EBOHN

𝗘𝗕𝗢𝗛𝗡

The way of life of a people, as we all know is termed "Culture". This term varies and it extends to many ways cum rites of the way things are done, by a certain person/people. 

Marital processions of the people of Idomi and Yakurr in general varies in ways that, there are so many rites that are performed in the process of getting espoused or married. 

One of the different rites of getting traditionally certified as a married man or woman is called "EBOHN". Ebohn, a term that is used to denote the marital process of a man or woman being decorated with so many paintings, including yellow ochre (aezaenghae), traditional white chalk (Æzom), powder (White one, to be specific) and a whole lot of other items, used for this rite. 

First, as stated earlier, EBOHN is one of the processional rites of getting married or showing the world that you have reached the nooks and crannies of both your family and that of your soon-to-be life partner. After meeting all the demands cum prerequisites of getting married, it'll then be organized by the couple's age grade. 

More so, in our locality, Ebohn can be said to be one amidst many traditional rites of certifying a person who is getting married. It may be a man or a woman; and this rite is usually conducted by the age group of the soon-to-be husband or wife. 

Suffice to say that, during the procedural stages of EBOHN, twelve coconuts are usually used for the rituals and one coconut amidst others, will be placed at the center of the occasion, and thereafter, the celebrant, be it the man or the woman, will call on four persons to add to himself ot herself, totalling five people. The four people he or she will call out will either be his/her best friends or closest allies.

More so, the prospective bride is usually made to tie a piece of wrapper on her chest, down to her legs while the groom is either made to wear trousers and singlets or just trousers and nothing at the top; meanwhile, as the procession is ongoing, the celebrants will be well decorated with powder, from their head, down to their legs.

After these people might have been called out, they'll be given a cutlass, with which they'll be asked to give a mark on the coconut by machetting the coconut once. After each of the four persons may have left a mark on the coconut, the last person will eventually cut the coconut into two parts and then, it will be used to carry out a very sacred ritual. 

After the cutting of the coconut by those four persons, including the celebrant, it will be shared among them, with the intention of eating it as one. Also, while they're eating it, they'll make a promise that neither of them will ever think evil, speak evil or plan evil, against any of the celebrant. So, the eating together of the coconut serves as a covenant between the persons involved. 

Thereafter, there will be ululations and joyous songs, and the usual soundtrack of EBOHN goes as follows;

Ebohn Sam O (One person)

Ohoho (Everyone responds)

Ebohn Sam O (the person calls again)

Ohoho (Everyone responds again)

Ebohn Baado Yikpó (the persons calls for ululation)

Oho-aeeee! (Everyone responds with ululation)

As the singing and dancing is ongoing, the celebration begins and everyone in the arena is filled with joy, ecstacy and laughter. Also, it is noteworthy that the remaining number of will be peeled and shared amongst everyone that is present at the occasion; then one of the coconuts will be shared into two parts where one part will be given to the male Obonka and the other, given to the female Obonka, who are both the leaders of the age grade. 

The importance of carrying out the EBOHN rituals is to be traditionally certified as one who has gotten married and as such, both the partners are henceforth mandated to touch or hold the high-tables of the age grade, which an unmarried person in the age grade can not, until they're married. 

Posted a video of this subject matter and was compelled to draft this article, narrating the importance of EBOHN and what EBOHN is all about, for the benefit of those who have little or no knowledge of what EBOHN is. My name is Pearl Ernest and I'm trying to educate you, the reader, of one of the prerequisites of getting married in my hometown, Idomi and Yakurr in general. 🌺

© 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹 𝗘𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗨𝗴𝗼𝗯𝗼 [𝗢𝗳𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝗲 𝗬𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗶]