actually, based on your topic and for other members asking what  osu means and who an osu is.here comes the explanation.
                  IN IGBO LAND IN THE OLDEN DAYS, DURING WAR OR CLASHES BE IT INTER VILLAGE OR PURELY OUTSIDE ATTACK,THE VILLAGERS OFTEN RUN FOR HELP OR STAY TO FIGHT. WELL IN THE CASE OF THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY AFRAID AND CANT EVEN FIGHT OR RUN, THEY ENTER THE SHRINE OF A DIETY OR A GOD AND PLEDGE TO SERVE THE GOD OR DEITY IF ONLY IT WILL PROTECT THEM FROM THE ATTACK. THE RESULT IS ALWAYS POSITIVE IN THE SENSE THAT THE SO CALLED DEITY OR GOD PROTECTS THEM FROM THE WARRING SITUATION.
           IN ANY CASE WHEN THE WAR IS OVER, THE FAMILY OR GROUPS OF PEOPLE  WHO RAN INTO THE DIETY'S SHRINE ARE REFERRED TO AS THE OSUS BY OTHER VILLAGERS OR GROUPS WHO FOUGHT THE WAR AND LOST LOVED ONES.
        MEANWHILE, THE PROTECTED ONED REDEEM THEIR PLEDGE BY SERVING THE DIETY AND SO WHEN CHRISTIANITY CAME, THEY WERE REGARDED AS THE OSUS(OUTCASTS) NOT TO BE MARRIED BY THE FREE BORNS.

  NOW MY SUGGESTION IS THIS,I BELIEVE WE ARE  ALL XTIANS NOW AND UR BROS BEING AB ADULT ABOUT TO START A FAMILY OF HIS OWN SHOULD BE IN A B ETTER POSITION TO KNOW WHAT TO DO DEPENDING ON HIS BELIEFS AS A XTIAN.
       SO THE BALL IS ENTIRELY IN HIS COURT.

@Poster
Osu (Outcast) or no Osu doesn't really make meaning anymore. We are civilised generation so lets reason thus!
let ur brother go ahead and marry her if he realy loves her

The caste system is quite prevalent in India for example, where the lowest castes may not marry other castes. With regards to Igbo land, the OSU system has been mostly outlawed in most parts especially with the advent of Christianity.

However, what I find is that even these places that have outlawed this practice, OSUs from other parts are not welcome. This is because people want to avoid the stigma associated with being married to an OSU

obi99:

The caste system is quite prevalent in India for example, where the lowest castes may not marry other castes. With regards to Igbo land, the OSU system has been mostly outlawed in most parts especially with the advent of Christianity.

However, what I find is that even these places that have outlawed this practice, OSUs from other parts are not welcome. This is because people want to avoid the stigma associated with being married to an OSU

It is not people who want to avoid the stigma of being associated with an OSU.It is usually our parents ,uncles and sisters who for their selfish ego,who go all out to propagate this nonsense called OSU.Marriage is 90% about individuals and 10%family.Infact in some cases 0% family.

In as much as Osu cast system has been outlawed years ago, it is still being discriminated against. I must tell you that 90% of Igbo couples who got married in Igbo land have had the families of their would be partners investigated with or without their consent. A good % of these are xtains, so we sometimes wonder where their faith lies!!
The fear of being called an Osu and having your children discriminated against as 'Osus', is the driving force behind the pre-marital investigation. It is easier for the ladies since they're married into another family 'maybe a free born' but for the guys, its kind of difficult getting a lady who is ready to accept you (ur family).
My dear, it takes love and the grace of God to overcome these challenges and this should be your brother's driving force. I have lady friends who are Osus and i must tell you that it's very hard on them. They grow up having it in their minds never to date Igbo guys so as not to be uncovered as Osus. In as much as we frown at this ungodly system, i must tell you that the cast system is still very much practised in the Igbo land.

Sophistica has just provided a solution, all the Osus should marry non - Igbos and allow them wallow in their ignorance, in a generation or two, the OSU system will be wiped out.

Wow, can't believe things like this still exist it is purely discrimination. If I were you I would still marry the so-called Osu, afterall you are Christian and don't believe in all the condemnation and death stuff.

If you need to appease your family though, apparently there is a reversal ritual to make the person no longer Osu. I don't know what it is unfortunately and even tried search google, you may need to buy a JSTO book to find out more.

Quote from "http://www.kwenu.com/publications/maduabum/osu_system.htm"

The good news is that there is indeed a remedy for this involuntary inclusion into the caste. Even those who voluntarily joined the caste can still have the status ritual reversed. For those who may not know, the Osu initiation can be reversed; it is a reversible reality in Agu-Ukwu Nri, the religious hometown of Ndiigbo. All you need to do is to perform the required rites and rituals for it to be reversed. By so doing you would have been fully and completely separated from any tie that had bonded you with the god at initiation. The rate of ritual killings can be reduced in our society if those who have been affected are cleansed and fully integrated into the society.

Good luck, but remember you can always migrate to an area that tolerates you (within Nigeria or abroad) and this discrimination has to stop somewhere so you can be one of those people to break out of this bondage. Someday I am sure this will be a thing of history, it just may not be in you lifetime, but you won't be the first person to marry an Osu for love. In fact, there is no need for this label, you are marrying your love. If you leave this girl for someone else, you may marry a wicked person, good people are hard to find, so forget labels put on her what do you see in her?

@ ell77
long time no see.

IF YOU ARE VERY TRADITIONAL THEN THERE'S NO NEED TO GO AHEAD WITH THE MARRIAGE. IF YOU ARE MORE WESTERNIZED THAN THE AVERAGE NIGERIAN MAN THEN THERE'S NO NEED DISCUSSING THIS ANY FURTHER.

did you not think it was going to be a problem before you even developed a proper relationship with her in the first place??

lie on the bed you have made yourself!!!!!

osu's are not bad people neither are they any less than the nest person. Simple!!

Seriously, at this age, such thing still exist?

wat eva happened to Love?

na nonsense now.in this day and age.if u love d gal no jupiter can seprate u.

i bin think say u mean osu student  girl. i wan talk say make you run shap shap

So many people are saying this is 2008 and so on, but forgetting the crucial thing, we are Nigerians for Christ sake!!!! a country where religion is the sole decider of things.

Why do we still have shrines in Yorubaland and Hausaland or in everyother part of Nigeria? Some one said that the Igbos are the most primitive people in Africa because of caste system! that reeks of ignorance. caste system is all over the world yes i said all over the world including your darling Europe, do you know about "Gypsies"? they are treated worst than blacks in Europe

but if anybody wants to learn more about this then check this wiki link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_system


But i am not supporting it and it should be abolished world wide completely, it was abolished in my home town about 15 years ago with a get together dance and merry making to mark it

romeo:

it was abolished in my home town about 15 years ago with a get together dance and merry making to mark it

@Romeo - that's quite interesting, really? Which hometown was that, do you know how they came about doing it because it seems other towns have failed when the government has tried to abolish it, I agree with you it should be abolished. Also you are right the caste system is everywhere, and without merit also.

oziomatv:

@ ell77
long time no see.

lol. @ oziomatv - i have been around my brother. How u dey?

my friend  , @poster, Osu is a state of mind, those refered to as such are no different in any way from any other human being,they have all the dignity and qualities including freedom as enshrined under the Nigerian constitution, it is only in the mind of those who are Backwards mentaly, PRIMITIVITY AT ITS HIGHEST Level! However Parental consent is always important in weddings, for many obvious and some not so obvious reasons, whether you are a strong xtian or not, Ist a delicate situation!! I sympathise with you.

ell77:

@Romeo - that's quite interesting, really? Which hometown was that, do you know how they came about doing it because it seems other towns have failed when the government has tried to abolish it, I agree with you it should be abolished. Also you are right the caste system is everywhere, and without merit also.

It was in Enugu my sister, it took the might of the rich and influential people of the town to realise, though some people opposed it but they couldn't do a thing about it

i am not going to say my hometown here

Chy4luv,

It is regrettable that in this day and age we are still bound by obnoxious traditions and as christians we need to overcome such indecencies, however we must accept that the Osu discrimination does exist. It is a very serious issue if you are Ibo. When an Ibo person wants to get married, such enquiries are standard. Family members will always enquire about the other family. Now you have to really consider whether you want to alienate your family - you see such decisions usually come at a price. If you live in the east your children will be discriminated against-if you live abroad, well you may be able to weather it, but once you return one day someone will say something-how will you react? Africans have a way of recording history and you'll be surprised that the stigma will remain with your descendants. Personally I would've tried enquiring before the r/ship gets too serious, not because I support it but because I know the issue will definitely arise, and it is something I would rather avoid or at least prepare myself mentally for the strife. Your brother found out at a late stage and doesn't seem to have a problem with it and I think you should support him, but he does need to know the social implications. Supposing if he goes ahead and his wife is not as strong as him, can't cope with the stigma and leaves? Then what, ? They need to discuss this and if the love is strong well,


If he couldn't care less about what his people will say then he should go ahead. If he is not into community life then no problem. He shouldn't expect to take any 'meaningful' titles or break cola at family affairs etc. In fact he must be prepared to be ostracised.

