kennymartinz:
It is also important to know that the Edjenu cannot be
photographed. Photographers are warned and cautioned
not to take photos or videos of the festival in order to
preserve the awe and mystique of the Edjenu. The
photograph attached to this post is a rare one and possibly
the only one that has made its way to the Internet.
Unfortunately, this was the only photograph I could get
(others may have taken better ones and if indeed you have
other pictures, please send them to me).

Main reason it can never be used four tourism. For crying out loud you expecting people to come grace an occasion they have no knowledge about on the internet in this era of bokoharam and herdsmen killing in Nigeria bros i tell u its termed as suicide mission.

Efewestern:


The op made some mistakes and he couldn't make any correction, that's not enough reason to label the op and every one from that kingdom dumb. it's obvious you are the dumb one here.

And how does worshipping our ancestors prevent us from developing?, you that don't worship it ,how many innovations have you made?

Have you been to China or Japan?, black man and their slave mentality.

there is nowhere the OP said he made a mistake, so stop ranting. As for china n Japan, I would advise U that anything a people are worshiping n still their lives are backward n poverty-stricken generally, that thing should be shoved down the toilet; and this ur dumb edjenu is one of them. What makes U think I am an african?

Odingo1:

Okpara (mean first son in Igbo)

Eni (mean elephant in Igbo)

Isiokpo (mean head)

Edjenu ( mean all of Tallness in Igbo)

Don't know about Isiokpo. Okpara does not mean first born in Urhobo. It's just the name of a place. Eni means elephant but don't assume that Urhobos borrowed it from Igbo or that Urhobos must come from Igbo because of that. The languages are mutually unintelligible and not even related linguistically.

Urhobos also share many words with Bini, Ijaw, Itsekiri and Yoruba so there's nothing special here. These are things which occur when cultures collude.

Eke40seven:

All these people brainwashed by people worshiping desert dieties.

Apparently, you don't understand a word of Igbo then..

Okpara is same meaning. "First son" or sons of the land, etc

Eñi mean elephant too
To break your heart, every single term mentioned in the article is as Igbo as Igbo can be.
I am however, not claiming they are Igbos or not but saying those words or the language ain't Igbo just shows your lack of knowledge of the language.
What of "Okereke"? Even the word "Edjenu" and "Isiokpor".....
And please don't argue except you understand the language very well and familiar with all the dialects.

you don't get it do you?

No doubt we share similar words, it's not limited to igbos alone, urhobo also share similar words more with Yoruba, itsekiri and other tribe, whether or not igbo bear these names is not the issue, the issue is you guys trying to make it seems as if the words belongs to igbos, it might even be a borrowed word from urhobo.

The point is simple, Agbon are not igboid, not in any way related to igbo, share little or nothing with them.

bibe:


They don't have to be strictly Igbos but it's easy to see theres some bit of igbo ancestory from shared names like Eni (Enyi in central Igbo) and Okpara (First son/Sons) as well as Okereke however their proximity with the Urhobo and other ethnicities means that there'll have been years and years of intercultural mix probably even before the British contact.

By looking at the proximal ethnic groups, it's easy to ascertain that the Agbon will have been made up of migrants from Igbo as well as other neighboring ethnic groups for millenniums before becoming a distinct one thus will retain their migrant ancestral cultural influence.

My thoughts though.

Well said!

Efewestern:


you don't get it do you?

No doubt we share similar words, it's not limited to igbos alone, urhobo also share similar words more with Yoruba, itsekiri and other tribe, whether or not igbo bear these names is not the issue, the issue is you guys trying to make it seems as if the words belongs to igbos, it might even be a borrowed words from urhobo.

The point is simple, Agbon are not igboid, not in any way related to igbo, share little or nothing with them.

Agbon doesn't even share any border with Igboland. Like someone said above, it's highly likely that Igbos came to Agbon and Urhobos went to Igboland. Words can emerge from anywhere. They may be Urhobo words which were ferried to Igbo land or vice versa. The point being that there are as much Igbo words in Urhobo as there are Yoruba, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Bini, etc and vice versa.

shekauvsbuhari:
there is nowhere the OP said he made a mistake, so stop ranting. As for china n Japan, I would advise U that anything a people are worshiping n still their lives are backward n poverty-stricken generally, that thing should be shoved down the toilet; and this ur dumb edjenu is one of them. What makes U think I am an african?

Here , didn't you read what he said?

fratermathy:

Yes. So many people told me of the reduction. Unfortunately, I can't edit the original post so I had to make a note in my second post.

It's obvious you are just bitter, I won't exchange words with u again. bye.

shekauvsbuhari:
there is nowhere the OP said he made a mistake, so stop ranting. As for china n Japan, I would advise U that anything a people are worshiping n still their lives are backward n poverty-stricken generally, that thing should be shoved down the toilet; and this ur dumb edjenu is one of them. What makes U think I am an african?

You are ranting, and needlessly so.

fratermathy:


Don't know about Isiokpo. Okpara does not mean first born in Urhobo. It's just the name of a place. Eni means elephant but don't assume that Urhobos borrowed it from Igbo or that Urhobos must come from Igbo because of that mthe languages are mutually unintelligible and not even related linguistically.

Urhobos also share many words with Bini, Ijaw, Itsekiri and Yoruba so there's nothing special here. These are things which occur when cultures collude.

Are you sure that this Okpara people are not Igbo people that deny their been Igbo as a result of the civil war because every name mention in that articles are Igbo names, maybe their names will be Obinna, Chiamaka, Ebere, Kachukwu, Amaechi etc like Ikwere, Agbor and others that speak Igbo, bear Igbo names, Igbo market days but some maintain that they are not Igbos.

If you check this Okpara people now you will see that their market days are Eke, Oria, Afor and Nkwo and they will be bearing Igbo names but be claiming Uhrobo.

Odingo1:

Are you sure that this Okpara people are not Igbo people that deny their been Igbo as a result of the civil war because every name mention in that articles are Igbo names, maybe their names will be Obinna, Chiamaka, Ebere, Kachukwu, Amaechi etc like Ikwere, Agbor and others that speak Igbo, bear Igbo names, Igbo market days but some maintain that they are not Igbos.

If you check this Okpara people now you will see that their market days are Eke, Oria, Afor and Nkwo and they will be bearing Igbo names but be claiming Uhrobo.

OGA, agbon don't share anything with igbo, talk less of answering igbo names, it's obvious you are trying to subdue my people which I find offensive.

Urhobo shares a lot of names/words with Yoruba and itsekiri, but you won't see them trying to claim they are Yoruba, Agbon language is 100% urhobo and has nothing to do with igbo.

If you are looking for your lost brothers you know where to find them, urhobo land isn't one of them. as for the market days, Urhobo don't bear anything close to that.

fratermathy:


Agbon doesn't even share any border with Igboland. Like someone said above, it's highly likely that Igbos came to Agbon and Urhobos went to Igboland. Words can emerge from anywhere. They may be Urhobo words which were ferried to Urhobo land or vice versa. The point being that there are as much Igbo words in Urhobo as there are Yoruba, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Bini, etc and vice versa.

Urhobo language is even unrelated to igbo, for the fact we share few words together doesn't mean they are related in anyway.

You can see what that one is saying above. what a pity.

Efewestern:


OGA, agbon don't share anything with igbo, talk less of answering igbo names, it's obvious you are trying to subdue my people which I find offensive.

Urhobo shares a lot of names/words with Yoruba and itsekiri, but you won't see them trying to claim they are Yoruba, Agbon language is 100% urhobo and has nothing to do with igbo.

If you are looking for your lost brothers you know where to find them, urhobo land isn't one of them. as for the market days, Urhobo don't bear anything close to that.

OK chairman, I am just trying to be inquisitive because many part of Igbo nation in that axis deny their root as a result of the civil war.

50 years from 1976 is 2026 except of course they are using lunar years in which case you should state it.

This lovely,i served (as coper)in community some yrs back and i can confirmed to every person that care to know that Okpara people are good people.Even though i dont go out during dir feasts,i did now they are friendly with visitors.

I simply love tradition

fratermathy:


Don't know about Isiokpo. Okpara does not mean first born in Urhobo. It's just the name of a place. Eni means elephant but don't assume that Urhobos borrowed it from Igbo or that Urhobos must come from Igbo because of that. The languages are mutually unintelligible and not even related linguistically.

