Donzman link=topic=59913.]
@Laudate

The link you posted has vindicated me, it has also called on you, TerraCotta and the rest to admit you were wrong. There was no naming ceremony mentioned in that article, the article clearly described the process most Igbos go in naming their kids. They name them after the experiences pre-during-post pregnancy, there is no OFFICIAL ceremony where people gather just to name a kid.

Now Thiefofhearts, Laudate and TerraCotta, where is the apology to Donzman, Babyosisi and the other people who have been banging it into your heads that we do not have naming ceremonies?

P.S.: After reading that article, we still have people who think Ikwerres who name their communities in the same exact pattern, Umu-this, Umu-that are not Igbos, people need to be more honest with themselves!
[/quote]

Donzman:

So nobody wants to apologize now, that horse you were all riding on doesn't seem so high anymore. The only mention of naming ceremony came in this light:

[Quote:

In the city, "the naming ceremony" would be the one big celebration substituting for several activities performed locally, on the kingroup-level.

This means that in the villages, naming ceremonies do not EXIST!

Um. . . .Donzman, did you actually re-ee-ead that entire article, or did you just flip through the abstract or an excerpt of the article?

Take a second look at the portion you even quoted. What do you think the writer was making reference to, by mentioning those "several activities. . performed locally at the kingroup level?"

Laudate,Igbos do not have naming ceremonies,we never had it .
The thing is that most of you Yorubas automatically think when one says differently of something that's your culture,that person is saying bad of the culture.There is nothing wrong with having naming ceremonies,nothing wrong with street wide owa nbes,nothing wrong with any of these activities at all.

Have never been to a naming ceremony but will gladly attend one when TOH and Terracotta invite me
I attended a graduation in may and danced to great Yoruba music amongst others.
Yorubas have some greaty culture that have also been copied by Igbos.
Having women wearing flashy uniforms at weddings and "Igbankwu" (traditional weddings) called aso ebi is not Igbo culture but it has been assimilated.

At my traditional wedding and wedding there were many sets of aso ebi wearers and it made for a flashy bridal entourage.
Those calling me names because I think tribal marks (be they  the tiny Igbo ones, large Yoruba ones or  designer Hausa type) are disgusting can keep doing so.
Tribal marks may have served their purposes in the dark ages,they are now useless and no child ought to be abused in that manner.

_{tribal marks are not cool at all}

@Babyosisi,

Why is it that when people say they have observed something in your culture, you deny it vehemently simply because you haven't seen it? If you are not aware of a particular cultural practice or custom, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The same thing you kicked up a fuss over in the 'osu' thread, is exactly what you have repeated in here, on a different subject.

When you were told that it existed in Alaigbo, you turned on every non-Igbo who dared to point out that fact. And you and your cartel kept drumming it down everyone's throat, that it was a dying ancient practice, and not all parts of Alaigbo practised it. Fine. Point taken. So why are you now being obtuse about the same point, the Yoruba people are making on this thread? Even though I come from a different ethnic group, I understand their view, but you have deliberately chosen to misunderstand it, and you continue to deride them, using this tribal mark issue, as a means to put them down.

Now let's go through all the issues, one by one:

Question: Does the practice of carrying tribal marks exist among the Yoruba people?
Answer: Yes, but the practice is fast dying out or almost dead.

Question: How did it arise?
Answer: It started in the olden days, as a means of identification.

Question: Is it exclusive to the Yoruba people?
Answer: No! Other ethnic groups in Nigeria also practise it.

Question: Are all these marks ugly and do they disfigure the wearer?
Answer: Not all tribal marks worn by the Yoruba people are the same, and not all of them are ugly. Some are small, others are not. In some cases, they are downright ugly. In many cases, they are not so prominent, and those who carry them, are used to them, so it isn't a problem in their eyes.

