On the 28th day (izu asaa) was the naming of the child. The extended family were invited. Members of the village were also invited.
This is the continuation of The Great Achiever #1.
The in-laws, that is, the family of the child’s mother, were invited; so were the father’s mother’s people and friends. Everyone was well entertained with food and drinks.
What happened was, first, the hair with which the child was born was shaved off. This hair was called abannya. The abannya was thrown into avbajioku which was a small round fence in the compound which had been made by a male who had taken a title.
The umbilical cord had previously dropped between the 4th and 6th days. The dropped off cord was taken to any land of the child’s father and put in the ‘ibana nkwu’; that is, between the palm branch and the trunk of a palm-tree where the palm branch started growing out. The palm-tree was usually a young one. The palm tree was henceforth called nkwu ana of that child and remained the child’s property all his life.
Secondly, the child was given a name. The mother was called to bring the child to the obu. The head of the family (the head of a family in Dioka was always the oldest male member of that family) received the child outside and took him in his arms round the obu once and brought him in.
The head of the family would find out from the father of the child his name. He called the child the name his or her parents wanted. He then blessed the child and gave the child a gift and handed the child back to his mother. The head of the family could also give a name of his own to the child.
The 4th Rule of Conduct in Dioka Land
On cutting teeth: The teeth on the lower jaw must come out first. If the teeth of the upper jaw first appeared, the child had done an unnatural act and it was given away or just done away with. This was the second law the child must not transgress.
The first law was that it must not come out of the womb with feet first. If that happened, the child was killed. As soon as the child cut its teeth; that is, as soon as a lower tooth appeared, a small ceremony was performed for it. Those who first witnessed the appearance of the tooth rejoiced with the child by giving the child gifts. This was the meaning of the saying ‘You don’t examine the child’s jaw to see if a tooth has appeared for nothing’. The child was now reckoned as a person and as a Dioka person.
The 5th Rule of Conduct in Dioka Land
Founding a family: When a Dioka man reached the age of taking a wife and founding his own family, the young man’s father showed him his own living land to found his compound. He walled it round and built himself a house. But before he moved into it, he must, first, marry a wife and plant an ogbu tree in front of the house. The tree would grow into a big tree, giving shade where future ceremonies would be performed in the compound.
On the passing of the Dioka man, the ogbu tree was cut down (during his funeral ceremonies), broken into pieces and thrown away.
The 6th Rule of Conduct in Dioka Land
Marriage: Marriage in Dioka was a contract between families. If a man and woman agreed to marry each other, both their families took the stage. Negotiations followed and the two families would agree on the bride price to be paid for the girl, and it was paid.
Then, the different stages of the marriage rites were followed, such as the girl going to inspect her future home, as well as the girl being shown to the husband’s village people , i.e. taking back the empty jar of palmwine. Lastly came the solemnization of the marriage. It was called “Igbankwu”.
After the ceremony, as the bridegroom and his family prepared to go, the head of the girl’s family (not her father) called the girl, and taking her hand in his, placed it into the hands of the oldest member of the bridegroom’s party (not the bridegroom’s hands), saying “Take our daughter; she is your wife.
Look after her well.” He then blessed the new couple. The oldest member from the bridegroom’s side responded and thanked the girl’s family. Then, they took the girl home, blowing their ivory trumpet all the way in joy.
The 7th Rule of Conduct in Dioka Land
Death of a Dioka man: The Dioka man had not passed when his corpse was first buried as Dioka people believed; he was said to have gone on a journey. He only “died” when his second funeral ceremonies were about to begin. Then, in the evening of the day before the ceremonies, a gunshot was released into the air in his compound.
This announced to the Dioka community that the Dioka man has officially passed and that the following day, the second burial ceremonies, called Ogbugba uta, would begin. The announcement was called Ndasu.
Dioka had strict rules for burying the passed ones. There were rules about how a corpse was prepared and put in the ground. A man who had not taken any title was buried with palm fronds. Three poles were tied together with “ekwele” obtained from the palm fronds, one pole to rest the body upon and two poles to support the sides.
According to Dioka beliefs, the first burial disposed of the physical body; the second burial sent off the spirit on its way home. Unless that second burial was done, the spirit of the deceased hovered, waiting in the human world and could become pernicious or harmful out of frustration.
That was why the second burial must be done to cut the dead man’s spirit’s links with the living, to set it free. This second burial was called okwukwa. During okwukwa, those things were done for the deceased which he had participated in (or enjoyed) doing when alive, such as games and dances.
Ahmad Nwabuzor is a Nigerian author and storyteller with a strong passion for writing and sharing meaningful stories. He is a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), where he studied English and Literary Studies.
He writes across different forms of storytelling, including cultural narratives, emotional fiction, and moral stories that teach life lessons. His storytelling style is rooted in African life and shaped by a deep interest in how traditions influence people’s choices and emotions.