Info For Y'all Gbagyi (Gwari) People: The Indigenous People Of Abuja Too An African Ethnic Grouping Known For Carrying Loads On Their Shoulder
Gbagyi or Gwarri (also spelled Gbari) are peaceful, agriculturalist, artistic together with Nupoid-speaking people living inwards North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria. They predominantly live inwards the Niger, Kaduna States together with the Federal Capital Territory. They are also establish inwards Nasarawa together with Kogi States inwards key Nigerian Area. Gbagyi is the most populated ethnic Group together with indigenous inwards the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, where their major line of piece of work is farming. This agency Gbagyi people are the bonafide owners of the Nigerian upper-case missive of the alphabet city, Abuja.
Gbagyi Cultural troupe from Abuja, Nigeria.
Gbagyi people are i of the largest ethnic groups inwards Nigeria alongside an estimated population figure position at 5.8 million, spread inwards iv States, including the FCT together with located inwards 30 local Government areas, according to the 2006 National Population Census figures. Besides, it is the dominant ethnic grouping inwards the nation’s Capital, Abuja, which invariably implies that no Nigerian tin afford to ignore the history, traditions, culture, socio- economical together with political life of this ethnic group.
GBAGYI WOMEN, FROM CHUKUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL OF
KADUNA STATE, FEATURING THEIR CULTURE, TO MARK THE CLOSING
CEREMONY OF KADUNA STATE CULTURAL FESTIVAL (KADFEST) 2013 IN
KADUNA ON FRIDAY (30/8/13).
The give-and-take Gwari, which the Gbagyi are famously called, is the call of a item yam inwards Gbagyi. Principally at that topographic point are 3 types of Gwari: Gwari Niger, Gwari Gengen together with Gwari Yama. Before their farming occupation, Gwari’s were into calabash carving, pottery together with hunting together with fishing.
The Gbagyi people are known to be, noble, peace-loving, transparent together with accommodating people. Northerners are fond of saying inwards Hausa linguistic communication “muyi shi Gwari Gwari” (meaning let’s do it similar the Gbagyi or inwards the Gbagyi way). Culturally, Gwari’s position their personal loads together with luggage on their backs or shoulders. As an ethnic grouping they honour caput together with believe that at that topographic point tin live no life without head.
Members Gbagyi Cultural Troup from LEA Primary School Gwarinpa 1,Abuja, during the 2009 World Teachers' Day Celebration, inwards Abuja on Monday, 05/10/09-Photo-Sam Adeko
In his seminal biography of the tardily Sir Ahmadu Bello entitled "Values together with Leadership inwards Nigeria" John N. Paden posits that “two things brand the Gwari people to a greater extent than distinct from whatever other people inwards Nigeria, together with those ii things are their undying clamour for peace together with their impenetrable cultures.” It is interesting to complaint that the observation made yesteryear Paden inwards his majority virtually 3 decades agone is silent associated alongside the Gwari people today, most specially their cultures that are silent kept intact despite the fact that they saw colonialism together with maintain seeing western education. One of these undying cultures, according to Paden, is carrying loads on their shoulders rather their heads equally is the illustration amid other Nigerian people.
Gbagyi dancers performing their traditional folklore at a 2011 farmer twenty-four hours celebration at Jinda, Nassarrawa State, Nigeria
In add-on the Gbagyi people have got emerged equally a unique breed of people amid Nigerians, their civilisation shows how much they have got come upwards to damage alongside the universe. One famous Gbagyi is General together with quondam President of Nigeria Ibrahim Babangida
Ex Nigerian armed forces caput of state, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) is Gwari native from Minna, Nigeria
Why Gwarri people do non Carry loads on their head
In most African cultures, women send loads on their head. The province of affairs is quite dissimilar amid Gwari women inwards Nigeria. In this society, women send loads on their shoulders, because they are of the believe that the caput should live accorded a regal condition equally the King of the entire body, saddled alongside the project of thinking for the body, equally a outcome it should non live burdened alongside manual or pedestrian task, such equally ferrying goods from house to place. But this is non hence today, equally the venom of civilization has since overtaken together with eclipsed it, together with the traditional sight has locomote a rarity except for the older women who silent handgrip on truthful to this belief together with practice.
Gbagyi girl
At this stage the groom’s parents sends a delegation to the bride’s parents. The bride’s parents inwards plough requests some fourth dimension to confer alongside the girl. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 appointment is fixed when the groom’s delegation returns alongside ii sets of plate. These sets of plates are together with hence accepted yesteryear the bride’s parent to signify credence of their proposition. The delegation is together with hence referred to a fellow member of the bride’s business solid unit of measurement who is to serve equally intermediary known equally migbiyi. The migbyi deals alongside everything from here.
The adjacent stage inwards the courtship is the payment of dowry. The groom is hereby required to do some farm piece of work for the bride’s parents for a menstruation of 7 years. This farm piece of work includes making of yam heaps, weeding of ridges together with harvesting of farm produce. Usually the groom is assisted yesteryear his friends, together with the farming continues, ii or 3 times inwards a year, for 7 consecutive years. To seek the groom’s powerfulness to feed the bride he’s asked to convey an equivalent of 50kg of guinea corn of his ain harvest. This is called wyiga. The groom begins alongside i wyiga together with continues to add together i until the 7th twelvemonth when he presents 7 wyiga presently earlier picking a appointment for the marriage.
During this menstruation of courtship, the suitor is allowed his bride. He arrives at her dwelling accompanied yesteryear a friend or brother. Then the bride meets him, accompanied yesteryear ii sisters or friends. This is to dissuade sexual immorality. In every Gbagyi kingdom, whatever immature adult woman who takes inwards out of wedlock is banished to live inwards the outskirts of the hamlet until after birth. During this visits the wives of the bride’s brothers may mouth the groom together with his friend for hospitality rendered. The commons tactics include leaving a few coins inwards bathing water, H2O meant for handwashing together with inwards an extra bowl when meals are served. The groom is expected to double whatever amount he together with his companion finds. It is this same people, joined yesteryear the bride’s sisters who volition ambush the bride’s squad for a wrestle gibe each fourth dimension they come upwards for the farm work. The women usually win because gbagyi women are abnormally strong, addition they hitting the men after the day’s hard labour. These women are allowed to do this since they are seen equally the bride’s friends.
After 7 years of dowry payment together with courtship, a wedding ceremony twenty-four hours is picked.
The wedding ceremony begins alongside the sacrifice of chickens or goats asking for the blessings of the gods upon the couple. The bride is thereafter released to the groom’s business solid unit of measurement together with friends. It is customary to prepare a repast alongside 11 chickens, 10 of which goes to the bride’s parent together with the final to the migbiyi. The bride is accompanied to the groom’s business solid yesteryear 5 or to a greater extent than maids. That day, at the groom’s house, celebrations ensues from sunset till dawn. The adjacent morning, an elderly adult woman volition telephone hollo upwards out several names carefully chosen for the bride. When the bride hears i which suites her, she rushes out of her hut together with is taken to the bath where same elderly adult woman strips her one-half naked together with inspects her torso features together with equally such determining her chastity. This is called the bridal bath. Again, the villagers political party till the interruption of dawn. On the minute morning, the maids who accompanied the bride locomote into the bush to fetch firewood for the bride. Then they fetch H2O for all the old people inwards the village. After this, other union festivities which include singing together with dancing competitions, wrestling matches et al continues for 7 days. On the 7th day, the accompanying maids homecoming to their hamlet leaving only i behind who is called mula cheknu to assist the bride alongside domestic chores. Everybody disperse together with the span begins their matrimonial journey.
wedding bride
Marriage By Elopement
This cast takes house for several reasons inter alia: if the groom does non have got the tummy for the normal tortuous procedure; if the bride’s parents are against the union of the couple; to avoid shame the retributions that abound when a immature adult woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock. This type of union is simple. The girls runs away alongside her suitor. This is referred to equally stealing the bride. After a twenty-four hours or two, after the girl’s parents start out searching for their daughter, the man child confesses to his parents what he has done. His parents together with hence send emissaries to alarm the bride’s parents. The groom is thereby punished alongside a demand for a cock together with a ram. After that the normal wedding ceremony ritual begins, starting alongside the sacrifice of animals or birds equally inwards the normal wedding ceremony described above.
* It is extremely of import to cite that at that topographic point is no boundary to the number of wives a Gbagyi human being could marry. So it is prophylactic to conclude that the Gbagyi civilisation encourages polygamy. Also, at weddings a caveat is handed out to the couple, the human being especially, to rather homecoming the immature adult woman to her parents if she falls small of his criterion or expectation to avoid malice together with maltreatment. By implication, Gbagyi people allow divorce.
Religion
Before the advent of Islam together with Christianity inwards Gbagyiland, the people practiced their traditional African religion. The Gbagyi have got a belief inwards a supreme existence together with Creator God called Shekwoyi. Shekwoyi is the creator, the i who created the universe together with everything inwards the sky, on world together with inwards the ocean equally good equally all Gbagyi people together with await them to worship him. He vantage the expert together with punishes the evil one.
In surely situations, all Gbagyi people, whether Christians or Muslims, practise their traditional african worship known equally Knunu. Knunu tradition for the Gbagys is a special tree inwards the Kurmi (Forest), where offering of fowl together with beers are made.They claim that Knunu safeguards them, their families, societies, together with activities from surely evil forces together with uncertaintiesof the future. Thus, the Gbagyi Muslims together with Christians live alongside an unresolved dichotomy betwixt Christianity together with Islam together with betwixt traditional religion. Even after ii centuries of Gbagyi‟s encounters alongside Islam together with Christianity, belief inwards witchcraft silent thrives.
Islam kickoff came to the Gbagyis inwards the 19th century during the Sokoto Jihad of 1804 yesteryear Usman Danfodio, spell Christianity came inwards the 20th century through the southerners. Islam was able to gain to a greater extent than converts than Christianity, the ground for this was that the practices encouraged yesteryear the Gbagyi organized religious belief conformed alongside Islam, such equally polygamy, devotion, using of rings or amulets. These similarities made it slowly for the Gbagyi’s to have Islam whole-heartedly. But regardless of the twin influences of Islam together with Christianity the Gbagyi people silent practise their Knunu.
Gbagyi Knunu religion
Basically, the organized religious belief consists of a “personal god, or guardian spirit, whose shrine is inwards a special tree inwards the kurmi, where offerings of fowl together with beer are made.” It is worth noting that the Gbagyis consider the natural objects – both living together with non-living – equally endowed alongside the powerfulness together with presence of either beneficent or malevolent spirits. The Gbagyis oft consult Knunu functionaries who are considered to live endowed alongside special mystical powers. These functionaries include the Zokuda (“diviners”) together with the local Ashigbeda (“medicine women/men”). These people possess supernatural powers to negatively influence together with damage others who they perceive equally their enemies. They utilisation witchcraft equally a powerful agency to accomplish their
purpose. They oft send out their zafun (“soul”) to assail people to a greater extent than oft than non inwards their slumber together with elbow grease illnesses together with mental torture through dreams. The harmful powerfulness of the Agunzheyin is non express to external manipulations alone. They tin elbow grease people to call upwards evil thoughts together with to engage inwards harmful practices.
These Zokudas together with the Ashigbedas hail from all social strata; they are neither express to the lower strata of the lodge nor to an economically deprived group. Two dominant reasons seem to pull them to the mastery
of witchcraft: taking a revenge on others who are (rightly or wrongly) perceived to live enemies together with assuming social powerfulness for control. The powerfulness of these Zokudas together with the Ashigbedas cannot live underestimated. Their
activities influence the socio-economic evolution of entire communities. They fulfil a business office that neither the British laws nor the Christian or Muslim way of life could effectively come across nor understand. They showed the Gbagyis the ways together with agency of redressing people‟s grievances together with sufferings aggravated non only yesteryear envy, hatred, together with yesteryear the urge for revenge, but also yesteryear “failure, misfortune, together with higher upwards all sickness together with death.”
Jarumi also explains that the Gbagyis are afraid of the harmful mystical powers together with their human functionaries such equally the Agunzhenyin. Due to fearfulness of the evil witches, they do non locomote out behind their “hairs, finger together with toe nails, clothes or other articles” which the Agunzhenyin powerfulness larn handgrip of together with utilisation to damage the owner. There are many types of Gbagyi witchcraft; all of them are inseparably associated alongside the Zakoyi
(“ancestor veneration”). Adawyiya (“ancestral cult”) is part of the Zakoyi. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 subsystem of the Adawyiya is called Amwamwa (“chasers of witches”). These Amwamwa select attention of witchcraft practices that are
related to the ancestors.
The Gbagyis believe that their dead ancestors are non completely dead; they are “living dead,” who are deeply involved inwards the welfare of their ain living offspring. They are believed to occupy the spiritual realm.
As a result, they tin easily picket over their offspring. Nevertheless, if they are non looked after through proper funeral rites together with appropriate periodical ceremonies, they powerfulness locomote dissatisfied, angry, and
harmful. They “inspire peachy fearfulness together with extreme caution.” The Gbagyi perceive that all physical together with moral manifestations of evil are associated alongside the spirits together with they should live cast off. They have got devised various
rituals to create do against misfortunes together with witchcraft practices together with to free themselves from fearfulness together with agony.
The Gbagyi recognition of mystical sources of powers equally real unsafe together with inherently disastrous, if non properly curtailed, draws from an understanding of the activities together with actions of such powers. The strong
social together with religious role played yesteryear Ashigbeda who are empowered on behalf of surely spirits to deed for men has made this belief live over the years. The Ashigbeda people perform the role of unravelling mysteries
only about surely occurrences which ever pull the people‟s attending to them. The fact of evil lives alongside the Gbagyis together with is understood from an elucidation of the Gbagyi worldviews alongside regard to „Zafun Nukwoyi’
(“Wicked souls”) together with their activities.
Zoku
Zoku is an acceptable practise amid the Gbagyi together with is highly esteemed because, inwards it, lays the powerfulness to consider the destiny of a person, society, together with life inwards general. Jarumi observed that it is a strong method used inwards “detecting witches.” It involves what he calls zokushe (“foretelling the future”) which is used to “reveal the unknown or uncovering out the wishing of a divinity or spirit.” The ground of zoku is largely a collection of traditional
proverbs together with some incantational words known only to the Azokuda, who solitary have got the knowledge of the appropriate enchantment together with physical care for that could Pb to an effective zoku. Through the services rendered, Azokuda holds the community closely to the traditional beliefs. This deed involves the utilisation of string bones (“shinkun”) together with nuts, incantation known equally “butsnuyi” (swearing), to enable the zoku larn the required results for whatever divination. Evan. grand Zuesse states that “divination implies the presence of gods together with spirits-agents of the divine that indirectly communicate the decree of the Ultimate.” The Gbagyis sympathise divination equally an deed which gives them the chance to unearth their destiny through the assist of the gods together with spirits agents. Therefore, through the zoku they search for ways of either protecting or interfere alongside such destinies. In most cases, zoku tin live expert or bad. It is bad when it reveals that at that topographic point are evil forces or powers behind misfortunes which inform the search for intervention.
