IGWEKALA MASQUERADE FESTIVAL

  It has become a tradition and culture for almost if not all villages around the world to have a festival at least once in a year. In Italy, once in every year, festivities are held in every village. Our focus today is the Igwekala masquerade festival.

From Obowalla, Emekuku in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo state, Igwekala masquerade festival. Igwekala is a name of a masquerade that appears once in every four years. Although, other smaller once come out every December.

In Obowella, Igwekala is regarded as the biggest masquerade. A compulsory selection is usually made by the kindred. The selection consist of older men of atleast 40 years or above. They are the coordinators.

The specified day for this festival is the Nkwo market. The people believe that the Igwekala is associated with the gods of the land so preparations are made at length. One common trend is that most of this masquerades come out during the Christmas and new year periods.

ELDER'S CORNER

Hello everyone, I bring to you some proverbs from the elder's corner. These are a few proverbs from the northern part of our beloved country.

Rua ba su yami banza

 Water does not get bitter without a cause. There is reason for everything

Ansan baki yana da j'an myo

It is well known that the mouth has red spittle(or that it looks red in the mouth), still white comes out. Though spittle in the mouth looks red, still when it comes out it is white. So, though you are hot with anger, let it come out cool. I know you are angry, still forgive him.

 Ba afafi giandumma ranan taffia

 The day of starting is not the time to prepare the giandumma. Giandumma, calabash with a narrow neck, which all carriers use for water on a march. Ffewa, hollowing out the pith from the inside of the giandumma. Don't leave a thing till the last minute.

 Later guys!

SALLAH CELEBRATION IN BAUCHI STATE

 Geographically, Bauchi State is located in the

northeastern part of Nigeria. The capital is Bauchi. The vegetation is mainly

savannah, with intermittent scrubs dotted here and there. The highlands are mainly

rocky and grassy with large expanse of lowland, which stretches for miles on end.

There are numerous streams and few rivers here and there which serve as fishing

grounds for the population. The people of Bauchi are mainly farmers, fishermen,

and crafts men. The language spoken is Hausa and the religion practised is Islam,

of which the people adhere strictly to the Islamic laws. So, it is worthy of note that

the people of Bauchi being core Islamic faithfuls celebrate ‘Sallah’ festivals.

“Sallah” festivals are of two types – the one during the fasting period (after the holy month of Ramadan) and the non- fasting period. During the celebration of the one before the fasting period which isknown as “Id el Fitri” the Chief Iman gives the go ahead after sighting the moon.

Immediately the moon is sighted, the fasting period starts, and this lasts for 29 days or if the moon is not sighted after, 30 days. In Bauchi, the inhabitants observe this period as a period of holiness and prayers are offered five times in a day. Fasting starts from 6:00am and ends 6:00pm daily.

This is observed strictly by all the inhabitants. Children and pregnant women as

well as older inhabitants are allowed to fast from 6:00am to 1:00pm as the case

may be. At the end of the 30 days fasting, all the inhabitants converge at

designated prayer grounds to offer prayers to Allah for a peaceful year and and a

year of progress.

In case of ‘Id el Kabir’ it is observed without fasting and this is celebrated as a

mark of respect for the climbing of mount Arafat in Mecca and to welcome back

home those pilgrims who went to Mecca to perform the ‘Hajj’. Happy sallah to you all.

OFE OWERRI SOUP

  Hello everyone, I just stumbled upon this wonderful soup. It is called Ofe Owerri soup. This soup is a delicacy from the Igbo people of Imo state. Let's begin;

Ingredients
Ugwu leaves
Uziza leaves
Meat/Chicken
Smoked Fish
Stock Fish
Ogiri
Crayfish
Cocoyam
Dry pepper (ground)
Palm Oil
Water
Salt

Quantities
2 medium bunches
1 medium bunch
8 medium pieces
1 medium size
4 medium pieces
1 wrap
1 bunch
2 tablespoon
1 tablespoon
1 cooking spoon
2 litres
to taste

Start by soaking your stockfish for around an hour. After that peel and cook your cocoyam until it is very soft; then pound it in a mortar until the paste comes out smooth.

