SlayerForever:
INTRODUCTION TO BONNY HISTORY

Chapter 2 - CULTURE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction.

2. Culture of historical Bonny Kingdom.

2.1 Perception of the Supreme Being amongst the Bonny people in history.

2.2 Other traditional practices of the Bonny people in history.

- Iguana worship.

- New Yam festival.

- Shaving as act of mourning.

- Symbolism of the elephant tusk.

- Iria ceremony.

- Hunting expeditions.


INTRODUCTION

In this chapter we look at the core cultural and traditional practices of the Bonny people as recorded in the 17th and 18th centuries. These practices were observed by various scholars of that era, and consequently recorded as first-hand information, the sources of which include, in some cases, discussions and interviews with the Pepple kings.

Before we proceed however, we customarily access the viewpoints of some academic giants in the subject of interest. Professor Jones M. Jaja, Professor of African and social history, institute of foundation studies, Rivers state university of science and technology, whilst speaking about Ibani culture in the academic release "Ibani dieties and methods of worship...", informs us as follows, "The Ibani trace linkages through the kitchen lineages called "Burusoyo" or "Burusu". Lineage is also traced through the ereji blade. The ereji refers to the matriarch who ritually admitted new slaves into the family...” (pg. 34406) ¹.

The above submission paints the picture of a matriarchal society, and therefore by consequence would mean that the Ibani people, Bonny and Opobo, are a matriarchal race. This generally is in agreement with the matrilineal perception of the ijaw people traditionally.
Professor Jones continuing on Ibani culture presents that, "Eremina-Ogbo (Ere-Ogbo) is a female dance group with a few men who beat the drums. Eremina-Ogbo is the dance group associated with the Iria-bo womanhood rites” (pg 34406) ¹.

Above mentioned is the Iria ceremony (Iriabo). The Iria ceremony is a feminine cultural practice that celebrates the coming of age of a young woman amongst the people of Bonny, Opobo, Okrika, Kalabari etc which in recent times has gained international coverage from several reputable media.


In getting a clearer understanding of the Ijaw feminine concept of divinity we are aided by the work of Professor Christopher Abraham Ajueyitsi titled "God: Male, female or asexual?", an inaugural lecture presented at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in 2004. According to Professor Christopher Ajueyitsi, "the classical example of this feminine concept of God in Africa is found among the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta of Nigeria, who speak of God STRICTLY in feminine terms. All their names and attributes for God are strictly feminine, and they apply to Her alone. They have four names for the Supreme Being, namely, Temearau (Tamara), moulder of the universe. Tamuno is the Kalabari variant of Temearau. The second name is Ayebaarau..."the foundress of the universe”, (thirdly) Woyingi or Oyin, “our mother” and Oginarau, "she who dwells in the heavens.." (pg 10) ²

Hence we can observe the strictly feminine nature of the supreme being as perceived by the Ijaw Ethnicity. Another worthy mention is the devotion to water spirits which is also a fundamental feature in the Ijaw traditional religion.


CULTURE OF HISTORICAL BONNY KINGDOM

Unlike origin which is usually a static point, culture bears the capacity to reshape, absorb and drop aspects of itself with the passing of time. It is observed that the current cultural practices of a people in the present may vary greatly from what was obtainable centuries ago. This mostly is due to an array of circumstances, many beyond the control of man. However, the practices of the long past paint a clearer picture of the heritage of a people, before several distortions over time, and helps to better understand, piece together and appreciate the present.

In view of the above stated fact, we once more look into the earliest documented history of Bonny as recorded centuries ago.


PERCEPTION OF THE SUPREME BEING AMONGST THE BONNY PEOPLE IN HISTORY

Perhaps of the greatest significance in evaluating Bonny's perception of a supreme diety was the recorded conversation between King Pepple and Trade Captain John Smith circa 1835. In this interesting exchange, Pepple shares his desire to kill God if he can, because according to him, if he succeeds in killing God then he Pepple, can live forever. Apparently, in Pepple’s estimation, God is the one who takes a man's life (Pg 90) ³.

An abridged representation of Pepple's conversation with John Smith is captured below :

Pepple : Suppose God was here I must kill him one minute!

John Smith : You can not kill God.

Pepple : I know I cannot kill him but suppose I could kill him, I would.

John Smith : And suppose you could, why would you kill him.
Pepple : Because he makes men to die.