Gbagyi adult woman belongings bowl alongside paper, Minna,Nigeria. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
Ikenga-Metuh has argued that divination involves consultation that has to do alongside “birth, earlier marriage, during serious sickness, after a serial of misfortunes, to obtain a job, to reach examination, earlier edifice a house,” which are similar to the ground for why the Gbagyi consult zoku. It is inwards this understanding that the Gbagyi perception of divination holds. Zoku becomes actively dynamic, involved alongside the lives of the
people through guidance inwards the strict path of Knunu, communing alongside the azakoyi on behalf of communities, families or individuals. Evans- Pritchard rightly observed that inwards Africa “Misfortune is due to witchcraft
co-operating alongside natural forces.” The same is the concept amid the Gbagyi who consider nature involvement equally divine through the herbal combined alongside mystical practices inwards zoku. (Herbs hither correspond natural forces spell the incantations correspond mystical forces both forces must cooperate earlier a witch tin send out his/her company according to Gbagyi belief).
The effectiveness of Zoku lies alongside the natural components of the ashigbe that is usually drawn from the various herbal medicines available from the dissimilar trees inwards the land. The spirits of the azakoyi who, inwards their
wisdom, bring out the types of shrubs to live used together with which natural tree it was to live taken usually dictates this. The fact that everyone has a destiny from Shekwoyi (the “Supreme Being”), which the zoku chiefly foretell, does non inwards whatever way preclude assisting a someone to uncovering the best way to influence their destinies positively. However, the Gbagyis inwards understanding alongside Idowu believe that at that topographic point are myriads of spirits that run errand for the deities which brand the piece of work of evil forces hence brisk together with flourishing. In the physical care for of running errands for the deities, the spirits tend to favour those who offering them the best gifts inform of sacrifice. Likewise, the Gbagyi belief is that their destiny tin live influenced together with changed if the correct sacrifices equally prescribed yesteryear the Azokuda together with accepted yesteryear whatever of the deities.
Gbagyi man. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
Agunzheyin
Regarded to a greater extent than oft than non equally enemies of progress, the agunzheyin utilisation their powers to inflict hurting together with sorrows on their
victims. The Gbagyi sympathise the role of the agunzheyin to live acquired rather than innate. Jarumi explains that agunzheyin derives from the Gbagyi perception of unexplainable mysteries of nature which zoku
explains equally the piece of work of agunzheyin inwards nature. Since they are perceived to have got foreign powers to elbow grease tumultuous disequilibrium inwards people‟s lives, yesteryear their nefarious activities, fearfulness together with dislike for them is on the increase.
Witchcraft is said to live mutual amid the Gbagyi women. The reasons adduced for this yesteryear Jarumi includes: polygamy, the non credence of a adult woman married into the business solid unit of measurement from some other hamlet other than that of the married adult man resulting inwards what Jarumi calls the “mother-in-law complex”, together with inwards “queer” together with “ugly people.”
Before the coming of Christianity alongside its “one human being i wife” teaching, Gbagyi traditionally were polygamists. The wives competed for their husband‟s attention, which has led some to want powerfulness hence that they tin command the man. Such makes them locomote witches. However, at that topographic point is also a small-scale chemical element of manful someone participation inwards witchcraft. Therefore, the challenge posed yesteryear an credence of Christianity together with its teachings volition demand a consummate overhaul of this tradition. There is a strong resistance equally many women locomote on to live defendant of witchcraft. Furthermore, such accusations oft has “wreaked havoc on social relations together with caused suffering to untold numbers of people.” Among the Gbagyi many suspected witches were ostracised away from their families only because at that topographic point was suspicion only about them of existence witches.
Although it is real hard to sympathise the machinery behind this belief, the activities which Pb to accusations of witchcraft are considered yesteryear empirical sciences equally natural occurrences (“thunder,” “wild
wind,” “drought”), yet to the Gbagyi people it is a dreaded concept. Bongmba emphasises the fact that witchcraft is non a “benign spiritual force,” rather it is an deed that raises ethical questions The Gbagyis have
no problems alongside the concept of witchcraft together with volition never enquiry the validity of its utilisation yesteryear anyone. They believe that at that topographic point is a mystical forcefulness inwards it which they link to deities, spirits, together with ancestors equally vital forces with
powers that could live used for expert or evil.
Gwari girls send H2O to their hamlet , nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Ashigbe
Whenever ashigbe is mentioned inwards Gbagyi understanding, it refers to that medicine which has a mystical together with transcendental powerfulness to cure, heal, together with ward off all evil attacks against a person. In the Igbo society, the
roles of “diviners, priests, together with medicine-men” are differentiated. Ikenga-Metuh observed: “Medicine for Africans primarily conveys the thought of forces contained together with tin live extracted from the properties of some plants together with herbs together with applied to the solution of a diversity of human problems.”
Ikenga-Metuh however, sees magic equally a purely mystical forcefulness which tin influence or command events supernaturally. Although this agrees alongside Gbagyi beliefs inwards the utilisation of medicine equally a curative agent, it nevertheless differs inwards the fact that both expert together with bad medicines are claimed to come upwards from the same person. Thus, the Gbagyis regard medicine men equally “herbalist,” who commune alongside the spirits to assist individuals reach expected goals. Therefore, medicine-men tin negatively live used against one‟s enemies together with foes. This is where their medicine becomes a source of worry to the Gbagyi people. How do they covert a human being endowed yesteryear the gods to bargain alongside wicked men turning only about to becoming a tool for wicked acts?
Medicine persistently has remained a mutual characteristic of Gbagyi‟s belief that has thrived because the Gbagyis consider it equally strong plenty to address their teething problems. Temple observed that the Gbagyis
maintain “a temple” inwards each hamlet which was a grade for the presence of a medicine-man together with an identity of the Gbagyi Knunu. Most times, Medicine men are also “witch doctors.” Parrinder says, “the witch-doctor is a someone who seeks to physician together with cure those who are believed to have got been bewitched.” This explains why ashigbeda are revered amid the Gbagyis. The challenge is inwards the utilisation of i grooming of medicinal concoction together with the claim that it has the authorisation to cure several diseases. It is worthy of complaint that the ashigbeda has provided healthcare services to the Gbagyi people for centuries earlier the coming of both Islam together with Christianity to Gbagyi land.
Today, some Gbagyis silent patronise the Ashigbeda despite their romance alongside the ii missionary religions. Temple was of the thought that the cultural implications of the fact that “each private Gbagyi worships
a personal god or guardian spirit” may explicate the long survival of the syncretistic tendencies amid the Gbagyi people. Thus, the inability of Gbagyi Christians to consider Christianity equally a civilisation on its ain created the dichotomy.
Gbagyi kids from Pyakasa, Abuja, Nigeria.
Gbagyi Religious contact alongside Islam.
Islam kickoff came to Gbagyi solid ground inwards the 19th century, during the Sokoto Jihad of 1804 led yesteryear Usman Danfodio. Christianity on the other manus came inwards the 20th century through the southerners. Harold D. Gunn together with F. P. Conant, inwards their written report of the people of the Middle Belt part of Nigeria, have got stated how inwards 1804 Sarkin Zauzau, the Muslim ruler of Zaria, took a few Gbagyi slaves to Abuja together with how afterwards Islam began to grab the Gbagyi people. Islam was able to gain to a greater extent than converts than Christianity. The ground for this was because practices similar polygamy, divination together with the using of rings together with amulet were part of the religion, together with the fact that Gbagyi organized religious belief also encouraged the utilisation of such, many of them received the organized religious belief whole heartedly.
Gbagyi Religion encounters Christianity
Gbagyi people came inwards contact alongside 3 large categories of Christians: Protestant missionaries, British colonial administrators who claimed to live Christians, together with Roman Catholic Christians. Charles Lindsay
Temple, an ethnographer inwards the service of the British Colonial Government inwards Nigeria states that Protestant Christianity came to Gbagyi solid ground alongside the arrival of the missionaries of the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) inwards 1904. The next year, other missionaries belonging to the Church Missionary Society (CMS, 1905) followed them. British colonial administrators introduced novel legal, educational, together with political policies
that failed to address issues related to Gbagyi witchcraft together with witchcraft related crimes. S.F. Nadel, who studied the Nupe, describes a mutual African perception of the Europeans alongside regard to the persisting nature of witchcraft inwards Africa: “White Man did non believe inwards witchcraft”
The British administrators, to a greater extent than oft than non nether the spell of European Enlightenment, could non sympathise the centrality of witchcraft amid the Gbagyis together with failed to select it seriously. Therefore, the Gbagyis developed their ain ways of addressing their social problems; but they got into moral crisis originating from their loyalty to their ancestral traditions pertaining to witchcraft together with their demand to adjust to British legal system. The minute grouping of Christians alongside whom the Gbagyis came into contact alongside were the Roman Catholic missionaries of the Society of African Mission (SMA, founded inwards 1856) who reached Gbagyi solid ground inwards 1913.
According to the Catholic Diocese of Minna, Nigeria, the piece of work inwards Gbagyi solid ground began equally an outstation of Lokoja while, her history states that it was administered from Asaba yesteryear the Vicar Apostle. The kickoff missionary to industrial plant life a Catholic Church inwards Gbagyi solid ground was Rev. Fr. Leon De Bourge. Largely, the membership was drawn from immigrant rail workers from the South East who made the parish grow. Furthermore, the Catholic piece of work amid the Gbagyis was precipitated strongly on the utilisation of Western
didactics together with wellness facilities. On the other hand, the kickoff SIM/ECWA missionaries to Gbagyi solid ground were Dr. Andrew P. Stirrett together with Rev E. F. Rice who came to Wushishi inwards 1904 to start out the piece of work inwards the Northern
Nigeria. The piece of work progressed inwards the next order: Paiko (1909) yesteryear Rev E. F. Rice together with Rev. George; Karu (1910) yesteryear Rev George Sanderson together with Rev. Charles Dudley: Minna (1913) yesteryear Rev. James F. Cotton spell Kuta (1919) was yesteryear Rev. John Hay together with Rev. E. F. Rice.
The long histories of Islam together with Christianity did non completely supervene upon the old loyalties of the Gbagyi people to their Traditional Religion. In surely situations, all Gbagyi people, whether Christians or Muslims,
practise their Knunu. They claim that Knunu safeguards them, their families, societies, together with activities from surely evil forces together with uncertainties of the future. Thus, the Gbagyi Muslims together with Christians live alongside an
unresolved dichotomy betwixt Christianity together with Islam together with betwixt traditional religion. Even after ii centuries of Gbagyi‟s encounters alongside Islam together with Christianity, belief inwards witchcraft silent thrives.
Food
The favourite nutrient of the Gbagys is known equally Wyizhe, made from guinea corn to cast Zhepwo a special drinkable use to drinkable alongside Knadolo a spicy soup made alongside locus beans, together with their famous wearing clothing is telephone hollo upwards Ajesida, made from local cotton fiber together with traditional woven together with dyed yesteryear their skillful dressmakers. Some of their pop festivals is the Agbamaya festival together with the Zhibaje. The Agbamaya festival is a celebration usually perform to welcome the pelting during the raining season, spell Zhibaje is a traditional Christmas celebration.
Dress
In damage of dressing, Gwari people usually wearing clothing similar Hausas together with they have got predominantly Muslim population. They industrial plant life cotton fiber on their farms, the materials of which they utilisation to fabricate their traditional cloths.
An indigenous Gbagyi Woman wearing traditional nighttime cloth inwards Jikoko (FCT), Nigeria. http://worldpulse.com/
Before the white people arrived inwards Gwariland, the Gwari have got their ain special wearing clothing weaved yesteryear them. Their woven wrapper cloth reverberate dark dark together with non also brilliant colors.
KUNA SAMBA PERFORMED BY Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 GBAGYI SONGSTRESS
This functioning is i of the exciting aspects of the dance. It bears the message of the trip the calorie-free fantastic toe which has equally its topic “Unity Song” emphasizing the demand for unity amid the various ethnic groups of Kaduna State together with the beauty inwards peaceful co-existence.
This vocal functioning is led yesteryear a woman someone vocaliser who kickoff appears on stage followed yesteryear other women similarly dressed inwards the same colourful costume alongside beads together with ornamental jewelries of dissimilar shapes which adds flavour to the Bazobe vocal performance. As the songstress locomote on to homecoming the melodious tunes, she is joined yesteryear dancers from other ethnic groups inwards the State inwards their colourful attires responding to the rendition of the Pb singer. The trip the calorie-free fantastic toe gradually culminates inwards the Bajju trip the calorie-free fantastic toe belonging to the Bajju tribe of Southern Kaduna. At this stage the flooring is cleared of manful someone dancers equally the females locomote on to dance. As the beating of the instruments becomes to a greater extent than strident together with enchanting, the dancers gradually locomote out the stage i after the other leaving the Pb vocaliser to unopen the dance. The trip the calorie-free fantastic toe has locomote pop inwards places similar Brazil together with the Caribbean Area alongside much waist twisting together with wriggling that puts a spectator rooted to the spot. Watching a functioning of the Bazobe is the want of every tourist on an adventure of this solid ground of tourist wonder.
Gbagyi people, Minna,Nigeria
Body Decoration
This is an deed of torso beautification. Body ornamentation is a pop practise amid Gwaris together with the practise is silent existence sustained upwards till date. Body ornamentation tin select the cast of tattoo, piercing of surely parts of the torso similar nose, ear, abdomen etc. Traditionally, Gwari women do torso ornamentation to attract men.
Body ornamentation has aesthetic values.
It increases honor together with honour of the doer. Body ornamentation is essentially done for slowly identification. Before it could live done, consent of the doer needs to live obtained.
Gwari immature adult woman showing her facial tribal marks. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
In surely circumstances, the single Gwari ladies utilisation torso ornamentation to scare potential suitors yesteryear writing the call of their would live husbands on their hands. Gwari people believe that yesteryear writing the names of their proposed husbands inwards their hands is non only for ornamentation but also a from of oath or covenant to espouse the someone whose call was written inwards their hands. Another of import torso ornamentation amid Gwaris is facial mark. The thought of facial grade became prominent amid Gwari people during the minute world state of war for slowly identification.