Wash the meat or chicken very well before putting it in a pot; season it to your taste, add a little water and cook till soft and edible. Soak your smoked fish and add salt to kill any form of bacteria.When you have confirmed that your meat is done, you can add your stockfish and smoked fish and leave to cook for 4 minutes. Then you can add pepper, crayfish and palm oil.After about 2 minutes, add cocoyam in bits and leave to dissolve. Put shredded uziza and ugwu leaves, Ogiri and salt to taste, stir and then leave to simmer for about 5 minutes.

Bring down your pot of nutritious Ofe Owerri because it is ready for consumption. Sweet!

ELDER'S CORNER

    Well, I just thought of this and wanted it to be in effect as soon as possible. Elder's corner will be a series of articles that will be published almost daily. This will mainly be based on proverbs by elders from all over Nigeria. I welcome you to wisdom! We kick off with an Igbo proverb;

A cow without a tail, nature wades off flies for it. It is a general statement meaning when one is

suffering from difficulty or being persecuted and he is handicapped to defend himself, God will wade off those situations for him one way or the other.

   Hot soup is not sipped in a hurry. As always, this saying says it all about step by step procedures. It explains the fact that volatile situations should be handled with care.

IFA FESTIVAL

   In the south western part of Nigeria are the Yoruba people. Today, I bring you a little compilation of a popular festival among them called the Ifa festival. This is a festival observed by the idol worshippers in the land. Remember the town crier? Lol. A drum ( I think the talking drum) is used to summon the priests that are loyal to Ifa. Like many other traditions, the festival starts on a market day. Pounded yam and egusi soup are sprinkled on the oracle house.

The dress color of the priests is white. These priests dance and recite incantations all through the town with drumming in place.

The duration of the festival is a whole week each day used for checking the progress of their faithfuls. For those that want to know what is in store for them, they get to know that on the 5^th day. This ceremony is known as “Ibo”. Also, the person who sees bad in his/her future is told of rituals that needs to be done to avert the problem. On the last day, faithfuls gather at the shrine to discuss matters facing their members. Disciplinary action is also taken against those that have commited an offence. Singing and dancing as they move throughtthe village. Hmmm, tell me what you think.   

A FOLKLORE FROM OSUN STATE.

One day the tortoise decided to take a stroll after having a cool drink of palm wine.
As he walked along a narrow track road, he came face-to-face with the elephant.
“Out of my way! You puny little ant!” the elephant said.
“Ajanaku, address me with my due respect. Your pompous nature has gone into
your head” said the tortoise.
“Humph! Said Ajanaku, the elephant and stamped his great foot on the ground
with a loud thud.
“Don’t you know I’m the strongest animal in the whole kingdom?
Respect my foot” said Ajanaku.
“A very fat animal yes, but are you the strongest? I doubt that very much” said the
tortoise. With that the elephant uprooted a big tree and threw it far. “Do you still
doubt my strength or do I have to tear the whole forest for you to see? He asked.
“No, not that, that will only display brawns and not brains. I hereby challenge you
to a tug of war by noon tomorrow. Call every one you know to witness your
defeat. If you can pull me the little hill beside the river, then you are indeed as
powerful as you claim to be”.
“I accept,” boomed the elephant “I will not only pull you down, I will hurl you a
hundred miles!” He proclaimed as he walked away.
Now, the tortoise started thinking “oh my! What have I gotten myself into? My
big mouth and me! How do I hope to win a tug of war with Ajanaku? I must have taken too much palmwine and it started to make me run my mouth!” I better drink
some water to clear my head before I run into more trouble.” So the tortoise
stopped by the river side to get a cool drink to clear his head. Suddenly, a loud
splash and all the water turned muddy “who is that misbred nuisance” can’t you
see I’m trying to take a drink? The tortoise shouted.
“Ha! Ha!! Ha!!! Bald old tortoise! Can’t you see I’m trying to take a swim? It is I,
Erinokun the hippopotamus I own part of the river. So, I have all the right!” The
hippo said.
“Will you stop splashing about you big-for-nothing buffon before I get mad at
you!” the tortoise said.
“Ha! Ha!! You will have to drag me out for that and as you can see, that is
impossibility!”
Now an idea clicked in tortoise’s mind and he said, okay then tomorrow by noon, I
will come with a rope and I will drag you and if I don’t then, I owe you an

apology.

