and paint their faces with white chalk.
Completion of high school or university are important moments that mark the passage into adulthood. These rites may be similar to one or more tribes, bearing a different name somewhere else and having a. The traditional burial rites involve not one, but two funerals whose main. Adibe emenyonu writes on the rites of passage of omo noba nedo uku akpolokpolo, oba erediauwa of benin kingdom, who recently joined his ancestors nigeria. African american rites of passage multicultural center. Adventist youth honors answer bookarts and craftsafrica. 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. Owing to their value and strategic importance in the people s mentality and culture, this work proposes the igbo rites of passage. By abel crespo, emily duque and diana zuhlsdorf coming of age is something that is universal, but what is one communities idea of the celebration of feminism is anothers idea of gender discrimination. Rites of passage in adolescence by delaney, cassandra. Okrika is a port town in rivers state, nigeria, capital of the local government area of the same name. A fattening room delicacy in okrika connect nigeria.
The iria ceremony is an annual event in okrika, a celebration of feminity. This ministry, locally overseen by five nondenominational churches in nairobi, has developed the rites of passage experiences ropes program, which is rapidly being adopted by churches in the region. They sing by the river for days until a man from their tribe rescues them. Formerly a small fishing village of the ijo ijaw people in the mangrove swamps of the eastern niger river delta, okrika became the. Recapturing rites of passage from a christian perspective in kenya, the need for a context for such transitions has given rise to a ministry called tanari. Oct 12, 2017 african societies are known for marking the different transitions of a persons life cycle with different ritual or rites of passage. There is the miracle of birth the start of something special. 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. 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. 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. They are taught by the elderly women of the tribe to sing the traditional iria songs. In senegal, bassari boys undergoing the kore rite are taken into a sacred forest where they experience. Recent statistics has shown that there is over 500 different tribes in nigeria. The 5 most terrifying rites of passage from around the.
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. It lies on the north bank of the bonny river and on okrika island, 35 miles 56 km upstream from the bight of benin. 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. Jul 02, 2006 professor peter mtuze, of south africas rhodes university, said it was a relatively new problem but that the rites themselves had been central to the passage from boyhood to manhood for generations. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. Burial rites of the igbo culture burial rites, african. If you are not circumcised you are just not accepted as a fully fledged member of adult society, he said. Entrance into military service was also revered in the same way. Rites of passage in adolescence are a crosscultural phenomenon. The changing concept of adolescence in kenya ginsberg. We have no rites of passage to prepare our youth for the transition of becoming a manwoman.
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