The graphic above ⇑⇑⇑⇑ expands when you click on it - into a new window, so that you may read off the caption on the scanned page.
♛ Igba-Ichi | Igba-nki | Ichi-ọzọ | Ndị-Nze kwanụ ? | North-South divide ?
But chiefly - Titled women - seriously ?
♚
Yes ... in Igbo land - women were married, treated with respect ... converted from 'nwa mgbọtọ - ' (southern word | sense ) to 'nw'unye' (universal) - given wrappers and clothes by their husbands to cover the bosom - yuchie jigida ha gba n'ukwu. And were they titled ? As this photo shows ... they most certainly were ...
The book from which I gave you this scanned picture was published in 1971 and therefore the picture could not have been made/taken after that year. Wouldn't it have been nice if we could zoom in and call the names of our elders (Ndịichie) out ? Well ...
Before now - you wouldn't have been able to find a photo like this online via Google - so do keep your old books and convert them to new media so that our people learn. Learn.
The Ọzọ systems were used mainly by Nothern Igbos (new nomenclature - we do want that homeland, people: see map included ... ) and their Nze senses were implied. 'Nze' was also familiar to southern Igbos no matter what you read. A system about which not a lot has been said - is the 'Duru' system of titles which southern Igbo(s) (ndị Igbo as a good friend taught me) had and used.
Much has been written about how certain Igbo men treated their women upon the death of their husbands and the burial and ritual rights - and the 'mkpe' period ... This is properly speaking a system initiated by our 'clan-women' or other societies of our women folk themselves and was generally enforced by them, but I suppose by not speaking up and stopping the more de-speakable aspects of the practice, men are also guilty by association and have become complicit. The mkpe practise in its more severe aspects is much ameliorated today. Certain women still do want to under-go the rights | rites and do not want to fall foul of tradition; but sons, brothers, fathers have refused to have their daughters, sisters and mothers treated poorly during the traditional mourning period.
Still society was never nearly as paternalistic as certain 'outposts' might lead you to believe.
You can see from the four points of your imaginary compass what the senses are if you imagine
that there is a 'navel' at Umuahia. North. South. East. West. Udo !
To zoom in using your browser:
Use CTRL + PLUS, thus: CTRL plus +++++++ ,
use CTRL plus - - - for zooming out.
To read about Ọzọ title taking : Visit
We thank Dr. Moe Ene of Kwenu.com, other protocols, for his permission
(so kind) to link to his article.
Wikipedia also features a link about Ọzọ na Nze societies. See.
Contributed to the Project: by Kelechi Isiodu.for iFaT at ifont@groups.facebook.com
e-Mail: ifont.groups.facebook@gmail.com
© ifont 2011, as it appears here