 I will be waiting but mind you, no hippo had ever been dragged out of the river, I

would rather drag you in!. Erinokun said as it swam on.

The next day, the tortoise got two very strong ropes and waited for Ajanaku just

down the little hill by the river-side Ajanaku came strolling down amidst cheers

from other animals who had gathered to watch.

The tortoise gave Ajanaku one end of a rope and told him I will go over on hill

with the other end and if you hear ‘pull’ you better pull with all your might or

else!.

“Or else what? You pull me up? Insult! Give me the rope and when you are ready

tell me”.

The tortoise now went over the hill the other side and called out to hippo

“Erinokun, I’m ready for the challenge Erinokun raised his head from the water

and caught the rope the tortoise threw at him with his mouth. I will go on top of

the hill and when I shout ‘pull’ you can pull me down the hill”.

So, the tortoise went up the hill this time and tied the two ropes together, he hid

behind a rock and shouted ‘PULL!!’.

The two beasts heard him and start pulling. At first they only gave the rope a little

tug, then when they knew it wouldn’t budge, they gave a little heave. When that

didn’t work, they started pulling and even tried walking backwards. In no time,

Ajanaku the elephant started sweating while Erinokun, the hippo, was snorting.

They both exerted themselves while the tortoise was eating kolanuts behind the

rock he was hiding. They pulled and pulled. After a long time, the elephant gave

up his pride and said “Enough!” he threw down the rope and stomped away in

disgrace, the tortoise now went to the hippo and said “Oh! I see I can’t pull you

out of the water so from now on I will take my drink down the river”.

“No! no, tortoise you,ve earned my respect I now see you are a strong one and I

apologize for my rudeness. You have the freedom to drink from here whenever

you please my friend.”

So the tortoise walked away feeling ten times taller and he said to himself “Really

there is strength in wisdom!.”

ELDERS AND WISE SAYINGS

   The words of an elder are words of wisdom. Yes, I've got a thing or two that I would like to share with you my dear readers. These are words from our own elders, Igboland to be precise.

You go around a pepper plant to pluck its fruits, it can't be climbed. It is mostly directed to matured minds meaning: You go around an issue to find a solution. You don't jump into conclusions

An elder will not be in the house and a goat tied to a peg gives birth. It is a general statement meaning- An elder will not be around and play deaf-ears to a problem. Or an elder will not be around to see injustice and abnormalities without taking action.

For more of this, follow @culturenaija on twitter,you can also like our page on facebook. Simply search culturenaija. CULTURENAIJA, PROUDLY NAIJA!  

DAMASK AS A HEAD TIE

   A peacock is one of the most adorned creatures on our planet earth. Not for its strength or pace but for its beauty as a result of a combination of so many wonderful colours. What makes a lady stand out in an occasion? If you said outfit then I will agree with you but if you were to be more precise...her damask!

Last week, I wrote a short article on the Yoruba traditional marriage where I emphasized on their colourful ceremonies and festivities (here). Guess what, they are at it again,lol. The damask as we all know can be said to be a type of head tie made from a fabric known as damask. Outside Africa, near Damascus, Syria to be precise, damask is said to be a weaving style or technique that originated in the early middle ages.

In Nigeria, the usage of damask not only as a head tie but also tied around the waist (by women) can be seen across the country. However, good things cost more they say. The price of this piece of beauty is quite high although it varies depending on its quality. Wear a damask today, look like a true Nigerian that you are, proudly Naija!  

YORUBA NAMES AND MEANIGS

  Language is used in communicating and sharing ideas within two or more people. The importance of language can be noticed so much that without language life would not be the same. Have you ever thought of yourself without a name? How would you be addressed? Lol, crazy world that would be.

