babyosisi:



They pretend it doesn't exist or hope no one finds out
People wey dey use use juju as morning mouth wash

Literally, they have this juju chewing-stick which the chew whenever they want to talk someone into doing things against one's will.

jnrbayano:
Tony Uchenna wrote:





http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/osu-caste-in-igboland/

From generation to generation. Non stop!

prissyluv:
Jnrbayano,If you find out that the woman you want to marry is an Osu what will you do?

There is another group of people called the ORU. They are being discriminated too esp in terms of marriage.

the one you are talking about is slave.

macof:


Ok. So the idea is sacrificing their lives in service nt blood.
Now I understand better

You seem genuinely interested in understanding 'Osu'. I'll tell you what I know, based on what elderly folks told me. (Like I said the Osu system has completely disappeared from the area of Igboland I hail from).

First of all, this thing about Osu being used as blood sacrifice is pure nonsense. An Osu belonged to the gods and it was an abomination to shed Osu blood. In fact, in some places, Osu had the reputation of troublemakers, despoiling peoples' farm and such because they knew no one would dare touch them.

It is equally not true that 'discrimination' against osu began with Christianity. To understand the so-called discrimination, one has to understand how an Osu is made. An Osu was a slave owned by a god. As a property of the gods, Osu did hold a powerful place in religious and ritual matters. As a slave however, he couldn't have the same rights that freeborn had. He couldn't marry a freeborn, he couldn't participate in political life like the freeborn, and he couldn't take titles.

Think of Osu as a eunuch in an oriental royal household. He could become very powerful, but still had an inferior status as a slave and an emasculated man.

^^ Nicely put, and a good analogy toward the end.

Someone will just wake up an conjour up a deceitful story of what he/she knows nothing about. If there is anyone to blame for osu discrimination, it should be those deceitful missionaries that brought an alien religion to this land. Op and co, go back and make your research about osu.

Among my mother's people of Achi, Oji River Enugu state, a sister's children are known as Nwa Agaba and son of the soil as Nwafor.

Radoillo:



You seem genuinely interested in understanding 'Osu'. I'll tell you what I know, based on what elderly folks told me. (Like I said the Osu system has completely disappeared from the area of Igboland I hail from).

First of all, this thing about Osu being used as blood sacrifice is pure nonsense. An Osu belonged to the gods and it was an abomination to shed Osu blood. In fact, in some places, Osu had the reputation of troublemakers, despoiling peoples' farm and such because they knew no one would dare touch them.

It is equally not true that 'discrimination' against osu began with Christianity. To understand the so-called discrimination, one has to understand how an Osu is made. An Osu was a slave owned by a god. As a property of the gods, Osu did hold a powerful place in religious and ritual matters. As a slave however, he couldn't have the same rights that freeborn had. He couldn't marry a freeborn, he couldn't participate in political life like the freeborn, and he couldn't take titles.

Think of Osu as a eunuch in an oriental royal household. He could become very powerful, but still had an inferior status as a slave and an emasculated man.

Succinctly put, Rodoillo! Ka m kpoo yi afa ka OdenigboAroli...

This whole Osu thing is exaggerated out of proportion. I was born and spent all my life in the east until 2013 and I have never seen nor encountered an Osu before. I don't even know any Osu personally. I've read of it only in books. There is no open discrimination in Igboland as to Osu vs Nwadiana. Hausas and non-Igbos alike living in the east will readily attest to this. Osuship only becomes an issue when it comes to marriage or kingship issues in a village. And it is practiced only in certain areas of Igboland especially in Owerri and within a 100-mile radius axis, parts of Abia state and virtually missing in Delta Igbo (Anioma), Anambra, Rivers, Ebonyi and Enugu states. I am yet to encounter an 'osu' in person.

babyosisi:
Manny4life please could you email me babyosisi@hotmail.com
Please mention me somewhere when you send the email.

I just got your message, went to church... Sent you an email.

Responded @ manny4life

PAGAN9JA:


Yes the Osu system is older than the missionaries whereby slaves, criminals,debters etc, instead of facing death were given new lease of life as shrine caretakers and attendees. They held powerful positions and were resepected and feared and most of all...envied.