Now Babyosisi, what is so difficult to understand about this issue? You have gone on a hysterical song and dance, trying to make it look as if ALL Yoruba people carry tribal marks, and MOST of those who inflict it on their children at birth, are still doing so till date. Please tell us, what is the current proportion of Yoruba folks who carry tribal marks, since you are so familiar with this issue? Is it 10%, 20% or even 50%? Kindly let us know.

babyosisi:

Laudate,Igbos do not have naming ceremonies,we never had it .
The thing is that most of you Yorubas automatically think when one says differently of something that's your culture,that person is saying bad of the culture.There is nothing wrong with having naming ceremonies,nothing wrong with street wide owa nbes,nothing wrong with any of these activities at all.

Have never been to a naming ceremony but will gladly attend one when TOH and Terracotta invite me

Maybe you need to talk to more Igbo people from Illah, Uzuakoli, Egbema to Ezza in Ebonyi state to get a more comprehensive picture. And for the last time, am not from the South-west, so why do you keep saying "you Yorubas?" Is it compulsory that everyone who knows a bit about a particular culture, must be a member of that culture or ethnic group?

If you say the Igbo do not have naming ceremonies, fine, that is your view. Some of my Igbo relatives & friends claim that they do, in their own part of Alaigbo. Otherwise, how else does a child get its' name?

Maybe some of these Igbo people are wrong then, and you are the only wise one. Who knows? Books, articles and journals have been written about child naming ceremony among the Igbo, yet you would like us to believe it never existed. Fine. That is your call.

Maybe people like Michael C. Mbabuike a Professor of Anthropology, who wrote The cosmology of Igbo anthroponyms: Life continuum and liturgy of culture, plucked the information about child naming ceremony among the Igbo, from thin air. Who knows?

Maybe the recitations for child–naming ceremony among the Igbo, as recorded in the book: Traditional Birth Poetry Of The Igbo, by Professor Sam Uzochukwu; Sam Orient Publishers, Magodo Lagos, 2006, pp 134, is nothing, but sheer fallacy, because (according to you), the Igbo do not hold naming ceremonies for their children. Who knows?

Maybe the description of a child-naming activity among the Western Igbo, as outlined in the book: Women in Igbo Life and Thought written by Joseph Thérèse Agbasiere on page 136, is nothing but a fairytale. Who can tell?

Another website mentions the fact that a naming ceremony takes place within the family unit, on a close-knit level on the 28th day. Here is the link: http://www.igboguide.org/index.php?l=chapter11

Birth celebration, as the wedding ceremony, varies from village to village. On the eighth day, the child (male only, though there are some discussions whether it should apply females as well) is prepared for circumcision, and on the twenty-eighth day, the naming ceremony is performed, each event accompanied by a feast for the relatives.

Babyosisi, you can choose to believe and hold fast to the ideology that pleases you. I, on the other hand, will continue to embrace knowledge, facts, truth and reality, because these values have worked well for me. Am out.

babyosisi:

Laudate,Igbos do not have naming ceremonies,we never had it .

This book, called 'Traditional Birth Poetry of the Igbo' by Prof. Sam Uzochukwu, discusses naming ceremonies in some detail. I know I've talked about this in another thread where we were discussing this same issue. As I pointed out there, christenings have replaced traditional naming ceremonies in most places, which is why you and other relatively younger Igbo people may not know about them. It's also possible that your village/town did not practice any naming ceremonies. To say that Igbos "[size=18pt]never had[/size]" naming ceremonies though is simply untrue. I feel like I should be getting paid for these tutorials

I was hoping to relieve Donzman of some more of his cash but it's probably better to clarify things with you.

The thing is that most of you Yorubas automatically think when one says differently of something that's your culture,that person is saying bad of the culture.There is nothing wrong with having naming ceremonies,nothing wrong with street wide owa nbes,nothing wrong with any of these activities at all.

LOL @ forcibly drafting Laudate into an ethnic group because she (?) disagrees with you. Who says you think naming ceremonies or "street wide owa nbes" is bad Sounds like a persecution complex Your opinion on whether a particular culture is good or bad is frankly not that important. Laudate and I were just interested in setting the record straight about both Yoruba and Igbo (and other Nigerian cultural issues) for those who seem to be ignorant on the topic. As you admitted earlier, you'd never heard of Igbo ichie scarification marks. Now you've made it clear that you don't know about Igbo naming ceremonies too. It's not a crime to be uninformed about certain aspects of your culture (especially since those practices are rapidly disappearing) but it baffles me why you think anybody would want to argue with you about it.

