Earlier on, we examined the naming ceremony of the Edo’s of Benin kingdom. Today, we’d take a look at the naming ceremony process in Igbo land.

Among the Igbo’s the ceremony of naming a child is one event that comes up almost immediately after the birth of a child. The naming ceremony of a child is often referred to as ikuputanwa or igu nwa aha, and it marks the formal presentation of the child to his people who comprise of his kinsmen, family, friends, well-wishers and the entire community at large.

The Naming Ceremony Proper In Igbo Land

The event is done to fulfill the social-religious obligations that are believed to become activated when a child is born, as well as to thank God for the safe delivery of the child and to ask him to guide the child as he embarks on a journey through the earth. The naming ceremony process in Igbo land occurs on either the 7th or 12th day after a child is born depending on the locality. It is pertinent to note that the Igbo calendar is quite different from the Standard English calendar. A week in Igbo land is made up of four days; eke, oye, afor and nwko. This implies that a child is named after 2 to 3 igbo weeks.

For this post, we’ll look at the process in communities that do the ceremony on the 12th day.

In some parts of Igbo land, there’s a myth which many people believe in. That myth is that until a child is named, he/she belongs to two kingdoms; the kingdom of humans and that of unborn children. There’s also another myth which states that every child has an option of staying in the world or going back to where he or she came from within the 12 day period. In the past, during this period, the male members of the family would consult diviners and fortunetellers to determine the abilities of the child. Some Igbo communities are of the opinion that the 12 day period is a resting period for the mother of the child who recuperates after the 9 month long journey to childbirth. She also prepares for the naming ceremony within that period.

On the day of the occasion, friends, family, well-wishers, neighbor etc. all gather at the family’s compound. They are welcomed by the family. As the ceremony begins, the child to be named is brought out by the paternal grandmother who hands him/her to the father. In some communities, the father carries the child with one hand and carries palm wine on the other. He pours libations on the ground, and as he prays for and blesses the child, the people present respond with shouts of “isee”, a response similar to that of the Edo’s during their naming ceremony.

How awesome!

The father announces the name of the child when the time is right. In some parts of Igbo land e.g. Ihiala, the eldest male member of the father’s family names the child. However, others can still name the child. In the olden days, people were named with respect to the day that of the week that they were born. E.g. Nweke, Nwoye, Mgboye.

For instance, Nweke (nwa + eke) shows the child was born on an Eke market day.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is but a slight difference in the procedures. Again, there are differences in the number of days before the naming ceremony depending on the clan.

Igbo Kwenu!!!

The post The Naming Ceremony Process in Igbo Land appeared first on Couture Crib.

Mind you, it doesn’t mean owe (to be indebted to someone). We’ve got more than enough Yoruba proverbs for you and some of them will crack your ribs.

So are you ready? Let’s go learn some new proverbs, shall we? Don’t forget to check out our catalog of Igbo language proverbs and African proverbs.

