“Ino Mgbede” or “Nwa-Mgbede” culture is a practice of putting away a young lady in a ‘special Mgbede care room for a period of time ranging from weeks to some months, to nurture, mentor and prepare her for imminent future quality married life; she is well cared for and beautified to be ready to parade and showcase her beauty publicly as part of her full traditional marriage rites. The practice has been part of an ancient Igbo traditional marriage arrangements for centuries, especially in Arochukwu. It is usually arranged for a young lady who is about to be given out in a traditional marriage to her already agreed and accepted husband. Some consider the practice as a cultural rites of passage to womanhood for some ‘about to marry’ young girls, whose parents could afford the cost. ‘Ino mgbede’ is regarded as an ancient culture mainly practiced by daughters of some wealthy people, who could finance the hugecost of performing elaborate ritesinvolved in it, in readiness for their daughters who are about to celebrate their traditional marriage wine carrying.
Some Igbo people call the culture of ‘Ino Mgbede’, “Iru Mgbede; some call it “Ino Nso”.Efik people call it “Nkugho”; the Ibibios call it “Mbopo”. They regard the practice as an ancient fattening room culture foryoung virgin ladies, to prepare them for responsible womanhood life. Being fat was viewed as a sign of prosperity, fertility and beauty for both the Efik and Ibibio women, even among some Igbo women. Their young girls are usually taken into a fattening room at puberty for some months to cater for them and to make them look robust and fat as a sign of fertility and beauty in readiness for their going into full traditional marriage ceremonies.
‘Ino Mgbede’, as part of Igbo traditional marriage rites, has gradually gone into extinction in many communities. But inArochukwu, Nwa-mgbede culture is still part of its traditional marriage arrangements, though it has extensively been reduced in scope and fine-tuned in practice to meet some changes in demands of a great people that always desire progress in life, and also in response to impacts dynamic human civilization has made on the life of their people. Aro people are known and respected for high value they place on their culture that matters to them. They don’t allow their beautiful culture to die. They constantly take critical looks at various aspects of their culture with a view to fine-tuning and promoting any of them they find beautiful and relevant to the needs of modern times. Any aspect of their culture they don’t consider needful, or relevant anymore is completely discarded.
In the olden days, every grown up girl was expected to remain a virgin until she was duly given out in a marriage to her accepted groom after various stages of traditional marriage rites had been completed. Any lady that failed to remain a virgin until her traditional marriage rites were concluded had committed an abomination; she was no longer qualified to enjoy “Ino Mgbede” rites, no matter how affluent and influential her parents might be. Every family was proud to celebrate every of their daughters who maintained her sexual purity till she was openly handed over to her husband in a traditional marriage. It was a thing of joy also for any young lady who had the opportunity to enjoy ‘Ino Mgbede’ as part of her traditional marriage rites. Indeed not every lady had the required qualities to enjoy ‘Ino Mgbede’ rites because many conditions were needed to be met before anyone could qualify for it. In those days, the minimum requirements that must be met before any young lady would be considered fit to enjoy the privilege of ‘Ino Mgbede’ included the following:
The girl must be of marriageable age and must have received a firm offer for marriage from a man her family has accepted. The young lady must be a virgin whose sexual purity is not in doubt. The family of the groom must have discussed the marriage proposal of their son with the family of the proposed ‘Nwa-mgbede’, or the bride, up to the stage of negotiating her bride price. Both families must have agreed on “Okwa Isii Aro” (currently, equivalent to twenty five Naira, twenty kobo only) as her traditional bride price. The young lady must not have been married before or been divorced earlier. Her family or that of the intended groom is wealthy enough to be able to afford the heavy financial cost involved in the elaborate activities and rites associated with “Ino Mgbede” practice. The two families must have also committed themselves to the project. The parents of both the bride and the groom are responsible citizens of their respective villages or communities. And none of them has ever been ostracized by their people.
The young innocent girl who is privileged to enjoy the ‘Ino Mgbede’ rites is usually put in a special Mgbede care room to be attendedto and catered for. She is called a special bride, ‘Nwa-mgbede’, as soon as she enters into her ‘Mgbede care room’. From that day, she is not allowed to do any work anymore, throughout the time she stays in her Mgbede care room. Usually, she has some few unmarried young pretty girls who may wish to visit her as often as they would wish; they would gothere to help keep her good company while in her ‘Mgbede care room’. They would share joyful stories with her, sing and play with her to make her relax and happy. The Nwa-mgbede may be assigned a lead attendant who must also be a virgin; or she may choose one for herself; the lead maiden may opt to remain with her, day and night, throughout her ‘Ino Mgbede’ session to care for her personal needs.