Urhobos also share many words with Bini, Ijaw, Itsekiri and Yoruba so there's nothing special here. These are things which occur when cultures collude.

According to Wikipedia extract on Agbon, Okpara does indeed mean first son and is the first among the sub-kingdoms that make up the kingdom.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agbon_Kingdom

shekauvsbuhari:
instead it generates curses,poverty n backwardness for them bcs of de evil sacrifices dt go with them. Sometimes they behead people to give some useless n dumb god of war that couldnt stop de white man from defeating n colonising them.

Had no idea human sacrifices are offered before such entity can make its public appearance. Hmm! Op, over to you.

Proudly Urhobo

bibe:


According to Wikipedia extract on Agbon, Okpara does indeed mean first son and is the first among the sub-kingdoms that make up the kingdom.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agbon_Kingdom

Okpara is a first born of Agbon. It doesn't mean first born. It is not a word Urhobos frequently use even.

chukxie:


Had no idea human sacrifices are offered before such entity can make its public appearance. Hmm! Op, over to you.

The person who said that, and whom you believed, should provide proof of what he says. It is not my duty to respond.

Efewestern:


you don't get it do you?

No doubt we share similar words, it's not limited to igbos alone, urhobo also share similar words more with Yoruba, itsekiri and other tribe, whether or not igbo bear these names is not the issue, the issue is you guys trying to make it seems as if the words belongs to igbos, it might even be a borrowed word from urhobo.

The point is simple, Agbon are not igboid, not in any way related to igbo, share little or nothing with them.

We are saying ALMOST same thing though...

I understand that they might be Urhobo linguistically and culturally, � but you can't take out the influence of ancestral contacts, migration and assimilation. I don't know who assimilated who..
It's a shame we don't have written histories to reveal these interesting connections.
In my grandmother's home town, we have Ndi Okereke, and "Ndi Okpara" apparently..
You can't take away the influence of proximity and mixing. At the end of the day, it shows that we are all brothers.

Odingo1:

Are you sure that this Okpara people are not Igbo people that deny their been Igbo as a result of the civil war because every name mention in that articles are Igbo names, maybe their names will be Obinna, Chiamaka, Ebere, Kachukwu, Amaechi etc like Ikwere, Agbor and others that speak Igbo, bear Igbo names, Igbo market days but some maintain that they are not Igbos.

If you check this Okpara people now you will see that their market days are Eke, Oria, Afor and Nkwo and they will be bearing Igbo names but be claiming Uhrobo.

Nope. Okpara People, Agbon people and Urhobos generally do not answer Igbo names. Typical Urhobo names are Ovo, Efe, Onome, Akpogoma etc. Urhobo Market days are not in any way related to Igbo market days. What we have is Edeki, Edurhie, Edewor, etc. We don't even have a large concentration of Igbos in Agbon as settlers just as in other parts of Nigeria. Our languages are miles apart but no doubts, there are similar sounding words, as there are similar words with Bini, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Yorubas,etc. In fact, if any group should make a claim of being related to Urhobo, it is the Bini/Esan/Afemai people.

Eke40seven:

We are saying ALMOST same thing though...

I understand that they might be Urhobo linguistically and culturally, � but you can't take out the influence of ancestral contacts, migration and assimilation. I don't know who assimilated who..
It's a shame we don't have written histories to reveal these interesting connections.
In my grandmother's home town, we have Ndi Okereke, and "Ndi Okpara" apparently..
You can't take away the influence of proximity and mixing. At the end of the day, it shows that we are all brothers.

We don't even have Okereke. What we have there is Okekere.

Okpara is not pronounced the same way Igbos pronounce it. To Igbos, it is okPARA, to Urhobos, it is OKPAra. Okpara is a derivative of Okpare, in Olomu, a place where Agbon people settled before coming to their present location.

And yes, we are brothers, as are all Nigerians. But let's not distort facts to suit our agendas.

fratermathy:


Okpara is a first born of Agbon. It doesn't mean first born. It is not a word Urhobos frequently use even.

Your first two sentences are conflicting, as for the third sentence, that's not the Crux of the discuss but it's meaning.

bibe:


Your first two sentences are conflicting, as for the third sentence, that's not the Crux of the discuss but it's meaning.

Okpara is a first born. It's a name. As a person, he's a first born. The name itself does not mean first born. It's like saying James is a first born. Does that mean James means first born?

