"The average Igbo man by tradition is expected to have a title, either given

to him by his father or one that he assumes and takes up himself."

I was so shocked when i attended this igbo convention my friend dragged me to this weekend in the USA. I noticed that a lot of young men were "rocking the red ozo or ichie okpu(red hat meant for titled men..chiefs etc),not to talk of little kids wearing the isiagu cloth..smfh. Anyways, though i saw they were celebrating their culture, to me at the same time they were disrespecting it. How can a little child wear an ozo cap like its nothing.Truly IGBO people yall need to stop playing with your traditions, the white man doesnt play with his, so why should you try to play with yours. I find it totally demeaning to see young people 0-35, who have not earned a title to be wearing things meant for men who have worked hard to achieve the status that cap depicts. It just angers me. I dont blame you though, i blame your parents.Igbo red caps had more meaning, being in existent and had dignity before and after the colonial,but it seems our parents' and our generation have lost the respect due to our traditions,just because our parents want to westernize our ways of thinking. Am afraid to tell you all,the white man lied, not all fingers are equal, not everyone is equal, some are meant to be kings,chiefs and others servants.

In most communities, the title system starts with the Nze title, given to persons in recognition of their community contribution. When the Nze titleholder reaches the elder age and remains in the village, he becomes part of the Igwe’s cabinet. Upon becoming a senior elder, the Igwe may honour him with the Özö or Ichie title, standing directly below the Igwe.

Forget that every tom dick and harry in Igbo Land that has money or ships container pays his way thru having the title giving to him. And it lost its respect and honor.

These titles and many other chieftaincy titles, each signifying certain achievements come along with privileges and symbols of authority. Chieftaincy titleholders are privileged to do the “chief handshake”. This handshake starts with touching each other’s hand with the upper-side three times before shaking. If one of the persons does not recognise the other as a chief, even though he might pretend to be one, the touching stops after two times before the shaking.

Another way you get the title passed to you is if your Father is one and very prominent, you will be recognized if you follow his footsteps.

The traditional title cap for the Ozo or Ichie title has always been Red or Black Have in mind not for the King Igwe/Nze..,. With time the Red took more recognition because it was a token Initially given to warriors by the King (Nze) after their war victory, it use to come with a Parrots feather (Plumes), then a rare bird in Igbo land, and only them was allowed to do the war dance. (Ariya is right on the significant of it.)

What differentiates the Warriors from the Ozo's was that the Ozo holders mostly hard Eagle Feathers and handed Elephant tusks with dry hardened cow (bull) skin.

Now on how it was made..,

It was always made same way other cloths and hats were made in Nigeria and most other parts of Africa. Wooven from cotton, The different was it was mashed closely with natural local glue, hence the hardness and cohesiveness. If there was anything Africans was blessed with, was our Arts and artistic nature.

The Red Color.., The made caps were normally stained with the soil., and most of us know that the majority of the top soil in the east has a reddish color to it, think clay pots, potteries and so on, even mud houses.

I can't remember again, but the significant had to do with the idea of the person wearing it is of our land and our soil something like that, I have to check for you. But that was what used as the initial stain/color for the caps and when things came of age, we had red dyes and it started being prominent in the red color. The black stains for the the black cap, was from charcoal and native gum mix.


Please My Igbo people correct your brothers who go around wearing those caps that are not titled, because if tradition is followed by the eze of the land they come from they can be banished from their village or have to pay a fine..depends on your village...etc...and yall better not laugh, am serious.. P.S for those who will come at me saying what does a yoruba girl know about igbo traditions... i direct you guys to a better source...http://www.nathanielturner.com/nkeonyechiriyazaaonigbotitles.htm

People should not be worried about a non titled man dressing the way he likes. Afterall, he is promoting Igbo culture. In the past, people have accused Ndigbo of not wearing their traditional clothes, now the emphasis is shifting to red hat.
What should concern us now are people who acquire those titles without achieving anything for the community. Some of those Nze and Ozos are not worth it.