In Arochukwu, ‘Nwa-mgbede’in her ‘Mgbede care room’ is not necessarily termed as being in a ‘fattening room’ deemed to make her become fat as some other climes may like to make theirs. Nwa-mgbede Aro in her care room is usually served with rich nutritious meals of local delicacies to ensure she eats good food that will make her look refreshed, robust, and healthy. She is guided not to eat too much to avoid growing unnecessarily too fat and out of shape. Arochukwu people prefer their Nwa-mgbede to look elegant, robust, refreshed, and actively healthy; rather than look obese, too fat and lazy. The Efiks, Ibibios and some other Igbo folks in those old days preferred their Nwa-Mgbede to look big, fat and overweight in a false belief of a proof of evidence of good living and fertility.
Cosmetics for Nwa-mgbede are prepared by some experienced elderly women who are experts in providing such services. Beauty therapy herbs, plant barks and roots are used to prepare all natural local cosmetics, like ‘Uri, Nkasi-ani’ and“Uvie” to tone and beautify the skin. ‘Uvie’ or ‘Uhie’, derived from camwood trees barks, is reddish in color and has been used as part of skincare cosmetics in Igbo land for some centuries. It has some mild anti-aging and natural antiseptic properties that can exfoliate and smoothen the skin when made into a paste and applied on the skin. It can also be mixed with raw ‘black soap and honey to tone and lighten the skin’. Uvie was effectively used as a foundation cream before Uri and Nkasi-ani would be applied to create beautiful skin art designs (that may look like tattoos) on the skin of Nwa-mgbede. Natural white chalk (nzu) in a powder or liquid form could be used to cool and calm her skin as needed.
Every Nwa-Mgbede is usually adorned with rich coral beads around her waist, arms, neck, ankles and even on her head. She wears bronze and golden bracelets on her neck, ankles and wrists. In addition, heavy golden rings called “Ola” are worn on her wrists, arms and legs. Her earrings are made of beautiful coral beads or gold or bronze ornaments. She wears or ties a short local wrapper called “Ogodo”or “Mkpui” around her waist, in form of a short skate, that scarcely goes down to her knee level. Her smooth laps, legs and other parts of her body are well moisturized and exposed to make her look innocently seductive and attractive. Her hairs are nicely platted or weaved, usually redone every four Eke market day, and decorated with colorful feathers to ensure she looks completely beautiful all the time. Her lips are also moisturized to look full, soft and succulent with red or black natural oily cosmetics. Her eye lashes and brows are treated with a black substance called “tiro”. Palm-kernel-fried-oil, called “enuaki”, is mixed with palm oil to generously moisturize her body to make her skin smooth, soft, shine, glow and glitter.
Her bed used to be a mud platform called “Oboro”, or an assembled bamboo wooden bed, decorated with local woven mats. A swinging bed, formed with thick native towels, tied to four strong wooden stands in a typical ‘jangolova’ style may be provided to swing her around occasionally for some fun and relaxation play. A bathroom is constructed separately for her use during her ‘Ino Mgbede’ session. Sometimes, ‘Nwa-mgbede’ is given a small flute and a local guitar to play with or learn how to play them. The sounds of the flute (opi) and the local wooden guitar, called “ubomgbede”, usually attract some children to her; and they would come around her to give her some joy. The attraction of the little children to Nwa-mgbede in the care room is meant to prepare her mentally for having her own children as soon as her ‘Ino Mgbede’ session ends and she goes out to be with her husband.
Carefully selected responsible married women are intermittently brought in to mentor her on ethics of good behavior, moral values, and etiquettes of standard conducts expected of responsible married women. She is tutored on how to play neatly and happily with her husband and how to know and cook the kind of food her husband may specially need. She is tutored on virtues of humility, patience, respect, obedience, care, love, honesty, faithfulness and exclusive submission to her husband as key habits she must always possess. She is taught some crafts like making of beads to equip her with some skills and knowledge that will be helpful to her as a responsible wife-to-be. The mentoring lessons are meant to prepare her for a future-worthy life, improve her knowledge of certain issues relating to womanhood, and to equip her mentally to be ready to go into her husband’s home when the time comes with great confidence. She is reminded that she will soon be going into her husband’s home as an ambassadorofnot onlyher family and peoplealone, but of her entire community. Hence she must learn to comport herself well at all times, respect the rules and laws of the new family she is about go into and work hard to support her husband and family.
‘Nwa-mgbede’ may sparingly welcome some guests, including her ‘husband-in-waiting,’ to her care room. And whenever her groom is permitted to visit her in her Mgbede care room, he may go there with one or two of his friends,to admire his bride as she is being nurtured and prepared for him. He may present her with some dried meat and fish as a token of his appreciation. In all of his visits, he is not permitted to stay with her alone in her Mgbede care room; and every of his visits is made brief within twenty minutes or less.