Essentially, torso ornamentation together with dressing amid Gwaris do non have got spiritual attachment. The type of torso ornamentation a someone does is a thing of preference. Animate together with inanimate objects are designed equally torso decoration. Names of ones heroes, friends, relatives together with lovers could live written to decorate the body.
Body ornamentation could live done yesteryear self or yesteryear the specialists. The instruments for torso ornamentation are blade, niddle, together with lamb smoke. Due to advance inwards scientific discipline together with technology, the torso decorators at nowadays utilisation element of group VII to heal the decorated spots. The torso ornamentation healing physical care for takes ii to 3 days. The utilisation of "laali", a mutual herbal/medicinal leaves is becoming prevalence nowadays amid Gwari people equally stuff for torso decoration.
As a thing of fact, the parts of the torso that are exposed such equally hands, legs together with confront are usually decorated. There is dissimilar designs suitable for each part of the body. Body ornamentation is solely meant for mature women.
Death
The natural decease is a decease non equally a outcome of an elbow grease to kill someone through either charm,witchcraft or whatever other source. Gbaishya is performed earlier the burial, during the decease ceremony or the functioning may occur at both occasions.Traditionally, Gbaishya is performed during the decease ceremony.The cultural practise is done to commemorate the deceased either human being or adult woman together with to celebrate a life good spent yesteryear the deceased.It also aim at tracking together with showcasing the activities of the deceased spell he/she was alive,through drama. Gbaishya is ever perform earlier the members of the community together with the immature adult woman in-law or grand immature adult woman plays the major role.However an interesting aspect of this traditional drama is that it is people oriented together with participatory.Every fellow member of the community is expected to participate actively during the performance,as natural equally they utilisation to communicate alongside the deceased during his/her life time.
The dramatic functioning is a prerequisite of serial of cultural activities,such as: Ritual together with Sacrifice,Music together with Dance together with serial of other forms of the Enactment,all associated alongside the decease ceremony.This cultural practise has survived to appointment together with is silent inwards practise inwards most of the Gbagyi communities specially inwards the rural areas.
source
http://www.orijinculture.com/community/2013/marital-rites-people-nigeria/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gbagyi-People-Arts-and-Culture/420491328011652
Aisha Babaginda, immature adult woman of IBB, Gwari native from Minna
Photos by: https://haftshappenings.blogspot.com/search?q=2/5/324648800/803718/t1370233464/c_Sz.Vk3ub6uTC7xfUoQAYFiF1LETc5Nyac6S0aw2qUUQ/803755_300.jpg" width="640" />
Gbagyi girl
At this stage the groom’s parents sends a delegation to the bride’s parents. The bride’s parents inwards plough requests some fourth dimension to confer alongside the girl. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 appointment is fixed when the groom’s delegation returns alongside ii sets of plate. These sets of plates are together with hence accepted yesteryear the bride’s parent to signify credence of their proposition. The delegation is together with hence referred to a fellow member of the bride’s business solid unit of measurement who is to serve equally intermediary known equally migbiyi. The migbyi deals alongside everything from here.
The adjacent stage inwards the courtship is the payment of dowry. The groom is hereby required to do some farm piece of work for the bride’s parents for a menstruation of 7 years. This farm piece of work includes making of yam heaps, weeding of ridges together with harvesting of farm produce. Usually the groom is assisted yesteryear his friends, together with the farming continues, ii or 3 times inwards a year, for 7 consecutive years. To seek the groom’s powerfulness to feed the bride he’s asked to convey an equivalent of 50kg of guinea corn of his ain harvest. This is called wyiga. The groom begins alongside i wyiga together with continues to add together i until the 7th twelvemonth when he presents 7 wyiga presently earlier picking a appointment for the marriage.
During this menstruation of courtship, the suitor is allowed his bride. He arrives at her dwelling accompanied yesteryear a friend or brother. Then the bride meets him, accompanied yesteryear ii sisters or friends. This is to dissuade sexual immorality. In every Gbagyi kingdom, whatever immature adult woman who takes inwards out of wedlock is banished to live inwards the outskirts of the hamlet until after birth. During this visits the wives of the bride’s brothers may mouth the groom together with his friend for hospitality rendered. The commons tactics include leaving a few coins inwards bathing water, H2O meant for handwashing together with inwards an extra bowl when meals are served. The groom is expected to double whatever amount he together with his companion finds. It is this same people, joined yesteryear the bride’s sisters who volition ambush the bride’s squad for a wrestle gibe each fourth dimension they come upwards for the farm work. The women usually win because gbagyi women are abnormally strong, addition they hitting the men after the day’s hard labour. These women are allowed to do this since they are seen equally the bride’s friends.
After 7 years of dowry payment together with courtship, a wedding ceremony twenty-four hours is picked.
The wedding ceremony begins alongside the sacrifice of chickens or goats asking for the blessings of the gods upon the couple. The bride is thereafter released to the groom’s business solid unit of measurement together with friends. It is customary to prepare a repast alongside 11 chickens, 10 of which goes to the bride’s parent together with the final to the migbiyi. The bride is accompanied to the groom’s business solid yesteryear 5 or to a greater extent than maids. That day, at the groom’s house, celebrations ensues from sunset till dawn. The adjacent morning, an elderly adult woman volition telephone hollo upwards out several names carefully chosen for the bride. When the bride hears i which suites her, she rushes out of her hut together with is taken to the bath where same elderly adult woman strips her one-half naked together with inspects her torso features together with equally such determining her chastity. This is called the bridal bath. Again, the villagers political party till the interruption of dawn. On the minute morning, the maids who accompanied the bride locomote into the bush to fetch firewood for the bride. Then they fetch H2O for all the old people inwards the village. After this, other union festivities which include singing together with dancing competitions, wrestling matches et al continues for 7 days. On the 7th day, the accompanying maids homecoming to their hamlet leaving only i behind who is called mula cheknu to assist the bride alongside domestic chores. Everybody disperse together with the span begins their matrimonial journey.
wedding bride
Marriage By Elopement
This cast takes house for several reasons inter alia: if the groom does non have got the tummy for the normal tortuous procedure; if the bride’s parents are against the union of the couple; to avoid shame the retributions that abound when a immature adult woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock. This type of union is simple. The girls runs away alongside her suitor. This is referred to equally stealing the bride. After a twenty-four hours or two, after the girl’s parents start out searching for their daughter, the man child confesses to his parents what he has done. His parents together with hence send emissaries to alarm the bride’s parents. The groom is thereby punished alongside a demand for a cock together with a ram. After that the normal wedding ceremony ritual begins, starting alongside the sacrifice of animals or birds equally inwards the normal wedding ceremony described above.
* It is extremely of import to cite that at that topographic point is no boundary to the number of wives a Gbagyi human being could marry. So it is prophylactic to conclude that the Gbagyi civilisation encourages polygamy. Also, at weddings a caveat is handed out to the couple, the human being especially, to rather homecoming the immature adult woman to her parents if she falls small of his criterion or expectation to avoid malice together with maltreatment. By implication, Gbagyi people allow divorce.
Religion
Before the advent of Islam together with Christianity inwards Gbagyiland, the people practiced their traditional African religion. The Gbagyi have got a belief inwards a supreme existence together with Creator God called Shekwoyi. Shekwoyi is the creator, the i who created the universe together with everything inwards the sky, on world together with inwards the ocean equally good equally all Gbagyi people together with await them to worship him. He vantage the expert together with punishes the evil one.
In surely situations, all Gbagyi people, whether Christians or Muslims, practise their traditional african worship known equally Knunu. Knunu tradition for the Gbagys is a special tree inwards the Kurmi (Forest), where offering of fowl together with beers are made.They claim that Knunu safeguards them, their families, societies, together with activities from surely evil forces together with uncertaintiesof the future. Thus, the Gbagyi Muslims together with Christians live alongside an unresolved dichotomy betwixt Christianity together with Islam together with betwixt traditional religion. Even after ii centuries of Gbagyi‟s encounters alongside Islam together with Christianity, belief inwards witchcraft silent thrives.
Islam kickoff came to the Gbagyis inwards the 19th century during the Sokoto Jihad of 1804 yesteryear Usman Danfodio, spell Christianity came inwards the 20th century through the southerners. Islam was able to gain to a greater extent than converts than Christianity, the ground for this was that the practices encouraged yesteryear the Gbagyi organized religious belief conformed alongside Islam, such equally polygamy, devotion, using of rings or amulets. These similarities made it slowly for the Gbagyi’s to have Islam whole-heartedly. But regardless of the twin influences of Islam together with Christianity the Gbagyi people silent practise their Knunu.
Gbagyi Knunu religion
Basically, the organized religious belief consists of a “personal god, or guardian spirit, whose shrine is inwards a special tree inwards the kurmi, where offerings of fowl together with beer are made.” It is worth noting that the Gbagyis consider the natural objects – both living together with non-living – equally endowed alongside the powerfulness together with presence of either beneficent or malevolent spirits. The Gbagyis oft consult Knunu functionaries who are considered to live endowed alongside special mystical powers. These functionaries include the Zokuda (“diviners”) together with the local Ashigbeda (“medicine women/men”). These people possess supernatural powers to negatively influence together with damage others who they perceive equally their enemies. They utilisation witchcraft equally a powerful agency to accomplish their
purpose. They oft send out their zafun (“soul”) to assail people to a greater extent than oft than non inwards their slumber together with elbow grease illnesses together with mental torture through dreams. The harmful powerfulness of the Agunzheyin is non express to external manipulations alone. They tin elbow grease people to call upwards evil thoughts together with to engage inwards harmful practices.
These Zokudas together with the Ashigbedas hail from all social strata; they are neither express to the lower strata of the lodge nor to an economically deprived group. Two dominant reasons seem to pull them to the mastery
of witchcraft: taking a revenge on others who are (rightly or wrongly) perceived to live enemies together with assuming social powerfulness for control. The powerfulness of these Zokudas together with the Ashigbedas cannot live underestimated. Their
activities influence the socio-economic evolution of entire communities. They fulfil a business office that neither the British laws nor the Christian or Muslim way of life could effectively come across nor understand. They showed the Gbagyis the ways together with agency of redressing people‟s grievances together with sufferings aggravated non only yesteryear envy, hatred, together with yesteryear the urge for revenge, but also yesteryear “failure, misfortune, together with higher upwards all sickness together with death.”
Jarumi also explains that the Gbagyis are afraid of the harmful mystical powers together with their human functionaries such equally the Agunzhenyin. Due to fearfulness of the evil witches, they do non locomote out behind their “hairs, finger together with toe nails, clothes or other articles” which the Agunzhenyin powerfulness larn handgrip of together with utilisation to damage the owner. There are many types of Gbagyi witchcraft; all of them are inseparably associated alongside the Zakoyi
(“ancestor veneration”). Adawyiya (“ancestral cult”) is part of the Zakoyi. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 subsystem of the Adawyiya is called Amwamwa (“chasers of witches”). These Amwamwa select attention of witchcraft practices that are
related to the ancestors.
The Gbagyis believe that their dead ancestors are non completely dead; they are “living dead,” who are deeply involved inwards the welfare of their ain living offspring. They are believed to occupy the spiritual realm.
As a result, they tin easily picket over their offspring. Nevertheless, if they are non looked after through proper funeral rites together with appropriate periodical ceremonies, they powerfulness locomote dissatisfied, angry, and
harmful. They “inspire peachy fearfulness together with extreme caution.” The Gbagyi perceive that all physical together with moral manifestations of evil are associated alongside the spirits together with they should live cast off. They have got devised various
rituals to create do against misfortunes together with witchcraft practices together with to free themselves from fearfulness together with agony.
The Gbagyi recognition of mystical sources of powers equally real unsafe together with inherently disastrous, if non properly curtailed, draws from an understanding of the activities together with actions of such powers. The strong
social together with religious role played yesteryear Ashigbeda who are empowered on behalf of surely spirits to deed for men has made this belief live over the years. The Ashigbeda people perform the role of unravelling mysteries
only about surely occurrences which ever pull the people‟s attending to them. The fact of evil lives alongside the Gbagyis together with is understood from an elucidation of the Gbagyi worldviews alongside regard to „Zafun Nukwoyi’
(“Wicked souls”) together with their activities.
Zoku
Zoku is an acceptable practise amid the Gbagyi together with is highly esteemed because, inwards it, lays the powerfulness to consider the destiny of a person, society, together with life inwards general. Jarumi observed that it is a strong method used inwards “detecting witches.” It involves what he calls zokushe (“foretelling the future”) which is used to “reveal the unknown or uncovering out the wishing of a divinity or spirit.” The ground of zoku is largely a collection of traditional
proverbs together with some incantational words known only to the Azokuda, who solitary have got the knowledge of the appropriate enchantment together with physical care for that could Pb to an effective zoku. Through the services rendered, Azokuda holds the community closely to the traditional beliefs. This deed involves the utilisation of string bones (“shinkun”) together with nuts, incantation known equally “butsnuyi” (swearing), to enable the zoku larn the required results for whatever divination. Evan. grand Zuesse states that “divination implies the presence of gods together with spirits-agents of the divine that indirectly communicate the decree of the Ultimate.” The Gbagyis sympathise divination equally an deed which gives them the chance to unearth their destiny through the assist of the gods together with spirits agents. Therefore, through the zoku they search for ways of either protecting or interfere alongside such destinies. In most cases, zoku tin live expert or bad. It is bad when it reveals that at that topographic point are evil forces or powers behind misfortunes which inform the search for intervention.
Gbagyi adult woman belongings bowl alongside paper, Minna,Nigeria. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
Ikenga-Metuh has argued that divination involves consultation that has to do alongside “birth, earlier marriage, during serious sickness, after a serial of misfortunes, to obtain a job, to reach examination, earlier edifice a house,” which are similar to the ground for why the Gbagyi consult zoku. It is inwards this understanding that the Gbagyi perception of divination holds. Zoku becomes actively dynamic, involved alongside the lives of the
people through guidance inwards the strict path of Knunu, communing alongside the azakoyi on behalf of communities, families or individuals. Evans- Pritchard rightly observed that inwards Africa “Misfortune is due to witchcraft
co-operating alongside natural forces.” The same is the concept amid the Gbagyi who consider nature involvement equally divine through the herbal combined alongside mystical practices inwards zoku. (Herbs hither correspond natural forces spell the incantations correspond mystical forces both forces must cooperate earlier a witch tin send out his/her company according to Gbagyi belief).
The effectiveness of Zoku lies alongside the natural components of the ashigbe that is usually drawn from the various herbal medicines available from the dissimilar trees inwards the land. The spirits of the azakoyi who, inwards their
wisdom, bring out the types of shrubs to live used together with which natural tree it was to live taken usually dictates this. The fact that everyone has a destiny from Shekwoyi (the “Supreme Being”), which the zoku chiefly foretell, does non inwards whatever way preclude assisting a someone to uncovering the best way to influence their destinies positively. However, the Gbagyis inwards understanding alongside Idowu believe that at that topographic point are myriads of spirits that run errand for the deities which brand the piece of work of evil forces hence brisk together with flourishing. In the physical care for of running errands for the deities, the spirits tend to favour those who offering them the best gifts inform of sacrifice. Likewise, the Gbagyi belief is that their destiny tin live influenced together with changed if the correct sacrifices equally prescribed yesteryear the Azokuda together with accepted yesteryear whatever of the deities.
Gbagyi man. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
Agunzheyin
Regarded to a greater extent than oft than non equally enemies of progress, the agunzheyin utilisation their powers to inflict hurting together with sorrows on their
victims. The Gbagyi sympathise the role of the agunzheyin to live acquired rather than innate. Jarumi explains that agunzheyin derives from the Gbagyi perception of unexplainable mysteries of nature which zoku
explains equally the piece of work of agunzheyin inwards nature. Since they are perceived to have got foreign powers to elbow grease tumultuous disequilibrium inwards people‟s lives, yesteryear their nefarious activities, fearfulness together with dislike for them is on the increase.
Witchcraft is said to live mutual amid the Gbagyi women. The reasons adduced for this yesteryear Jarumi includes: polygamy, the non credence of a adult woman married into the business solid unit of measurement from some other hamlet other than that of the married adult man resulting inwards what Jarumi calls the “mother-in-law complex”, together with inwards “queer” together with “ugly people.”
Before the coming of Christianity alongside its “one human being i wife” teaching, Gbagyi traditionally were polygamists. The wives competed for their husband‟s attention, which has led some to want powerfulness hence that they tin command the man. Such makes them locomote witches. However, at that topographic point is also a small-scale chemical element of manful someone participation inwards witchcraft. Therefore, the challenge posed yesteryear an credence of Christianity together with its teachings volition demand a consummate overhaul of this tradition. There is a strong resistance equally many women locomote on to live defendant of witchcraft. Furthermore, such accusations oft has “wreaked havoc on social relations together with caused suffering to untold numbers of people.” Among the Gbagyi many suspected witches were ostracised away from their families only because at that topographic point was suspicion only about them of existence witches.
Although it is real hard to sympathise the machinery behind this belief, the activities which Pb to accusations of witchcraft are considered yesteryear empirical sciences equally natural occurrences (“thunder,” “wild
wind,” “drought”), yet to the Gbagyi people it is a dreaded concept. Bongmba emphasises the fact that witchcraft is non a “benign spiritual force,” rather it is an deed that raises ethical questions The Gbagyis have
no problems alongside the concept of witchcraft together with volition never enquiry the validity of its utilisation yesteryear anyone. They believe that at that topographic point is a mystical forcefulness inwards it which they link to deities, spirits, together with ancestors equally vital forces with
powers that could live used for expert or evil.
Gwari girls send H2O to their hamlet , nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Ashigbe
Whenever ashigbe is mentioned inwards Gbagyi understanding, it refers to that medicine which has a mystical together with transcendental powerfulness to cure, heal, together with ward off all evil attacks against a person. In the Igbo society, the
roles of “diviners, priests, together with medicine-men” are differentiated. Ikenga-Metuh observed: “Medicine for Africans primarily conveys the thought of forces contained together with tin live extracted from the properties of some plants together with herbs together with applied to the solution of a diversity of human problems.”
Ikenga-Metuh however, sees magic equally a purely mystical forcefulness which tin influence or command events supernaturally. Although this agrees alongside Gbagyi beliefs inwards the utilisation of medicine equally a curative agent, it nevertheless differs inwards the fact that both expert together with bad medicines are claimed to come upwards from the same person. Thus, the Gbagyis regard medicine men equally “herbalist,” who commune alongside the spirits to assist individuals reach expected goals. Therefore, medicine-men tin negatively live used against one‟s enemies together with foes. This is where their medicine becomes a source of worry to the Gbagyi people. How do they covert a human being endowed yesteryear the gods to bargain alongside wicked men turning only about to becoming a tool for wicked acts?
Medicine persistently has remained a mutual characteristic of Gbagyi‟s belief that has thrived because the Gbagyis consider it equally strong plenty to address their teething problems. Temple observed that the Gbagyis
maintain “a temple” inwards each hamlet which was a grade for the presence of a medicine-man together with an identity of the Gbagyi Knunu. Most times, Medicine men are also “witch doctors.” Parrinder says, “the witch-doctor is a someone who seeks to physician together with cure those who are believed to have got been bewitched.” This explains why ashigbeda are revered amid the Gbagyis. The challenge is inwards the utilisation of i grooming of medicinal concoction together with the claim that it has the authorisation to cure several diseases. It is worthy of complaint that the ashigbeda has provided healthcare services to the Gbagyi people for centuries earlier the coming of both Islam together with Christianity to Gbagyi land.
Today, some Gbagyis silent patronise the Ashigbeda despite their romance alongside the ii missionary religions. Temple was of the thought that the cultural implications of the fact that “each private Gbagyi worships
a personal god or guardian spirit” may explicate the long survival of the syncretistic tendencies amid the Gbagyi people. Thus, the inability of Gbagyi Christians to consider Christianity equally a civilisation on its ain created the dichotomy.
Gbagyi kids from Pyakasa, Abuja, Nigeria.
Gbagyi Religious contact alongside Islam.
Islam kickoff came to Gbagyi solid ground inwards the 19th century, during the Sokoto Jihad of 1804 led yesteryear Usman Danfodio. Christianity on the other manus came inwards the 20th century through the southerners. Harold D. Gunn together with F. P. Conant, inwards their written report of the people of the Middle Belt part of Nigeria, have got stated how inwards 1804 Sarkin Zauzau, the Muslim ruler of Zaria, took a few Gbagyi slaves to Abuja together with how afterwards Islam began to grab the Gbagyi people. Islam was able to gain to a greater extent than converts than Christianity. The ground for this was because practices similar polygamy, divination together with the using of rings together with amulet were part of the religion, together with the fact that Gbagyi organized religious belief also encouraged the utilisation of such, many of them received the organized religious belief whole heartedly.
Gbagyi Religion encounters Christianity
Gbagyi people came inwards contact alongside 3 large categories of Christians: Protestant missionaries, British colonial administrators who claimed to live Christians, together with Roman Catholic Christians. Charles Lindsay
Temple, an ethnographer inwards the service of the British Colonial Government inwards Nigeria states that Protestant Christianity came to Gbagyi solid ground alongside the arrival of the missionaries of the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) inwards 1904. The next year, other missionaries belonging to the Church Missionary Society (CMS, 1905) followed them. British colonial administrators introduced novel legal, educational, together with political policies
that failed to address issues related to Gbagyi witchcraft together with witchcraft related crimes. S.F. Nadel, who studied the Nupe, describes a mutual African perception of the Europeans alongside regard to the persisting nature of witchcraft inwards Africa: “White Man did non believe inwards witchcraft”
The British administrators, to a greater extent than oft than non nether the spell of European Enlightenment, could non sympathise the centrality of witchcraft amid the Gbagyis together with failed to select it seriously. Therefore, the Gbagyis developed their ain ways of addressing their social problems; but they got into moral crisis originating from their loyalty to their ancestral traditions pertaining to witchcraft together with their demand to adjust to British legal system. The minute grouping of Christians alongside whom the Gbagyis came into contact alongside were the Roman Catholic missionaries of the Society of African Mission (SMA, founded inwards 1856) who reached Gbagyi solid ground inwards 1913.
According to the Catholic Diocese of Minna, Nigeria, the piece of work inwards Gbagyi solid ground began equally an outstation of Lokoja while, her history states that it was administered from Asaba yesteryear the Vicar Apostle. The kickoff missionary to industrial plant life a Catholic Church inwards Gbagyi solid ground was Rev. Fr. Leon De Bourge. Largely, the membership was drawn from immigrant rail workers from the South East who made the parish grow. Furthermore, the Catholic piece of work amid the Gbagyis was precipitated strongly on the utilisation of Western
didactics together with wellness facilities. On the other hand, the kickoff SIM/ECWA missionaries to Gbagyi solid ground were Dr. Andrew P. Stirrett together with Rev E. F. Rice who came to Wushishi inwards 1904 to start out the piece of work inwards the Northern
Nigeria. The piece of work progressed inwards the next order: Paiko (1909) yesteryear Rev E. F. Rice together with Rev. George; Karu (1910) yesteryear Rev George Sanderson together with Rev. Charles Dudley: Minna (1913) yesteryear Rev. James F. Cotton spell Kuta (1919) was yesteryear Rev. John Hay together with Rev. E. F. Rice.
The long histories of Islam together with Christianity did non completely supervene upon the old loyalties of the Gbagyi people to their Traditional Religion. In surely situations, all Gbagyi people, whether Christians or Muslims,
practise their Knunu. They claim that Knunu safeguards them, their families, societies, together with activities from surely evil forces together with uncertainties of the future. Thus, the Gbagyi Muslims together with Christians live alongside an
unresolved dichotomy betwixt Christianity together with Islam together with betwixt traditional religion. Even after ii centuries of Gbagyi‟s encounters alongside Islam together with Christianity, belief inwards witchcraft silent thrives.
Food
The favourite nutrient of the Gbagys is known equally Wyizhe, made from guinea corn to cast Zhepwo a special drinkable use to drinkable alongside Knadolo a spicy soup made alongside locus beans, together with their famous wearing clothing is telephone hollo upwards Ajesida, made from local cotton fiber together with traditional woven together with dyed yesteryear their skillful dressmakers. Some of their pop festivals is the Agbamaya festival together with the Zhibaje. The Agbamaya festival is a celebration usually perform to welcome the pelting during the raining season, spell Zhibaje is a traditional Christmas celebration.
Dress
In damage of dressing, Gwari people usually wearing clothing similar Hausas together with they have got predominantly Muslim population. They industrial plant life cotton fiber on their farms, the materials of which they utilisation to fabricate their traditional cloths.
An indigenous Gbagyi Woman wearing traditional nighttime cloth inwards Jikoko (FCT), Nigeria. http://worldpulse.com/
Before the white people arrived inwards Gwariland, the Gwari have got their ain special wearing clothing weaved yesteryear them. Their woven wrapper cloth reverberate dark dark together with non also brilliant colors.
KUNA SAMBA PERFORMED BY Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 GBAGYI SONGSTRESS
This functioning is i of the exciting aspects of the dance. It bears the message of the trip the calorie-free fantastic toe which has equally its topic “Unity Song” emphasizing the demand for unity amid the various ethnic groups of Kaduna State together with the beauty inwards peaceful co-existence.
This vocal functioning is led yesteryear a woman someone vocaliser who kickoff appears on stage followed yesteryear other women similarly dressed inwards the same colourful costume alongside beads together with ornamental jewelries of dissimilar shapes which adds flavour to the Bazobe vocal performance. As the songstress locomote on to homecoming the melodious tunes, she is joined yesteryear dancers from other ethnic groups inwards the State inwards their colourful attires responding to the rendition of the Pb singer. The trip the calorie-free fantastic toe gradually culminates inwards the Bajju trip the calorie-free fantastic toe belonging to the Bajju tribe of Southern Kaduna. At this stage the flooring is cleared of manful someone dancers equally the females locomote on to dance. As the beating of the instruments becomes to a greater extent than strident together with enchanting, the dancers gradually locomote out the stage i after the other leaving the Pb vocaliser to unopen the dance. The trip the calorie-free fantastic toe has locomote pop inwards places similar Brazil together with the Caribbean Area alongside much waist twisting together with wriggling that puts a spectator rooted to the spot. Watching a functioning of the Bazobe is the want of every tourist on an adventure of this solid ground of tourist wonder.
Gbagyi people, Minna,Nigeria
Body Decoration
This is an deed of torso beautification. Body ornamentation is a pop practise amid Gwaris together with the practise is silent existence sustained upwards till date. Body ornamentation tin select the cast of tattoo, piercing of surely parts of the torso similar nose, ear, abdomen etc. Traditionally, Gwari women do torso ornamentation to attract men.
Body ornamentation has aesthetic values.
It increases honor together with honour of the doer. Body ornamentation is essentially done for slowly identification. Before it could live done, consent of the doer needs to live obtained.
Gwari immature adult woman showing her facial tribal marks. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
In surely circumstances, the single Gwari ladies utilisation torso ornamentation to scare potential suitors yesteryear writing the call of their would live husbands on their hands. Gwari people believe that yesteryear writing the names of their proposed husbands inwards their hands is non only for ornamentation but also a from of oath or covenant to espouse the someone whose call was written inwards their hands. Another of import torso ornamentation amid Gwaris is facial mark. The thought of facial grade became prominent amid Gwari people during the minute world state of war for slowly identification.
Essentially, torso ornamentation together with dressing amid Gwaris do non have got spiritual attachment. The type of torso ornamentation a someone does is a thing of preference. Animate together with inanimate objects are designed equally torso decoration. Names of ones heroes, friends, relatives together with lovers could live written to decorate the body.
Body ornamentation could live done yesteryear self or yesteryear the specialists. The instruments for torso ornamentation are blade, niddle, together with lamb smoke. Due to advance inwards scientific discipline together with technology, the torso decorators at nowadays utilisation element of group VII to heal the decorated spots. The torso ornamentation healing physical care for takes ii to 3 days. The utilisation of "laali", a mutual herbal/medicinal leaves is becoming prevalence nowadays amid Gwari people equally stuff for torso decoration.
As a thing of fact, the parts of the torso that are exposed such equally hands, legs together with confront are usually decorated. There is dissimilar designs suitable for each part of the body. Body ornamentation is solely meant for mature women.
Death
The natural decease is a decease non equally a outcome of an elbow grease to kill someone through either charm,witchcraft or whatever other source. Gbaishya is performed earlier the burial, during the decease ceremony or the functioning may occur at both occasions.Traditionally, Gbaishya is performed during the decease ceremony.The cultural practise is done to commemorate the deceased either human being or adult woman together with to celebrate a life good spent yesteryear the deceased.It also aim at tracking together with showcasing the activities of the deceased spell he/she was alive,through drama. Gbaishya is ever perform earlier the members of the community together with the immature adult woman in-law or grand immature adult woman plays the major role.However an interesting aspect of this traditional drama is that it is people oriented together with participatory.Every fellow member of the community is expected to participate actively during the performance,as natural equally they utilisation to communicate alongside the deceased during his/her life time.
