Oraukwu: Igu Aro, Iro Mmuo, Iwa Ji, et al

(Oraukwu.comOraukwu.com)--Ofala (Igu Aro)

The word "Ofala", as one of those non-indigenous Igbo words, probably Igala derivatives, but more precisely origin unknown, would best be defined as a Royal outing involving communal celebrations, in a carefully planned program wrapped in a grandeur and outpouring of respect, revelry and as established by custom and sponsored by the with the benefit of hindsight, it is easy and safe to say that Ofala festival represents the apotheosis of Eze, Igwe or Obi in Igbo land. The event is used to celebrate in royal fashion the reign of the Igwe unprecedented for its length, its glory, its prosperity and let it be added, its goodness and peaceful tenure.

In Oraukwu, it is not the practice of the Igwe to take on this royal event annually as it is in the tradition and practice of some other royal fathers to take on the event yearly. An example of such towns is Onitsha. In fact, all the traditional rulers of Oraukwu starting from Igwe Abor 1 celebrated the Ofala festival only twice in the course of their reign - after coronation and before their funeral ceremonies. In other words, an Igwe cannot be pronounced to be dead until after his last Ofala. His first son stands in for him during the last Of ala and the funeral ceremony follows thereafter. The last Ofala therefore signifies the vacancy of the throne.

The Ofala festival is traditionally a two day event. It is usually kick started with twenty-one (21) canon gun salute (Mkponana) which is followed by all night "Ufie" music and other cultural troupes. By 12.00 noon of the second day, gaily dressed individuals and groups from Oraukwu and beyond begin to take their places in preparation for the commencement of the event amidst a medley or the drumming and musical rendition from cultural troupes and entertainers.

The sight of the crowd, events and compliments from the audience, the glory of it, the knowledge of its true meaning, all these usually evoke enthusiasm devoted principally to the Igwe. And once the arriving 'College of Cardinals' (red- cap Chiefs) had taken their assigned seats, and then the stage is set for the appearance of Igwe himself. This he does in grand style in consonance with tradition. The Igwe emerges like the rising sun, resplendent in white-bothered gold and black robes. He accepts with no ordinary pleasure, but with demonstrative delight, the tributes of eager loyalty which are usually shared from every side.

As His Royal Highness makes his way around the arena the cabinet and Council- In-Chiefs form an escort around him, together with the members of his age Grade. He forms a spectacular picture in his elaborated ceremonial regalia with its intrinsic designs complemented by royal beads, brass and ivory anklets and brass staff of authority. More eye-catching is the head gear which is elaborately decorated with a profusion of very expensive feathers of rare birds and little mirrors. Thus attired, he dances and sways with the elegant and royal praise in tune with the rhythmic throbs of drums and other local musical instruments.

The vast concourse of people, enthusiastically loudly hailing him and screaming Igwe! Igwe!! Igwe!!! Igwe I ga adi 0 (you will live long on the throne) rents the air. The Igwe acknowledges their homage by touching their backs with the royal fly whisk. The Igwe retreats backin his palace and the people of Oraukwu and even people from other lands starts trooping into his palace to pay homage to him with gifts of different kinds. During the first Ofala festival of HRH Igwe Emeka Ogbunude, the Ikemba Nnewi Chief Chukwuemeka Ojukwu paid him homage with a live cow draped with 'Abada'.

ODUNKE

According to JJC Akunne, Odunke, Odunke is one of the greatest feasts in Oraukwu in the olden days. Its special purpose is only to show one's wealth. It is an indication of how wealthy a particular age grade or association is. It can be done either by male or female fold.

Odunke usually lasts for four days. When a particular age grade or association wants to celebrate Odunke (Igba Odunke), they will come to the major market day; each person will hold a full limb (otu oru anu) of either a goat or any of such animals. They will dance round the market and inform the people that they will eat Odunke festival on such and such a day. By this time, all the people to be invited must have been informed, such as the in-laws, friends and well-wishers. If it will be hosted by the female fold, it will be called Odunke Mvomvo, and will be held at Mvomvo. Mvomvo is a female god.

After the market dancing on the first day, the celebrants will move from the market to the appropriate shrine square where they will announce to the general public their actual feasting day. On the D-day, the celebrants will kill many goats. Those who have the capacity for cows can kill cows. This celebration is not done in honour of any god or idol but only to show how wealthy a particular age grade or association is. That it is called either Odunke Idemobi or Mvomvo is because they are the squares that can contain people. Those women do theirs at Mvomvo and men at Idemobi should not be removed far from the fact that Mvomvo is the wife- god ofIdemobi who in turn is the husband- god ofMvomvo.

Those invited to the celebration must go home with food, meat, and drinks after feeding sumptuously at the host's house. Four days after the feast will be an Odunke market day. That is the day when all those who hosted the great Odunke will come and dance to their satisfaction with their wives or husbands as the case may be; in-laws and well-wishers. It is called IZU- AHIA ODUNKE (to go to Odunke's market). It is a period to show that one has got the money.

The cost of hosting Odunke is so large that it is done once every three years. It is important to state that this cultural festival is long dead in Oraukwu. It behoves on the traditional rulers to revive it with some modifications. It has nothing to do with any heathen practice as some misguided and fanatical Christian movement are wont to think.  

IRO MMUO

Iro mmuo is a feast kept aside for the remembrance of our dead parents. Married men and women were those that celebrate this feast. Also a person who lost his or her father or mother before marriage can perform the feast.