By the time ‘Nwa-mgbede’ completes her “Ino Mgbede” session, she is seen to have been well-catered for, prepared, mentored and transformed into a beautiful young lady,ripe and ready for marriage, and hungry to transit into full womanhood. Her entire body looks more attractive, supple, flexible, and easy to bend and twist, especially when she dances and walks around. She shines, glows and glitters. She understands how to dress properly, walk gracefully, smile radiantly, talk calmly and behave nicely. At this stage, arrangements to parade her to the public to showcase her beauty and elegance are made. The parading show usually goes with a long procession of well-dressed young ladies and dancers, accompanied by “Ugboani” or “Odu Mgbede” cultural music troupes to add glamour and flavor to her public outing ceremonies. Such an event is known as “Iduputa Nwamgbede “Ogo” when she is taken to the village square to dance, entertain and showcase her beauty to the public; or “Iduputa Nwamgbede “Avia or Ahia” when she is taken to any market place such as Amaikpe Aro or Ncheghe Ibom Isii. Or “Iduputa Nwa-mgbede Eke EkpeAro ”when she is taken to Eke Ekpe cultural show during any IkejiAro festivities at Amaikpe Aro cultural square for the entire Aro people of the nineteen villages in Arochukwu to come and witness, admire and appreciate her beauty and elegance.
Taking any Nwa-mgbede to Eke Ekpe Aro festival show during any Ikeji Aro is the most elaborate and expensive Nwa-mgbede public outing rites any Nwa-mgbede can have in Arochukwu kingdom. Such event elevates the status of the Nwa-mgbede to that of “Nwa-mgbede AroOkeigbo”. It also publicly demonstrates some aura of affluence and influence of the families of the Nwa-mgbede. It is an aura of affluence because such an event is very expensive to organize and actualize. No poor person or poor family can manage it. It is also a matter of influence because it is not everybody or every family that is usually granted permission to showcase their Nwa-mgbede at Eke EkpeAro. In those olden days, not more than nine families, representing some nine special Aro kindred units, are permitted to bring their Nwa-mgbede to Eke EkpeAro of any particular annual Ikeji Aro. Request for such permission is usually made to Eze Aro in Council through the village head of the family of the bride or that of the groom, at least, three months before the particular Eke EkpeAro the Nwa-Mgbede is expected to be showcased at the Eke Ekpe. Plenty food, drinks and dances for a rich reception party for the Nwa-mgbede are usually prepared by the family ofher groom to receive and entertain their guests at their village square or at their family compound when their Nwa-mgbede is joyfully received on her return from the Eke Ekpe outing to her husband’s warm embrace at home. People may bring some gifts to appreciate the new bride and her new family. From the night of that special Eke Ekpe day, or the night of the Nwa-mgbede’s special public outing parade, the new couple may begin to find their ‘honey in their moon’ or see and enjoy their ‘moon in their honey’. They are free to now break the yolk of their egg to make their omelet and happily enjoy it together.
Even in those days, ‘Ino Mgbede’ was not compulsory for every bride to perform. It was purely voluntary even to those who qualified for it and whose parents could afford the cost. No woman was allowed to enjoy ‘Ino Mgbede’ rites twice in her lifetime. Widows and divorcees in those days could still remarry traditionally in Arochukwu; but they were no longer qualified to enjoy ‘Ino Mgbede’ rites because they were considered to have lost their sexual purity and virginity. Every husband of Nwa-mgbede likes to celebrate ‘breaking the virginity’ of his new wife. Because the joy of that special act is far much more thanthe joy of drinking an undiluted first fresh palm wine, tapped from a fresh young virgin palm tree, clean and pure. The husband of such a virgin bride usually buys her some expensive gifts to appreciate her for an honor she has brought to him. He occasionally boasts of such honor, especially if his meetings with his virgin bride come out with noticeable pregnancy.
‘Ino Mgbede’ or ‘Mgbede’ culture, as part of traditional marriage rites in Arochukwu, is no longer being practiced in its ancient scope and form as it used to be in the olden days. ‘Nwa-Mgbede’ culture has changed so much in scope and duration that Nwa-mgbede used to stay in the ‘Mgbede care room’. The practice has been well modified and integrated into Arochukwu traditional marriage of modern time arrangements. The ceremonies are now remodeled as ‘Idu Mgbede’ that begins and ends within one day only. ‘Idu Mgbede’ is performed, these days, along with some other important traditional marriage rites at the day of the bride’s wine-carrying ceremonies, ‘Ibu mmayi ukwu nwanyi’, which falls within the sixth and final stage of Arochukwu traditional marriage arrangements. Some say it is now being practiced as a mere simulation of its ancient form. No matter how it is being viewed, ‘Nwa-Mgbede’ or Ino Mgbede practice remains significant culture in Arochukwu traditional marriage rites. The culture, in its current modified ‘Idu Mgbede’ practice, does not include the process of putting any bride (Nwa-Mgbede) in an exclusive care room (which some call fattening room) for such a long time as it used to be in the far past. She now spends just one day in her specially decorated ‘Mgbede care room’ on the day her ‘Ibu mmayi ukwu’ (Wine carrying event) ceremony is performed.It does not anymore include taking Nwa-mgbede to any market square or to any Eke EkpeAro day to showcase her beauty as was been done in those days. It is now combined with some other traditional marriage rites and performed on the day of her “Ibu mmayi ukwu” in a typical Arochukwu traditional marriage main event at the family compound of the bride. ‘Ibu mmayi ukwu’ day is the sixth and final stage of Aro traditional marriage arrangements.
