THE WAY WE WERE

Chueke’s burial ceremony was eulogy of our traditions. It was planned and performed in accordance with our traditional dictates. It was the best and the last of its kind. Chueke’s family started their arrangements early and within the sixteen day period they were ready for the ceremony. Chueke’s family members, members of the County Council of the Elders and the traditionalists used Chueke’s burial ceremony to demonstrate the grandeur of our traditions and culture. His burial ceremony took place during the time of the year when all farm produce had been harvested. There was an ample amount of staple food crops, such as yams, etc. The season’s weather was in between the beginning of the dry-season and the ending of rainy season. During this period of the year, heavy unexpectedly rain fell which is known as mmini eji ako agburu [the rain needed for planting cassava]. Chueke was a well known personality throughout Alayi and beyond. The was no need to worry about the season’s weather. Nor was it necessary to advise Dibia oha miri [an African native doctor who specialized in the act of harnessing or making rain], to hold the rain during the burial ceremony celebrations. Every man in the county and beyond knew that any Dibia oha miri who causes the rain to fall during Chueke’s burial ceremony would be scolded by the ancestral spirits.

 

Four days before the date of his burial ceremony, the entire Umuenyere started a campaign of general cleaning of the community, cleaning roads leading to and from various towns, streams and farmland. Each village weeded and swept from its entrance to the common playing ground. Young boys and girls swept the village compounds and weeded grass off the backyard. All shrines in the public places were decorated as if it was time for the New Yam Festival. An enormous complex of tents were built by a group of young traditionalists volunteer who were supervised by a company of Uke Oji Isi Ele Onwu. This elaborate artistic showcase of tents nearly covered the entire huge Umuenyere playing ground: It started from Ama Umuanyielu in the north stretching through ama Amaokwenta, partially covering the exit road to Item, and ended at ama Umuanyiagbo to the south. And from the northeast, it started from ama Amaogudu, enclosing the roads to Amaozara, passing through Ufuogbamkpu and stopping at Ezema shrine. There were three observation posts built half way high up on each of the three popular oji trees [iroko] in Umuenyere. One was built half way high up on oji Umuanyiagbo, the second observation post was built on oji Ufuenyere and the third observation post was erected high up on oji Amaogudu.

 

Chueke’s family had already sent instructions to various surrounding towns and villages asking raffia wine tapers not to sale their produce to anyone else starting from the eve of the burial ceremony through the four days that the occasion would last. They promised to buy all the wines produced in Alayi, Item and Igbere.

 

Seven men were sent to Abiriba to purchase large quantities of hot drinks. Each returned carrying three drums of five gallons of gin and spirits for the celebration. Women were sent to Uburu to buy salt and dry fish needed for cooking. Another group was sent to Isiagu to purchase pottery, mainly, Okini, ite’kwu, Iko mini [clay plates, pots, cooking utensils and drinking cups]—all handmade by master traditionalist craftsmen who gently mold, rotate and turn the clay. These master potters have never worked outside Isiagu. Another group were sent to Ogoja to purchase chicken and fowls. They returned with huge baskets of chickens, hen, and fowls. Other young men were sent to Akeze and Agbani to buy livestock. They came home with four bulls and three horses. These livestock must be slaughtered in accordance with the rituals of the traditional burial ceremony. A group of young men were sent to Uzuakoli and Umuahia to purchase kerosene needed to light the kerosene lamps at night. All the purchases made for Chueke’s burial ceremony were paid for with ego [cowry shells] except for the purchase of livestock, which was paid for with mkpola [local manufactured Brass rods].

 

Chueke made his will before dying, giving each of his sons and daughters shares according to our tradition. Properties such as land, plantations or other personal possessions are willed to one’s children. But such wealth as yams are not willed. Our tradition mandates that whatever yams are needed for the burial ceremony must come from the deceased’s yam barn. None of Chueke’s sons shall receive a share of his yams until after the celebrations of his burial ceremony. So Chueke’s family made available his huge yam barn for this occasion. Also, five young women and a man were sent to Ugwueke to buy ndi akuru [white yams] Ugwueke is known for producing the largest white yams. Any yams that may be left over would then be divided among his sons. Shares are given or received according to seniority. The order of birth is the standard yardstick in the distribution of wealth of the deceased in Alayi and throughout Umunnato in general—the oldest son must be given a share before any other sons receive any shares at all. The share for the youngest is given to his mother, who will farm and plant the yams till the child is of age.