The dramatic functioning is a prerequisite of serial of cultural activities,such as: Ritual together with Sacrifice,Music together with Dance together with serial of other forms of the Enactment,all associated alongside the decease ceremony.This cultural practise has survived to appointment together with is silent inwards practise inwards most of the Gbagyi communities specially inwards the rural areas.
source
http://www.orijinculture.com/community/2013/marital-rites-people-nigeria/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gbagyi-People-Arts-and-Culture/420491328011652
Aisha Babaginda, immature adult woman of IBB, Gwari native from Minna
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Gbagyi Cultural troupe from Abuja, Nigeria.
Gbagyi people are i of the largest ethnic groups inwards Nigeria alongside an estimated population figure position at 5.8 million, spread inwards iv States, including the FCT together with located inwards 30 local Government areas, according to the 2006 National Population Census figures. Besides, it is the dominant ethnic grouping inwards the nation’s Capital, Abuja, which invariably implies that no Nigerian tin afford to ignore the history, traditions, culture, socio- economical together with political life of this ethnic group.
GBAGYI WOMEN, FROM CHUKUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL OF
KADUNA STATE, FEATURING THEIR CULTURE, TO MARK THE CLOSING
CEREMONY OF KADUNA STATE CULTURAL FESTIVAL (KADFEST) 2013 IN
KADUNA ON FRIDAY (30/8/13).
The give-and-take Gwari, which the Gbagyi are famously called, is the call of a item yam inwards Gbagyi. Principally at that topographic point are 3 types of Gwari: Gwari Niger, Gwari Gengen together with Gwari Yama. Before their farming occupation, Gwari’s were into calabash carving, pottery together with hunting together with fishing.
Gbagyi fishermen nigh Minna. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
The Gbagyi people are known to be, noble, peace-loving, transparent together with accommodating people. Northerners are fond of saying inwards Hausa linguistic communication “muyi shi Gwari Gwari” (meaning let’s do it similar the Gbagyi or inwards the Gbagyi way). Culturally, Gwari’s position their personal loads together with luggage on their backs or shoulders. As an ethnic grouping they honour caput together with believe that at that topographic point tin live no life without head.
Members Gbagyi Cultural Troup from LEA Primary School Gwarinpa 1,Abuja, during the 2009 World Teachers' Day Celebration, inwards Abuja on Monday, 05/10/09-Photo-Sam Adeko
In his seminal biography of the tardily Sir Ahmadu Bello entitled "Values together with Leadership inwards Nigeria" John N. Paden posits that “two things brand the Gwari people to a greater extent than distinct from whatever other people inwards Nigeria, together with those ii things are their undying clamour for peace together with their impenetrable cultures.” It is interesting to complaint that the observation made yesteryear Paden inwards his majority virtually 3 decades agone is silent associated alongside the Gwari people today, most specially their cultures that are silent kept intact despite the fact that they saw colonialism together with maintain seeing western education. One of these undying cultures, according to Paden, is carrying loads on their shoulders rather their heads equally is the illustration amid other Nigerian people.
Gbagyi dancers performing their traditional folklore at a 2011 farmer twenty-four hours celebration at Jinda, Nassarrawa State, Nigeria
In add-on the Gbagyi people have got emerged equally a unique breed of people amid Nigerians, their civilisation shows how much they have got come upwards to damage alongside the universe. One famous Gbagyi is General together with quondam President of Nigeria Ibrahim Babangida
Ex Nigerian armed forces caput of state, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) is Gwari native from Minna, Nigeria
Why Gwarri people do non Carry loads on their head
In most African cultures, women send loads on their head. The province of affairs is quite dissimilar amid Gwari women inwards Nigeria. In this society, women send loads on their shoulders, because they are of the believe that the caput should live accorded a regal condition equally the King of the entire body, saddled alongside the project of thinking for the body, equally a outcome it should non live burdened alongside manual or pedestrian task, such equally ferrying goods from house to place. But this is non hence today, equally the venom of civilization has since overtaken together with eclipsed it, together with the traditional sight has locomote a rarity except for the older women who silent handgrip on truthful to this belief together with practice.
Gbagyi girl
At this stage the groom’s parents sends a delegation to the bride’s parents. The bride’s parents inwards plough requests some fourth dimension to confer alongside the girl. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 appointment is fixed when the groom’s delegation returns alongside ii sets of plate. These sets of plates are together with hence accepted yesteryear the bride’s parent to signify credence of their proposition. The delegation is together with hence referred to a fellow member of the bride’s business solid unit of measurement who is to serve equally intermediary known equally migbiyi. The migbyi deals alongside everything from here.
The adjacent stage inwards the courtship is the payment of dowry. The groom is hereby required to do some farm piece of work for the bride’s parents for a menstruation of 7 years. This farm piece of work includes making of yam heaps, weeding of ridges together with harvesting of farm produce. Usually the groom is assisted yesteryear his friends, together with the farming continues, ii or 3 times inwards a year, for 7 consecutive years. To seek the groom’s powerfulness to feed the bride he’s asked to convey an equivalent of 50kg of guinea corn of his ain harvest. This is called wyiga. The groom begins alongside i wyiga together with continues to add together i until the 7th twelvemonth when he presents 7 wyiga presently earlier picking a appointment for the marriage.
During this menstruation of courtship, the suitor is allowed his bride. He arrives at her dwelling accompanied yesteryear a friend or brother. Then the bride meets him, accompanied yesteryear ii sisters or friends. This is to dissuade sexual immorality. In every Gbagyi kingdom, whatever immature adult woman who takes inwards out of wedlock is banished to live inwards the outskirts of the hamlet until after birth. During this visits the wives of the bride’s brothers may mouth the groom together with his friend for hospitality rendered. The commons tactics include leaving a few coins inwards bathing water, H2O meant for handwashing together with inwards an extra bowl when meals are served. The groom is expected to double whatever amount he together with his companion finds. It is this same people, joined yesteryear the bride’s sisters who volition ambush the bride’s squad for a wrestle gibe each fourth dimension they come upwards for the farm work. The women usually win because gbagyi women are abnormally strong, addition they hitting the men after the day’s hard labour. These women are allowed to do this since they are seen equally the bride’s friends.
After 7 years of dowry payment together with courtship, a wedding ceremony twenty-four hours is picked.
Aisha Babangida wedding ceremony to Basheer Garba inwards 2003
The Wedding RitesThe wedding ceremony begins alongside the sacrifice of chickens or goats asking for the blessings of the gods upon the couple. The bride is thereafter released to the groom’s business solid unit of measurement together with friends. It is customary to prepare a repast alongside 11 chickens, 10 of which goes to the bride’s parent together with the final to the migbiyi. The bride is accompanied to the groom’s business solid yesteryear 5 or to a greater extent than maids. That day, at the groom’s house, celebrations ensues from sunset till dawn. The adjacent morning, an elderly adult woman volition telephone hollo upwards out several names carefully chosen for the bride. When the bride hears i which suites her, she rushes out of her hut together with is taken to the bath where same elderly adult woman strips her one-half naked together with inspects her torso features together with equally such determining her chastity. This is called the bridal bath. Again, the villagers political party till the interruption of dawn. On the minute morning, the maids who accompanied the bride locomote into the bush to fetch firewood for the bride. Then they fetch H2O for all the old people inwards the village. After this, other union festivities which include singing together with dancing competitions, wrestling matches et al continues for 7 days. On the 7th day, the accompanying maids homecoming to their hamlet leaving only i behind who is called mula cheknu to assist the bride alongside domestic chores. Everybody disperse together with the span begins their matrimonial journey.
Marriage By Elopement
This cast takes house for several reasons inter alia: if the groom does non have got the tummy for the normal tortuous procedure; if the bride’s parents are against the union of the couple; to avoid shame the retributions that abound when a immature adult woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock. This type of union is simple. The girls runs away alongside her suitor. This is referred to equally stealing the bride. After a twenty-four hours or two, after the girl’s parents start out searching for their daughter, the man child confesses to his parents what he has done. His parents together with hence send emissaries to alarm the bride’s parents. The groom is thereby punished alongside a demand for a cock together with a ram. After that the normal wedding ceremony ritual begins, starting alongside the sacrifice of animals or birds equally inwards the normal wedding ceremony described above.
* It is extremely of import to cite that at that topographic point is no boundary to the number of wives a Gbagyi human being could marry. So it is prophylactic to conclude that the Gbagyi civilisation encourages polygamy. Also, at weddings a caveat is handed out to the couple, the human being especially, to rather homecoming the immature adult woman to her parents if she falls small of his criterion or expectation to avoid malice together with maltreatment. By implication, Gbagyi people allow divorce.
adult woman preparing corn , nigh Bida , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Religion
Before the advent of Islam together with Christianity inwards Gbagyiland, the people practiced their traditional African religion. The Gbagyi have got a belief inwards a supreme existence together with Creator God called Shekwoyi. Shekwoyi is the creator, the i who created the universe together with everything inwards the sky, on world together with inwards the ocean equally good equally all Gbagyi people together with await them to worship him. He vantage the expert together with punishes the evil one.
In surely situations, all Gbagyi people, whether Christians or Muslims, practise their traditional african worship known equally Knunu. Knunu tradition for the Gbagys is a special tree inwards the Kurmi (Forest), where offering of fowl together with beers are made.They claim that Knunu safeguards them, their families, societies, together with activities from surely evil forces together with uncertaintiesof the future. Thus, the Gbagyi Muslims together with Christians live alongside an unresolved dichotomy betwixt Christianity together with Islam together with betwixt traditional religion. Even after ii centuries of Gbagyi‟s encounters alongside Islam together with Christianity, belief inwards witchcraft silent thrives.
Islam kickoff came to the Gbagyis inwards the 19th century during the Sokoto Jihad of 1804 yesteryear Usman Danfodio, spell Christianity came inwards the 20th century through the southerners. Islam was able to gain to a greater extent than converts than Christianity, the ground for this was that the practices encouraged yesteryear the Gbagyi organized religious belief conformed alongside Islam, such equally polygamy, devotion, using of rings or amulets. These similarities made it slowly for the Gbagyi’s to have Islam whole-heartedly. But regardless of the twin influences of Islam together with Christianity the Gbagyi people silent practise their Knunu.
Gbagyi Knunu religion
Basically, the organized religious belief consists of a “personal god, or guardian spirit, whose shrine is inwards a special tree inwards the kurmi, where offerings of fowl together with beer are made.” It is worth noting that the Gbagyis consider the natural objects – both living together with non-living – equally endowed alongside the powerfulness together with presence of either beneficent or malevolent spirits. The Gbagyis oft consult Knunu functionaries who are considered to live endowed alongside special mystical powers. These functionaries include the Zokuda (“diviners”) together with the local Ashigbeda (“medicine women/men”). These people possess supernatural powers to negatively influence together with damage others who they perceive equally their enemies. They utilisation witchcraft equally a powerful agency to accomplish their
purpose. They oft send out their zafun (“soul”) to assail people to a greater extent than oft than non inwards their slumber together with elbow grease illnesses together with mental torture through dreams. The harmful powerfulness of the Agunzheyin is non express to external manipulations alone. They tin elbow grease people to call upwards evil thoughts together with to engage inwards harmful practices.
These Zokudas together with the Ashigbedas hail from all social strata; they are neither express to the lower strata of the lodge nor to an economically deprived group. Two dominant reasons seem to pull them to the mastery
of witchcraft: taking a revenge on others who are (rightly or wrongly) perceived to live enemies together with assuming social powerfulness for control. The powerfulness of these Zokudas together with the Ashigbedas cannot live underestimated. Their
activities influence the socio-economic evolution of entire communities. They fulfil a business office that neither the British laws nor the Christian or Muslim way of life could effectively come across nor understand. They showed the Gbagyis the ways together with agency of redressing people‟s grievances together with sufferings aggravated non only yesteryear envy, hatred, together with yesteryear the urge for revenge, but also yesteryear “failure, misfortune, together with higher upwards all sickness together with death.”
Jarumi also explains that the Gbagyis are afraid of the harmful mystical powers together with their human functionaries such equally the Agunzhenyin. Due to fearfulness of the evil witches, they do non locomote out behind their “hairs, finger together with toe nails, clothes or other articles” which the Agunzhenyin powerfulness larn handgrip of together with utilisation to damage the owner. There are many types of Gbagyi witchcraft; all of them are inseparably associated alongside the Zakoyi
(“ancestor veneration”). Adawyiya (“ancestral cult”) is part of the Zakoyi. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 subsystem of the Adawyiya is called Amwamwa (“chasers of witches”). These Amwamwa select attention of witchcraft practices that are
related to the ancestors.
Pretty Aisha Babaginda
The Gbagyis believe that their dead ancestors are non completely dead; they are “living dead,” who are deeply involved inwards the welfare of their ain living offspring. They are believed to occupy the spiritual realm.
As a result, they tin easily picket over their offspring. Nevertheless, if they are non looked after through proper funeral rites together with appropriate periodical ceremonies, they powerfulness locomote dissatisfied, angry, and
harmful. They “inspire peachy fearfulness together with extreme caution.” The Gbagyi perceive that all physical together with moral manifestations of evil are associated alongside the spirits together with they should live cast off. They have got devised various
rituals to create do against misfortunes together with witchcraft practices together with to free themselves from fearfulness together with agony.
The Gbagyi recognition of mystical sources of powers equally real unsafe together with inherently disastrous, if non properly curtailed, draws from an understanding of the activities together with actions of such powers. The strong
social together with religious role played yesteryear Ashigbeda who are empowered on behalf of surely spirits to deed for men has made this belief live over the years. The Ashigbeda people perform the role of unravelling mysteries
only about surely occurrences which ever pull the people‟s attending to them. The fact of evil lives alongside the Gbagyis together with is understood from an elucidation of the Gbagyi worldviews alongside regard to „Zafun Nukwoyi’
(“Wicked souls”) together with their activities.
Zoku
Zoku is an acceptable practise amid the Gbagyi together with is highly esteemed because, inwards it, lays the powerfulness to consider the destiny of a person, society, together with life inwards general. Jarumi observed that it is a strong method used inwards “detecting witches.” It involves what he calls zokushe (“foretelling the future”) which is used to “reveal the unknown or uncovering out the wishing of a divinity or spirit.” The ground of zoku is largely a collection of traditional
proverbs together with some incantational words known only to the Azokuda, who solitary have got the knowledge of the appropriate enchantment together with physical care for that could Pb to an effective zoku. Through the services rendered, Azokuda holds the community closely to the traditional beliefs. This deed involves the utilisation of string bones (“shinkun”) together with nuts, incantation known equally “butsnuyi” (swearing), to enable the zoku larn the required results for whatever divination. Evan. grand Zuesse states that “divination implies the presence of gods together with spirits-agents of the divine that indirectly communicate the decree of the Ultimate.” The Gbagyis sympathise divination equally an deed which gives them the chance to unearth their destiny through the assist of the gods together with spirits agents. Therefore, through the zoku they search for ways of either protecting or interfere alongside such destinies. In most cases, zoku tin live expert or bad. It is bad when it reveals that at that topographic point are evil forces or powers behind misfortunes which inform the search for intervention.
Gbagyi adult woman belongings bowl alongside paper, Minna,Nigeria. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
Ikenga-Metuh has argued that divination involves consultation that has to do alongside “birth, earlier marriage, during serious sickness, after a serial of misfortunes, to obtain a job, to reach examination, earlier edifice a house,” which are similar to the ground for why the Gbagyi consult zoku. It is inwards this understanding that the Gbagyi perception of divination holds. Zoku becomes actively dynamic, involved alongside the lives of the
people through guidance inwards the strict path of Knunu, communing alongside the azakoyi on behalf of communities, families or individuals. Evans- Pritchard rightly observed that inwards Africa “Misfortune is due to witchcraft
co-operating alongside natural forces.” The same is the concept amid the Gbagyi who consider nature involvement equally divine through the herbal combined alongside mystical practices inwards zoku. (Herbs hither correspond natural forces spell the incantations correspond mystical forces both forces must cooperate earlier a witch tin send out his/her company according to Gbagyi belief).
The effectiveness of Zoku lies alongside the natural components of the ashigbe that is usually drawn from the various herbal medicines available from the dissimilar trees inwards the land. The spirits of the azakoyi who, inwards their
wisdom, bring out the types of shrubs to live used together with which natural tree it was to live taken usually dictates this. The fact that everyone has a destiny from Shekwoyi (the “Supreme Being”), which the zoku chiefly foretell, does non inwards whatever way preclude assisting a someone to uncovering the best way to influence their destinies positively. However, the Gbagyis inwards understanding alongside Idowu believe that at that topographic point are myriads of spirits that run errand for the deities which brand the piece of work of evil forces hence brisk together with flourishing. In the physical care for of running errands for the deities, the spirits tend to favour those who offering them the best gifts inform of sacrifice. Likewise, the Gbagyi belief is that their destiny tin live influenced together with changed if the correct sacrifices equally prescribed yesteryear the Azokuda together with accepted yesteryear whatever of the deities.
Gbagyi man. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
Agunzheyin
Regarded to a greater extent than oft than non equally enemies of progress, the agunzheyin utilisation their powers to inflict hurting together with sorrows on their
victims. The Gbagyi sympathise the role of the agunzheyin to live acquired rather than innate. Jarumi explains that agunzheyin derives from the Gbagyi perception of unexplainable mysteries of nature which zoku
explains equally the piece of work of agunzheyin inwards nature. Since they are perceived to have got foreign powers to elbow grease tumultuous disequilibrium inwards people‟s lives, yesteryear their nefarious activities, fearfulness together with dislike for them is on the increase.
Witchcraft is said to live mutual amid the Gbagyi women. The reasons adduced for this yesteryear Jarumi includes: polygamy, the non credence of a adult woman married into the business solid unit of measurement from some other hamlet other than that of the married adult man resulting inwards what Jarumi calls the “mother-in-law complex”, together with inwards “queer” together with “ugly people.”
elderly Qwari adult woman nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Before the coming of Christianity alongside its “one human being i wife” teaching, Gbagyi traditionally were polygamists. The wives competed for their husband‟s attention, which has led some to want powerfulness hence that they tin command the man. Such makes them locomote witches. However, at that topographic point is also a small-scale chemical element of manful someone participation inwards witchcraft. Therefore, the challenge posed yesteryear an credence of Christianity together with its teachings volition demand a consummate overhaul of this tradition. There is a strong resistance equally many women locomote on to live defendant of witchcraft. Furthermore, such accusations oft has “wreaked havoc on social relations together with caused suffering to untold numbers of people.” Among the Gbagyi many suspected witches were ostracised away from their families only because at that topographic point was suspicion only about them of existence witches.
Although it is real hard to sympathise the machinery behind this belief, the activities which Pb to accusations of witchcraft are considered yesteryear empirical sciences equally natural occurrences (“thunder,” “wild
wind,” “drought”), yet to the Gbagyi people it is a dreaded concept. Bongmba emphasises the fact that witchcraft is non a “benign spiritual force,” rather it is an deed that raises ethical questions The Gbagyis have
no problems alongside the concept of witchcraft together with volition never enquiry the validity of its utilisation yesteryear anyone. They believe that at that topographic point is a mystical forcefulness inwards it which they link to deities, spirits, together with ancestors equally vital forces with
powers that could live used for expert or evil.
Gwari girls send H2O to their hamlet , nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Ashigbe
Whenever ashigbe is mentioned inwards Gbagyi understanding, it refers to that medicine which has a mystical together with transcendental powerfulness to cure, heal, together with ward off all evil attacks against a person. In the Igbo society, the
roles of “diviners, priests, together with medicine-men” are differentiated. Ikenga-Metuh observed: “Medicine for Africans primarily conveys the thought of forces contained together with tin live extracted from the properties of some plants together with herbs together with applied to the solution of a diversity of human problems.”
Medicine persistently has remained a mutual characteristic of Gbagyi‟s belief that has thrived because the Gbagyis consider it equally strong plenty to address their teething problems. Temple observed that the Gbagyis
maintain “a temple” inwards each hamlet which was a grade for the presence of a medicine-man together with an identity of the Gbagyi Knunu. Most times, Medicine men are also “witch doctors.” Parrinder says, “the witch-doctor is a someone who seeks to physician together with cure those who are believed to have got been bewitched.” This explains why ashigbeda are revered amid the Gbagyis. The challenge is inwards the utilisation of i grooming of medicinal concoction together with the claim that it has the authorisation to cure several diseases. It is worthy of complaint that the ashigbeda has provided healthcare services to the Gbagyi people for centuries earlier the coming of both Islam together with Christianity to Gbagyi land.
Today, some Gbagyis silent patronise the Ashigbeda despite their romance alongside the ii missionary religions. Temple was of the thought that the cultural implications of the fact that “each private Gbagyi worships
a personal god or guardian spirit” may explicate the long survival of the syncretistic tendencies amid the Gbagyi people. Thus, the inability of Gbagyi Christians to consider Christianity equally a civilisation on its ain created the dichotomy.
Gbagyi kids from Pyakasa, Abuja, Nigeria.
Gbagyi Religious contact alongside Islam.
Islam kickoff came to Gbagyi solid ground inwards the 19th century, during the Sokoto Jihad of 1804 led yesteryear Usman Danfodio. Christianity on the other manus came inwards the 20th century through the southerners. Harold D. Gunn together with F. P. Conant, inwards their written report of the people of the Middle Belt part of Nigeria, have got stated how inwards 1804 Sarkin Zauzau, the Muslim ruler of Zaria, took a few Gbagyi slaves to Abuja together with how afterwards Islam began to grab the Gbagyi people. Islam was able to gain to a greater extent than converts than Christianity. The ground for this was because practices similar polygamy, divination together with the using of rings together with amulet were part of the religion, together with the fact that Gbagyi organized religious belief also encouraged the utilisation of such, many of them received the organized religious belief whole heartedly.
Gbagyi Religion encounters Christianity
Gbagyi people came inwards contact alongside 3 large categories of Christians: Protestant missionaries, British colonial administrators who claimed to live Christians, together with Roman Catholic Christians. Charles Lindsay
Temple, an ethnographer inwards the service of the British Colonial Government inwards Nigeria states that Protestant Christianity came to Gbagyi solid ground alongside the arrival of the missionaries of the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) inwards 1904. The next year, other missionaries belonging to the Church Missionary Society (CMS, 1905) followed them. British colonial administrators introduced novel legal, educational, together with political policies
that failed to address issues related to Gbagyi witchcraft together with witchcraft related crimes. S.F. Nadel, who studied the Nupe, describes a mutual African perception of the Europeans alongside regard to the persisting nature of witchcraft inwards Africa: “White Man did non believe inwards witchcraft”
The British administrators, to a greater extent than oft than non nether the spell of European Enlightenment, could non sympathise the centrality of witchcraft amid the Gbagyis together with failed to select it seriously. Therefore, the Gbagyis developed their ain ways of addressing their social problems; but they got into moral crisis originating from their loyalty to their ancestral traditions pertaining to witchcraft together with their demand to adjust to British legal system. The minute grouping of Christians alongside whom the Gbagyis came into contact alongside were the Roman Catholic missionaries of the Society of African Mission (SMA, founded inwards 1856) who reached Gbagyi solid ground inwards 1913.
According to the Catholic Diocese of Minna, Nigeria, the piece of work inwards Gbagyi solid ground began equally an outstation of Lokoja while, her history states that it was administered from Asaba yesteryear the Vicar Apostle. The kickoff missionary to industrial plant life a Catholic Church inwards Gbagyi solid ground was Rev. Fr. Leon De Bourge. Largely, the membership was drawn from immigrant rail workers from the South East who made the parish grow. Furthermore, the Catholic piece of work amid the Gbagyis was precipitated strongly on the utilisation of Western
didactics together with wellness facilities. On the other hand, the kickoff SIM/ECWA missionaries to Gbagyi solid ground were Dr. Andrew P. Stirrett together with Rev E. F. Rice who came to Wushishi inwards 1904 to start out the piece of work inwards the Northern
Nigeria. The piece of work progressed inwards the next order: Paiko (1909) yesteryear Rev E. F. Rice together with Rev. George; Karu (1910) yesteryear Rev George Sanderson together with Rev. Charles Dudley: Minna (1913) yesteryear Rev. James F. Cotton spell Kuta (1919) was yesteryear Rev. John Hay together with Rev. E. F. Rice.
The long histories of Islam together with Christianity did non completely supervene upon the old loyalties of the Gbagyi people to their Traditional Religion. In surely situations, all Gbagyi people, whether Christians or Muslims,
practise their Knunu. They claim that Knunu safeguards them, their families, societies, together with activities from surely evil forces together with uncertainties of the future. Thus, the Gbagyi Muslims together with Christians live alongside an
unresolved dichotomy betwixt Christianity together with Islam together with betwixt traditional religion. Even after ii centuries of Gbagyi‟s encounters alongside Islam together with Christianity, belief inwards witchcraft silent thrives.
Food
The favourite nutrient of the Gbagys is known equally Wyizhe, made from guinea corn to cast Zhepwo a special drinkable use to drinkable alongside Knadolo a spicy soup made alongside locus beans, together with their famous wearing clothing is telephone hollo upwards Ajesida, made from local cotton fiber together with traditional woven together with dyed yesteryear their skillful dressmakers. Some of their pop festivals is the Agbamaya festival together with the Zhibaje. The Agbamaya festival is a celebration usually perform to welcome the pelting during the raining season, spell Zhibaje is a traditional Christmas celebration.
a Gwari immature adult woman carries H2O dorsum to her hamlet , nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Dress
In damage of dressing, Gwari people usually wearing clothing similar Hausas together with they have got predominantly Muslim population. They industrial plant life cotton fiber on their farms, the materials of which they utilisation to fabricate their traditional cloths.
An indigenous Gbagyi Woman wearing traditional nighttime cloth inwards Jikoko (FCT), Nigeria. http://worldpulse.com/
Before the white people arrived inwards Gwariland, the Gwari have got their ain special wearing clothing weaved yesteryear them. Their woven wrapper cloth reverberate dark dark together with non also brilliant colors.
This functioning is i of the exciting aspects of the dance. It bears the message of the trip the calorie-free fantastic toe which has equally its topic “Unity Song” emphasizing the demand for unity amid the various ethnic groups of Kaduna State together with the beauty inwards peaceful co-existence.
This vocal functioning is led yesteryear a woman someone vocaliser who kickoff appears on stage followed yesteryear other women similarly dressed inwards the same colourful costume alongside beads together with ornamental jewelries of dissimilar shapes which adds flavour to the Bazobe vocal performance. As the songstress locomote on to homecoming the melodious tunes, she is joined yesteryear dancers from other ethnic groups inwards the State inwards their colourful attires responding to the rendition of the Pb singer. The trip the calorie-free fantastic toe gradually culminates inwards the Bajju trip the calorie-free fantastic toe belonging to the Bajju tribe of Southern Kaduna. At this stage the flooring is cleared of manful someone dancers equally the females locomote on to dance. As the beating of the instruments becomes to a greater extent than strident together with enchanting, the dancers gradually locomote out the stage i after the other leaving the Pb vocaliser to unopen the dance. The trip the calorie-free fantastic toe has locomote pop inwards places similar Brazil together with the Caribbean Area alongside much waist twisting together with wriggling that puts a spectator rooted to the spot. Watching a functioning of the Bazobe is the want of every tourist on an adventure of this solid ground of tourist wonder.
Gbagyi people, Minna,Nigeria
Body Decoration
This is an deed of torso beautification. Body ornamentation is a pop practise amid Gwaris together with the practise is silent existence sustained upwards till date. Body ornamentation tin select the cast of tattoo, piercing of surely parts of the torso similar nose, ear, abdomen etc. Traditionally, Gwari women do torso ornamentation to attract men.
Body ornamentation has aesthetic values.
Gwari women carrying clay pots , nigh , Bida , Nigeria , West Africa. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
It increases honor together with honour of the doer. Body ornamentation is essentially done for slowly identification. Before it could live done, consent of the doer needs to live obtained.
Gwari immature adult woman showing her facial tribal marks. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
In surely circumstances, the single Gwari ladies utilisation torso ornamentation to scare potential suitors yesteryear writing the call of their would live husbands on their hands. Gwari people believe that yesteryear writing the names of their proposed husbands inwards their hands is non only for ornamentation but also a from of oath or covenant to espouse the someone whose call was written inwards their hands. Another of import torso ornamentation amid Gwaris is facial mark. The thought of facial grade became prominent amid Gwari people during the minute world state of war for slowly identification.
Gwari adult woman carrying woods , nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Essentially, torso ornamentation together with dressing amid Gwaris do non have got spiritual attachment. The type of torso ornamentation a someone does is a thing of preference. Animate together with inanimate objects are designed equally torso decoration. Names of ones heroes, friends, relatives together with lovers could live written to decorate the body.
