The Amanfo Duruokpalanne

FESTIVALS -CULTURE AND TRADITION IN AWO-OMAMMA.

 

THE CULTURAL FESTIVALS IN AWO-OMAMMA PROVIDES FOR THE CORDIAL AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AMONGST THE PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE OF AWO-OMAMMA ARE KNOWN WITH :

THE OWU FESTIVAL

THE OKOROSHA FEST.

NEW YAM FEST.

MMANWU.

 

OWU FESTIVAL:

THE OWU FESTIVAL IS ANUAL CULTURAL DANCE, CELEBRATED IN JUNE-JULY EVERY YEAR. IT IS  A CULT  AND HAS  FUNTIONARIES WHO ESTABLISH AND CO-ORDINATE THE FESTIVAL.

THE ONYEISI OWU,UGBO,AKPU/ICHE, ADA OWU , THE OFU UZOR ARE THE LEADERS.

THE OWU DANCERS ARE KNOWN AS NWAEZEOWU. NWANKPA AND THE OWU OMA.

THE OWU OMA AND OWU AGBUBA  FEATURES PERIODICALLY AT THE VOLUTION OF ONYE ISI OWU. THE FESTIVAL IS REGULATED ACCORDING TO VILLAGES.

THE OWU ULO-AKWA TAKES PLACE ONLY DURING MEMORIAL ACTIVITIES OF A DECEASED OWU HEAD TO BID HIM FAREWELL TO THE SPIRIT WORLD.

   ITO IRI  N'ALA. AND THE ARA N'UMU CEREMONY. ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE OWU FESTIVALS.

THE EKWE EMUME IS BEATEN BY UMUEZEALI ( FIRST SON OF OFEKATA)TO COMENCE THE PREPARATION FOR OWU FESTIVAL.

 

ITO IRI N'ALA ( GIVING FOOD TO THE ANCESTORS).THE AWO-OMAMMA PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE ANCESTORS AND THE LIVING FORM THE FAMILY.  THE CEREMONY AFFORD EVERY HEAD OF THE FAMILY THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIS ANCESTORS .ALL KINDS OF FOOD ARE PREPARED AND OFFERED IN SACRIFICE AND AT THE END ALL THE FOOD OFFERINGS ARE CONSUMED IN COMMON ON THE BANANA LEAF SPREAD ON THE GROUND.

 

THE ARA N'UMU. IT IS A TRADITIONAL MOTHERS DAY. DAUGHTERS MARRIED AND UNMARRIED , EVEN THE SON IN-LAWS AND THIER CHILDREN  RETURN HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES TO IDENTIFY WITH THE REST OF THE FAMILY AND RELATIONS AND FRIENDS.- A KIND OF FAMILY REUNION.

 

NEW YAM FESTIVAL:( IRI  NJI OFURU). AWO-OMAMMA HAS DIFFERENT KINDS OF YAM. THE NJI NKITI, THE  NJI OGBAGADA, THE NJI OKOMOCHA, THE NJI AGAH, THE NJI OTI,  THE NJI ESHESHE. PEOPLE  EAT THE YAMS IN FORM OF POUNDED YAM OR JI MMIRI AWA( YAM AND PEPPER SOUP.)OR JI IGBUGBU.

THE FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED AFTER THE OWU FESTIVAL. IT MARKS THE BEGINING OF HARVEST AND EATING OF FRESH YAMS.

THIS FESTIVAL CANNOT  BE  CELEBRATED ON NKWO DAY. THE NJABA DEITY CELEBRATES THE NEW YAM FESTIVAL ON NKWO DAY.

THE PAGANS OFFER THEIR YAMS, FOWL AND KOLANUTS TO THEIR DEITY ON THAT DAY. IT IS  CALLED IWARA NJABA NJI.

 

THE OKOROSHA MASQUERADE:

A CULT FESTIVAL CONDUCTED DURING THE OWU FESTIVAL AND SIGNIFIES THE COMING TO AN END OF THE OWU FESTIVAL AND INDICATES THE IMPENDING NEW YAM FESTIVAL. THE MASQUERADE ROAMS FREELY IN THE VILLAGES AND HAVE THEIR PARTICULAR FORM OF LANGUAGE  EG.   MANCHO( KEEP QUIET), OGBA GERE GERE-OOZER ( RAIN), ALIGA N'OTU (WOMAN), MPEKU (HOUSE) OBE YORO YORO (MONEY). THEY HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES WITH MEANINGS. EG ONYEZERE OKA, ALI EKWE MBULI, EKE UZU, AMANAMA ACHO OKWU, EGO JEME ULU , ONYEZERE OKA, MEKA OKWO, AKPAKA ,NWANTI ANU AJUKA,ETC.

 

MARRIAGE IN AWO-OMAMMA.

ANCIENT AWO-OMAMMA PRACTICED POLYGAMY,

CHRISTIANS IN AWO DONT

NO MARRIAGE ON NKWO DAY.

IT INVOLVES ASKING OF THE WOMAN'S CONSENT.

INTRODUCING THE WOMAN TO THE FAMILY (  VISE VERSA).

TESTING THE BRIDE'S CHARACTER.

CHECKING THE  WOMANS BACKGROUND.

PAYING THE BRIDE PRICE AND OTHER MONIES.

THE IGBANKWU (TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE).

 

COMMON INSTRUMENTS FOR FESTIVAL:

EKWE ( A HOLLOW LOG)

OGELE ( CAST IRON BELL)

OPI ( FLUTE)

IGBA  OR ADUDU( DRUMS)

 

 

ITO IHE N'ALI DURUEGBUSUO:

DURUEGBUSUO WAS A RULING MONARCH IN AWO-OMAMMA IN THE DARK AGES, WHEN THE MIGHT WAS RIGHT. HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP DURING THE INTER-TRIBAL WARS. HE LIKED TO EXHIBIT HIS WHEALTH BY INVITING ALL AWO-OMAMMA TO COME AND EAT AND DRINK TO THEIR SATISFACTION TO MARK THE END OF IMA JI. THIS HAS BEEN THE ORDER FROM THE DARK AGE TILL PRESENT. IT IS AN ANNUAL FESTIVAL WHICH IS USED ALSO TO COUNT DAYS  AND MONTH IN THE YEAR.

AS THERE WAS NO RADIO FOR ANNOUNCEMENT, THE GREAT MAN WOULD SOUND THE EKWE (A HOLLOW LOG), A WOODEN BELL TELLING THE PEOPLE TO COME AND EAT AND DRINK . THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH PLATES TO SHARE THE FOOD TO THE PUBLIC,BANANA LEAF WOULD BE USED TO SHARE IT SO THAT EVERYBODY WILL GET A SHARE.

BECAUSE THE BANANNA LEAF HAS BEEN SPREAD ON THE GROUND, THE PEOPLE OF AWO-OMAMMA TERMED IT: THROWING FOOD ON THE GROUND FOR ANCESTORS.( ITO IHE N'ALI).

SOME OGANANYA OF HIS AGE GRADE ALSO FOLLOWED HIM IN THIS ANNUAL COMPETITION. UPTIL TODAY, PEOPLE GATHER UP AND MASQUERADE FROM ALL PARTS OF AWO-OMAMMA GATHER TO EAT AND DRINK IN THAT ANCIENT FAMILY OF DURUEGBUSUO.

DURU EGBUSUO WAS  THE FATHER OF EJIKE NWANERI  WHO BEGAT MBAFURU WHO BEGAT AMANFO WHO BEGAT MMEREM , OBIWURU ,EMEJURU  AND NNAWUIHE ( IN THE OFFICIAL ROYAL SUCESSION).