The Practice Of Exogamy And The Igbo People Of Nigeria


by Godwill A. Paul

Exogamy is the term used to denote the body of laws and customs prohibiting marriage between members of the same tribe, clan, village or family. The term ‘exogamy’ is the antonym of endogamy (marriage within a social unit), but the two sets of customs are not mutually exclusive and sometimes supplement each other. Many groups and customs prescribe marriage outside their social units because they believe that endogamy produces and encourages a variety of ill effects and creates tensions between sexual rivalries. An almost universal exogamic prohibition is the ban on incestuous marriages between parents and children or between brothers and sisters.

The practice of exogamy is not, however, limited to marriages between near blood relations; it extends to instances where relationship by blood may be conjectural. In most societies such as the Igbo people of the East and South Eastern parts of Nigeria, people belonging to the same village, whether related by blood or conjectural are not permeated to marry themselves. People must not marry from the same village. It’s an abomination. In some cases, villages that have bloodline linkages are not supposed to marry each other even when they are sparsely dispersed. Endogamy is an abomination among the Igbos and it constitutes incest. In a traditional Igbo community, endogamy is an abomination not only to the people but also to the gods of the land. In the ancient times, couple who commits endogamy is ostracized from the community even when it is committed ignorantly. But in recent times, civilization has bent the rule of the age-long practice.

In recent times, if people are married outside their community unknowingly and later discovers that they belong to the same village; such marriages are dissolved after several rituals of cleansing has been carried out on the offenders. This kind of mistaken marriage often take place among the Igbos living in the urban areas; who may not actually know the history of their roots and origins. It becomes more difficult to handle when the couples in question have had children before discovering. In the ancient times such children were to be sacrificed to the gods but today, different spiritual ways are devised to broker agreement between the children from this abominable marriage and the gods. With the advent of Christianity in Igbo land, things have really changed. The Christian confessions and the perceived forgiveness from God have set the culprits free from the cruel rituals and sacrifices to the gods.

One of the important duties of a typical Igbo family is to educate the members of their family about their lineage and roots. Those living in urban areas or far locations usually organize their village meetings where they get familiarized with their kinsmen. Through these regular gatherings, the risk of getting married to a village relation is drastically reduced if not eliminated. It is also part of the marriage rites among the Igbo people for the parents of both the bride and the groom to conduct searches about each other before the marriage is approved.

Its a taboo in my village and we usually have our family meeting/party every 2yrs which helps us to know one another. There are some villages that do not inter-marry because of this exogamy. Nice write up

High_Chief, where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?

It is not universal across Igboland because many communities in Anambra State and Abiriba-Ohafia area marry from the same village and see nothing wrong with that,

In Onitsha,some villages not just forbidden from inter-marrying but also forbidden from marrying from the next village . . .they claimed both villages are sisters.
There are places in Igboland where 2nd cousins are free to marry.

Whatever works for anyone,nku di na Mba na ezuru mba nri.

ChinenyeN:

High_Chief, where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?

Am from Udi in Enugu state

I will say the majority of Igbo clans practice exogamy. From Abia to Enugu, I often hear that you cannot marry someone from your village.

High_Chief:

Am from Udi in Enugu state

Cool, a highlander. Are you all part of Waawa or does Udi have its own speech form?

^^^Enugu is generally refered as Waawa, but we have different dialects thou. It seems you are from Ngwa, i have heard a lot about you guys. . lol

High_Chief:

^^^Enugu is generally refered as Waawa, but we have different dialects thou. It seems you are from Ngwa, i have heard a lot about you guys. . lol

High_Chief:

^^^Enugu is generally refered as Waawa, but we have different dialects thou. It seems you are from Ngwa, i have heard a lot about you guys. . lol

Only heard? Hehh. . Anyway, do you speak Udi or no?

^^^ Yeah, only heard i have not really come across any of them. Yeah I speak Udi

High_Chief:

[b]^^^ Yeah, only heard i have not really come across any of them. [/b]Yeah I speak Udi

So, in all your years of life you have never come across an Ngwa before? Do you live in an area with Igbo? Then again though, I'm not sure I should be so surprised.

Well (maybe it's just me, but. . . ) seeing as to how there isn't much to say on this particular topic of exogamy, I think its safe for me to ask you to write in some serious Udi. Dig deep and draw out the most crude, raw, undiluted form of Udi you can remember, and just say some things; anything. If you don't mind, that is.

Among the Aro it was quite okay for like 3rd cousins to marry. I am sure most modern day Aros no longer do that.

udezue:

Among the Aro it was quite okay for like 3rd cousins to marry. I am sure most modern day Aros no longer do that.

