Gbagyi Traditional Marriage In Nigeria

The Gwari or Gbagyi people are the Aboriginals of Abuja, the Federal capital territory of Nigeria. They are also referred to as Gbagyi or Gbari. They are one of the various minority ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Despite being one among numerous minority groups in the country, The Gwari had a substantial population numbering over 5.8 million, scattered across four states namely Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Kaduna and spread over 31 local government areas in Nigeria.

Marriage alludes to vital importance in the Gwari society. It confers a new stature, respect and identity on the persons from the community.

Source: MC SHAFURA TV

Besides the prestige that accompanies marriage, the individual becomes entitled to observe and participate in certain rites within the community.

Marital Rites Of The Gbagyi People Of Nigeria

Marriage among the Gbagyi people is an extended rigorous process that is divided into phases. In a typical Gbagyi culture, marriage is a thorough but exciting endeavour. Initiation into the marital life for a male Gbagyiza begins between the age of fifteen to eighteen.

Whilst the female Gbagyi child betrothment is earlier than their male counterparts. Betrothment of a female child, more often than not are considered at an early age, between eight and ten.

This is due to the expectation that the girl will be ripe for marriage by the time the dowry payment is completed and a marriage date fixed. A decision to scout for a wife is made once the boy comes of age.

The parents more often make such decisions on his behalf. However, certain investigations are carried out. The outcome of these investigations is the deciding factor as to whether to continue with the marriage process or not. Enquiries are made on the various premises which include: Is the family of the potential bride industrious?

Are they problematic? How respectful is the girl, and the family’s history with marriage? Is there any history of infertility or impotence in their family? And most essentially whether the bride-to-be had been secretly betrothed in the past.

After these questions might have been satisfactorily answered the groom is given a nod to initiate or continue with the process of courtship, as the case may be. If otherwise the boy is advised to look elsewhere.

The next stage is the marriage courtship. Gbagyi people attach uttermost importance and strictness to courtship such that it lasts for seven years. There are two approaches to courtship among the Gbagyi people.

The first method of courtship is totally in the interest of the groom’s parents. This is when the parents of a boy direct the boy’s attention towards a particular girl or accost the family of the said girl on his behalf.

This is usually the case when the parents of the groom desire their son to marry from a particular family, for personal or popular reasons. The second approach lets the groom seek a wife by himself. He discloses to his parents a girl of his choice when found. The next stage of courtship involves getting familiarized with the bride’s family.

The groom’s parents at this stage send a delegation to the bride’s parents. The bride’s parents’ respondent requests some time to consult with the girl. A date is fixed when the groom’s delegation returns with two sets of the plate.

These sets of plates are then accepted by the bride’s parents to signify acceptance of their proposition. The delegation is then referred to as a member of the bride’s family who is to serve as an intermediary known as migbiyi. The migbyi deals with everything from here.

Gbagyi Traditional Marriage List

The next phase in the courtship is the payment of dowry. The groom is hereby required to do some farm work for the bride’s parents for seven years, and provision of fifty bundles of guinea com.

” However, other demands included ten baskets of rice, about two or four hundred cowry shells,” which today has been substituted by money, but remains part of the requirement for any Gbagyi/Gbari marriage negotiation.

After the completion of the dowry payment, a date is picked for the marriage ceremony. As part of the marriage rites, special divinity is sought through a powerful masquerade that pries into the future of the marriage union (through azok “divination”).

The failure to observe this marriage ritual in any marriage ceremony is expected to result in a failed union and is bound to incur the wrath of the azakwoyi (god) in the form of barrenness and lack of harmony between the couples.

This marriage ritual is known as “Amula” (ancestral consultations). Although some Gbagyi/Gbari denied engaging in these marriage rituals, so many still partake in it inadvertently through the conversion of the needed item to dowry rites; it is perceived that money given is used to buy all the items required for the amula ritual.

A respondent stated: ” Some Gbagyi/Gbari reluctant or converts to other religious persuasions discreetly come at night to do what is expected (Amula marriage ritual) because to do it in broad daylight might amount to shame and an aberration of their presumed faith.

While in the case of others, their relatives pay me as ashigbeda (medicine man) to perform that ritual. But I must confess, others are hell-bent on performing the ritual and are likely to suffer the repercussions.”

Thereafter, the bride is let out to the groom’s family and friends. According to the tradition, meals are prepared with eleven chickens, of which ten go to the bride’s parent and the remaining one to the migbiyi. The bride is escorted to the groom’s house by five or more maids.

That day, at the groom’s house, celebrations ensue from sunset till dawn. The following morning, an aged woman will call out several names. When the bride hears her name, she rushes out of her hut as she is taken to the bathroom where some aged woman strips her half naked and examines her body features to determine her celibacy.

This is called the bridal bath. After this procession, again, the villager’s party till dawn. On the second morning, the maid’s accomplice fetches firewood for the bride from the bush.

Then they fetch water for all the elderly ones in the village. Afterwards, other marriage festivities, including singing and dancing, competitions, and wrestling among other celebratory activities continue for seven days.

On the seventh day, the accompanying maids withdraw to their village leaving just one behind who is called mula cheknu that helps out the bride with domestic chores. The merry crowd simultaneously disperse and the couple begins their marital journey.