Body ornamentation could live done yesteryear self or yesteryear the specialists. The instruments for torso ornamentation are blade, niddle, together with lamb smoke. Due to advance inwards scientific discipline together with technology, the torso decorators at nowadays utilisation element of group VII to heal the decorated spots. The torso ornamentation healing physical care for takes ii to 3 days. The utilisation of "laali", a mutual herbal/medicinal leaves is becoming prevalence nowadays amid Gwari people equally stuff for torso decoration.
As a thing of fact, the parts of the torso that are exposed such equally hands, legs together with confront are usually decorated. There is dissimilar designs suitable for each part of the body. Body ornamentation is solely meant for mature women.
Gwari adult woman sifting flour , nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Death
The natural decease is a decease non equally a outcome of an elbow grease to kill someone through either charm,witchcraft or whatever other source. Gbaishya is performed earlier the burial, during the decease ceremony or the functioning may occur at both occasions.Traditionally, Gbaishya is performed during the decease ceremony.The cultural practise is done to commemorate the deceased either human being or adult woman together with to celebrate a life good spent yesteryear the deceased.It also aim at tracking together with showcasing the activities of the deceased spell he/she was alive,through drama. Gbaishya is ever perform earlier the members of the community together with the immature adult woman in-law or grand immature adult woman plays the major role.However an interesting aspect of this traditional drama is that it is people oriented together with participatory.Every fellow member of the community is expected to participate actively during the performance,as natural equally they utilisation to communicate alongside the deceased during his/her life time.
The dramatic functioning is a prerequisite of serial of cultural activities,such as: Ritual together with Sacrifice,Music together with Dance together with serial of other forms of the Enactment,all associated alongside the decease ceremony.This cultural practise has survived to appointment together with is silent inwards practise inwards most of the Gbagyi communities specially inwards the rural areas.
Gwari adult woman beating calabashes together with singing , nigh Minna , Nigeria , West Africa. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
source
http://www.orijinculture.com/community/2013/marital-rites-people-nigeria/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gbagyi-People-Arts-and-Culture/420491328011652
Aisha Babaginda, immature adult woman of IBB, Gwari native from Minna
Gbagyi women together with children
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Gbagyi girl
At this stage the groom’s parents sends a delegation to the bride’s parents. The bride’s parents inwards plough requests some fourth dimension to confer alongside the girl. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 appointment is fixed when the groom’s delegation returns alongside ii sets of plate. These sets of plates are together with hence accepted yesteryear the bride’s parent to signify credence of their proposition. The delegation is together with hence referred to a fellow member of the bride’s business solid unit of measurement who is to serve equally intermediary known equally migbiyi. The migbyi deals alongside everything from here.
The adjacent stage inwards the courtship is the payment of dowry. The groom is hereby required to do some farm piece of work for the bride’s parents for a menstruation of 7 years. This farm piece of work includes making of yam heaps, weeding of ridges together with harvesting of farm produce. Usually the groom is assisted yesteryear his friends, together with the farming continues, ii or 3 times inwards a year, for 7 consecutive years. To seek the groom’s powerfulness to feed the bride he’s asked to convey an equivalent of 50kg of guinea corn of his ain harvest. This is called wyiga. The groom begins alongside i wyiga together with continues to add together i until the 7th twelvemonth when he presents 7 wyiga presently earlier picking a appointment for the marriage.
During this menstruation of courtship, the suitor is allowed his bride. He arrives at her dwelling accompanied yesteryear a friend or brother. Then the bride meets him, accompanied yesteryear ii sisters or friends. This is to dissuade sexual immorality. In every Gbagyi kingdom, whatever immature adult woman who takes inwards out of wedlock is banished to live inwards the outskirts of the hamlet until after birth. During this visits the wives of the bride’s brothers may mouth the groom together with his friend for hospitality rendered. The commons tactics include leaving a few coins inwards bathing water, H2O meant for handwashing together with inwards an extra bowl when meals are served. The groom is expected to double whatever amount he together with his companion finds. It is this same people, joined yesteryear the bride’s sisters who volition ambush the bride’s squad for a wrestle gibe each fourth dimension they come upwards for the farm work. The women usually win because gbagyi women are abnormally strong, addition they hitting the men after the day’s hard labour. These women are allowed to do this since they are seen equally the bride’s friends.
After 7 years of dowry payment together with courtship, a wedding ceremony twenty-four hours is picked.
Aisha Babangida wedding ceremony to Basheer Garba inwards 2003
The Wedding RitesThe wedding ceremony begins alongside the sacrifice of chickens or goats asking for the blessings of the gods upon the couple. The bride is thereafter released to the groom’s business solid unit of measurement together with friends. It is customary to prepare a repast alongside 11 chickens, 10 of which goes to the bride’s parent together with the final to the migbiyi. The bride is accompanied to the groom’s business solid yesteryear 5 or to a greater extent than maids. That day, at the groom’s house, celebrations ensues from sunset till dawn. The adjacent morning, an elderly adult woman volition telephone hollo upwards out several names carefully chosen for the bride. When the bride hears i which suites her, she rushes out of her hut together with is taken to the bath where same elderly adult woman strips her one-half naked together with inspects her torso features together with equally such determining her chastity. This is called the bridal bath. Again, the villagers political party till the interruption of dawn. On the minute morning, the maids who accompanied the bride locomote into the bush to fetch firewood for the bride. Then they fetch H2O for all the old people inwards the village. After this, other union festivities which include singing together with dancing competitions, wrestling matches et al continues for 7 days. On the 7th day, the accompanying maids homecoming to their hamlet leaving only i behind who is called mula cheknu to assist the bride alongside domestic chores. Everybody disperse together with the span begins their matrimonial journey.
Marriage By Elopement
This cast takes house for several reasons inter alia: if the groom does non have got the tummy for the normal tortuous procedure; if the bride’s parents are against the union of the couple; to avoid shame the retributions that abound when a immature adult woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock. This type of union is simple. The girls runs away alongside her suitor. This is referred to equally stealing the bride. After a twenty-four hours or two, after the girl’s parents start out searching for their daughter, the man child confesses to his parents what he has done. His parents together with hence send emissaries to alarm the bride’s parents. The groom is thereby punished alongside a demand for a cock together with a ram. After that the normal wedding ceremony ritual begins, starting alongside the sacrifice of animals or birds equally inwards the normal wedding ceremony described above.
* It is extremely of import to cite that at that topographic point is no boundary to the number of wives a Gbagyi human being could marry. So it is prophylactic to conclude that the Gbagyi civilisation encourages polygamy. Also, at weddings a caveat is handed out to the couple, the human being especially, to rather homecoming the immature adult woman to her parents if she falls small of his criterion or expectation to avoid malice together with maltreatment. By implication, Gbagyi people allow divorce.
adult woman preparing corn , nigh Bida , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Religion
Before the advent of Islam together with Christianity inwards Gbagyiland, the people practiced their traditional African religion. The Gbagyi have got a belief inwards a supreme existence together with Creator God called Shekwoyi. Shekwoyi is the creator, the i who created the universe together with everything inwards the sky, on world together with inwards the ocean equally good equally all Gbagyi people together with await them to worship him. He vantage the expert together with punishes the evil one.
In surely situations, all Gbagyi people, whether Christians or Muslims, practise their traditional african worship known equally Knunu. Knunu tradition for the Gbagys is a special tree inwards the Kurmi (Forest), where offering of fowl together with beers are made.They claim that Knunu safeguards them, their families, societies, together with activities from surely evil forces together with uncertaintiesof the future. Thus, the Gbagyi Muslims together with Christians live alongside an unresolved dichotomy betwixt Christianity together with Islam together with betwixt traditional religion. Even after ii centuries of Gbagyi‟s encounters alongside Islam together with Christianity, belief inwards witchcraft silent thrives.
Islam kickoff came to the Gbagyis inwards the 19th century during the Sokoto Jihad of 1804 yesteryear Usman Danfodio, spell Christianity came inwards the 20th century through the southerners. Islam was able to gain to a greater extent than converts than Christianity, the ground for this was that the practices encouraged yesteryear the Gbagyi organized religious belief conformed alongside Islam, such equally polygamy, devotion, using of rings or amulets. These similarities made it slowly for the Gbagyi’s to have Islam whole-heartedly. But regardless of the twin influences of Islam together with Christianity the Gbagyi people silent practise their Knunu.
Gbagyi Knunu religion
Basically, the organized religious belief consists of a “personal god, or guardian spirit, whose shrine is inwards a special tree inwards the kurmi, where offerings of fowl together with beer are made.” It is worth noting that the Gbagyis consider the natural objects – both living together with non-living – equally endowed alongside the powerfulness together with presence of either beneficent or malevolent spirits. The Gbagyis oft consult Knunu functionaries who are considered to live endowed alongside special mystical powers. These functionaries include the Zokuda (“diviners”) together with the local Ashigbeda (“medicine women/men”). These people possess supernatural powers to negatively influence together with damage others who they perceive equally their enemies. They utilisation witchcraft equally a powerful agency to accomplish their
purpose. They oft send out their zafun (“soul”) to assail people to a greater extent than oft than non inwards their slumber together with elbow grease illnesses together with mental torture through dreams. The harmful powerfulness of the Agunzheyin is non express to external manipulations alone. They tin elbow grease people to call upwards evil thoughts together with to engage inwards harmful practices.
These Zokudas together with the Ashigbedas hail from all social strata; they are neither express to the lower strata of the lodge nor to an economically deprived group. Two dominant reasons seem to pull them to the mastery
of witchcraft: taking a revenge on others who are (rightly or wrongly) perceived to live enemies together with assuming social powerfulness for control. The powerfulness of these Zokudas together with the Ashigbedas cannot live underestimated. Their
activities influence the socio-economic evolution of entire communities. They fulfil a business office that neither the British laws nor the Christian or Muslim way of life could effectively come across nor understand. They showed the Gbagyis the ways together with agency of redressing people‟s grievances together with sufferings aggravated non only yesteryear envy, hatred, together with yesteryear the urge for revenge, but also yesteryear “failure, misfortune, together with higher upwards all sickness together with death.”
Jarumi also explains that the Gbagyis are afraid of the harmful mystical powers together with their human functionaries such equally the Agunzhenyin. Due to fearfulness of the evil witches, they do non locomote out behind their “hairs, finger together with toe nails, clothes or other articles” which the Agunzhenyin powerfulness larn handgrip of together with utilisation to damage the owner. There are many types of Gbagyi witchcraft; all of them are inseparably associated alongside the Zakoyi
(“ancestor veneration”). Adawyiya (“ancestral cult”) is part of the Zakoyi. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 subsystem of the Adawyiya is called Amwamwa (“chasers of witches”). These Amwamwa select attention of witchcraft practices that are
related to the ancestors.
Pretty Aisha Babaginda
The Gbagyis believe that their dead ancestors are non completely dead; they are “living dead,” who are deeply involved inwards the welfare of their ain living offspring. They are believed to occupy the spiritual realm.
As a result, they tin easily picket over their offspring. Nevertheless, if they are non looked after through proper funeral rites together with appropriate periodical ceremonies, they powerfulness locomote dissatisfied, angry, and
harmful. They “inspire peachy fearfulness together with extreme caution.” The Gbagyi perceive that all physical together with moral manifestations of evil are associated alongside the spirits together with they should live cast off. They have got devised various
rituals to create do against misfortunes together with witchcraft practices together with to free themselves from fearfulness together with agony.
The Gbagyi recognition of mystical sources of powers equally real unsafe together with inherently disastrous, if non properly curtailed, draws from an understanding of the activities together with actions of such powers. The strong
social together with religious role played yesteryear Ashigbeda who are empowered on behalf of surely spirits to deed for men has made this belief live over the years. The Ashigbeda people perform the role of unravelling mysteries
only about surely occurrences which ever pull the people‟s attending to them. The fact of evil lives alongside the Gbagyis together with is understood from an elucidation of the Gbagyi worldviews alongside regard to „Zafun Nukwoyi’
(“Wicked souls”) together with their activities.
Zoku
Zoku is an acceptable practise amid the Gbagyi together with is highly esteemed because, inwards it, lays the powerfulness to consider the destiny of a person, society, together with life inwards general. Jarumi observed that it is a strong method used inwards “detecting witches.” It involves what he calls zokushe (“foretelling the future”) which is used to “reveal the unknown or uncovering out the wishing of a divinity or spirit.” The ground of zoku is largely a collection of traditional
proverbs together with some incantational words known only to the Azokuda, who solitary have got the knowledge of the appropriate enchantment together with physical care for that could Pb to an effective zoku. Through the services rendered, Azokuda holds the community closely to the traditional beliefs. This deed involves the utilisation of string bones (“shinkun”) together with nuts, incantation known equally “butsnuyi” (swearing), to enable the zoku larn the required results for whatever divination. Evan. grand Zuesse states that “divination implies the presence of gods together with spirits-agents of the divine that indirectly communicate the decree of the Ultimate.” The Gbagyis sympathise divination equally an deed which gives them the chance to unearth their destiny through the assist of the gods together with spirits agents. Therefore, through the zoku they search for ways of either protecting or interfere alongside such destinies. In most cases, zoku tin live expert or bad. It is bad when it reveals that at that topographic point are evil forces or powers behind misfortunes which inform the search for intervention.
Gbagyi adult woman belongings bowl alongside paper, Minna,Nigeria. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
Ikenga-Metuh has argued that divination involves consultation that has to do alongside “birth, earlier marriage, during serious sickness, after a serial of misfortunes, to obtain a job, to reach examination, earlier edifice a house,” which are similar to the ground for why the Gbagyi consult zoku. It is inwards this understanding that the Gbagyi perception of divination holds. Zoku becomes actively dynamic, involved alongside the lives of the
people through guidance inwards the strict path of Knunu, communing alongside the azakoyi on behalf of communities, families or individuals. Evans- Pritchard rightly observed that inwards Africa “Misfortune is due to witchcraft
co-operating alongside natural forces.” The same is the concept amid the Gbagyi who consider nature involvement equally divine through the herbal combined alongside mystical practices inwards zoku. (Herbs hither correspond natural forces spell the incantations correspond mystical forces both forces must cooperate earlier a witch tin send out his/her company according to Gbagyi belief).
The effectiveness of Zoku lies alongside the natural components of the ashigbe that is usually drawn from the various herbal medicines available from the dissimilar trees inwards the land. The spirits of the azakoyi who, inwards their
wisdom, bring out the types of shrubs to live used together with which natural tree it was to live taken usually dictates this. The fact that everyone has a destiny from Shekwoyi (the “Supreme Being”), which the zoku chiefly foretell, does non inwards whatever way preclude assisting a someone to uncovering the best way to influence their destinies positively. However, the Gbagyis inwards understanding alongside Idowu believe that at that topographic point are myriads of spirits that run errand for the deities which brand the piece of work of evil forces hence brisk together with flourishing. In the physical care for of running errands for the deities, the spirits tend to favour those who offering them the best gifts inform of sacrifice. Likewise, the Gbagyi belief is that their destiny tin live influenced together with changed if the correct sacrifices equally prescribed yesteryear the Azokuda together with accepted yesteryear whatever of the deities.