Where's the contradiction? I take it that you see only what you want to see.

lobell:
50 years from 1976 is 2026 except of course they are using lunar years in which case you should state it.

That was an error on my path. It's actually 20 years and the last one was held in 1997. I missed that one and before then it used to be 50 years but I learnt they reduced it before '97.

bibe:


According to Wikipedia extract on Agbon, Okpara does indeed mean first son and is the first among the sub-kingdoms that make up the kingdom.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agbon_Kingdom

This can NOT be a coincidence. This people are as Igbo as you can get. As usual, many of these Delta kingdoms and villages deny their Igboness, but if your village name is OKPARA, you are definitely Igboid. Q.E.D.

koning:



This can NOT be a coincidence. This people are as Igbo as you can get. As usual, many of these Delta kingdoms and villages deny their Igboness, but if your village name is OKPARA, you are definitely Igboid. Q.E.D.

Why do you people like bringing Ndiigbo into unrelated topics and in so doing, bloating the ego of unrelated groups?

Okpara In Urhobo is not pronounced like the Okpara in Igbo, and they don't hold the same meaning.
Quit being obnoxious, quit pushing it, stop making these groups relevant by pokenosing into their affairs, stop it already.

Okpara people in Urhobo are Urhobo people, they don't speak Igbo related language in whatever form.

fratermathy:


Okpara is a first born. It's a name. As a person, he's a first born. The name itself does not mean first born. It's like saying James is a first born. Does that mean James means first born?

Where's the contradiction? I take it that you see only what you want to see.

You are the one contradicting yourself. The initial commenter stated that Okpara means first son, same as I commented, but when replying you said Okpara doesn't mean first born. No one mentioned first born initially but you.

However, that not withstanding, Okpara means first son and also translates first born (by synonym in the case of sons only). In igboland, it's also born by people as a name (surname in almost all cases) in other words when you refer to a male as first born among sons in Igboland he is automatically termed as the Okpara.

Hope that clears things up.

Igboid:



Why do you people like bringing Ndiigbo into unrelated topics and in so doing, bloating the ego of unrelated groups?

Okpara In Urhobo is not pronounced like the Okpara in Igbo, and they don't hold the same meaning.
Quit being obnoxious, quit pushing it, stop making these groups relevant by pokenosing into their affairs, stop it already.

Okpara people in Urhobo are Urhobo people, they don't speak Igbo related language in whatever form.

I don't like the tone of your response. Nevertheless, you are entitled to your opinion. My comment was based on Wikipedia's info about the Okpara people. According to Wikipedia, they hold the same meaning, even if pronounced differently.

There are many dialects of the Igbo language. If Igboid tribes can be located in as far away as Southern Cameroun and Equatorial Guinea, I do not see any reason why they cannot be found in our backyard of Urhobo clan. It is too much of an 'accident' to name an entire community 'Okpara' with exactly the same meaning as 'Okpara' in Igboland.

You use the moniker "Igboid". Do you really understand what 'Igboid; means.

koning:




I don't like the tone of your response. Nevertheless, you are entitled to your opinion. My comment was based on Wikipedia's info about the Okpara people. According to Wikipedia, they hold the same meaning, even if pronounced differently.

There are many dialects of the Igbo language. If Igboid tribes can be located in as far away as Southern Cameroun and Equatorial Guinea, I do not see any reason why they cannot be found in our backyard of Urhobo clan. It is too much of an 'accident' to name an entire community 'Okpara' with exactly the same meaning as 'Okpara' in Igboland.

You use the moniker "Igboid". Do you really understand what 'Igboid; means.

Urhobos are not Igbos or Igboids. QED.

Use the same Wikipedia you quickly ran to in order to source for Agbon history to know more about Urhobo people.

By the way, Okpara DOES NOT mean first born in Urhobo. Okpara was the name of someone who happened to be a first born. It is not a title neither does the name mean first born in Urhobo. I'm a firstborn myself but my name does not mean first born. Okpara as a name does not appear in other Urhobo polities, far and near. The name is an Agbon rendition of Okpare.

Urhobo is an EDOID language, not an Igboid language! A simple Internet search will save you this embarrassment.

If you push this any further then I would know you have an agenda on this thread. You will be replied appropriately.