There is time for everything, a time to be born and a time to die, and for every time that passes, the Igbos mark it with one ceremony or more. From conception, when a child is only but a fetus through the different stages of life till death, the Igbos mark every milestone. These markings or ceremonies are the Igbo rites of passage.
Rites of Passage has an unmistakable place in the life and culture of Igbo people, there is a compulsory procedure leading up to every transition in the life cycle of an individual. Rites of passage are not peculiar to just the Igbo people, it is represented across cultures.
The Igbos believe in the beauty and sacredness of life, hence, every transformation is celebrated right from birth, puberty, adulthood, marriage, retirement, and death.
A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage that occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society, it is a metaphorical stripping away of old self for a new one. These rites of passage form a large percentage of our identities and who we are, here is everything you need to know about the Igbo rite of passage.
Igbo Rites Of Passage As a Foundation of Identity
The Igbo rite of passage acts as a guideline for transitioning from one stage of life to the next as well as a measuring tool to evaluate one’s values and maturation against a collective community standard. The passing of each hierarchy in the rites of passage helps in the personal development of the individuals.
The Birth Rite
The birth of a child is the beginning of a new life cycle, it is marked with celebrations and thanksgiving. Offerings are made to the gods for the blessing of a child and to ensure a healthy and long life. The highlight of the birth rite is the Naming Ceremony.
The naming ceremony is a big occasion for feasting and drinking. It takes place from the seventh or eighth day after the birth of the child, the baby is officially given a name on this day.
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It is important to note that Igbos give names based on situations surrounding the pregnancy or birth of the child, reincarnation, etc. a long list of names might be chosen depending on the family.
The name-giving ceremony is marked by adulations and blessings showered on the child by friends and relatives. Sometimes, these relatives give their own names too. This occasion marks the first official welcoming of the child to the community.
Another integral part of the Igbo birth rite is Circumcision. It takes place exactly eight days after the birth of a boy child, the foreskin is removed from the baby’s penis.
After the birth rite passage, the baby is fully inserted into the affairs of the community. The next rite takes the child into adulthood.
Puberty/Adulthood Rites
These rites guide the children systematically into the world of responsibilities and consequences. Across Igbo land, the rites of passage into adulthood varies for male and female.
The puberty rites for females involve preparing them for marriage and childbirth. The most common practice is likened to the fattening room of the Ibibio/Anangs, known as Iru Mgbede/Ima Ogodo/Nkpu among the Igbos.
Iru Mgbede is a female rite of passage in Igbo land. It is the seclusion of girls who have attained puberty in a room. During this period the girls are treated as the Queen of England, they are waited on hands and feet. They are purposely well-feed, pampered, and beautified to attain a round figure deemed attractive for suitors. The girls are taken care of by older women who also prepare them for marriage and childbirth.
The girls are separated from the rest of the world, they are forbidden from going out during the day to avoid the harsh sunlight and eyes of people. At night, they are allowed to come mostly to the village square to learn dances and songs, life lessons, and practice women’s roles and status.
During the day, they beautify themselves with calm wood dye, taking turns to make each other’s hair whilst filling themselves with all sorts of food.
The Iru Mgbede period typically varies from community to community ranging from three to six months. At the end of the period, the girls assemble at the village square, there they parade themselves at the admiration of their people and potential suitors. They are showered with gifts from friends, relatives, and loved ones. After the ceremony, they return to their normal lives, awaiting marriage.
For the boys, the rites of passage take a different form. Every rite they pass through is one that is meant to make them strong, fearless, and brave in other to suit their role as future fathers and family protectors.
It takes the form of initiations into groups like the age-grades, secret societies, and masquerade cults. During the initiations, they are taken through arduous ordeals and tasks. Coming-of-age ceremonies are held to mark their full initiation, one of the popular ceremonies is IWA AKWA.
Iwa Akwa is mostly celebrated amongst the people of Imo State and some parts of Enugu State. After the boy has joined an age grade and met all the requirements, he must then buy a high-quality George wrapper. The Iwa Akwa festival is a two-day event, on the first day the new initiates ran menial errands for their elders in the age-grade. Errands like fetching water, washing clothes, and cleaning shoes, this is to instill obedience to the elders who are considered eyes of the ancestors.
On the second/last day of the festival, the wrapper is laid out in front of their family compound where is blessed by elders or a priest of the family choice. The boys then tie the wrapper followed by a fanfare procession through the village announcing his entrance into adulthood.
The wrapper signifies coverage, it is seen that he was nothing but a naked child but with the Iwa Akwa rite, he is a man that is fully clothed and capable of taking responsibility.
Marriage Rite
After the child is fully initiated as an adult, the next thing expected of him is starting off his own family. In the Igbo culture, one is not fully considered an adult till s/he has a family of their own, this is because Igbos believe in family and community building as a core part of society.
The Igbo marriage rite is one that is elaborate and extensive, it can take months/years to complete depending on individual capacity or family.
Eldership/Retirement Rite
This is one of the major rites of passage in Igboland. It is a rite of passage to formally notify the society that one has attained the older citizen title, hence, roles requiring the agility of youths should not be given to them. They are also relieved of strenuous tasks and taxes.
It is at this time that titles are conferred on the most deserving of them.
Burial Rites
Death in old age is considered a blessing in Igboland. The burial rite is seen as the most important rite of passage in the Igbo culture as they believe that death is not final but a transition to another world and that the spirit of the deceased hovers protectively within the community.
Burial rites are performed to ensure a peaceful transition into the world of our ancestors. The burial of a titled/prestigious man differs in so many ways from that of a regular man as they go on to become revered and respected ancestors. They are called upon to intercede between the gods.
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It is believed that if a burial rite is not properly carried out that the spirit of the dead comes back to haunt the living and will never find rest in the world beyond.
There are several burial rites across Igboland one of them includes the ritual of “Okwukwu” It is the final rite of passage for the deceased especially a man.
The Okwukwu ceremony involves the direct descendants of the deceased and kinsmen. It is an extensive traditional ceremony, here the people showcase every belief they have concerning the world and the spiritual side. At this time, the dead person is taken through rituals meant to empower him physically and spiritually for his journey yonder.
A dog is killed on the Eke day preceding the Orie market day of the main Okwukwu ceremony, it symbolizes the Igbo belief in reincarnation. The beheading of the dog with one single blow with a cutlass is so the deceased comes back fearless, brave, and strong.
The day of the Okwukwu ceremony is marked by the Itu Aka ritual and the playing of the Eshe traditional music. The Eshe music dance is poetic like music that carries the tempo of the event during the Itu Aka ritual. Itu Aka is a dramatic exhibition of the life of the deceased performed by the son.
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