(Reincarnation & Feeding of the Reincarnate) REAL NENWE TRADITION?
By Sai Nwénya.
Traditionally and generally speaking, Nenwe people believe in reincarnation. In our parlance, it is known as ịlọ ụwa and the process of ascertaining who is reincarnating is called ịkọ ụwa.
From the time a new baby is born in Nenwe, the iru ọmụgọ period (post natal period) starts. The ọmụgọ period lasts for seven native weeks (izu ésaa); after which a kind of divination is performed to know who has reincarnated the baby. Traditionally speaking, it is believed that the reincarnating person is just a dead member of the family who has come back to life. However, it is not all the members of a given family that are expected to reincarnate or come back to life hence Madụagwụ 2011 states: 'Nenwe people believe that some of their ancestors who lived good lives while on earth do reincarnate as children to some desired extended family members. IT IS IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT ONLY THOSE AMONG THE ANCESTORS ADJUDGED TO HAVE LIVED LIVES WORTHY OF EMULATION ARE BELIEVED TO BE CAPABLE OF REINCARNATING'
THE PROCESS:
After the child's ọmụgọ period, the father or his representative (usually the oldest man of the family, in case the father is dead or on a far journey) looks for fresh and unadulterated palm wine, the container of which must not have touched the ground (méé dụga chi shi kee ye or méé ọhụ eruhu alị) and with an egg of a native fowl. With these two items, he proceeds to a diviner or fortune teller (nwa-dibe). Both the man and the diviner will then go to his Égwụ deity shrine. The diviner cuts some ogirishi leaves, spreads them before the Égwụ shrine and puts the egg on the shrine’s stone (nkpume Égwụ) or on the ogirishi lives. He then makes some invocations through which he prays the reincarnate not to delay in appearing. (That is, to appear in the mind of the child's father who is charged with the duty of calling the expected incarnates in their family lineage).
The diviner brings out his ugbe méé (native wine cup) from his bag into which the wine is poured. The business starts. As the diviner pours the wine on the egg, the baby's father mentions names; he is then given the egg to press. If the person so called is the one reincarnating, then the egg breaks into pieces but if not the egg remains as strong as a stone no matter the amount of pressure exerted on it. This process continues until the incarnating person is mentioned. Some get blistered thumps in the process, where the reincarnating person fails to appear on time.
Having done with the above process, the baby's father or his representative goes home with the egg pieces. On reaching the compound, he would make a small hole on the compound, bury the egg pieces and carries the baby, lifts the baby up as if giving a gift to someone on high and hugs the baby calling him or her by the reincarnates name. If it is any of the baby’s grandparents, he would call him or her: Nnem or Nnam, (my mother or my father). He then throws the baby up in jubilation and kisses it, praying that this time, his/her coming back to the world will be better than the previous. He prays for the baby's long life, prosperity, active and multiplicity of procreation and every other good thing that comes to mind.
Note: In some cases the reincarnating person does not appear during the ịkọ ụwa process; due probably to the fact that the father does not remember to mention the reincarnating person. If it so happens, no worries, it is believed that the baby will grow up to 'unmask' himself/herself. According to Nenwe belief, such a person when grown, not to maturity would one day say to his father, 'I am your father, your mother, your sister' etc. At such instance, the father would as well welcome the reincarnation and appreciate the revelation.
This kind of revelation is also taken to be real because it takes place at an age when the child is still below the age of reasoning, at a time it would not be seen or taken that he/she wants to be called so so and so person.
In traditional Nenwe, everything about ịlọ ụwa and ịkọ ụwa stops here. The next is just the calling of the reincarnated by the name of the reincarnate. If there is anything bad he did in his previous coming which he/she continues to do this time around, he/she goes by the name Ọkparụ-arụ-ụwa lambọ but there is always no known sacrifice or ritual performed to revert such.
INYE ỌLỌỤWA NRI
In Nenwe traditional religion, there is no ritual or sacrifice like inye ọlọụwa nri. That is something done to host, appease or appreciate one's reincarnate by the reincarnated person. The only way to show appreciation and done by one's parents not even by the person reincarnated is simply to lavish love on the reincarnated hence the proverb: 'mụ ala-ekweehu la nna m bịarụ m ụwa mụ atụgboo ye la nri' (I won’t, because my father reincarnated my baby; feed him/her to death).
The current practice of our youths performing some rituals and believing that they are hosting their reincarnate is quite alien to our traditional religion. It is simply borrowed from mainly Anambra part of the Igbo nation. However, most religious practices even those of the Christendom are borrowed. As long as one feels satisfied with them and does not afflict others with such practices, that becomes a part of one's article of faith and I have no quarrels with that.
Reference: . MADUAGWU M.O. In a foreword to The Glossary of Nenwe Names by Silas Nwanya P.v
nkoronenwe@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment