Marriage

There are various forms of marriage which are in vogue in the Ijaw country, they are :

• Bere Or Big Dowry System:  This is the most valuable system of marriage recognized in the country.  It is the system by big dowry or otherwise known as the legitimate system of marriage.  The dowry payable is usually from ₤50 to ₤60 according to the quality of the party in this case the father has the entire ownership of all the issues or children.  The mother has no voice over them at all.
• Opuikia Or Small Dowry System:  This is known as the illegitimate system of marriage recognized in the country.  The dowry payable is from ₤10 to ₤15 according to the quality of the party.  In this case the father has no claim to any of the children.  They all belong to the mother.
• Kalaikia Or Concubinage System:  In this system the husband would only claim the sons and the wife would claim the daughters.  The dowry payable in usually from ₤13 to ₤15 according to the position of the party.  In each case of the above if the woman wants to leave the husband she is bound to refund every penny of the dowry.  There in another form of marriage is recognized on this wise-a father who find, himself to be in great need will approach another person to render him assistance in lieu of him daughter who will be given him in marriage.  In this case if they get any issue the father can cliam only the eldest son and must leave the rest to the mother.
• Eredie Or The Echange System:  In this case girls are given in exchange for marriage, and both of them are regarded as women married by big dowry, and all issues are regarded in that way.
• Pai Or Pawn System:  In this case a girl maybe pawned to someone and if they get any children during this period, the husband has the power to claim all the children in accordance with country customs and he will be the owner of them all, even if the woman should be redeemed by her people.  In this form of marriage there are conditions laid down for the benefit of the woman to go away free, and the money that has been paid on her head will not be refunded.

Barren Husband

Just after marriage, and if the man does not get any child with his wife till 3 to 5 years, the woman is at liberty to go away free from the husband.  But if at all the husband marries another woman and he is fortunate to get any child, he will then claim all what he spent on the first woman and all should be paid to him.  She is unfortunate in this case.

 Death & Burial

The form of burial of the dead varies slightly in the clans there are five ways of burying the dead and they are buried according to the nature of the deceased.

• A leper, a wizard or a witch, a man who chief of small pox, and a man who committed suicide will not be buried but should be thrown into a river.
• A man who died of sores, a man who died without an issue and a man who died of dropsy should not be buried in coffins.
• A man who died in war should be buried by woman.  It is believed that those who bury the dead will suffer the same king of death, and as women do not go to war they under take the burial of such people.  If a woman dies under pregnancy, she will be put in broken canoe and will be taken out to the main steam by old women and the canoe will be made to capsize and then the body will keep on drifting on the river.
• Those who receive the most notable burial in the Ijaw country are the Juju priests and those who dared to kill people of non-Ijaw blood in war or in secret under cold blood.  These people actually received extra ordinary burial in the country.  Some of these custom now belong to the past.

Mourners

The form of mourning differs greatly in the clans. No definite system is land down.  However the following points are observed in some of the clans.  At the death of the husband, the wife will remove all the ornaments on her body such as beads, rings, etc. her hair will be loosed if it was plaited before the death of the husband.  She is not allowed to sit on a chair but should always sit on the floor.  She will not sleep on good mats but always on tattered ones.  On the third day her head will be slaved.  She will be confined to the house.  If she walks out during the day time her face must be covered with a veil.

A woman married under big dowry will use her left hand in eating during the three consecutive days, but those who are not married under small dowry use their right hands as usual while eating.  No definite period is set down for mourning the dead.  In some cases it depends on the love the wife has for the husband.  The form of mourning for the juju priests in the Ijaw clans is very terrible and no real account could be given about it.

Native Customs

The following customs are always observed in the Ijaw country and vary greatly in their usuage :

• Salutation: Salutations vary according to the bonus of the day and the places of abode.  In meeting a person in the morning one says “ Iseritou wa a” meaning “Have you waked up” and the party will answer “E – E”.  If a person journeys to another compound he will be saluted in this way “Bo-o bo maa” meaning “Do you come and the party will answer “E – E.” the form of salutation used by those who are living on the River nun is “Nun” singular and “Onoa” plural and the answer for both cases is “Eya-a”.  But the towns on the Niger instead of saying “Non” say “Do-o” singular and “Ado-o” plural and the answer for both cases in “Iya-a” or “E – E”.  apart from these ways there is one interesting and honourable may of passing salutations between seniors and juniors.  A young man in meeting an elderly man will always bow or kneel down and will say “U koitou wo” or “Ukoinimiyo” and the answer will be “Seri” or  “Serite” meaning “Get up”
• Wrestling: The Ijaws are the best wrestlers in Nigeria, they have their wrestling period from May to October every year and it is an interesting physical exercise among the Ijaws.
• Slaves : In the Ijaw country a slave is disallowed to marry a free born woman.  But the free born man has the right to marry a slave or the girls born by slaves.  The slaves at death are buried in separate cemeteries and always have a very poor burial.  A slave who does not have money to marry a woman by big dowry must remain a bachelor all his life. It is a difficult problem to solve amongst the Ijaws as to whether responsible posts should be given to slave, it is character that matters aster all in this respect.  History and personal experience could prove that some of the prominent leaders who did their best in delivering and saving their clans and country were once ranked as slavers.  Many of them because of their ability and character are still adored and honoured as heroes of the country for this reason the sister countries in the Delta area used to give every privilege and facility to slaves.  Slaves are regarded as legal or legitimate property in the Ijaw country and have no power of their own.  Almost in every case it can be proved that the slaves are not responsible for their being slaves, for they are real sons and daughters of very noble people of other countries, who here kidnapped in their infancy and sold as slaves.
• Pawning: There are various ways of pledging things in the Ijaw country -:
  • Lands - Lands in certain parts of the country especially in the upper Ijaw are all common lands.  Therefore, it is not possible for one person alone to pledge a piece of land to another person unless it is unanimously agreed by the whole community.  But in some parts, lands are owned by individuals, and in this case the owners have got the right to pledge them to anyone at their discretion.  But if the man has not tilled the land and the owner wants to redeem it he will not b allowed to till before receiving the amount.  And where it is already cultivated he must be allowed to finish reaping his crops and should not only be allowed again to plant new crops.
  • Property - If a property is panned to anyone, and if even it is broken or tattered, so long as part of if could be produced, the party must refund the amoung in full or it could be claimed as a debt after wards.
  • Coco-nuts - If a coco-nut palm is pledged to anyone, and if the owner wanted to redeem it, the person should be allowed to procure all the fish in the pond of that year before receiving the amount from the party.