 

In our culture the death of an aged person is accepted with respect, not sorrow. The traditional burial ceremony is more of a feast celebrating the life lead by the deceased. This is so because African religion perceives death as a transition and the implementation of cycles of longevity. We believe that whatever comes from nature must return to nature, which is the utmost source for renewal. We also believe in reincarnation and the beliefs in the ancestral spirits qualifies death as nothing but a transitional phase of humanity, from the visible to the invisible.

 

On the day before the burial ceremony, the atmosphere in Umuenyere is festive. In-laws, kin, daughters of Umuenyere who were married to men from other counties, and other dignitaries from far away towns and villages arrive, spending a night in Umuenyere.

 

The guests were housed by anybody who could accommodate them. The celebration of the burial ceremony starts off in the evening of its eve and is known as Igbasu mmadu. It is always done on eke day starting with sporadic firing of guns. The actual burial ceremony must be conducted on Orie.

 

Early in the morning, before six o’clock on the day of the burial ceremony, volleys of gun shots went off—about twenty-one in all at the opening set. It was then followed by several more gun shoots firing into the air. Ikoro was sounded and Igbamkpu began. Igbamkpu is a traditional game like hunting, played by young healthy males for the deceased aged men. Because of the emotional nature of this game, the participants are met at the entrance to each village by male defenders, who are also armed with club fighting sticks. They form a defense line to stop members of Igbamkpu from entering their village compound. They would engage members of Igbamkpu in a stick fight at the entrance to the village. Hunting is a traditional occupation and the use of a fighting stick is taught to every male in Alayi and Bende. Both the defenders and the attacking forces know the rules. They hit each other with the club stick, but not to hurt one another. If the attacking group of Igbamkpu members breaks through the defense line of a village entrance, they run wild through the village compound, climbing rooftops, cutting down banana and plantain trees at will and exiting the village by firing their guns into the air. The group armed with long sticks, machetes and guns would go from village to village in search of the deceased, calling the deceased by his title name, shouting and making statements in reference to the dead person as they run wild through the villages. Then they return to the deceased man’s house to complain that they did not find him. They are welcomed at the entrance to his village with a cock. It is a manhunt played out in hunting fashion, except that its participants know the results in advance: that they will not find their subject.

 

Chueke’s sons and daughters invited a group of experienced and reputed hunters. The family of the deceased must feed the hunters and provide them with drinks of mayi ngwo after returning from their hunting expedition. They also must provide the hunters with black gunpowder and spouts, percussion caps and flints and bullets. Each hunter must bring his own rifle or pistol, gunpowder flask and powder measures. This group of hunters would hunt and return all the kills to Chueke’s family. They must return early from hunting so that all the kills by them would be used in the preparation of dishes for the celebration.

 

The hunters came home with all the imaginable creatures that crossed their path, killing animals, birds and reptiles such as chimpanzee, monkeys, deer, zebra, grasscutter, porcupine, squirrels, hawk, guinea fowl and  even tortoise. They pooled their kills in front of Chueke’s house as the onlookers gathered to look. The hunters started a target shooting competition to prove the best marksman.  Our tradition calls for a reward to be given to the best sharp shooter. A live chicken was tied to a tall bamboo pole and hoisted high up in the air like a flag and used as a target.

 

The hunter who shoots and kills the chicken wins. He receives a prize from Chueke’s family and earns the title of Okaegbe [best marksman of the year]. When the competition is won the gunners use most of the remaining bullets to shoot and make holes on acham cloth, placed on another bamboo pole in front of Chueke’s house. This is the same achm that was pinned in front of Chueke’s house on day that he was buried. After the target shooting, no gunner is allowed to use bullets for the rest of the events in this celebration. All guns must be emptied of any live ammunition. All guns must only be loaded and fired with black gunpowder. The family of the deceased must now take possession of all the bullets. They would only supply gunners for this celebration with gunpowder for firing in the air and point blank firings at masquerades.

