Photos: Abiriiba And Ogori Virginity Dance (Viewers Discretion Is Advised)

Abiriba Maidens Stepping out 

Yours sincerely posted a picture of Swaziland Virgins performing   Reed Dance on my  Facebook Wall last night.the post  generated a lot of interest and curiosity,  in the argument that ensued especially the need of celebrating  a   culture  where women dance with their boob open in this age and modern civilization , a friend alerted me that such culture designed to celebrate purity  is not peculiar  to people of Swazi Land. 

Right here in Nigeria, People of Ogori In Kogi State And Abiriba in Abia state has such culture that encourage there  virgins to dance unclad with  tiny piece of wrapper covering their womanhood, celebrating purity and Chasity and encouraging women to travel  the road less traveled. 

In the process of  dancing, these maiden  send a signal to potential suitors that they are ripe for  mating and ready for  marriage

 I went to work to know more about the unique celebration and this is what I  found 

Abiriba Obina Dance 

Abiriba is a community in South Eastern State in Nigeria . It is an autonomous community with an urban status. Autonomy here implies that it is not under the traditional rulership of any monarch but on its own. It is one of the three communities that make up Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State. It is a community known for her rich display of cultures,customs and traditions among which is the celebration of EKEMBU/IRI NDI known as new yam festival, which is done on every ninth month of the year (September).

Obina Dance Highlight of Abiriba Iri Ndi (new yam) festival is the annual dance of the maidens from Amanta in Ameke community of Abiriba Kingdom,called Nmaku Eziali maidens.This maidens who are also believed to be Virgins,pure and undefined by any man performs this sacred dance and any maiden who is not a virgin from this clan dare not participate in the dance Athough I cannot categorically tell you the repercussion if such happens.

This is the time that the young girls who are now ripe enough for marriage show off their beautiful figures and dancing prowess to young men from Amanta and other prospective husbands from other communities making up the Abiriba Kingdom. There is usually great excitement heralding this dance especially to the young men who sees it as an opportunity to get their brides,as some of them will tie palm fronds on the legs of their desired brides,which is called # Igbai Omu# in the traditional Abiriba language,signifying that the maiden had been taken and other suitors should steer clear and the young man (men) will now take up the marriage proceedings from there.

                               

 Civilisation and the embrace of Christianity has changed so many aspects of this dance as in the olden days,the maidens used to dance stark naked showing off their erect and pointed breasts ! Supriseeeeeeed? Though you can still see some of the maidens showing off their breasts while their womanhood is perfectly covered.

                                                       Ogori Virginity Dance 

Ogori Virginity Dance



The fear of being ostracised from relevant age groups and the prospect of public embarrassment and shame to one’s parents appear to be the beginning of wisdom for young girls in Ogoriland as they grow from infancy and prepare for a place of honour in the compulsory puberty rites otherwise known as Ovia Osese – a yearly festival celebrated by Ogori people.

Ovia Osese is a significant cultural aspect of Ogori, which is one of the notable towns in the Central Senatorial District of Kogi State. In fact, the festival has brought the relatively obscure town into limelight.
Other festivals celebrated annually by the Ogori people include the Igila Ofifi, Ekonmorire, Ema, Ukpe, Edadibi, Idu, and Oke among others. Igila Ofifi is an age-long traditional festival. Its observance involves free use of canes on opponents. Ekonmorire is an annual traditional festival that marks the transition stage of males into adulthood; it is the male version of the Ovia Osese, but allows for less stringent measures against defaulting initiates in home management and health care. These festivals have made parents more responsible by consciously bringing up maidens to meet societal expectations.

Ovia Osese is a period when mothers show off and display their chaste maidens. Parents at this time are proud of their children because they have not brought shame to the family and nobody is pointing accusing fingers at them for not being able to groom the maidens in accordance with the customs and traditions of the people.

The most prominent of the festivals is the Ovia Osese which is for maidens. It involves girls who have attained marriageable age. According to Dr. Krapf Askari, this festival began basically as a family affair but later spread and was adopted by the Ogori people. He said a woman was forced to consult an oracle, Ivia Isiya, as rumour spread that her daughter was wayward. The oracle, however, debunked the allegation against the girl by confirming her virginity. This revelation, it was said, gladdened the heart of the mother and she arranged a grand festival to mark her daughter’s proven chastity.

Ovia Osese festival is the making of the bride; it is a puberty rite to initiate young girls of marriageable age – between the ages of 15 and 19 into womanhood. The festival is designed to herald their arrival into the state of procreation.

Credit: graciousgracegardens.wordpress.com And News watch Newspaper