Esan Traditional Marriage
It was all joy as Lauretta Okojie got hooked to Victor Ogala in a traditional marriage on the 8th September 2012. The couple are both Esans and we need not be told that it was done the Esan way. Esan is one of the three ethnic groups in Edo State occupying five local government areas. The name ‘Esan’ (originally, ‘E san fia’) owes its origin to Benin (meaning, ‘they have fled’ or ‘they jumped away’). ‘Ishan’ is an Anglicized form of ‘Esan’. The result of colonial Britain’s inability to properly pronounce the name of this ethnic group. In Africa; traditional marriage is the most important of all marriages as it is the only one of the three marriages that is indigenous to us. The Esan traditional marriage is very unique in its form, structure and rituals, yes ritual!
The introduction can be done separately or alongside the marriage on the same day. In the introduction, the bride puts on any native attire not necessarily the same with the groom. They are both called out separately and asked who their object of interest is. Then they are both advised and told the implication of the life-long union they are about to get engaged in as it is just for the two families to know one another.
The introduction is really not spectacular in itself. The traditional marriage is more elaborate. The bride comes out in her colourful attire. Her head is adorned with beads that cascade down her neck to her chest. The groom comes specially dressed in an attire which the bride is going to put on later on, in an entourage of family members and friends. Then the ritual begins.
First, the younger sisters or relatives of the brides will be covered up in wrappers to hide their faces and brought in for the groom to identify his wife. At each presentation of the shrouded ladies, the groom pays some money to the married women who do the presentations. The women are called Omadan in Esan but in Yoruba, Omidan. Finally, the real bride is brought forward and is recognized by the groom. After that, the kola is broken and the dowry is discussed usually about N5000 as the Esans believe in not selling their daughters.
From the N5000, the bride’s father gives N1000 to the bride’s mother and returns the rest to the groom to take care of the bride. Finally, the bride is symbolically placed on the groom’s laps ten times and on the tenth time, the groom grabs the bride and refuses to let go and thereby making the father let go of the bride. This last act is very symbolic as it means that the man has finally taken the girl from the father and she is now his wife. This marks the end of the marriage rites. Afterwards the newly married couple both goes out to the crowd waiting outside to present themselves. This is so because the living room where the rite is usually performed cannot occupy everyone that is attending the marriage. Finally, the bride changes to the same attire the husband puts on and the merriment begins.
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