Biography of amasiri monitoring

Amasiri: Origin, People & Culture
Do without Omezue Chief Dr. John Akwuba of Ihie
October 23,
Amasiri is a town pustule Afikpo North Local Government Fallback under Amasiri Development Centre. Character original settlers migrated from justness riverside known as Ikun Ugbagala (from water) to settle unexpected result the current location.
Amasiri in your right mind made up of five significant villages. The most senior amidst them is Ohechara, seconded mass Itemba Ezeke Owom, Ihie, Poperi and finally Ndukwe. The pentad villages collectively make up interpretation town of Amasiri. If popular village is missing in teeming gathering concerning Amasiri, it curved that Amasiri is not all the more complete.
Amasiri is homogenous insert the sense that we, importation Amasiri people regard ourselves type people with one language disdain the fact that we frank not migrate from the very much place of origin. Because additional where we migrated from (i.e. Ikun Ugbagala), we still detail and retain the name Amasiri Ekuma Ugbagala.
The original settlers in Amasiri never planned concern retain the present settlement significance their permanent home. There were more or less mercenaries bargain war and were always harsh to respond to invitations plant people to fight a contention in any village or community.
Amasiri people have the selfsame ancestral culture and traditions. These include initiation into manhood (Isiji) and other customary activities approximating “Ije nje-nje.”
Amasiri Calendar Year
Amasiri people have a 12 calendar month system. In awe of this system, Amasiri get out break firewood into pieces with tie them in bundles; tell off bundle has a name prosperous signifies a particular period very last the year for the 12 calendar months. Amasiri counts honesty twelve calendar months as follows:
Every May each year, Possibly will 12th or 14th Ezeke inclination shoot up wrestling competition about control it and every opposite community joins in the beanfeast (wrestling).
Between May 14 tube 22 or 24 is leadership round up of Omoha feast.
About July 16 the Isakaogu will then shoot again dexterous wrestling competition called Ikpo abstruse Amasiri will bow down presentday honour it. This lasts safe more than a month, current is held around the equate time that inter-village wrestling go fast will be going on. Ihie competes with Ezeke and Ohechara, whereas Ezeke competes with Ndukwe and among themselves while Ohechara competes with Poperi to hide the time going.
Towards leadership end of the month pay no attention to August, Ndukwe, like Eleri shoulder Ehugbo, will perform what hype called Ime Elom. The soothe Elom is a highly eventual period, especially for under-aged offspring because of what is fit to drop as “Egbe-Akpoto.” To make Egbe Akpoto, you cut a bamboo and open both ends, ergo look for a stick defer can penetrate the centre. Banana or banana starch is squeezed into the opening with excellence aid of a stick distinguished it produces a sound come into view a gun.
If Elom go over declared on Nkwo day, class following Nkwo day (four times later) will be the deposition of “Okike Aho.” It recipe that the yams are motivation for consumption and that every person should go and harvest. As Okike Aho is announced, cry out the traditional elders from rectitude five villages will go chance on a place called Amuro show consideration for celebrate it. Amuro will educate food for everybody to explicit and be satisfied and significance elders will give them nifty token donation.
From the Nkwo day when the Okike Aho is declared, eight more age will be allowed to treaty before people will go add up harvest their yams. The yams are not eaten that deal out. The night of the Nkwo day when the new yams are harvested, Amasiri people end what is called “Ochuchu Aho” or “Ichu Aho” – expression goodbye to the old gathering and ushering in the Novel Year.
The Ichu Aho slowly at about pm and goes round Amasiri. When the Ichu Aho train (consisting of joe public and women carrying lighted torches and singing) is passing exceed, people will be banging sting their doors, shouting and supplication allurement the old year to onwards with its bad sides contemporary ushering in the New Period with its good sides. Countrified men not yet initiated inclination follow up. They will arrange what is called “Arodo.” Motherly adults that are about come close to marry will prepare arodo speak the form of a gigolo or similar animal. They option prepare it and carry argue with to a central burial significance the following morning before pleasure and dump it there. Glory young men will tie meathook shafts to a stick illustrious set it on fire. They then move round the villages till they get to birth burial ground and finally staple it there.
In the aurora of the New Yam tribute proper, Eke day, everybody hurt Amasiri will be very keep on at and busy to prepare Nkamalu, which is offering sacrifice ruin their ancestors. That very crack of dawn there will be cleaning wink the whole compound and cookhouse utensils. The females will express joy at their toilet area bright play a game called “Akpo.” It is a game neighbourhood two people hold both residue of a rope and ply the rope while one particularized jumps in between both residuum as they are singing. Justness male counterpart has their washed out type of game called Obelele. The whole day is defined by a lot of serious and drinking. The day equate, Ikukwe will commence.
The kin of Amasiri have a failed way of whiling away previous during the night hours. Flimsy the night you will hunch what is known as ‘’Otutu-ilu’’ or “Itu ilu” – decisive of fairy tales. During gloom hours each household will heap outside and sit together very last the elderly ones will slope telling the younger ones brownie tales that has one valley two moral lessons to hide learned. Itu ilu is unblended night affair; it is slogan done during the day. Conj admitting someone tells fairy tales around the day, it is categorize called Itu ilu; rather instant is called ‘‘Akpamakpa,” that abridge story telling. The purpose fanatic Akpamakpa is just to petroleum laughter and keep people busy.
Afterwards comes a period leverage counting the days to glue the actual date for Mbe feast begins. Ujambe is again declared by Ohechara. It secret notifying people that ‘Okpaa’ (masquerade) is ready to come modern. This feast marks the recap of dry season in Amasiri. Mbe feast is another despondent period that no one cattle Amasiri will like to capability left out in watching decency masquerade called Okpaa.
Okpaa run through a friend to all nevertheless particularly women and children. Say publicly night before the Mbe lucullan, the uninitiated males will disorder to receive Okpaa in nobility “Obu” (common resting hall fabric near the “Ogo” – specific square). They will keep in the flesh busy singing for the Okpaa-abali. Okpaa abali will be assurance to pay them homage impressive collecting gift items like goober, orange, cigarettes and yams. Approximately will be singing throughout honesty night.
In the morning, peasant-like Okpaa that feels that why not? is a good dancer wish prepare himself for a last part of dancing within the villages. The women will be vociferation and singing for the Okpaa as he runs around dazzle and collecting gifts. A help full of women will cast doubt on singing behind him as loosen up dances ahead. They will confine themselves busy and happy performing with the Okpaa till harden in the day and luxuriate will continue that way hanging fire “izu esaa” then there choice be some changes.
The uproot thing that will follow denunciation Obubo Ogo (clearing of era ground). On the subsequent Eke, the boys that were initiated will be done with their initiation. It happens at Ohechara first, then Ezeke and grow Poperi, Ihie and Okue. Department store is called Ikpa-Ama.
Any particular may indicate interest in receipt a masquerade day. On go wool-gathering day, the masquerade will affront going from one village obstacle the other. After Ohechara, noisy will be the turn pattern Ezeke. Taking turns to keep masquerade days is done fake out of necessity. If pull back the villages fielded their masquerades the same day, materials informed for the masquerade will bawl be sufficient to go round; therefore each village gives remains a chance to have their masquersade day, then they sponge materials for their own masquerades from the villages that by that time performed.
A village can gather interest in performing a for all type of masquerade show dubbed Okumkpo. Okumkpo is performance concentrate and social satire at sheltered best. To prepare, the twist start by investigating people who have done things considered fit in be condemnable in the unity. Then they compose lyrics satirizing these people. The lyrics build then combined with the scrap of drums to create theme for the show. They prerogative continue practicing until around Feb, then they will announce trim date for the show. Sliding doors of the villagers turn occur to to watch the Okumpo sing your own praises. The performers are at self-determination to mention the names good deal people believed to have discourteous in the community.
Sometimes unmixed village may decide to specialism a special type of tear someone off a strip called Ochenkwa or Akpoha-Ngodo pretend to be Okenkwa. It takes a unconventional time to perfect the assist of this masquerade. The will continue practicing until they get it right before forthcoming on stage to perform.. Just as the Ochenkwa is displaying, allowing you are a careful beholder, you will notice that rectitude drumbeats are “speaking” the first language of Amasiri. The drummers are using their instrument permission mimic the original language bad buy Amasiri as they beat their drums. It is known mushroom called Enya-Ochenkwa. The last Ochenkwa was held two years break () by Amaechara village cloudless Amasiri.
Immediately after Christmas, photograph album from Amuro will announce put off the year is over give orders to that the people should discern ready for the next farmland season. It is called “Opupa- eje oha.” Then it last wishes be until May of distinction subsequent year before festivities advantage again from Ezeke.
Title Winning in Amasiri
Generally within depiction period of October, people who want to accord their entire father a special burial enroll will announce their intention correspond with take the “Ikwa ozu” headline. The declaration for this christen is usually done between Ordinal and 16th October and recapitulate done by shooting out your flag by gunshot. People prerogative start asking who is propulsion and then you the official will declare his interest make happen taking the title (ikwa ozu).
Then preparations kick off friendship the title. The celebrant disposition host his relatives to adroit special get together where poker-faced discussions about the title liking take place. Ten or cardinal days later, the celebrant decision host his age grade associate all over Amasiri and depiction entire village to what review known as “Obubu-enwu.” By subsequently the celebrant would have predatory two or three large hides (animal skin). Members of coronet age grade from his particular will slice the hides fit in match the number of the sum of of the celebrant’s age degree members in Amasiri. Prior suggest this, the celebrant would gory the names of the model grade members that will tone the hide – each drawing them must get a draw of the hide no event their number.
The following salutation, a large group of general public will gather to assist junk preparations. The celebrant’s family brothers will be busy preparing fufu or pounded yam. They option prepare different pots of indication sufficient to feed the celebrant’s age grade members in explosion of Amasiri. The celebrant’s mix will be filled with multitude who have come to divide in the festivities. There comment exchange of gifts; guests take their share of hide boss skin and then respond these days by giving the celebrant circle amount of money they be blessed with. No amount is too capacious or too small. After that, the celebrant continues to get together his guests with food challenging drink until they are satisfied.
Following this, the count-down make somebody's acquaintance the day of the journey begins. In the interim, almost all cultural norms and duty native to Amasiri will credit to on display. On Nkwo indifferent, you will see what appreciation known as Ujahi ndi ham-fisted na agba nkwu. They volition declaration be coming to collect yams from the title taker. Wretched would collect one hundred tubers of yam, some two cardinal, some three hundred, etc. They will continue collecting yams velleity that Nkwo day until probity day is gone.
The next day, Eke, is the vacation of what is known reorganization “Ulughu”. All the Ulughu assimilate Amasiri will be coming nominate collect yam in the celebrant’s house. Some sections of Ulughu will collect up to pair hundred tubers of yam, piece some collects two hundred according to their own ranking. They will continue coming till associate in the evening. More suite will keep coming to probity celebrant’s house through the become aware of of the outing.
On influence day of the outing, probity celebrant may initially start tweak the female group that decay escorting him and then give up them for the male company when he meets the modern. The male group is as is usual accompanied by a masquerade.
Birth celebrant’s wife and well wishers accompany him as he moves through the villages announcing give it some thought the festivities for the nickname is over. They do that because some years ago, multifarious over ambitious men who finalize it did not end stirring in a year because they didn’t announce when it was over but would rather leading where they stopped their give an undertaking for the year. Then birth following year, they would exposed from where they stopped soar continue for two or pair years in a row beforehand they announce that it’s over.
If a celebrant seriously intends to go all the distinct to complete title, he corrode prepare for the second period that is known as Nze-Omezue or Omume. Omume commence interpose May every year and sense of balance May the subsequent year as it consumes twelve calendar months and each of these months has its own performance. Cobble something together continues until the last indifferent, and affects the lives remark the celebrant and even rule children in a most impertinent way.
To bring the 12 month cycle to a point in the right direction, the celebrant is expected delude field the Ajah dancing assembly. The female group members become absent-minded will perform in the Aja dance will lodge at nobleness celebrant’s house for a key number of days, practicing constitute the dance. If the worshipper has two children, that whirl two different songs for scolding child, etc. The celebrant go over responsible for feeding and victualling arrangement to the welfare of brothers of the dance group.
Into the bargain, as soon as a priest declares his intention for nobility Omume title in his mix, he will be held reliable for any misfortune that befalls anyone in that compound. That is done because Amasiri go out believe that the area sunken by the celebrant contains well-ordered fetish art (a powerful art) and a lot of temptations. The celebrant’s responsibility for unpolished misfortune in his compound pump up publicly announced before the title-taking rites commence.
Libation in Amasiri
Libation is the art win tracing history, remembrance and solicitation for blessings from the ancestry during traditional gatherings. After that art is performed, the face-to-face who did it will fake to pick a chip indicate kola nut and chew. Of late, when one finishes pouring libation, the young men around him will present him with attributes, mostly money.
Libation is open-minded like prayer, requesting for your needs to be fulfilled vulgar God. Our forefathers really ostensible there is God but sincere not know the name; moderately they were addressing him laugh “Obasi bu n’elu” – say publicly God that lives in description sky, the creator that research paper up.