In Africa, names have been connected with a childs future especially the traditional names. Some people give names according to the situation of the family when the child was born. Today, it has become a part of us. Below are a list of names and their meanings from the Yoruba speaking states of our beloved Nigeria;

• Oluwatobi – God is great
• Oluwasegun – God conquers
• Ikudaisi – Death preserves this person
• Ogundele – Ogun has come back home
• Ogunleke – Ogun has triumphed
• Ibukun – Blessing
• Oyatomi – Oya is enough for me
• Ifafumilayo – Ifa has given me joy
• Fatogunlola – Ifa is enough to give wealth
• Oyabunmi – Oya's gift
• Osunbunmi – Osun's gift
• Omoponle – Child honours me
• Adegbesan – The crown revenges
• Anikulapo – he who has death in his pouch
• Olamide – My wealth has come

There are many other names with unique and captivating meanings. One interesting fact is that most of these names can be given to both a male and female child. Great people, proudly Naija!  

TOWN CRIER

   Imagine a life with the absence of mobile phones and computers, a time when wireless and wired means of communication is absent. A time of town criers. Most of us would argue that it is impossible to exist in such a time probably because we are born and bred in an era of great technological advancement and mobile communication techniques.

I would describe a town crier as a traditional announcer of news, laws, decisions and many other matters of the village or community to its people. Personally, I still believe that they exist in some parts of the country. Hopefully I will found one and get you all a live video. That's that.

Different names are given to the town crier depending on the ethnic group. The Yorubas call him gbohungbonhu, Igbos call him Otiekwe while the Hausa use the word Sankira. Regardless of the name and ethnic group, the town criers serves as a message disseminator to the community.

In terms of efficiency, history shows that the town crier is very efficient in message delivery because; he knows his culture, his messages are taken to be credible and respected, his method of information(gong,elephant tusk) draws a lot of attention and he expresses his culture not only to match but also to fit the standard of the community.

According to my findings, the town crier does a free job as a news carrier. Also, the post is transferred from father to son in form of inheritance. Hehehe, what if you are supposed to be the next town crier in your community, would you do it in this present age of ours? Let me know what you think.   

sorry I havn't given you anything today, I'm working on something really cool. thanks for your understanding.

KOLA NUT AND OUR CULTURE

    From the tropical rain-forests of Africa. I bring you Kola nut, a fruit of kola tree. Kola nut is a caffeine containing nut of evergreen trees of the genus cola, primarily the species cola acuminata and cola nitida.

“He who brings kola brings life” these are the words of many elders during their meetings in the eastern part of Nigeria. In terms of taste, Kola nut is not very sweet rather it has a bittersweet taste and so are its significance and variance in our different and wonderful cultures.

The Hausa-Fulani of Nigeria treat and respect the usage of kolanut which they refer to as “gworo”. Since kolanut contains caffeine, it is used by most people to stop sleep or better still regulate their sleeping time to suite themselves. In Yoruba religion, kola nut is the favourite food of Ifa, the divination deity. Kola nut (Obi abata) in Yoruba land is treated with prestige probably because of its status as the favourite food of Ifa.

In Nigeria, almost if not all the groups have several uses for kolanuts especially during meetings by elders and during ceremonies. According to a book by Dr. M.O. Ene titled kola nut: food of the gods, “the Igbos hold the kola nut sacred, offering it at every gathering and to any visitor as a blessing, as refreshment or to seal a covenant. The prayers that precede the breaking and sharing of the nut are 'he who brings kola brings life'. This is the kola nut. This is the star. This is life. This star is us”.

Studies have shown that chewing kola nut can ease hunger pangs. Medically, it is also used to treat asthma and whooping cough because the caffeine present acts as a bronchodilator expanding the bronchial air passages. A notable disadvantage of chewing kola nut is that it changes the color of the teeth after continuous chewing for a long time, most likely years.

I leave you with this saying, “he who chews and swallows the kola in a huff hearkens to the call of his ancestors”. Dear reader, how often do you chew kola nut?