From the above discourse it is very clear that the traditional religion of Pepple and consequentially, his subjects, was one that identified their Supreme Being as a male manifestation rather than a female, and Pepple wished to physically subdue Him if he ever got the chance, as any man would wish towards an adversary. The conversation however did not end there.

John Smith may be credited as the first European to forward the notion of a Christian God to a Pepple King, and by consequence to the Bonny people. John Smith, during the tricky conversation captured above, goes ahead to carefully describe the tenets of Christianity to a Pepple he knew very well could be very obstinate and unyielding to a foreign tradition. He shares the Bible creation story which Pepple enjoys while expressing his opinion that the serpent should have been destroyed immediately. Afterwards, John presents the gospel of the messiah.

It is worthy of note that while John Smith shares the Christian belief of a God who is a Father and his son who is the messiah, no where does Pepple ever interject in the conversation that God is indeed a woman (Pg 94) ³, as would have been the case if that was the belief he held. Pepple and indeed most of the Bonnians were not known to keep mute when the very core of their tradition was being challenged. If the God Creator of the Bonny people was a woman, Pepple would definitely have challenged the Christian notion of a masculine God.

Also of a strong note is the fact that across hundreds of books written in that era, hardly any one of the scholars recorded a matriarchal trado-religion for the Bonny people. Such a detail would never have escaped the very meticulous scholars if such was the case. Instead they all record the Bonnians as believing in a more regular masculine Deity, and also a patriarchal system of inheritance as obtainable within any other Igbo community. The foreign matriarchal inheritance system adopted by some Bonnians of today is a source of contention and turbulence within the Bonny society.


OTHER TRADITIONAL PRACTICES OF THE BONNY PEOPLE IN HISTORY

Numerous practices were observed amongst the Bonny people, however for the sake of brevity and focus we consider the core traditional elements.

IGUANA WORSHIP : One of the most frequently mentioned practices of the Bonny people was the worship of the iguana. The iguana was the tutelary diety of the Bonny people until its destruction in the wake of Bonny’s acceptance of Christianity. However, before the adoption of the iguana as the national emblem, the Bonny people were noted to have revered the monkey, as recorded by John Smith (pg 61) ³ and Major Arthur Glynn (pg 280) ⁴. Reverence of the monkey is of consequence and points to the fact that though the Bonnians had adapted to life on the coast, their original ancestors were most likely forest dwellers. This is generally in agreement with the established fact that the Bonnians originally came from the forest regions of the Igbo hinterland.

NEW YAM FESTIVAL: Another practice of note observed amongst the Bonny people is the New Yam festival. According to Crow, "On occasion of planting the yam, which is a principal article of food, and also when it is dug up, a grand ceremony is performed, intended as an expression of thankfulness to Providence for its bountiful supply of the fruits of the earth" (pg 223) ⁵.

From the above we are able to appreciate the ancient life of the Bonny people, in their traditional way of celebrating the yam. This is one traditional practice that is at the very foundation of Igbo tradition. There is arguably nowhere else in the entire world that yam holds the extolled position it does amongst the Igbos, hence for the Bonny people to have celebrated both the beginning of the yam planting season and the festival of the new yam, it is indeed a no-brainer that Bonny was like any other Igbo community. Observe also that the writer informs us that not only is yam celebrated, but also it is a principal meal amongst the early Bonnians. In addition to yam, cassava was also identified as a staple food of the Bonny people (pg 252) ⁵. A common feature in the Igbo diet.

SHAVING AS AN ACT OF MOURNING : Another practice of note was the burial rites observed on occasion of death. One of the major rites as documented, was the shaving of the hair and wearing of specified clothes in mourning of a deceased relation (pg 72) ³. A traditional practice still very common amongst the Igbos to this day.

SYMBOLISM OF THE ELEPHANT TUSK : As far back as 300 years ago the reverence of the elephant tusk amongst the Bonny people had already been well established. During Barbot's stay at Bandy (French adaptation of Bonny) in 1699, he observed the symbolic use of elephant tusks. According to John Barbot, "Thus with much patience all our matters were adjusted indifferently....The king ordered the public cryer to proclaim the permission (of his people to/) of trade with us, with the noise of his trumpets, being elephant's teeth..." (pg 459) ⁶.

Over a hundred years later, John Smith will also observe and record the significant use of the elephant tusk amongst the Bonny people as means of making key announcements (pg 120) ³. Exactly as obtainable in the general Igbo society.
But perhaps the most illustrative of the high significance of the elephant tusk in Bonny culture is its use by its most prominent person, the King. Bonny kings from time immemorial have been known to carry the Ọdụ mkpa alọ (Odu as called in Bonny to this day) as a symbol of their authority. This practice is steeped in tradition, Igbo tradition to be precise, where a bearer of the Odu is regarded as having attained the pinnacle of societal achievements.
The Ọdụ, till this day is carried by the Kings of Bonny and Opobo as their symbol of authority over their domain.

IRIA CEREMONY : The Iria ceremony as observed amongst the Bonny people and the neighboring tribes of Okrika and Kalabari is a cultural practice that has attained wide recognition in recent times. The Iria is celebrated amongst the women folk at different stages of their lives from early youth through adulthood.

Whilst the ceremony has continued to gain recognition, little is researched on as regards its origin. This had lead to a situation where it is erroneously linked to the Ijaw Ethnicity of Nigeria.
The Iria ceremony has as its original traditional name : Ị rụ Mgbede (coming of age/maturity). A keen eye can quickly observe how time and circumstances have worn and distorted the original Igbo words of Ị rụ (to attain/to reach) to Iria, while the Mgbede (maturity) has been casually discarded. Hence the current name of “Iria” could be argued to be meaningless, or at best a poor reproduction of the original. The Iru Mgbede ceremony is an age long female coming of age ceremony found amongst several Igbo communities. The ceremony was usually practiced as soon as the girl child attained puberty. At this time the girl(s) go into seclusion as the traditional rites begin in earnest. According to Igbo culture the men were never allowed into the seclusion area.

For the stipulated time of seclusion, usually about 3 months, the girls are closely tended and taught in clear details how to manage their homes by mostly aged mothers. Also the girls are fattened and their shapes worked upon such that they are irresistible to the male folk on completion of Iru Mgbede.
On completion of their time in Ị rụ Mgbede the girls were made to go through the ceremony of "Ipu Ama" i.e stepping out/public display, in some cases at the village square or at the market, with her body beautifully adorned in uli (camwood).
At the completion of this the girls were now completely qualified to be espoused.

lru Mgbede also served to ensure that girls did not engage in premarital engagements as it was a taboo for a girl to be impregnated before her Iru Mgbede ceremony.
In the Ngwa and Ukwa-Ngwa areas of Igbo land where Bonny people descend from, the ceremony bears the exact name as captured above : Ị rụ Mgbede, as against other variations of the name to be found in other parts of Igbo land like Ida Mgbede, Ịnọ Mkpuke, Ikwaezi in Mgbidi, Ibauke in Umuahia. The neighboring communities to Bonny where Iria is celebrated today which include Okrika, Kalabari (New Calabar), are all recorded to originally have Igbo ancestry, Okrika being from Afam Ndoki (pg 24) ⁴ and New Calabar descended from Arochukwu and a section of the Efik from the Duke Ephraim family of Calabar (pg 265) ⁷ and (pg 25) ⁴ with elements of both Igbo and Efik culture still observable in New Calabar. Until the modern era it was still the practice in new Calabar to take a deceased chief to Arochukwu to be buried.

The claims in some quarters that the Iru Mgbede now Iria and also the Nwaotam forest masquerade of the Igbo race are mediums of connecting to the water spirits, are bogus and should be consequently disregarded. The culturally inclined can observe there is no connection to water divinities whatsoever in both ceremonies, and there are no basis for such whatsoever.

HUNTING EXPEDITION : Great hunting expeditions were recorded amongst the ancient Bonny people by writers and other observers of the time. Until the modern era, every year the great chiefs and men of Bonny held a hunting festival. As reported by Richard Francis Burton, “Once a year every great house with its chief repairs to the bush and makes a surround of men and boys to trap gazelles and antelopes...the evening of the battue is spent in devouring its proceeds and in hard striving with strong drinks” (pg 293) ⁷. John Smith also reports on this annual hunting festival, “...After a successful battue when more deer have been captured than suffice to satisfy their appetites, they (deer) are laid about in their rooms with their four legs tied together...” (pg 153) ³.

Great hunting expeditions into the outlying forests were a commonplace event in the Igbo society and both the young and older men looked upon this hunting expeditions as an opportunity to show their hunting prowess to the admiration of the community. Great hunters were given high recognition amongst the Igbo people.
In recent times though hunting expeditions have declined with the rise in modernisation.
Most of the aforementioned points which have been discussed above are major cultural elements of the Bonny people, some of which are still observed even to this day. These cultural elements as investigated, stand side by side with practices obtainable across the rest of the Igbo nation.


REFERENCES

1. Jones M. Jaja (2015). Ibani Dieties and Methods of Worship : A survey of extinct traditions in the Niger Delta.

2. Dime, C. A. (2004). God: Male, female or asexual? Inaugural Lecture. Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

3. John Smith (1851). Trade and travels In The Gulf of Guinea, Western Africa. Simpkin, Marshall and Co, Stationers Hall Court, And Thomas Gill, Easingworld.

4. Major Arthur Glynn Leonard (1906). The Lower Niger And It’s Tribes. London : Macmillan and Co. Limited.

5. Hugh Crow (1830). Memoirs of the late Captain Crow of Liverpool. London : Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green; And G. And J. Robinson , Liverpool.

6. John Barbot (1746). A Description of the Coasts of North and South Guinea. London : Assignment from Messrs Churchill.

7. Richard Francis Burton (1863). Wanderings in West Africa Volume II. London : Tinsley Brothers.

RobbStark:
Bonny and new yam festival....no such thing exist.
The ibani people like their brothers .....the okrikans, kalabaris n so are well known fishermen n not farmers.
We don't have the lands to farm but the ocean to do whatever.

This isnt fact but distortions from your own imagination.
How come people you all claim are Ibos don't see themselves so.
Why aren't our parents giving us Ibo names but rather Ijaw names.

Think miscreants think.
The truth stares you in the face but you lots choose to be useless.

Good nite






You want them to claim their true origins so that the satanic conspiracy of Ijaw and Fulani in operation in Nigeria will go after them...the world has not forgotten the war crimes perpetrated by adaka Boro and the 3rd marine commando in Bonny during the civil war.
Dein

Kwem:
Kudos to slayer...

This one is very detailed with lots of evidence.

when are the true bonny sons and daughters of bonny going to wake up and Make research about their history and stop being pushed to accept the lies that their ancestors who were the true founder of bonny were slaves?

If they don't wake up, the ijaws who have been encroaching will annihilate their true history and force their ijaw culture and language on them.

If you pay attention to the grand bonny kingdom you'll see that ijaws have being fighting to install people who are in their IYC, giving jobs to those who do their biding while the true son's and daughters of the kingdom are suffering without job because they have failed to know whom they are. ( Not slaves)..

WorWorBoy:
You sha must find a way any possible way to drag Okrika people into your whatever,can't you igbos just do your thing with Bonny people and leave Okrika people out of it?
And has any Okrikan tell you that he or she have identity crisis or something that you are trying to twist and change the history of my people? Why are you guys so obsessed about my people anyway? Oga what is up their about my people is nothing but hogwash, Okrikans are ijaws who migrated from the Delta and share nothing in common with igbos apart from doing trades ( including slave trade) So saying that all Okrika people have Igbo Origin is an insane joke taken too far.

OfoIgbo:
Odogwu slayer forever well done.

Sweet references also

ThickSharon123:


My dear one, you being Okrirka-Ijaw in the land, doesn't change the fact that the ancestors were Igbos as rightly reported by the explorers and ethnologist at that time. No one is denying your ijawness, but some things need to be put straight, for those in Bonny, Okrirka and Opobo who are asking the question, why do we have Igbo customs and culture? It can't be becuase of the slavery?

And those who feel lost, but need more genuine proofs on why they share cultural affinities with the Igbos other than the Ijaws. If Okrirka wants to be with Ijaw, no one is dragging it with them, and Godforbid Igbos would ever drag Okrirka, Bonny and Opobo, but this is for people, the Okrirka Igbos (and not the one who came through slave as you people foster) but the Igbo indigenes of Okrirka, Bonny and Opobo shouldn't be relegated to slaves, just becuase they had more of their type of people upland who shared their languages and culture to them to swell the population of this city states.

I do hope you get it.

SlayerForever:



Well, you're right on one thing. All Okrikans may not be Igbo. However the founders and majority of the indigenous Okrikans are.