And i so disliked that,not that my opinion matter anyway
It sort of forced me to give my male 2nd and 3rd cousins 10 meters,I no want story,Aro guys are cute and my cousins are no exceptions.LOL

ifyalways:

And i so disliked that,not that my opinion matter anyway
It sort of forced me to give my male 2nd and 3rd cousins 10 meters,I no want story,Aro guys are cute and my cousins are no exceptions.LOL

I am sure I am not your cousin. And I am a bonafide Aro man. Come hia biko!

this is a good custom to have because it keeps you from having birth defects

You cannot marry from another village, you cannot marry osu, you cannot marry . . ., what's up with all this outdated customs?

Ndipe:

You cannot marry from another village, you cannot marry osu, you cannot marry . . ., what's up with all this outdated customs?

It is the rules of many of our clans. I actually support exogamy, because it keeps our gene pool diverse. When we marry those who are not part of our communities, we are able to strengthen our people, by adding new genes into the community.

Ndipe:

You cannot marry from another village, you cannot marry osu, you cannot marry . . ., what's up with all this outdated customs?

Rules are meant to be broken.
No one lives and wakes by the customs and traditions anymore.

EzeUche_:

I am sure I am not your cousin. And I am a bonafide Aro man. Come hia biko!

Ga chere m na nke stormy acha.

ifyalways:

Rules are meant to be broken.
[b]No one lives and wakes by the customs and traditions anymore.[/b]Ga chere m na nke stormy acha. 

Some 'free born' Ibos still adhere to the outdated customs that they should not marry an osu.

Ndipe:

Some 'free born' Ibos still adhere to the outdated customs that they should not marry an osu.

This your brainless post is very irrelevant to the thread.

Andre Uweh:

This your brainless post is very irrelevant to the thread.

Why attack the truth?

Ndipe, to be honest, considering the topic and context of this entire situation, I believe your posts make it easy for you to be accused of coming here just to look for trouble, if nothing else. Consider that.

ChinenyeN:

Ndipe, to be honest, considering the topic and context of this entire situation, I believe your posts make it easy for you to be accused of coming here just to look for trouble, if nothing else. Consider that.No one lives and wakes by the customs and traditions anymore

No I wasnt looking for any trouble. The topic is about rules and regulations of Ibo tradition that bars people from certain villages from marrying from certain villages. Andre Uweh's response is "No one lives and wakes by the customs and traditions anymore . . . " which, in my interpretation means that people have abandoned outdated customs in favor of true love. And my rebuttal is that the osu culture still acts as a barrier to true love, because even in today's world, some educated people would not marry an osu due to tradition. How did I err? Please tell me.

True Love. Please o. Anyway, I'm just saying, you jumping off about Osu this (in particular), true love that, 'outdated these and those', just because of a topic of exogamy (not marrying/mating with 'family'), is simply doing too much (you're stretching it). The topic of exogamy is rather detached from the other issues you raised; or should I say, much more detached than is related. Just my interpretation. I wouldn't entertain your questions, unless of course you opened up another topic, but then again, the topic of osu (which I suspect is what your questions will eventually lead to) has already been overly discussed time upon time, upon times, and it's almost insulting to revisit it, especially under a topic that is about mating with/marrying non-relations. Just saying.

ChinenyeN:

True Love. Please o. Anyway, I'm just saying, you jumping off about Osu this (in particular), true love that, 'outdated these and those', just because of a topic of exogamy (not marrying/mating with 'family'), is simply doing too much (you're stretching it). The topic of exogamy is rather detached from the other issues you raised; or should I say, much more detached than is related. Just my interpretation. I wouldn't entertain your questions, unless of course you opened up another topic, but then again, the topic of osu (which I suspect is what your questions will eventually lead to) has already been overly discussed time upon time, upon times, and it's almost insulting to revisit it, especially under a topic that is about mating with/marrying non-relations. Just saying.

And were humans supposed to marry their relatives? Topic, like you said, is about marrying non-relatives, and I pointed out that sometimes, an educated person would not marry an osu, because of tradition. Why do you consider it insulting? For bringing up the truth, which is relevant to the topic? No, blame those who still practise this discrimination and yet are quick to cry wolf over discrimination by other tribes against them. Isnt that something?

Like I said, you're simply stretching it. Exogamy and Osu are not mutually inclusive. So it's 'relevancy' is rather debatable. Anyway, I'm not here for an overly unnecessary cultural debate. I'm just waiting around for High Chief to respond, and I thought I'd just make a passing comment on your presence in this thread, context, content, and topic considered. By the way, I meant to write 'disgusting' and not 'insulting', my mistake.

I'm still dying over your 'true love' comment though. Do you seriously believe in such? (just a simple question, not meant to generate into some extensive, highly unnecessary, BS, 21st-century-yadayada debate)

As the author stated, the rule is there for a very good and valid reason.

Marrying relatives can greatly be the cause of mental disabilities.

The blood is simply to 'close.' Good someone was wise enough to

outlaw this practice.

Thirst4Lif:

As the author stated, the rule is there for a very good and valid reason.

Marrying relatives can greatly be the cause of mental disabilities.

[b]The blood is simply to 'close.' [/b]Good someone was wise enough to

outlaw this practice.

LOL
Is this a result of a research or just a random statement