Andre Uweh: People should not be worried about a non titled man dressing the way he likes. Afterall, he is promoting Igbo culture. In the past, people have accused Ndigbo of not wearing their traditional clothes, now the emphasis is shifting to red hat.
What should concern us now are people who acquire those titles without achieving anything for the community. Some of those Nze and Ozos are not worth it.

I think you're right. I have always wondered why Igbos have refused to commercialized the red cap.

afam4eva:
I think you're right. I have always wondered why Igbos have refused to commercialized the red cap.

Should culture be commercialized?

ezeagu:

Should culture be commercialized?

It is tourism, so why shouldn't it??

afam4eva:
It is tourism, so why shouldn't it??

What do you mean by tourism?

ezeagu:

What do you mean by tourism?

Commercializing some of our attires can bring in money for states and other organizations in Igboland.

afam4eva:
Commercializing some of our attires can bring in money for states and other organizations in Igboland.

Do you mean selling the red hats to anyone?

ezeagu:

Do you mean selling the red hats to anyone?

Yes, that's what i mean.

afam4eva:
Yes, that's what i mean.

It's better to have more respect for culture than to completely sell it off for profit, especially with something so sacred. If you mean selling off the hats to random people, then I completely disagree. Anyway, the hat has been completely devalued in other parts of Igboland, but your suggestion will not happen in Anambra, and maybe Anioma.

The in thing is the mind of the wearer. If criminal can wear it in the name of Nze na Ozo, why can any other person especially innocent Igbo people wear it?. The identity of an Igboman's attire today rests mainly in that red hat. Ndigbo today wear Babariga, Agbada etc but to know that they are not Hausa or Igbo, it is that red hat. It has become the identity of Ndigbo, and those in Anioma and Anambra, sorry to say this but we have to move on.

Andre Uweh: The in thing is the mind of the wearer. If criminal can wear it in the name of Nze na Ozo, why can any other person especially innocent Igbo people wear it?. The identity of an Igboman's attire today rests mainly in that red hat. Ndigbo today wear Babariga, Agbada etc but to know that they are not Hausa or Igbo, it is that red hat. It has become the identity of Ndigbo, and those in Anioma and Anambra, sorry to say this but we have to move on.

That's the point, they haven't 'moved on' from their culture so you'll still be questioned for wearing the hat.

Just let this be an Anambra person now telling someone from Imo, Abia or Rivers State to 'get over' their culture for a greater Igbo identity. Imo and Abia may be the land of 1000 ezes, but, sorry to say, Anambra, Delta, and to a certain extent Ebonyi are the last fronts on the war of bastardization on Igbo culture.

Wouldn't it make more sense for Igbo guys to wear their own traditional clothes so they wouldn't have to wear the red cap to signify their ethnicity while donning other cultures clothes?

Its kind of weird to wear and outfit that really doesn't belong to you and the only way to make it yours is by wearing a hat that seems to have a very special meaning.

I've also seen those caps in black, do they mean something as well? If not they could be used as a substitute while the red oned maintain their importance.

Exactly, everybody wore hats, not only nze na ozo. I know there were all kinds of conical hats, wool and fibre hats. You don't even need a hat as a national dress.

I'm against the commercialization of those red hats and especially against propagating them as national Igbo dressing. It's unnecessary. Also, if people want to keep their culture as is, then leave them. Telling them to move on (i.e. commercializing it) is as much an insult to their identity as it it an insult to others' identities (by then propagating it as national "Igbo").

There are other colours e.g the one in photograph below. But the red hat is now an Igbo symbolism. It was meant for titled men but the Igbo society has now adopted it as gen Igbo attire not just meant for Ndi chiri echichi.

ChinenyeN: I'm against the commercialization of those red hats and especially against propagating them as national Igbo dressing. It's unnecessary. Also, if people want to keep their culture as is, then leave them. Telling them to move on (i.e. commercializing it) is as much an insult to their identity as it it an insult to others' identities (by then propagating it as national "Igbo".

So Nenye, you mean you will embarass this chap in this photograph if you see him at World Igbo congress. As I said earlier, the red hats are for the titled men but the Igbo society you have today has moved away from that meaning minus Anioma/Anambra axis. It is allowed and should be allowed.