Gbagyi man. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
Agunzheyin
Regarded to a greater extent than oft than non equally enemies of progress, the agunzheyin utilisation their powers to inflict hurting together with sorrows on their
victims. The Gbagyi sympathise the role of the agunzheyin to live acquired rather than innate. Jarumi explains that agunzheyin derives from the Gbagyi perception of unexplainable mysteries of nature which zoku
explains equally the piece of work of agunzheyin inwards nature. Since they are perceived to have got foreign powers to elbow grease tumultuous disequilibrium inwards people‟s lives, yesteryear their nefarious activities, fearfulness together with dislike for them is on the increase.
Witchcraft is said to live mutual amid the Gbagyi women. The reasons adduced for this yesteryear Jarumi includes: polygamy, the non credence of a adult woman married into the business solid unit of measurement from some other hamlet other than that of the married adult man resulting inwards what Jarumi calls the “mother-in-law complex”, together with inwards “queer” together with “ugly people.”
elderly Qwari adult woman nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Before the coming of Christianity alongside its “one human being i wife” teaching, Gbagyi traditionally were polygamists. The wives competed for their husband‟s attention, which has led some to want powerfulness hence that they tin command the man. Such makes them locomote witches. However, at that topographic point is also a small-scale chemical element of manful someone participation inwards witchcraft. Therefore, the challenge posed yesteryear an credence of Christianity together with its teachings volition demand a consummate overhaul of this tradition. There is a strong resistance equally many women locomote on to live defendant of witchcraft. Furthermore, such accusations oft has “wreaked havoc on social relations together with caused suffering to untold numbers of people.” Among the Gbagyi many suspected witches were ostracised away from their families only because at that topographic point was suspicion only about them of existence witches.
Although it is real hard to sympathise the machinery behind this belief, the activities which Pb to accusations of witchcraft are considered yesteryear empirical sciences equally natural occurrences (“thunder,” “wild
wind,” “drought”), yet to the Gbagyi people it is a dreaded concept. Bongmba emphasises the fact that witchcraft is non a “benign spiritual force,” rather it is an deed that raises ethical questions The Gbagyis have
no problems alongside the concept of witchcraft together with volition never enquiry the validity of its utilisation yesteryear anyone. They believe that at that topographic point is a mystical forcefulness inwards it which they link to deities, spirits, together with ancestors equally vital forces with
powers that could live used for expert or evil.
Gwari girls send H2O to their hamlet , nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Ashigbe
Whenever ashigbe is mentioned inwards Gbagyi understanding, it refers to that medicine which has a mystical together with transcendental powerfulness to cure, heal, together with ward off all evil attacks against a person. In the Igbo society, the
roles of “diviners, priests, together with medicine-men” are differentiated. Ikenga-Metuh observed: “Medicine for Africans primarily conveys the thought of forces contained together with tin live extracted from the properties of some plants together with herbs together with applied to the solution of a diversity of human problems.”
Medicine persistently has remained a mutual characteristic of Gbagyi‟s belief that has thrived because the Gbagyis consider it equally strong plenty to address their teething problems. Temple observed that the Gbagyis
maintain “a temple” inwards each hamlet which was a grade for the presence of a medicine-man together with an identity of the Gbagyi Knunu. Most times, Medicine men are also “witch doctors.” Parrinder says, “the witch-doctor is a someone who seeks to physician together with cure those who are believed to have got been bewitched.” This explains why ashigbeda are revered amid the Gbagyis. The challenge is inwards the utilisation of i grooming of medicinal concoction together with the claim that it has the authorisation to cure several diseases. It is worthy of complaint that the ashigbeda has provided healthcare services to the Gbagyi people for centuries earlier the coming of both Islam together with Christianity to Gbagyi land.
Today, some Gbagyis silent patronise the Ashigbeda despite their romance alongside the ii missionary religions. Temple was of the thought that the cultural implications of the fact that “each private Gbagyi worships
a personal god or guardian spirit” may explicate the long survival of the syncretistic tendencies amid the Gbagyi people. Thus, the inability of Gbagyi Christians to consider Christianity equally a civilisation on its ain created the dichotomy.
Gbagyi kids from Pyakasa, Abuja, Nigeria.
Gbagyi Religious contact alongside Islam.
Islam kickoff came to Gbagyi solid ground inwards the 19th century, during the Sokoto Jihad of 1804 led yesteryear Usman Danfodio. Christianity on the other manus came inwards the 20th century through the southerners. Harold D. Gunn together with F. P. Conant, inwards their written report of the people of the Middle Belt part of Nigeria, have got stated how inwards 1804 Sarkin Zauzau, the Muslim ruler of Zaria, took a few Gbagyi slaves to Abuja together with how afterwards Islam began to grab the Gbagyi people. Islam was able to gain to a greater extent than converts than Christianity. The ground for this was because practices similar polygamy, divination together with the using of rings together with amulet were part of the religion, together with the fact that Gbagyi organized religious belief also encouraged the utilisation of such, many of them received the organized religious belief whole heartedly.
Gbagyi Religion encounters Christianity
Gbagyi people came inwards contact alongside 3 large categories of Christians: Protestant missionaries, British colonial administrators who claimed to live Christians, together with Roman Catholic Christians. Charles Lindsay
Temple, an ethnographer inwards the service of the British Colonial Government inwards Nigeria states that Protestant Christianity came to Gbagyi solid ground alongside the arrival of the missionaries of the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) inwards 1904. The next year, other missionaries belonging to the Church Missionary Society (CMS, 1905) followed them. British colonial administrators introduced novel legal, educational, together with political policies
that failed to address issues related to Gbagyi witchcraft together with witchcraft related crimes. S.F. Nadel, who studied the Nupe, describes a mutual African perception of the Europeans alongside regard to the persisting nature of witchcraft inwards Africa: “White Man did non believe inwards witchcraft”
The British administrators, to a greater extent than oft than non nether the spell of European Enlightenment, could non sympathise the centrality of witchcraft amid the Gbagyis together with failed to select it seriously. Therefore, the Gbagyis developed their ain ways of addressing their social problems; but they got into moral crisis originating from their loyalty to their ancestral traditions pertaining to witchcraft together with their demand to adjust to British legal system. The minute grouping of Christians alongside whom the Gbagyis came into contact alongside were the Roman Catholic missionaries of the Society of African Mission (SMA, founded inwards 1856) who reached Gbagyi solid ground inwards 1913.
According to the Catholic Diocese of Minna, Nigeria, the piece of work inwards Gbagyi solid ground began equally an outstation of Lokoja while, her history states that it was administered from Asaba yesteryear the Vicar Apostle. The kickoff missionary to industrial plant life a Catholic Church inwards Gbagyi solid ground was Rev. Fr. Leon De Bourge. Largely, the membership was drawn from immigrant rail workers from the South East who made the parish grow. Furthermore, the Catholic piece of work amid the Gbagyis was precipitated strongly on the utilisation of Western
didactics together with wellness facilities. On the other hand, the kickoff SIM/ECWA missionaries to Gbagyi solid ground were Dr. Andrew P. Stirrett together with Rev E. F. Rice who came to Wushishi inwards 1904 to start out the piece of work inwards the Northern
Nigeria. The piece of work progressed inwards the next order: Paiko (1909) yesteryear Rev E. F. Rice together with Rev. George; Karu (1910) yesteryear Rev George Sanderson together with Rev. Charles Dudley: Minna (1913) yesteryear Rev. James F. Cotton spell Kuta (1919) was yesteryear Rev. John Hay together with Rev. E. F. Rice.
The long histories of Islam together with Christianity did non completely supervene upon the old loyalties of the Gbagyi people to their Traditional Religion. In surely situations, all Gbagyi people, whether Christians or Muslims,
practise their Knunu. They claim that Knunu safeguards them, their families, societies, together with activities from surely evil forces together with uncertainties of the future. Thus, the Gbagyi Muslims together with Christians live alongside an
unresolved dichotomy betwixt Christianity together with Islam together with betwixt traditional religion. Even after ii centuries of Gbagyi‟s encounters alongside Islam together with Christianity, belief inwards witchcraft silent thrives.
Food
The favourite nutrient of the Gbagys is known equally Wyizhe, made from guinea corn to cast Zhepwo a special drinkable use to drinkable alongside Knadolo a spicy soup made alongside locus beans, together with their famous wearing clothing is telephone hollo upwards Ajesida, made from local cotton fiber together with traditional woven together with dyed yesteryear their skillful dressmakers. Some of their pop festivals is the Agbamaya festival together with the Zhibaje. The Agbamaya festival is a celebration usually perform to welcome the pelting during the raining season, spell Zhibaje is a traditional Christmas celebration.
a Gwari immature adult woman carries H2O dorsum to her hamlet , nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Dress
In damage of dressing, Gwari people usually wearing clothing similar Hausas together with they have got predominantly Muslim population. They industrial plant life cotton fiber on their farms, the materials of which they utilisation to fabricate their traditional cloths.
An indigenous Gbagyi Woman wearing traditional nighttime cloth inwards Jikoko (FCT), Nigeria. http://worldpulse.com/
Before the white people arrived inwards Gwariland, the Gwari have got their ain special wearing clothing weaved yesteryear them. Their woven wrapper cloth reverberate dark dark together with non also brilliant colors.
This functioning is i of the exciting aspects of the dance. It bears the message of the trip the calorie-free fantastic toe which has equally its topic “Unity Song” emphasizing the demand for unity amid the various ethnic groups of Kaduna State together with the beauty inwards peaceful co-existence.
This vocal functioning is led yesteryear a woman someone vocaliser who kickoff appears on stage followed yesteryear other women similarly dressed inwards the same colourful costume alongside beads together with ornamental jewelries of dissimilar shapes which adds flavour to the Bazobe vocal performance. As the songstress locomote on to homecoming the melodious tunes, she is joined yesteryear dancers from other ethnic groups inwards the State inwards their colourful attires responding to the rendition of the Pb singer. The trip the calorie-free fantastic toe gradually culminates inwards the Bajju trip the calorie-free fantastic toe belonging to the Bajju tribe of Southern Kaduna. At this stage the flooring is cleared of manful someone dancers equally the females locomote on to dance. As the beating of the instruments becomes to a greater extent than strident together with enchanting, the dancers gradually locomote out the stage i after the other leaving the Pb vocaliser to unopen the dance. The trip the calorie-free fantastic toe has locomote pop inwards places similar Brazil together with the Caribbean Area alongside much waist twisting together with wriggling that puts a spectator rooted to the spot. Watching a functioning of the Bazobe is the want of every tourist on an adventure of this solid ground of tourist wonder.
Gbagyi people, Minna,Nigeria
Body Decoration
This is an deed of torso beautification. Body ornamentation is a pop practise amid Gwaris together with the practise is silent existence sustained upwards till date. Body ornamentation tin select the cast of tattoo, piercing of surely parts of the torso similar nose, ear, abdomen etc. Traditionally, Gwari women do torso ornamentation to attract men.
Body ornamentation has aesthetic values.
Gwari women carrying clay pots , nigh , Bida , Nigeria , West Africa. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
It increases honor together with honour of the doer. Body ornamentation is essentially done for slowly identification. Before it could live done, consent of the doer needs to live obtained.
Gwari immature adult woman showing her facial tribal marks. Courtesy gordonanddustyhanson
In surely circumstances, the single Gwari ladies utilisation torso ornamentation to scare potential suitors yesteryear writing the call of their would live husbands on their hands. Gwari people believe that yesteryear writing the names of their proposed husbands inwards their hands is non only for ornamentation but also a from of oath or covenant to espouse the someone whose call was written inwards their hands. Another of import torso ornamentation amid Gwaris is facial mark. The thought of facial grade became prominent amid Gwari people during the minute world state of war for slowly identification.
Gwari adult woman carrying woods , nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Essentially, torso ornamentation together with dressing amid Gwaris do non have got spiritual attachment. The type of torso ornamentation a someone does is a thing of preference. Animate together with inanimate objects are designed equally torso decoration. Names of ones heroes, friends, relatives together with lovers could live written to decorate the body.
Body ornamentation could live done yesteryear self or yesteryear the specialists. The instruments for torso ornamentation are blade, niddle, together with lamb smoke. Due to advance inwards scientific discipline together with technology, the torso decorators at nowadays utilisation element of group VII to heal the decorated spots. The torso ornamentation healing physical care for takes ii to 3 days. The utilisation of "laali", a mutual herbal/medicinal leaves is becoming prevalence nowadays amid Gwari people equally stuff for torso decoration.
As a thing of fact, the parts of the torso that are exposed such equally hands, legs together with confront are usually decorated. There is dissimilar designs suitable for each part of the body. Body ornamentation is solely meant for mature women.
Gwari adult woman sifting flour , nigh Minna , Nigeria. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
Death
The natural decease is a decease non equally a outcome of an elbow grease to kill someone through either charm,witchcraft or whatever other source. Gbaishya is performed earlier the burial, during the decease ceremony or the functioning may occur at both occasions.Traditionally, Gbaishya is performed during the decease ceremony.The cultural practise is done to commemorate the deceased either human being or adult woman together with to celebrate a life good spent yesteryear the deceased.It also aim at tracking together with showcasing the activities of the deceased spell he/she was alive,through drama. Gbaishya is ever perform earlier the members of the community together with the immature adult woman in-law or grand immature adult woman plays the major role.However an interesting aspect of this traditional drama is that it is people oriented together with participatory.Every fellow member of the community is expected to participate actively during the performance,as natural equally they utilisation to communicate alongside the deceased during his/her life time.
The dramatic functioning is a prerequisite of serial of cultural activities,such as: Ritual together with Sacrifice,Music together with Dance together with serial of other forms of the Enactment,all associated alongside the decease ceremony.This cultural practise has survived to appointment together with is silent inwards practise inwards most of the Gbagyi communities specially inwards the rural areas.
Gwari adult woman beating calabashes together with singing , nigh Minna , Nigeria , West Africa. Courtesy photographersdirect.com
source
http://www.orijinculture.com/community/2013/marital-rites-people-nigeria/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gbagyi-People-Arts-and-Culture/420491328011652
Aisha Babaginda, immature adult woman of IBB, Gwari native from Minna
Gbagyi women together with children
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