Those calling me names because I think tribal marks (be they the tiny Igbo ones, large Yoruba ones or designer Hausa type) are disgusting can keep doing so.
Tribal marks may have served their purposes in the dark ages,they are now useless and no child ought to be abused in that manner.

Pele--sorry that these mean people have been calling you names. It's not right. _{Could you please point out the offending culprits?}

Hope I've been helpful in passing along the info about Igbo naming ceremonies. I can pass along some more on the subject, if you're interested.

Back to the thread: I found this excellent thesis by a Nigerian medical student named Olubimpe Ayeni at the University of Ottawa. It goes into great detail about the purposes of cicatrization in Yoruba and other African cultures. She also has images from the pages I mentioned from Reverend Samuel Johnson's "History of the Yoruba" that illustrate the different markings. It's a great read, for those who have the time and the inclination to learn about the subject.
"Observation on the Medical and Social Aspects of Scarification in Sub-Saharan Africa"

Tribal marks have lost their significance nowadays. The main historical reason for tribal marks is identification during war and times of crisis.
Those who have it now should wear it with pride, but should not put it on their children's face.

Laudate--great minds think alike! LOL--didn't see your replies until I posted mine. I think I posted that link about the Uzochukwu book a while ago in another thread. None of what you said will convince certain fellow Nairalanders, but be assured that you're doing other Nigerians a great service by highlighting aspects of our culture.

It is obvious to everyone on these threads where you come from miss laudate and what your gender is,you are not fooling anyone.
Never denied anything that is true,that is all in your warped imagination.
I actually called my mother,an Igbo woman in her sixties,neither she nor her siblings were named in a naming ceremony,she's never attended one and none of my siblings were named in one.

Keep digging up some culture perhaps carried out by some obscure village (which I doubt) where you claim your Igbo relatives are from.
Somehow you have relatives from all cultures,how funny.


If there is any Igbo person here who was named in a naming ceremony let them say so,or else you are talking nonsense.
Any body can write a book and claim whatever.

didn't someone attmpt to prov 9/11 was a conspiracy and that the holocaust was a hoax?

TerraCotta:

Laudate--great minds think alike! LOL--didn't see your replies until I posted mine. I think I posted that link about the Uzochukwu book a while ago in another thread. None of what you said will convince certain fellow Nairalanders, but be assured that you're doing other Nigerians a great service by highlighting aspects of our culture.

Hehehe. . . .thank you jare, my brother. It is sad that this website does not support PM. There are several other references, but I think I'll stop here now.

I have been trying to upload relevant sections of Sabine Jell-Bahlsen's work on Names and naming: Instances from the ORU-IGBO By  Journal of Dialectical Anthropology, Volume 13, Number 2 / June, 1988. But am running into some technical hitches. Maybe I'll just type out relevant sections and paste it here, when I have time.

Work beckons, now. Gotta run.

babyosisi:

It is obvious to everyone on these threads where you come from miss laudate and what your gender is,you are not fooling anyone.
Never denied anything that is true,that is all in your warped imagination.
I actually called my mother,an Igbo woman in her sixties,neither she nor her siblings were named in a naming ceremony,she's never attended one and none of my siblings were named in one.

Keep digging up some culture perhaps carried out by some obscure village (which I doubt) where you claim your Igbo relatives are from.
Somehow you have relatives from all cultures,how funny.


If there is any Igbo person here who was named in a naming ceremony let them say so,or else you are talking nonsense.
Any body can write a book and claim whatever.

didn't someone attmpt to prov 9/11 was a conspiracy and that the holocaust was a hoax?

There is no need to get insulting, Madam. If you doubt the athenticity of the sources cited here, please do your own research to dispel them. Period.

As an individual, I cannot claim to be an authority on everything that happens in my own culture. Neither can I claim to know every custom practised, within my own ethnic group. If along the way, I run into something new, I thank the person who brings it to my attention and then, I either adopt or discard it, depending on how relevant it is to my lifestyle and my beliefs.

