Nupe people live near the confluence of the Niger, an ethnic group located primarily in the Middle Belt and northern Nigeria.
They speak the language of the Nupoid group in the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
The Nupe call themselves Nupeci and refer to their language as Nupe. They are the dominant group in Niger State, an important minority in Kwara State, and present in Kogi State. The Nupe (traditionally called the Nupawa by the Hausas and Tapa by the neighboring (Yoruba)
Source: Hajmari
Nupe Marriage Traditions
Until the advent of civilisation, Islam, and Christianity, which has somewhat eroded some cultural practices in the past, regardless of where one lived in Nupe land, marriages bore similarities from village to village.
Contracted between a man and a woman, marriage is regarded as a sacred institution. In the Nupe traditional setting, the couple is referred to as ‘Ebayawo’ and yawo, meaning husband and wife.
When a boy’s family seeks a girl’s hand in marriage, an elderly family friend, known as ‘Rinna,’ is sent to the girl’s family. The Rinna is said to be the intermediary between the two families, with paramount interest in the boy’s family.
At the inception, the Rinna goes to see the girl’s family on a Mission called ‘Egiwa,’ which means seeking a girl for marriage. He takes kolanut and some money with him as evidence.
The girl’s family collects the gift items, and a reply will come sooner or later. The money and kolanut are then distributed to the girl’s relatives, announcing that their daughter is now blessed with a suitor.
After due investigation, they announced that their daughter was now blessed with a suitor. After due investigation, the family will give their approval or disagree with the proposal.
The young man and his friends will go on a visit called ‘Emisa,’ meaning greetings to the girl’s family. And the negotiation of ‘Ewoyawo,’ bride price begins.
The Rinna ensures prompt payment and other charges required to be met. The Rinna meets with the boy’s family to decide the month and date to be fixed for the wedding.
Yawo Rufadan (bridal bath)
A marriage rite common to the Nupes on both sides of the Niger River is ‘Yawo rufadan’ (bridal bath). It is conducted early in the morning, between 4 am and 5 am, by two aged women in the bride’s family.
The intended bride is dressed in her full-length slip, is led to the bathroom, and is made to sit on a wooden stool. One of the women enters the bathroom, while the other stays by the door holding a lamp to illuminate the room as they perform the rite.
Significant items for the bridal bath are black soap mixed with camwood powder and half a bucket of water. According to tradition, the first thing done is to pray for long life, prosperity, and fruitfulness in childbearing for the intended bride before water is poured on her head.
This is done simultaneously three times, and at each time, women make some noise to announce the commencement of the rite.
After the bath, the bride will be handed a blouse, wrapper, and veil to cover herself. She is then taken to greet the people in the house, after which a small pot will be placed on her head, and she’ll be led outside.
She will then break the pot by throwing it forward. This signifies that she has broken ties with other spinsters and belongs to the women’s group.”
The bridal bath is significant, as no marriage takes place without it, and it can only be performed once in a woman’s lifetime. Furthermore, suppose a lady becomes widowed or is separated from her husband and is to remarry.
In that case, the bridal bath is not performed on her again, as it signifies the end of spinsterhood and the beginning of family life.
Before the advent of Islam and Christianity, the bridal bath was the only rite that signified a marriage solemnization in Nupe land,” she added.
Yawo wadzhun (bridal journey)
Another major wedding rite in Nupe land is ‘Yawo wadzhun’ (bridal journey). Back in the day, marriages in Nupe land were celebrated for seven days, and the Yawo wadzhun was conducted on the last day.
To perform this rite, the bride returns to her parent’s house on the seventh day of the marriage. It is done before ‘Yawo Zhunyeli’ (the bride that escapes shame), another important rite performed immediately by the bride before Yawo wadzhun.
During this rite, the bride’s face is covered with a veil, and she is made to stand in the middle while other women form a circle around her.
One of the women puts some money – usually the smallest denomination – in her palms, and the other women begin to move around her, singing different songs. They go around the circle seven times, and each circle has its song.
Marriage Procession
Similar to other African societies in the past, the bride is expected to be a virgin before marriage. The Nupe have a way of confirming this, which they do on the last days of the wedding when the couple is expected to have consummated the marriage.
A white cloth is usually spread on the bed before the consummation, and a blood stain signifies that the bride was a virgin.
The blood on the white cloth is a thing of joy to the bride’s family, especially her mother. This is called ‘Yawo zhunyeli,’ and the usual practice is for all the in-laws to present a gift to the bride as a sign of their appreciation of her virginity.
Significance of the Stool at a Nupe Traditional Marriage
The bride is told to sit on a stool during the wedding ceremony when called out. It is said that the essence of this tradition dates to the fact that the bride sits on it as an unmarried lady but rises as a wife.
The practice is done in an orderly procession, starting when the bride’s aunties lead her out into the middle of the compound, where she sits on a wooden stool and her face unveiled.
A handful of people form a circle with a small bowl of water at hand. They sing, pray, and chant. An aunt fetches water from the bowl with her cupped palm, pouring it unto the bride-to-be’s head, washing her into the state of marriage. When she emerges from this ritual, she will be married.
The Pot Breaking Ritual
This ritual is usually done at the tail end of a marriage procession. Traditionally, the bride’s best friend must do something crucial: step forward from the crowd and break a clay pot three times.
The clay pot is usually brought days before by the proposed husband’s aunties. Upon the breaking of the pot, the woman is deemed married. The rite ends.
