Tiv Traditional Marriage Rite In Nigeria

Tiv marriage rites is one of the richest among all tribes in Nigeria. Traditionally, it was a very multi-component rite including the kidnapping of a future wife, giving numerous gifts, and difficult ritual procedures.

Tiv people are usually found in Benue State, and some in states like Plateau, Nassarawa, and Taraba.

The procedure starts from courtship (Ishioor). Due to the sensitivity and importance of marriage arrangements in Tiv culture, a man does not just go out in search of a woman to marry.

According to Shagbaor Wegh, “ the man is often shown his future wife by a friend, or a member of his family, in most cases a sister.”

In Tivland, a good percentage of the men married their wives on the recommendation of friends, or members of their families.

In Tiv culture, one of the most important aspects of marriage transaction is that of marriage payment, which is made by the bridegroom or his family to the family of the bride.

In Tiv culture, “this payment does not mean chattel status for women as it has been misinterpreted by many groups. Among the Tiv this payment is best understood as bridewealth.”

Marriage payment in whatever form it takes in Tiv culture does not represent the woman as exchanged commodity. Bridewealth in Tiv culture is to show the woman dignity in her new home, the home of the bride.

According to Wegh, one of the renowned Tiv scholars, the next step after all the preparations is a wedding day. On this great day, males and females of the family of the bride are separated into two different rooms.

The groom with the company of his family members enters the room with the men of the bride’s family, and they discuss the amount of dowry payment.

Step three is the presentation of the bride price. After the payment of dowry, the list of gifts should be given to the bride’s father. This is a very important part of Tiv traditional marriage.

Here we have the usual example of marriage price list: Pig Local Gin Additional Alcoholic Drinks (which is expected in the form of money) Azenga (cowries) Matches Danchiki (an attire for the bride’s father) Gifts for mother: Bushmeat Umbrella Palm oil Wheelbarrow Salt.

After this payment the bride should be shown to all senior men of her family, they are considered as her fathers.

After that, they go together with the groom to the room with female members of the bride’s family.

Here the bride shows her groom to her mother and gets marriage advice from her and other women of the family. After all these, the bride’s family neighbors, and youth may also ask for money from the husband.

He’s expected to give out whatever he can. The bride’s family then proceeded to entertain their guest with traditional Swonge dancers and music after everything has been finalized.

This entire process is called Kwase Kuhwan. Apart from the kwase-Kemen there are different forms of marriage in To land.

YAMSHE marriage is another form of marriage in the Tiv land. This marriage involves the exchange of sisters.

This is an age-long form of marriage where two men used to exchange their sisters or families exchange their daughters as wives.

KWASE TSUEN is another traditional form of marriage among the Tiv.

The Kwase TSuen is a marriage by capture where a man would forcefully snatch a girl or the family will do so for their son. It is still practiced in some remote parts of TIV land.