And yes, i have relatives from all the major ethnic groups in Nigeria, including some minority ones, too. What is wrong with that? If you have read my postings on other threads, I made it clear that am a product of an inter-ethnic marriage. Just like one of my grand-parents. By virtue of that, I have close ties with all parts of Nigeria. Why do you find that hard to understand? I can't hate any ethnic group, that is why I tend to have zero tolerance, for those who castigate one group as being responsible for their woes.

Your attempt to use the holocaust and 9/11 to support your refuttal, is pathetic. One word of advice. Save the insults for those who take delight in wallowing in such rude muck, as I can see it is something in which, you excel.

Am out of this thread.

did you say insulting,Ms laudate?
no need for being all touchy touchy
are you insulted that I call you a woman which we know you are
or that I doubt the all Nigerian image you tout though I see clearly where you belong?
I read many of your long winded,tired arguments with donzman and several others
I have never been impressed and frankly don't need to be.
You fired the oven,you better be ready to cook!

Still insisting that any Igbo person here who was named at a naming ceremony stand up and say so.
It is ironic that I have a mother who has lived in 3 states in Igboland and she's never attended a naming ceremony
and has not heard of one.

Mention new yam festival,that is Igbo culture
tell me about paying dowry sometimes very exhorbitant or several trips  before a traditional marriage starting with "iku aka",that is Igbo culture
Tell me masquerades differing from town to town.
Talk about traditional dances from atilogwu to nkponkiti
Tell me about age grade system in several Igbo communities
Tell me about the evil osu caste system which thankfully is dying

Don't come here parading something that several Igbos never heard of or participated in because someone wrote it in a book,something perhaps done by a clan in some village
If no Igbo I know of has heard of it,it may be something perculiar to his village or at best a story,it cannot be classified as Igbo culture for it is not.

Donzman,nineto five and myself tell you we don't know anyone labelled as osu,we never denied there was such a thing but maintain  that it is nothing like what you want to parade here on nairaland.
I have never claimed to be all knowing,you on the other hand has to have the last word.
knock yourself out sister

TerraCotta:

Laudate--great minds think alike! LOL--didn't see your replies until I posted mine. I think I posted that link about the Uzochukwu book a while ago in another thread. None of what you said will convince certain fellow Nairalanders, but be assured that you're doing other Nigerians a great service by highlighting aspects of our culture.

There is a stream with a beautiful spring  in my village whose fishes are not eaten because the ancestors said so
In my mothers village,they don't do traditional wedding on an "eke" market day.
add that to Igbo culture since it happens somewhere  in Igboland
Maybe when I come up with a book on that,you'll be quoting me with authority

@Babyosisi,

Listen to yourself. And then try and make sense of what has been written, especially those written in your own words, Madam.

Then go back to my previous posts on this thread and read each one of them.

Slow-w-ww-wly. Try not to rush.

Maybe then, you will get some understanding of everything that has been discussed.

If you still can't make head or tail of it, then there is nothing I can do to help you. Sorry!

The prepubescent & destitute posters on these boards always find a way to amuse me.

The clever OP titled the thread "What is the significance of the yoruba tribal marks" as if he's really interested in the answer to his question.  The green Clod had his mind made up.  His inherent purpose was to ridicule the practice, or Yoruba people as a whole.

Yorubas arent the only ones running around with marks on their faces, other tribes do, people from other nations do, a few reasonable individuals have pointed this out, but to no avail.

To top it all of, the nitwits with nothing better to say open their mouths and say it's cruel and unusual punishment, yorubas are cruel people, da da da.

Does a parent suddenly wake up one day and say, "I'm  going to destroy my child's face today all in the name of fun." - Let alone the many parents that have done it/have it done to their child(ren).

The misleading purpose of this thread makes me sick to my anus.

babyosisi:

did you say insulting,Ms laudate?
no need for being all touchy touchy
are you insulted that I call you a woman which we know you are
or that I doubt the all Nigerian image you tout though I see clearly where you belong?
I read many of your long winded,tired arguments with donzman and several others
I have never been impressed and frankly don't need to be.
You fired the oven,you better be ready to cook!

Madam you are free to believe or doubt, whatever you like. Your convictions have nothing to do with me. The all-Nigeria image which you refer to, obviously bothers you? Why? We can't all come from the same village. Free your mind.

This was the same way you claimed that Laudate was Yoruba, much earlier. Please since you have so much information about my state of origin in Yorubaland, or my ethnic affiliation, kindly post it here. Include the name of my hometown, while you are at it o! And also add the local government area, the dialect spoken in the town etc. I asked your friend Nine2Five to do the same thing in an earlier thread, he couldn't. I hope you will be able to substantiate your own claims this time, with some proof.  

You also claim not be impressed with my long-winded arguments with other people. Madam, I don't recall trying to impress you with anything, so why are you going on and on, about it? I weak o!

As for cooking, am sure it is an area in which you also excel. I didn't bring the oven or the kitchen into this conversation, but since it is a place that trips you, abeg head in that direction. Don't stop. Don't pass GO, like they say in Scrabble.

a ha!
I thought you were gone,mgbo laudate.
you have Igbo relatives,you must know what the term "mgbo" means
you can't pull yourself away,lol.
Thanks for your advice,don't need it though

Ok we have naming ceremonies,I have attended several and I was infact named in one.
The chief priest looked at me on the 28th day and called me babyosisi daughter of papaosisi
Uzochukwu and terra cotta clapped their hands as the elders blessed me.
happy ?

end of story.
back to tribal marks

babyosisi:

a ha!
I thought you were gone,mgbo laudate.
you have Igbo relatives,you must know what the term "mgbo" means
you can't pull yourself away,lol.
Thanks for your advice,don't need it though

Don't change the topic. You raised the issue of Laudate being yoruba. Oya, substantiate it with proof, now. Don't be dishonest by making false claims.

Madam you are free to doubt, or believe what you like. Your convictions have nothing to do with me. The all-Nigeria image which you refer to, obviously bothers you? Why? We can't all come from the same village. Free your mind.

not all,couldn't be bothered,one can make any claims on the world wide web.
Don't know you,not dying to.

This was the same way you claimed that Laudate was Yoruba, much earlier. Please since you have so much information about my state of origin in Yorubaland, or my ethnic affiliation, kindly post it here. Include the name of my hometown, while you are at it o! And also add the local government area, the dialect spoken in the town etc. I asked your friend Nine2Five to do the same thing in an earlier thread, he couldn't. I hope you will be able to substantiate your own claims this time, with some proof.

who cares?
From your responses I know you are Yoruba.
why you attempt to hide that fact is entirely your business.

You also claim not be impressed with my long-winded arguments with other people. Madam, I don't recall trying to impress you with anything, so why are you going on and on, about it? I weak o!

already said so myself once,your on and on is your own echoing.

As for cooking, am sure it is an area in which you also excel. I didn't bring the kitchen into this conversation, but since it is a place that trips you, abeg head in that direction.

got the cooking part right,I've been known to make killer peppersoup aka ngwongwo,an Igbo cultural food ,thanks for recognising

this is 2007. I don't think there is any reason why "tribal marks" should still exist.
but i can understand if it existed a while ago when there was need for it, . . for whatever reasons. lol

laudate:

Don't change the topic. You raised the issue of Laudate being yoruba. Oya, substantiate it with proof, now. Don't be dishonest by making false claims.

and you want to further derail it by sinking it lowerdown to a topic about you?
I think not!

create a laudate thread and I'll answer you if I care and still get a wireless connection

WesleyanA:

this is 2007. I don't think there is any reason why "tribal marks" should still exist.
but i can understand if it existed a while ago when there was need for it, . . for whatever reasons. lol

same thing many others are saying.
They are currently useless and there are now laws against mutilating kids with tribal marking in Nigeria.
seun you can kindly lock the thread now before some people declare a fatwa on me.

well think i bungled into the same old mafia in this site again.gues this is a hot topic then.before tribal marks was being done for a couple of reasons including beautification.its the yoruba culture and theres noting anyone can do abt it.now theres no need for it again as enlightenment has set in.so whats the fuss about.

babyosisi:

not all,couldn't be bothered,one can make any claims on the world wide web.
Don't know you,not dying to.


who cares?
From your responses I know you are Yoruba.
why you attempt to hide that fact is entirely your business.

already said so myself once,your on and on is your own echoing.

got the cooking part right,I've been known to make killer peppersoup aka ngwongwo,an Igbo cultural food ,thanks for recognising

babyosisi:

and you want to further derail it by sinking it lowerdown to a topic about you?
I think not!

create a laudate thread and I'll answer you if I care and still get a wireless connection

Ah. . . . .don't worry, everyone will still be here waiting for you to substantiate your claims. In one breath you claim Laudate is Yoruba, as if you had evidence that corroborates your statement. In the next breath you claim that you do not know me, and you are not dying to. (Thank God for that, at least!). Now you make another u-turn to state that, from my responses, you know am Yoruba. How confused can a person be?

How would you feel if I said, from your own responses I know you speak English, so therefore, you must be an Englishwoman from London.   How does that sound? Wouldn't you think it is so ridiculous? Well, that is exactly what I think of your attempts to classify me as a Yoruba person. I have nothing, but the greatest respect for that ethnic group, but I know who I am, and I have no wish to change my identity. People like you are welcome to keep trying. Maybe, one day you will succeed in your futile quest.

Do you remember when you said in the 'Osu' thread:

babyosisi:
Why is this topic of special interest to you that everyone else must somehow be misguided in their opinions except you?
I don't like dishonest people.
When someone understands somethings and pretends not to just to score a cheap point,that's dishonesty.m

Well, I think that statement above applies to you, perfectly. Your misguided opinions have been aired. And we can now see how dishonest you are, because you understand this whole issue perfectly and you pretend not to, in order to just score a cheap point.

babyosisi:

and you want to further derail it by sinking it lowerdown to a topic about you?
I think not!

create a laudate thread and I'll answer you if I care and still get a wireless connection

Why on earth should I create a 'Laudate thread? Do you think I suffer from the same narcissistic impulses that drive you? You made a statement about me, i asked you for proof. Instead of supplying it, you turn round to say am sinking the thread lower, by making it about me. Shuo!   Na wa o!

@babyosisi.

Nne I've never asked you for anything before, Will you pls quit answering to laudate and Co. The thread is about Yoruba Tribal Marks. I don't know why the want to derail the freaking thread. I'm sure if the thread was about one of the stupid things  some of these crazy people on NL write about Igbos you'll see them all happy.

seun001:

before tribal marks was being done for a couple of reasons including beautification.its the yoruba culture and theres noting anyone can do about it.now theres no need for it again as enlightenment has set in.so whats the fuss about.

well said.

Ms laudate,you really do have the strength and energy to dig through threads,quoting and unquoting to suit your noble purposes.
nairaland owes you a fat reward,some tribal markings perhaps

a while ago you were pulling out your weave crying insult,nacissistic ko,nacissistic ni
couldn't be bothered

babyosisi:

Ms laudate,you really do have the strength and energy to dig through threads,quoting and unquoting to suit your noble purposes.
nairaland owes you a fat reward,some tribal markings perhaps

a while ago you were pulling out your weave crying insult,nacissistic ko,nacissistic ni
couldn't be bothered

You claim you[i] couldn't be bothered,[/i] yet you keep popping up like a jack-in-the-box with more juvenile responses, to a simple query. Substantiate your claims, biko! That's all. As for crying, nah. . . .I leave that to you. You seem to be quite good at it. Now for the last time, provide your proof, Madam know-it-all. And stop pulling out your weave!

ms laudate you are smart,did I have to break it down that I couldn't be bothered with your cheap insults.
you claimed to be leaving a while ago and here you are still yaking away.
I ain't going yet

ms laudate you are smart,did I have to break it down that I couldn't be bothered with your cheap insults.
you claimed to be leaving a while ago and here you are still yaking away.
I ain't going yet

no I am now,see you tomorrow

freewilly,we have a naming ceremony to attend don't we

laudate:

Hehehe. . . .thank you jare, my brother. It is sad that this website does not support PM. There are several other references, but I think I'll stop here now.