You likely won't even see me at WIC, to begin with, but regardless, if I saw anyone anywhere, wearing red hat, I wouldn't embarrass them, unless they were Ngwa. Then I might have a word or two to say to them about what they're wearing.

Andre, suppose the hat didnt exist what would you use then to represent your culture?

I think instead of relying on the hat as a crutch, time would better spent on finding and updating traditional Igbo attire. I admire the fact that Igbo people have the ability to adapt and overcome the challenges they face. But I find it disheartening that you can reconcile the fact you are wearing an agbada (a traditional Hausa attire) by saying that wearing an important hat to your culture negates the former.

At the end of the day what's on your body is of more
importance than a hat to most people.

If anything the fact that the only thing Igbo about someone is a hat, sort of feeds into the widely held and erronous belief that Igbo people didn't have a clothing background in pre-colonial times which is not true.

There is nothing wrong with borrowing but not at the expense of your own

OP

Not all Igbo communities partake in Nze na Ozo or title taking. The red hat's significance is negligible in Abia, Rivers, Ebonyi, parts of Enugu, and in most of Imo.

odumchi: OP

Not all Igbo communities partake in Nze na Ozo or title taking. The red hat's significance is negligible in Abia, Rivers, Ebonyi, parts of Enugu, and in most of Imo.

You are wrong bro. That red hat is kind of universal across Igboland and even into controversial Igbo areas like say Ikwerre. The red cap has respect everywhere but the differences lies in there significance. In much of the Southern Igbo they have "Okpu agu" which I feel is better of as an identity for Igbo than the red cap. The "okpu agu" is generally worn by youths and non-titled men as well.

Abagworo:

You are wrong bro. That red hat is kind of universal across Igboland and even into controversial Igbo areas like say Ikwerre. The red cap has respect everywhere but the differences lies in there significance. In much of the Southern Igbo they have "Okpu agu" which I feel is better of as an identity for Igbo than the red cap. The "okpu agu" is generally worn by youths and non-titled men as well.

In Abia state and in southern Ebonyi, reverence for the red cap is virtually non-existent. In southern Imo, people wear the red hat (for lack of a better word) carelessly and do not attribute much significance to it.

The only places where the red hat is strongly regarded are the Nri-Awka cultural zone (Anambra, bits of Imo, part of Enugu) and Delta.

You said you'd prefer the okpu agu to be the Igbo identifier, but remember that the same okpu agu is worn throughout Akwa Ibom and parts of Cross River.

I stand solidly behind the statement that the red cap only carries great significance in places where Nze na Ozo (and other titles) are present.

In Igboland, places without title taking are replaced by masquerade societies and in these places, the okpu agu replaces the red cap. However, nowadays, inter-subcultural diffusion has blurred things up; you'll find people wearing okpu agu in Anambra and people wearing red caps in Abia (thereby dilluting the once-stronge cultural significance of these hats).

Re: Disrespect Of The Red Cap And Igbo Traditions:i Blame Your Parents!! by afam4eva(m): 12:32pm

Andre Uweh: People should not be worried about a non titled man dressing the way he likes. Afterall, he is promoting Igbo culture. In the past, people have accused Ndigbo of not wearing their traditional clothes, now the emphasis is shifting to red hat.
What should concern us now are people who acquire those titles without achieving anything for the community. Some of those Nze and Ozos are not worth it.

I think you're right. I have always wondered why Igbos have refused to commercialized the red cap.

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see you two alone have proven my point, the lack of respect for the igbo culture and traditions, no matter the amount of money that can be made, one can not go and sell the medicine man's idol just because it promotes culture. Yes it is good to share the igbo culture, but share it in the right way, not the way you see to be easier and faster. This is the problem with this generation..doing everything too fast without common sense. So because Esau sold his birth right, you tooo igbo men want to sell one of the most respectable symbol of igboland just to make money..#sad...if igbo culture is left to the likes of you..by 2052, the igbo culture would be a myth. Traditions are there to be followed,yes with time things change,but somethings with time never change because of how sacred it is to a culture.

That is very true

Crayola1: Wouldn't it make more sense for Igbo guys to wear their own traditional clothes so they wouldn't have to wear the red cap to signify their ethnicity while donning other cultures clothes?

Its kind of weird to wear and outfit that really doesn't belong to you and the only way to make it yours is by wearing a hat that seems to have a very special meaning.

I've also seen those caps in black, do they mean something as well? If not they could be used as a substitute while the red oned maintain their importance.

People like you i also pity...looks like you didnt read my post thoroughly,because i explained the signifance of each color..and how its traditionally made... SMH..this generation of ngwam-ngwam-ngwam...take it slow ooo.

Yes you said the red one became favored over it meaning either it has no meaning or its meaning has been downgraded.

Dial it down to a four your attitude is not even neccessary

I don't need your pity, save it for yourself you seem fond of catching feelings.

I have a right to ask whatever the hell I want? Clear?

Abagworo:

You are wrong bro. That red hat is kind of universal across Igboland and even into controversial Igbo areas like say Ikwerre. The red cap has respect everywhere but the differences lies in there significance. In much of the Southern Igbo they have "Okpu agu" which I feel is better of as an identity for Igbo than the red cap. The "okpu agu" is generally worn by youths and non-titled men as well.

DID ANYONE READ WHAT I WROTE OR GO TO THE SITE I SENT YALL. MOST OF YOU ARE HERE GIVING YOUR OPINION ON WHAT THE RED HAT IS. THE FACT IS..CHILDREN AND NON TITLED MEN SHOULD NOT BE WEARING IT PERIOD.IT IS DISRESPECTFUL TO OUR FOREFATHERS AND IGBO TRADITIONS. YES IN ABIA,especially ngwa where my mom's people are from wear the knitted red,black and white santa claus hat looking. Keep in mind each clan have their own regular chief hats, then as you gain more titles you gain different hats. THE RED HAT IS THE ONLY PERMANENT HAT IN ALL IGBO CLAN...BECAUSE ITS MEANT FOR WARRIORS!! THE BLACK HAT>>MOST PEOPLE NEVER ACHIEVE TITLES TO THAT LEVEL. There is the tall red hat..worn by deltans and ikwerre igbo..then small red one worn mostly in anambra,enugu, the black by higher ranking members that the king blesses( its special, but the red over powers it in certain decision making-according to my maternal grandpa..depends on the situation. The red is usually given to those who are wariors and black to non wariors..red signifies..blood and earth). My grandpa also says in order to truly be accoladed with the red hat and black and raccon tail hat(red,black and white knitted one) you must be able to speak in adages, write in nsibidi and understand them. There are so many rules. you cannot just shake..you must use your nkupe, odu nnama, or back of your hand to greet three times, then pull apart and snap your hand as a sign of respect and understanding...and while doing all these you are praising eachother in proverbs if you are found to be a fake you are usually banished from the land..That is where many secret society rules draw from.. and only those bestowed the honor can know it. SO WHEN THIS GENERATION STARTS DESTROYING THE SACRED TRADITIONS OUR FOREFATHERS LEFT FOR US, THINK TWICE BECAUSE YOUR CHILDREN WILL ONLY FOLLOW WHAT YOU TEACH. WHEN YOU WEAR THE SAME RED HAT YOUR TITLED FATHER OR GRANDFATHER WEARS..YOU ARE DISRESPECTING HIM< NOT HONORING HIM, CAUSE YOU ARE BASICALLY TELLING HIM THAT YOU ARE MATES< AND THAT HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AMOUNTS TO NOTHING.

I just think it would be best for everybody to 'ansa eem papa name'.

ezeagu: I just think it would be best for everybody to 'ansa eem papa name'.

YOU ARE A LOST GENERATION>>> I TURN MY BACK ON YOU>>

+1 or find a different color

mimifonwon:

YOU ARE A LOST GENERATION>>> I TURN MY BACK ON YOU>>

Why?