The feast is done by way of killing of cows for one's grandpa and grandma and parents who are dead. It is widely believed that if for one reason or the other, one fails to remember one's dead parents on that Iro mmuo day and eats the meat which another person used for remembering his parents, the person will die instantly. Thus if one has no money for the celebration, he simply keeps away from the feast to avoid the anger of his dead. This shows that the dead have power over them.

The feast day is done only on Eke market day. On the appointed day, at noon, everybody will start killing what he or she had for the feast. The feathers of the fowl are scattered along the road leading to each compound that is celebrating the feast. Women send their own fowls according to the number of their dead's to their elder brother in their father's compound. The men do theirs in their own compound.

One fowl is to be killed in the Obi (the major building within the compound) for one's dead father, another fowl killed in Mkpuke (the woman's house within the family) and another fowl will be killed for the 'ALA' (ground of one's compound). This is to thank the land for providing and keeping domestic animals of the compound alive.

After this, many pieces of Ogirisi sticks will be cut. Each stick will be about six inches in length. They are called Okpesi: Half part of each stick will have its epidermis removed. Four of these Okpesi will be mounted in front of the "OBI" building. It is on them that one can kill in addition as many fowls as the number of dead's in their family he will like to remember. He will then take the remaining Okpesi and put them each to various palm trees inside and outside the compound.

During this great period of fowl killing, children participate fully. Due to the fact that fowls are many and mothers cannot afford to remove all the feathers themselves, children are invited to help in the process. That is why they cover the compound as well as the roads and squares during the feast.

The feasting proper commences on the following "Orie" day. "Akpu ncha" is a sine qua non food for the feast. Other items of food are fufu, yam, and rice and of course palm wine. If there are three men in a family, the two younger ones will send to the eldest their respects i.e. what he is entitled to as the eldest of the family. The respect comes in form of the pectoral part of a fowl, head, legs, anus and vertebral column of the fowls. This elder in turn will present his own respect to the oldest man within the Umunna. After this, each person returns to his family and feasting continues in earnest.

This eldest man in Umunna, after collecting all these from his people will bring out some of the meat and invite all that celebrated the Iro Mmuo festival within his Umunna and divide some of these meat among them. He will also provide wine and Akpu-ncha with which the meat will be eaten.

The women will go to their various families in the morning and collect the meat of the fowl which they gave to their elder brothers for remembering for them their dead parents. Some of the parts of the fowl will be retained by their brothers. Such parts include one pectoral part, cervical part, legs, head and anus. The rest of the remaining parts will be given back to the woman. With the ending of Orie day, the Iro Mmuo celebration is ended and people begin to go back to their various stations of work.

With the coming of Christianity, this festival has lost its relevance. However the feasts of ALL SAINTS AND ALL SOULS celebrated by the Catholic Church every first and second November have a lot in common with Iro Mmuo festival.

IWA JI

There are many accounts as there are old men in relation to the origin of yam and the new yam festival in Igboland. But perhaps, the most familiar of the stories about the origin of the rituals surrounding the eating of the new yam is the one that tells how when it was first brought into our communities, yam was an untested food item. In fear of the entire community dying from food poisoning, domestic animals, slaves and bonded men were forced to eat the yam first. Not until it was established as a safe food item, did the leaders of the community allow the generality of the public to partake of it.

Yam is the most uneconomical crop to cultivate. For one thing, there is usually one harvest a year. For another, cultivating yam is truly a man's job- "oru okorobia". Only the able bodied and persevering can successfully do it. Moreover, unlike the cassava, yam depends on its own tubers for propagation. This means that a substantial part of each harvest is earmarked for the next years planting. It is therefore a precious plant indeed, and if for any reason its harvest failed, the community will be doomed, as it were, to starvation. Stealing of yams especially already cultivated yam seedlings is an alu (abomination) in Igboland.

Prior to the colonial era, the tuber of yam and its barns was the yardstick for the measurement of wealth in Igbo land. People were given the title of "Ezeji" and "Diji" as a reward for their strength, resilience, courage and wealth. The people of Oraukwu had two yam festivals: Ikpo ji, and Iwa ji. In the days of yore, the people of Oraukwu had no such feast as Iwa ji. What was obtainable was Ikpo ji. This means official display of yams in the market place.

'Ikpo ji' in Oraukwu is the celebration of the selling for the first time in that year, new yams which were dug out from Oraukwu soil. Once this is done, it means that Oraukwu people can now go to their various farms and harvest their yams for either private use or for sale in the marketplace. What this implies is that yam cannot be brought into the market place until the ceremony is done.

It is the duty of the prestigious EYISI & OKPALA title society to perform this function. The head of this group, accompanied by other members, will take some yams dug out from Oraukwu soil in a long basket (Ukpa) to the market for the display of the yam in a selling position. The members of Oraukwu community present will price the yam. Once this is done, he collects the yam back into the Ukpa and goes home. The ceremony is a flag off of the sale of the new yams in Oraukwu markets.

Overtime, farmers who harvested extraordinary large yams were encouraged to display them in the market. The biggest yam is chosen and the farmer who cultivated it is given a price. There are also prices for the second and third positions relating to the bigness of the yams.

The 2012 Ikpo ji ceremony was very colourful with cultural dance displays and Masquerades. The villagers trooped out en masse to join the Eyisi group in the ceremony. The Eyisi group was led into the arena by the UGONKWELLE CULTURAL DANCE. Some farmers displayed their huge yams; a sign that Oraukwu's land is very fertile. Three of them received prices for their exceptional harvests. Chief Joseph Ilogu from Ezennaja came first, Emma Anekpo, also from Ezennaja went home with the second position while Onuorah Emma from Amaeze village clinched the third position.