I have been trying to upload relevant sections of Sabine Jell-Bahlsen's work on Names and naming: Instances from the ORU-IGBO By Journal of Dialectical Anthropology, Volume 13, Number 2 / June, 1988. But am running into some technical hitches. Maybe I'll just type out relevant sections and paste it here, when I have time.

Work beckons, now. Gotta run.

Laudate--There were a couple of other references I had to pass on to you as well, but this discussion is going to degenerate into nothing but rants about naming ceremonies if people have their way. I applaud your efforts sha. Sadly, no amount of information you provide can change a resolutely closed mind. Igbo naming ceremonies haven't happened in certain people's backyards, so therefore they cannot and can "NEVER BE" true

babyosisi:


Ok we have naming ceremonies,I have attended several and I was infact named in one.
The chief priest looked at me on the 28th day and called me babyosisi daughter of papaosisi
Uzochukwu and terra cotta clapped their hands as the elders blessed me.

"Baby" Osisi--please don't prematurely age me o. Whatever elders were around at your birth, I don't think I could qualify to be one of them. And why all the anger? Laudate and I are just trying to enlighten you about Igbo traditions you don't seem to be familiar with. Your gripe should be with Professor Uzochukwu or countless numbers of other Igbo and non-Igbo anthropologists, historians etc. that have written about Igbo naming ceremonies.

laudate:

Don't change the topic. You raised the issue of Laudate being yoruba. Oya, substantiate it with proof, now. Don't be dishonest by making false claims.

If you had simply called facial marks "primitive" etc. you could have easily claimed to be born and raised in Umuahia or Asaba . As it is, you've been forced to join the 'opposition'. Why you would supposedly deny your ethnic background is beyond me, but let's hope the all-knowing soothsayers of Nairaland will back up their claims somehow, as you clearly did on the naming ceremonies question.

WesleyanA:

this is 2007. I don't think there is any reason why "tribal marks" should still exist.
but i can understand if it existed a while ago when there was need for it, . . for whatever reasons. lol

WesleyanA--you've said it all. The original question about the significance was answered a long time ago. Somewhere along the lines, it turned into a typical Nairaland ethnic contest. Either way, I've seen very few people in here who plan to give their children facial marks, but I'm sure the discussion won't come to such a simple conclusion for some.

TerraCotta:

Laudate--There were a couple of other references I had to pass on to you as well, but this discussion is going to degenerate into nothing but rants about naming ceremonies if people have their way. I applaud your efforts sha. Sadly, no amount of information you provide can change a resolutely closed mind. Igbo naming ceremonies haven't happened in certain people's backyards, so therefore they cannot and can "NEVER BE" true

I understand what you mean. Some folks need to free their minds. And they need to be open enough to accept this fact, that some things exist, which they just might not be familiar with, but which may be known to others.

TerraCotta:

If you had simply called facial marks "primitive" etc. you could have easily claimed to be born and raised in Umuahia or Asaba . As it is, you've been forced to join the 'opposition'. Why you would supposedly deny your ethnic background is beyond me, but let's hope the all-knowing soothsayers of Nairaland will back up their claims somehow, as you clearly did on the naming ceremonies question.

Um. . . . .I don't quite get you. Why on earth would I deny my ethnic background?? I don't think I have ever spoken about it. I grew up in the South-West, studied the language, can read & write it because it was made a compulsory part of my high school curriculum, etc.

So does that make me a Yoruba person?

@ topic

Back in my secondary school days, we had this boy who's face was badly cut up, he had six on each cheek. like this; "(((= =)))" (the = is supposed to be three). so we used to crack jokes that when a child is born, the tribal mark represented his rank.

((( ))) {means sergeant},

= = {corporal}

(((= =))) {means general}

((((== ==)))) {meant you were a field marshal).

there are different ones for lieutenants, majors, e.t.c

My friend was a major,