But discrimination preceeded after the arrival of missionaries. Just as any traditionaliat is discriminated. This has persisted tho even after conversion due to association with the old Gods (so called devils)

yes even in this present time In some churches the Osu people sit on one side while diala on the other side

bigfrancis21:
This whole Osu thing is exaggerated out of proportion. I was born and spent all my life in the east until 2013 and I have never seen nor encountered an Osu before. I don't even know any Osu personally. I've read of it only in books. There is no open discrimination in Igboland as to Osu vs Nwadiana. Hausas and non-Igbos alike living in the east will readily attest to this. Osuship only becomes an issue when it comes to marriage or kingship issues in a village. And it is practiced only in certain areas of Igboland especially in Owerri and within a 100-mile radius axis, parts of Abia state and virtually missing in Delta Igbo (Anioma), Anambra, Rivers, Ebonyi and Enugu states. I am yet to encounter an 'osu' in person.

I wrote something similar in 2007 and was called a liar by ndi Yoruba
Since then I have read plenty others say the same
The most I have heard about osu has been on the internet
My parents have never for a single day told me who was osu and who wasn't or who not to associate with because they were termed osu
It is not a conversation that I ever heard from any adult around me growing up
Means nothing to me and mine
The small minority that have issues with it don't speak for me

jnrbayano:


I never saw those threads before opening this one.

Op- please investigate further. There are Osu and there are Umu Ohu... Dont mubble them 2geda. Again b4 you start lambasting what you dont understand... Find out why an Osu cannot eat a Male Ram and remain alive. In my Hometown they the conditions given to start accepting them is for them to eat the Male Ram... And if any survived, then we can start associating... And those that tried eating Died afterwards. Tell you that there is more to it than you think... Research deeper b4 you land yourself in trouble... If a male ram still kills dem, den sumthing has not let them go... Even in the Bible, God told Israelites NOT to Marry the Moabites and the Hitithes...

bigfrancis21:
This whole Osu thing is exaggerated out of proportion. I was born and spent all my life in the east until 2013 and I have never seen nor encountered an Osu before. I don't even know any Osu personally. I've read of it only in books. There is no open discrimination in Igboland as to Osu vs Nwadiana. Hausas and non-Igbos alike living in the east will readily attest to this. Osuship only becomes an issue when it comes to marriage or kingship issues in a village. And it is practiced only in certain areas of Igboland especially in Owerri and within a 100-mile radius axis, parts of Abia state and virtually missing in Delta Igbo (Anioma), Anambra, Rivers, Ebonyi and Enugu states. I am yet to encounter an 'osu' in person.

No o the osu system is practised in virtually all those states(except rivers) u mentioned the thing is they don't talk about it much all you have to do is ask someone

Raymysterio:

Op- please investigate further. There are Osu and there are Umu Ohu... Dont mubble them 2geda. Again b4 you start lambasting what you dont understand... Find out why an Osu cannot eat a Male Ram and remain alive. In my Hometown they the conditions given to start accepting them is for them to eat the Male Ram... And if any survived, then we can start associating... And those that tried eating Died afterwards. Tell you that there is more to it than you think... Research deeper b4 you land yourself in trouble... If a male ram still kills dem, den sumthing has not let them go... Even in the Bible, God told Israelites NOT to Marry the Moabites and the Hitithes...

Male ram
That's a new one to me

Spreading lies won't help any cause, the osu caste system is dead and should be allowed to rest in peace

The ohu system is being practiced in Amechi Awkunanaw in Enugu state. the home town of sen ken nnamani and gov jim nwobodo. you cannot know them physically but when its time for marriage, they will go for iju ese and once one of you is of ohu descendant they will thwart the marriage. over there, ohu marry ohu, and amadi marry amadi. as an ohu you cannot partake in some leadership role in the village

babyosisi:


How barbaric abi?
Your enlightened kind will take a perfectly normal child that God gave you,pin them down and use a heated metal to turn him or her into something worse than osu by solving quadratic equations on their faces.
I hear you nna, modernized folks
Clear off Jor

Babyosisi,

Performing hard-reset on people's brains since the days of Genghis Kahn

babyosisi:


Male ram
That's a new one to me

Is there a female-ram in existence?

bigfrancis21:
This whole Osu thing is exaggerated out of proportion. I was born and spent all my life in the east until 2013 and I have never seen nor encountered an Osu before. I don't even know any Osu personally. I've read of it only in books. There is no open discrimination in Igboland as to Osu vs Nwadiana. Hausas and non-Igbos alike living in the east will readily attest to this. Osuship only becomes an issue when it comes to marriage or kingship issues in a village. And it is practiced only in certain areas of Igboland especially in Owerri and within a 100-mile radius axis, parts of Abia state and virtually missing in Delta Igbo (Anioma), Anambra, Rivers, Ebonyi and Enugu states. I am yet to encounter an 'osu' in person.