The decision is his.

Now Romeo, let me ask this question,: If an outsider (Ibo) wants to marry from your town and after the enquiries they find that the person from your town 'used to be osu but now it no longer exists', do you think that the matter will just die like that? The problem extends beyond your town. I do support you that it is crap and should be abolished, but it is not to be trivialised. It can cause a married couple a lot of disharmony and should be considered extensively. As Africans, we are deeply traditional, irrespective of our xtian beliefs-that is a
fact.

Chy4luv, I feel for your bro, but right now he needs all the support you can give him.

ell77:



lol. @ oziomatv - i have been around my brother. How u dey?

body dey for cloth. i don tey since no body dey hear from you.

tell your brother that the ball is right in his court, he's old enough to choose between life and death.
for his folks to have adviced him to stay away from the osu girl , they must have seen a lot
about an osu and not osu marital status.

OSU. . .when people are already living in another planet.
shyte talk.
i will marry a jezebel if i love her. Osu is small sef.

oziomatv:

body dey for cloth. i don tey since no body dey hear from you.

@oziomatv - lol. I have been around, maybe not so much on the debate issues though. I will be doing nysc this march (hopefully)!

romeo:

It was in Enugu my sister, it took the might of the rich and influential people of the town to realise, though some people opposed it but they couldn't do a thing about it

i am not going to say my hometown here

@romeo- ok, well maybe you can tell this guys bro so they can migrate there! I would loved to have known where in Enugu, but I respect your ned for privacy. If only evey city can have rich influential people do such. If I was rich I think I would say, I can develop this land, hospital, school, water etc but on condition you abolish this osu caste thing MENTALLY!

Nnamdi Aziwe abolished this thing in the east ages ago so it is actually illegal but unfotunately people pay no attention thats why the fact your town decided to formally celebrate it being abolished MENTALLY alos was so important. Those leaders (who did this in ur town) should write a book or something to show others how to do it. I feel bad for those classed as Osu.

those thins are just cultural. i dont believe in them, anyway, if u have problems abt it, u culd just talk 2 a reverend or somethin i guess.

I've heard the ibos talk about Osu but most of them always maintain it's a dead culture because of christianity. I wonder how true is this because i want to get grounds to fight back my ibo friends when they yab me with the yorubas and their massive involvement with the ogboni society even in this born again era.

Na wa ooooooooooo
This OSU thing is really serious
God bless Nigeria

Big thumbs to revive.

I ve heard many versions of the OSU story.

Some time many many years ago, it's believed that a certain group of people who commit some serious crime and are sentenced to death, in a bid to escape punishment, they run to the shrine of the gods for protection. As a result of this, they are cast away by the other villagers since they escaped punishment. Every other 'normal' person is not supposed to have anything to do with the outcasts.

Personally, I think its all nonsense. Even if people were cast out for something they did wrong, it should not be raken out on their kids.

@post
If your brother truly loves the girl, then he must be ready to take a stand and do whats right.

here we go again!
osu my crusty feet!

Takes a quick glance at thread

Walks away

whats all these noices about osu !
For crying out loud ! This is 2008 ! i think we shouldnt be concentratiing on this osu stuff ! wheres love ?? what happened to love? our cultural belief supercedes our christian belief

We need to simmer and start doing things right !
We have enough racial discrimation from those obodos we cant afford to start discriminating against ourselves !
Its a free world ,lets try and enjoy life to the fullest.
cheers

pls, it is not good to marry osu it will bring so many problems into your family.
osu is really-really to step in into osu's family.
damange.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm its is a very tough thing in an Ibo land,some of you who does not come from this part of the state will never understand what "Osu" entails, i am an Ibo girl though not an Osu,but has always wished it wiped out entirely,it is most of our wishes that has failed to come true.May God never give us the cross that will be too heavy for us to carry.

Its a tough decision to make and hence its difficult to be for the guy nor against him, but will advice he seeks the consents of his parent and elders well, may be only then can he be well convinced of what he is venturing into, may God give u d wisdom to deceide wisely. U may find joy eventually if u do or it might turn out to be the most regret of ur life, what ever u choose to do,i wish u  all the best.though today it is not as worst as it used to be in the past,mordernization has tender softly on lots of things,befor an "osu "dare not speak where a free born is talking or be in a gathering where the free borns are,they are never allow to trade in the same market,their houses are built seperate and outside d immediate family,today such things do no longer exist but the stigma of being one still lives within them.

if they love and respect each other let them marry, Bleep tribal and tradition issues that has make us stayed too long in darkness.

for those called OSU let them marry other forget about the fuckin tradition and go on with your life. thank you.