 

The ritual began by slaughtering the bull, the horse and the ram. These are the only animals to be killed with a knife. The other animals, including goats, mkpi-ewu anyaka, okuku ikenga all must be killed according to the dictates of the rituals of the burial ceremony. They must be slammed four times on the ground to their death. Then, all the animals must be divided and distributed in accordance with the rules of traditional sharing: giving shares to kin, in-laws, the deceased man’s mother’s family and to the age-group of the deceased, etc.       

 

Chueke’s eldest daughter Ugo, who spent over ten days with her mother after the death of their father, helping her brothers and sisters put together arrangements for the burial ceremony, returns this morning accompanied by a group of women dancers. She also has an escort of a group of men and her husband. Ugo is the first daughter of Chueke. She got married before any of her sisters, so her husband is the first in-law in Chueke’s family, which carries the traditional title of Ogo-ebulu, meaning that on occasion such as the burial ceremony, he must provide his in-laws with Ebulu [ram] needed for sacrifice. Meanwhile Ugo’s sister Ejeke arrived with her husband. Ejeke is the second daughter of Chueke and her husband is the second in-law in Chueke’s family. He carries a traditional title of Ogo-nkita, meaning an in-law who will provide a dog. Just like the husband of Ugo, he has the responsibility of providing his in-laws with a sacrificial dog on this occasion. He also was accompanied by a group with Udunkulu masquerade.

 

Various entertainment groups began to arrive with their dance groups and masquerades. The festivities began. A company of Uke Oji Isi Ele Onwu were already stationed at all the three entrances to Umuenyere. Their assignments included monitoring and guiding strangers coming into the town, and directing and assigning locations to all the visiting entertainers. Chueke’s burial ceremony was a tradition and culture extravaganza. All the Bende traditional entertainments, games, and dances were represented. There were groups of Ikperikpe Ogu, Udamini, Okerenkwa, Okonko, Achumpu, Udunkulu, Ekpe, Edere, Oboni, Ilu, Ufeh, Ajonkwu and even Akpaniko to name a few. Also, all the masquerades of male Secret Society throughout Bende were represented. There were even a group of ‘The Order of Dibia’ who danced ekete.

 

The only events that were not featured for Chueke were those reserved only for women. Group entertainers were assigned to locations according to the traditional laws of the land.  For example, ladies’ dance groups were separated far off from the all-male Secret Society masquerades. Performers and all entertainment groups were graded in accordance with their traditional values. As the day progressed more groups of entertainers arrived and the local dance group formed. There were sounds of music all over the town of Umuenyere. Alayi came to a halt! It is now in a festive mood, celebrating Chueke’s burial ceremony. From Amankalu to Akoliufu and Ugwueke to Ezeukwu, citizens steamed into Umuenyere for the occasion.

 

Meanwhile, inside Chueke’s village compound the sounds of the game Okerenkwa reverberated. The performers had settled in front of Chueke’s house. Traditionally, Okerenkwa  is only played and performed for and by men with war or battle experiences. It is a scary game and the performers take risks. It is like a sword fight but it is fought with machetes. It is a re-enactment of commotion of battle. The performers are all seasoned war veterans who fought with sticks before the introduction of steel. As the master drummer alternated the sounds of his wooden drums the men, thirty in all, began to dance—Each with his sharpened machete drawn, dancing wild and raising knifes against one another as if they would cut each other. The sounds of machetes making contact deafened the ear. As the commotion intensified to a scary point, an Elder walked to Okpo and urged him to stop the performance. The dictates of Okerenkwa mandate that no other person could stop the performance other than the son of the deceased for whom the game is being played. Okpo must dance to the beat of the drum and he must, in compliance with the rules of Okerenkwa, run around the village four times and return to the drummer before requesting an end to the performance. He got up and snatched his sharpened machete, danced to the beat of the drum and went off. When he returned to the master drummer, he threw his knife on the ground and raised his hands up in the air to signal the end of the game.

 

In the kitchens, ladies and young girls were busy preparing various dishes. The smell of burnt feathers and animal hide and skin fill the air as the smoke rose from the center of Chueke’s village compound where most of the killed animals were being roasted. Young men joined in, to pound with wooden mortars, the white yams use to make foo-foo. There were no cassava foo-foo in all the foods served at Chueke’s burial ceremony. All foods served were of yams.

 

Before mid-afternoon all the guests were fed inside the huge tents. Food, meat and drinks were served and shared in groups according to the dictates of the land.