There is no mark or practice to distinguish one but you will only know of it when you want to marry and they will go for iju ese. that iju ese is to find out the status of his descendants. lucky for you if you are of the same status then you will not know. it is the girls that suffers the most

elder05:
yes even in this present time In some churches the Osu people sit on one side while diala on the other side

Whoa really! Hmm..

Mekymuo:
Biko, name the town or village that is still discriminating against ndiosu?Cos my maternal side surname is OSU from Nanka, Anambra state. And they have never been discriminated anywhere in Nigeria. I don't know where you people get this nonsense from...

When I mean discrimination it does not mean people do not associate with them but that the friendship hardly gets to marriage.

Well Nanka people according to what I know don't discriminate the OSU, they associate with them and marry them as well but from my town Isuofia precisely, they do not marry an OSU. It's very rare to see that.

Meanwhile, since your maternal side is Nanka, Isuofia is not far from there... You can make your enquiries..

I laugh when people sat the osu caste system is dead. I am from Anambra and married in Imo state and it still exist in my home towns. There is little or no discrimination when it comes to everyday activities. They receive chieftancy titles and are even members of the Igwe cabinet on my birth town. They are not being address as osu either and anyone who does will face village court martial. However,when it comes to marriage,it is not dead and may not die in the next century. I have seen many lovely relationships go down in distress because of this. The only way to end this silly osu caste system(my opinion) is for a First Class Igbo Traditional Ruler or his first son to take a wife from people termed 'osu'.

Arysexy:
[s][/s]

U mean ur people bury ohu in this age? Where exactly are u from?

Please always learn to read someone's comments with some measure of understanding before rushing to make comments.
The original writer wrote on the Osu cast system and omitted the Ohus. Mine was a humble effort to enlighten others who are not from these parts about the Ohus which the writer did not write about. That does not in anyway translate into my people burying slaves alive in this age.

This Osu thing is so endemic in Igboland that you hardly say anything in favour of the Osu's lest people will start to ascribe you as one and even discriminate you immediately thereafter.

Even people that call themselves christians turn the Bible upside down when trying to justify their dirty discriminating acts.

In Owerri, the Roman Catholic Bishop there is against it but the followers are saying that even if one of the bishop's relatives should first get married to one, that they would still not accept it. It is that serious!

I wonder how many people that will make heaven because this Osu thing and other discriminating acts will surely deny a lot christians heaven.

PAGAN9JA:
This is getting old.

wat discrimination? Rubbish.

The only ppl discriminated today are the poor.

lol..u rily gat ne crackin on dat...

[color=#006600][/color] bet me all of u talking about osu here can neva marry any osu real life. so stop talking about osu... if u go to ur respective comunities ask one of ur oldest men or ask ur parents about osu to have a beta insight about it before u make a mistake...

Jennydoris:



When I mean discrimination it does not mean people do not associate with them but that the friendship hardly gets to marriage.

Well Nanka people according to what I know don't discriminate the OSU, they associate with them and marry them as well but from my town Isuofia precisely, they do not marry an OSU. It's very rare to see that.

Meanwhile, since your maternal side is Nanka, Isuofia is not far from there... You can make your enquiries..

I am from isuofia and my dad has never mentioned the osu thing to me

Dnaz:


I am from isuofia and my dad has never mentioned the osu thing to me

Ask your dad if the freeborn marry the OSU.. I think he will explain more on that.

Meanwhile, its nice to know that you're from there.

It is worst in my native home Umunoha Mbaitoli ,Imo State. The land of Igwekala shrine.
I had a very heated argument with my mum over this issue recently and I tell you, my mum, a stunch catholic mother, nearly slapped me for condemning that obnoxious practice still being oberved in our town till date.

I am not giving up because I am planning a very serious campaign against it and I am gonna sustain the campaign all through my life

Jennydoris:



When I mean discrimination it does not mean people do not associate with them but that the friendship hardly gets to marriage.

Well Nanka people according to what I know don't discriminate the OSU, they associate with them and marry them as well but from my town Isuofia precisely, they do not marry an OSU. It's very rare to see that.

Meanwhile, since your maternal side is Nanka, Isuofia is not far from there... You can make your enquiries..

Never knew that rubbish still happens in Isuofia.i know lots of Nwosus in ezioka village. Btw I thought pokobros aka Paul Okonkwo was osu...very silly tradition I must say.