A Discussion of the different types of Igbo Marriage
Author: Cheta OjukwuPosted on Oct 08 2009
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The Igbo nation is one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. They are found in the East and West of the Niger River. The customary marriage system (igba nkwu, Ibu nmanya, ihe nrisa as in Etiti and Mbano in Imo State) is part of Igbo culture. It has been in practice from generation to generation.
Traditional Igbo Marriage
Although westernisation has brought changes in marriages in Igboland, there is still an ‘inquiry and introduction’ stage before the actual marriage.In traditional marriages in Igbo communities, one of the main aims of the initial inquiry and introduction into the family name is conducted by families at the beginning of the marriage negotiation to know about the family name. Who and where are the families marrying into, and are they a good family to join or not.
As part of this marriage there is exchange of money from the prospective groom to that of the prospective bride.Without this it would be difficult to claim that any marriage has taken place between a man and a woman in traditional Igbo society. Even if the couples have been living together for years and have children between them.
The payment of a ‘bride price’ legalises marriage within the Igbo customary marriage system and transfers the woman and her reproductive rights from her father’s control to the control of her husband and his family.
Importance
Marriage is considered important and essential in the life of every Igbo man and woman. The importance of being attached in a marital relationship in Igboland is exposed linguistically in some of the names given to their female children for example; Di bu ugwu (a husband is a woman’s prestige); Ugo di (the husband’s eagle); and Ogbo di (protector of the husband) to name a few.
A man who is not married, at a certain age of maturity may not sometimes be fully respected in the community and may be viewed as incomplete, immature and or even worse a failure. Similarly an unmarried woman of a certain age group may not be respected fully in her community.
Different Types of Marriage
There are different types of marriage in Igbo society and they are:
1.) Monogamy; this is most widely practised in Igboland. It is a one man, one woman marriage. Strong Christian faith and the cost of raising children in Igboland has promoted this sort of marriage as the most popular form of marriage.
2.) Child marriage; this form of marriage has been abolished since 1956. Back then, the parents would perform traditional marriage for their children while they are still very young.
3.) Polygamy: This is a symbol of high status in Igboland. In this type of marriage, a man has multiple wives. Most polygamous families started as monogamies. Some of the reasons for polygamy includes, wars, farm work, family tradition and in some cases a belief that women age early.
4.)Woman to woman marriage: This type of marriage is not considered lesbianism. In this kind of marriage, a barren woman marries another wife for her husband for reproduction. Also, in some families who do not have a heir and want to maintain the family name this has been known to occur. The women who pay the bride price usually arrange for the man to sleep with the bride just for the sole purpose of having children.
6.) Other forms of marriage in Igboland includes; marriages where the son inherits the late fathers wives or late brothers wife. This is common in parts of Anioma and Awka area of Anambra State. This depends on the ages of the women, and also the consent of the man and woman involved. Some fathers marry a wife for their sons who died so early without marrying. Likewise some parents encourage one of their daughters not to get married but to remain in their parents home to raise children and keep the family name.
Marriage as God intended - with one man and one woman still remains the most popular type of marriage today in Igboland. As well as this many also have the white church wedding as part of their union as well.
(Disclaimer: This article is a cultural perspective on traditional Igbo marriage practices. The views expressed in this article are not the typical views held by all people of Igbo origin)
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