Ancient requirement of sexual purity, or virginity sanctity on the part of any new bride, before completion of her traditional marriage rites, is no longer a must. Several strict and exclusive conditions and requirements have been relaxed to now accommodate everyone who desires to practice it in the modern form and scope. And so in these modern days, ‘Ino Mgbede’ requirements and rites have beenfine-tuned to save time and cost, and to make it generally inclusive,inresponse to popular demands and desires of the people. The term “Ino Mgbede” is now popularly known as “Idu Mgbede”. The ancient way of practicing “Ino Mgbede” in Arochukwu is now irrelevant and has been discarded.
“Ibu mmayi ukwu”,the main traditional marriage event in Arochukwu, is known as “Igba Nkwu”, or “Igbu Ewu” or “Ino Nso” by some other Igbo people. In Arochukwu, ‘Ibu mmayi ukwu’ remains the main event of any traditional marriage rites where ‘Idu Mgbede’ is seen. It is the wine-carrying event and it marks the climax of any traditional marriage in Arochukwu and in other Igbo communities.The wine carrying event therefore incorporates the practice of “Idu Mgbede” which is the process of parading a new bride in the presence of her huge guests and families that come to witness her traditional marriage ceremonies on the day her ‘Ibu mmayi ukwu’ ceremonies are done. For emphasis sake, “Idu mgbede” is the process of preparing and guiding any new bride (Nwa-mgbede) for a beautiful public cultural parade in a gathering of her guests at her father’s family compound during her “Ibu mmayi ukwu” (or Igba Nkwu) traditional marriage ceremonies. Please note that any place the bride’s parents choose, outside their traditional compound, to hold ‘Ibu mmayi ukwu ceremonies’ of their daughter is now traditionally regarded as representing their family’s traditional compound or house. That is why some people now hold traditional marriages in public event places like hotels. ‘Idu Mgbede’ has become the cynosure of Igbo traditional marriage ceremonies. Odumgbede cultural music team performs when a new bride steps out of her Nwa-Mgbede care room to publicly identify her husband and for her to introduce him to her parents for their blessings to the applause and appreciation of their guests.
Young people are now very much in love with the culture, especially in the way it is being currently practiced. Arochukwu cultural “Isi Ojoojo”, ‘Ugbani or Odu Mgbede’ cultural music, accompanied with young beautiful dancers help to make the event more attractive. They all add more cultural value, beauty, elegance and glamour to Arochukwu traditional marriage ceremonies of these days. Other Igbopeople appear now to have emulated ‘Idu Mgbede’ culture in its glamour with Odu Mgbede brand of cultural music from Arochukwu people. For example, ‘Odumodu’ cultural music of Ohuhu land in Umuahia North is a derivative of OduMgbedeAro cultural music. Odumodu cultural music has become a popular feature at traditional marriage ceremonies in that part of Igbo land and environs where Aro influence is still deeply ingrained in their culture as a people.
Aro News tabloid (an Aro community newspaper) has introduced “Mgbede Aro page” in their periodic editions to help project and promote Mgbede Aro culture to the entire world. Aro people everywhere should subscribe to promoting and patronizing the beautiful ‘Mgbede’Aro culture. Every new bride (Nwa mgbede Aro) would like to be fully adorned and decorated with her beautiful Mgdede Aro cultural attires. She would want to be visited, admired and appreciated in her Nwa-mgbede care room beautifully decorated with special Igbo cultural materials. Every Aro bride would want to be admired as she dances around happily to the beautiful sounds of Odumgdede cultural music, well dressed and decorated with rich cultural coral beads, head gears and Omu Aro Joji as part of her traditional dressing outfit. She would want to be accompanied by her friends and other beautiful ladies,smiling, dancing joyfully in the presence of her family members, friends and guests on her traditional marriage day. Idu Mgbede, as part of a typical Igbo traditional marriage ceremonies, creates a testament to Nwa-mgbede Arochukwu’s rich cultural identity.
No comments