Due to the riverine and swampy nature of their environment in the south south states, they have over the years, established a perfect relationship with the rivers that surround them. “The Ijaw culture and customs are water dominated. This is because God has blessed us with water.

Because of their attachment to rivers, the Ijaw cultural, social, economic and  religious lives are defined and influenced by water. Water, is said, has no enemy. According to some Ijaw elders, “water is friendlier to the Ijaw people,” however, every Ijaw is expected to be a good swimmer so he or she can survive capsizing of boats when it happens.

Through life experiences, the ancestors have developed a social system that makes the Ijaw feel comfortable being around water.  It is not unusual for Ijaw children, especially those born or raised at home, as young as four, to become expert swimmers and divers.   By the time they reach ten years old, most have become prolific swimmers.

The first, every free born of Ijaw must be able to swim irrespective of the size, the wave, or current of the river or sea. To this end an Ijaw family start to train its child only some days after birth. The first step is to throw the baby into the river, if it floats in the water it is interpreted to be an Ijaw and thus will be able to swim with proper training.""

everything about the Ijaws is interrelated with water. “Unlike in the north where they dance like antelopes, we dance like fishes. Our dance steps are like the movements of the fish and the wagging of their tails in the waters, The Ijaw masquerades usually wear heads of the fishes. All our festivals have their origins from water. Our ways of life are influenced by our environment which is surrounded by water.”

boat regattas as part of Ijaw festivities, symbolizes “the early days when our forefathers used to go to war in the waters so as to conquer neighbouring communities and make them their slaves. That reminds us of that.” He said there are two types of boat regattas: the ceremonial boat regatta and the war boat regatta.

The Ijaws have a lot of idioms and proverbs which are water inclined. One popular Ijaw proverb goes thus: “when you see a hippopotamus pursuing a canoe in the river, it is not actually interested in the canoe, but what is inside the canoe.  As soon as the person insight jumps into the water, that ends the pursuit

can someone expantiate on the ijaw social structure.

in particular, this slave vs freeborn thing.

what's the connection between ijaw and arabs, if any.

thirdly, is there any explanation of how or why ijaws started living on water.

Perfect candidates to train for the Olympics swimming?

How come this made front page?
Am still yet to get it.
Truly Nairaland is on life support.
So sad.

@ochukocc will u shut dat thing u call a mouth? If u dont want to post a response cant u just hide your ugly face?
@ poster i enjoyed your post. Please post more. Im a bonified izon boy from bayelsa state. We no get equal. One love. One 9ja

Are there swimming competitions held among different areas of the Ijaw tribes? I would think that Ijaw kids with natural proclivity towards water and swimming can be easily trained to become a world class athlete. I’m guessing that the generations of Ijaw swimmers, through genetics, should have increased the lung capacity of the average Ijaw person, thus allowing them to take in more air while managing it more efficiently than the average person.

Having an Ijaw world class athlete can do wonders to the psyche of Ijaw kids and also show them a way out of their current poverty. The swimming competition can help identify the most talented kids that might give the Michael Phelps of tomorrow a run for his money.

mikron:

@ochukocc will u shut dat thing u call a mouth? If u dont want to post a response cant u just hide your ugly face?
@ poster i enjoyed your post. Please post more. Im a bonified izon boy from bayelsa state. We no get equal. One love. One 9ja

Have U seen my face before U daft oaf? 
I see you have issues with spelling
Its bonafide not bonified  you intellectual midget
Thanks your fedora wearing brother in Aso Rock, we know all that you chaps excel in is breaking pipelines & setting up committees upon committees
No balls, no liver
Go get a life

@ Poster that is why some of you ladies are 'mommy water'' (mermaids), or so i heard!!!

after the last African games and the Olympics in beijing many state governors from that region promised the next champions will be from the riverine area

apparently they are natural born swimmers, nothing has been heard ever since, not even an Olympic sized swimming pool _{except in gloryland}

semid4lyfe:

Ijaw_girl, can u swim?

yup - - very well~

someone please kill this thread and put it out of its misery, , or better yet drown it.

everything about the Ijaws is interrelated withwater. “Unlike in the north where they dance like antelopes, we dance like fishes. Our dance steps are like the movements of the fish and the wagging of their tails in the waters, The Ijaw masquerades usually wear heads of the fishes.All our festivals have their origins from water. Our ways of life are influenced by our environment which is surrounded by water.”

So, in essence, you guys are like the Southern Water Tribe and the northerners are like Earth Kingdom. Hmmmm, Apart from being a good swimmer can you do water bending too? Cos I'm the Avatar and am in need of a water bending teacher.

kabukabu:

someone please kill this thread and put it out of its misery, , or better yet drown it.

kai, u get bad mouth o.

. . .2 me nothing is special about the ijaws.

@ Ijaw girl
Is it true that when an Ijaw baby is born. They are thrown into the water,

afam4eva:

@ Ijaw girl
Is it true that when an Ijaw baby is born. They are thrown into the water,

It is actually not that big of a deal because humans, especially younger ones, naturally have the instinct to hold their breath under water. The phenomenon is called Mammalian Diving Reflex and is triggered when cold water touches the face. It is the same reason why birthing baby into a tub of water is possible and also why babies can swim.

henryskywalker2003:

So, in essence, you guys are like the Southern Water Tribe and the northerners are like Earth Kingdom. Hmmmm, Apart from being a good swimmer can you do water bending too? Cos I'm the Avatar and am in need of a water bending teacher.

wouldn't that be something.

when i saw this thread i actually opened it thinking i would get to know more about ijaw people only to see a very watery treatise.
the thread is not worth its salt.

Ijaws are also very good wrestlers and massagers, which is not related to water. And some Ijaw girls can be very very fine. .

henryskywalker2003:

So, in essence, you guys are like the Southern Water Tribe and the northerners are like Earth Kingdom. Hmmmm, Apart from being a good swimmer can you do water bending too? Cos I'm the Avatar and am in need of a water bending teacher.

LOL, I see you have jokes, You missed, how about the Fire Nation?

any knowledgeable person who can attempt to answer posts 1 and 2?

more importantly, how did ijaws start living on water.

any verifiable myths, legends, oral history which address this.

it's better u ask God

Meaning?

DisGuy:
after the last African games and the Olympics in beijing many state governors from that region promised the next champions will be from the riverine area

apparently they are natural born swimmers, nothing has been heard ever since, not even an Olympic sized swimming pool _{except in gloryland}

Wallie:


It is actually not that big of a deal because humans, especially younger ones, naturally have the instinct to hold their breath under water. The phenomenon is called Mammalian Diving Reflex and is triggered when cold water touches the face. It is the same reason why birthing baby into a tub of water is possible and also why babies can swim.

Yeah. I once dunked a 2 weeks old puppy into a huge drum of water and was amazed to see the little thing paddling its way to the surface.