SlayerForever:



Well, you're right on one thing. All Okrikans may not be Igbo. However the founders and majority of the indigenous Okrikans are.

SlayerForever:



Well, you're right on one thing. All Okrikans may not be Igbo. However the founders and majority of the indigenous Okrikans are.

Allen102:
So it is you an Igbo man that will tell us Okrikans our history? Can you imagine the audacity. Okrikans people are not igbos there's no Maybe,Okrikans are 110% ijaw with little or zero Igbo people in it. Don't try and twist our history with your 419 ways, we won't accept it.

WorWorBoy:
I swear these people are something else look at them even arguing and dragging our history with us smh.

Allen102:
He said the meaning of Wakirike in Igbo is child of scales lmao. Their problem is that,they think that their opinion is supreme to others and what they say is final and you must accept it.

SlayerForever:
[s][/s]

So this is all you could come up with?

WorWorBoy:
You are so on point.

RobbStark:




You can do better boy.
We are not farmers so we don't celebrate New yam festivals.
Scrapping of hair is not exclusively your thing. I think most cultures do same.
In fact, the Ijaws are not known for that.
Get you fact rite.

Whatever you say here won't change anything.
I am still waiting for one nlander to come in and say he is Ibo at the same time from Bonny or Opobo.
Until then, you all shud continue dancing naked here.

Long live the Ijaw Race
Long live the Ijaws
God bless our lands

Malawian:

Most of these Ijaw dilution came after the Anglo Aro war. These boat pirates reproduce just like Fulani without regards for the Eco system. Now they feel they are now large enough to chance the real aborigines of the land. Okay.

Anyone hear how Asari Dokubo has been allegedly recruiting UGM to fight IPOB in the east? Nigeria is Ijaw saving grace.

Ijaw people tried to steal Land from Igbos!! An unforgivable sin.

SaintBishop:
Isn't Asari Igbo according to you people? But why do you all keep dragging people who want nothing to do with you?

Malawian:

No Igbo drags Ijaw infiltrators in those Igbo lands, it has always been Ijaw infiltrators claiming " they are not Igbo".

You will all be weeded out.

RobbStark:




You can do better boy.
We are not farmers so we don't celebrate New yam festivals.
Scrapping of hair is not exclusively your thing. I think most cultures do same.
In fact, the Ijaws are not known for that.
Get you fact rite.

Whatever you say here won't change anything.
I am still waiting for one nlander to come in and say he is Ibo at the same time from Bonny or Opobo.
Until then, you all shud continue dancing naked here.

Long live the Ijaw Race
Long live the Ijaws
God bless our lands

Allen102:
So it is you an Igbo man that will tell us Okrikans our history? Can you imagine the audacity. Okrikans people are not igbos there's no Maybe,Okrikans are 110% ijaw with little or zero Igbo people in it. Don't try and twist our history with your 419 ways, we won't accept it.

BlackSaints:
Godforbid do you have any idea how the average Okrikan view an Igbo man?you can't even go to Okrika people group on Facebook and post this nonsense there without getting roasted alive

SlayerForever:



Shut up. It will be posted and nothing will happen. In fact many Okrika people will be happy within themselves that their real Igbo culture is being exposed.

BlackSaints:
I'm sure you have seen the screenshot and reaction from my people.

SlayerForever:


Which reaction. Lol.

BlackSaints:
It's Obvious you are blind or you are too shock to accept the truth

SlayerForever:



Where is the reaction kwanu

SaintBishop:
Which Igbo land? Are you talking about Bonny or the Okrikans? cause as you can see in the screenshot,the Okrikans don't want anything to do with igbos,why no let them be?

SlayerForever:



Only this piecemeal facts presented on Okrika and you're all over the place. What would happen when Okrika becomes the focus.

By the way why are you people practising Igbo culture of Iru Mgbede and calling it Iria?

cc RobbStark

Malawian:

We will,after we have uprooted the Ijaw from these stolen lands. Every Igbo tribe rules itself. We will let those Igbo tribes be after we have uprooted the Ijaw infiltrators from their lands. That is why they are our brothers and we are our brothers keepers.

SlayerForever:
Alabo7978

SlayerForever:



Only this piecemeal facts presented on Okrika and you're all over the place. What would happen when Okrika becomes the focus.

By the way why are you people practising Igbo culture of Iru Mgbede and calling it Iria?

cc RobbStark