Get This Yoruba Proverbs Handbook On Amazon

• Ìwà rere lẹ̀ṣọ́ ènìyàn. Good character is man’s adornment.
• Bí a bá dé ìlú táà léèyàn, ìwà rere làá ní. If one is a complete stranger in a town, one ought to simply be of good character.
• Eré tí ajá bá fi ogún ọdún sá, ìrin fàájì ni fún ẹṣin. A race that takes dogs 20 years, is a leisurely walk to horses.
• Ohun tí ajá rí tó ńgbó, kò tó èyí tí ágùntàn fi ńṣe ìran wò. What makes dogs bark, is nothing to what sheep ignore.
• Gbogbo ọ̀rọ̀ ló lésì, ṣùgbọ́n kìí ṣe gbogbo ọ̀rọ̀ làá fèsì sí. There’s a response to every statement, but not all statements merit a response.
• Kì í ṣe gbogbo ajá tó bá gbó’ni lọ́jà, la ńdá lóhùn. It’s not all dogs that bark at one at the marketplace that one needs to attend to.
• Aṣọ ńlá kọ́ lèyàn ńlá. Clothes do not make a man.
• Gbogbo ohun tó ńdán kọ́ ni wúrà. Not all that glitters is gold.
• Ọ̀pọ̀ ló fẹ́ lápa láì lápá, béèyàn ò sì lápá, kò leè lápa. Many want to make a mark without effort, yet without effort, no marks can be made.
• Tí agbada ò bá gbóná, àgbàdo ò lè ta. If the frying pan is not heated up, the corns cannot pop.
• Ewé kan kì í bọ́ lára igi, kí Ọlọ́run Ọba má mọ̀. A leaf won’t drop off a tree without God’s foreknowledge.
• Òní la rí, kò sí ẹni tó mọ̀la. We are only certain of today; no one knows tomorrow.
• Nínú ìkòkò dúdú, ni ẹ̀kọ funfun ti ńjáde. Out of the black pot nonetheless, comes the white pap.
• Ó lóhun tí àgùntàn rí, kó tó dákẹ́ jẹ́jẹ́. The sheep has its reasons for being noticeably quiet.
• Ti imú yé imú tí imú fi ńfọn. The nose has its reasons for being noisy.
• A kì í yangan bàtà lójú ẹni tí kò lẹ́sẹ̀. Don’t brag about shoes around someone who has no legs.
• A kì í tojú oníka mẹ́ẹ̀sán kàá. Don’t count the toes of someone with nine toes in his presence.
• Ọ̀kàndínlógún tó lóun ò bá oókan ṣe, à ti di ogun rẹ̀ á nira. To become 20 would be hard for a 19 that refused to be associated with 1.
• Ọwọ́ ọmọdé ò tó pẹpẹ; ti àgbàlagbà kò wọ akèrègbè. A child’s hand can’t reach a (high) shelf; an elder’s hand won’t enter a gourd.
• Bó pẹ́ bó yá, akólòlò á pe ‘baba’. It may take longer, but a stammerer would eventually pronounce ‘father’.
• Kékeré ológbò nií jẹ kísà níyà; tó bá dàgbà tán a máa pa èkúté. Only as a kitten is a cat in deprivation; it’s able to kill rats once grown.
• Ká dúpẹ́ lọ́wọ́ ẹni tó mọ́ni lójú; ọ̀pọ̀ ni ò wo’bi téèyàn wà. We should thank whoever looked at us with disdain; many didn’t bother to look.
• Ohun tí èyàn ò bá ní í rà, kì í yọ owó rẹ̀. One shouldn’t be haggling the price of what one won’t buy.
• Nǹkan tí èyàn ò ní í jẹ, kì í fi run imú. No one sniffs, what he or she won’t eat.
• Kòkòrò tó ńjó lẹ́ẹ̀bá ọ̀nà, onílù rẹ̀ ńbẹ nínú igbó.The insect dancing by the bush path has its drummer right in the bush.
• Ìròmi tó ńjó lójú omi, onílù rẹ̀ wà nìsàlẹ̀ odò. The waterbug dancing on the surface of the stream has its drummer below the surface.
• Èló ni wọ́n ńmú orúnkún wúńdíá tí adélébọ̀ ńrin àrìnwọ́ọ̀dí? What does it take to woo a spinster that a married lady now walks seductively?
• Mélòó ni èèrà tó wípé aràn ńyọ òun l’ẹ́nu? How big is the ant that claimed that it’s being ailed by worms?
• Àwòdì òkè kò mọ pé ará ilẹ ńwo òun. The hawk hovering above is unaware that the people on the ground are watching it.
• A kò gbọdọ̀ tìtorí kòkòrò kó síni lójú, kí a wá ki igi bọ ojú ọ̀hún. No one pokes a stick into his eye simply because an insect entered it.
• Ẹni bá pẹ́ nígbó á rí ìríkúùrí. Whoever tarries long in the forest, would have strange experiences.
• Ayé kì í fọn fèrè, tó fi ńkọjá lára ẹni. The world seldom blows the bugle before leaving one behind.
• Ọlọ́run tó ńse ọbẹ̀, kò kúrò ní ìdí ààrò. God who is cooking the soup, has not left the kitchen.
• Ẹni táa fẹ́ rí, la fẹ́ rí, kò sọ́jọ́ táa jí táà réèyàn. Our hearts pine for those we want, though there are people around each waking day.
• Ẹni tí a kò bá fẹ́ nilé rẹ̀ ńjìnnà. Only those we are not keen on visiting live afar off.
• Aláṣejù ajá ni í lépa ẹkùn. Only an intemperate dog stalks the leopard.
• Àìnísùúrù ìnàkí ló sọọ́ di ará inú igbó. Gorilla’s impatience is what made it an inhabitant of the forest.
• Àìmọṣẹ́ kọ̀, ló mú kí orógùn ki orí bomi gbígbóná. Not knowing how to decline a task, is how the wooden stirrer gets dipped into hot water.
• Afọgbọ́nọlọ́gbọ́n ṣọgbọ́n kì í ṣìṣe. Those who learn from and adopt the wisdom of others seldom stumble.
• A kì í dàgbà fún ohun tí a kò bá mọ̀. One is never too old to learn what one does not know.
• A kì í dúpẹ́ lọ́wọ́ aláṣetì; aláṣeyọrí là ńkí. Appreciation is not given to whoever abandons a task, but to the one who completes it.
• Ìbẹ̀rẹ̀ kọ́ l’onísẹ́, à fi ẹni tó bá fi orí tì í d’ópin. To start anything is not as crucial as seeing it through to completion.
• Òkèlè gbígbẹ pẹ́lù ìrọ̀rùn sàn ju wàrà tó kún fún ìyọnu lọ. Dry morsel with peace is better than milk that is full of stress.
• Ìfẹ́ fọ́jú; obìnrin táa bá fẹ́ràn kì í ní àlébù. Love is blind; a woman one really loves seldom has faults.
• Láníntán kan kò ní ni ìwo ẹṣin. No one can be so wealthy as to own the horn of a horse.
• Ohun tí a bá bò, ló ńníyì. Whatever is covered up (or not easily accessible) is what is respected/honored.
• Oníbàtà ló ńfojú di ẹ̀gún; ẹni táa bá fẹ́ ló ńfojú dini. A man with shoes despises thorns; those we love often do take us for granted.
• Pẹ́pẹ́yẹ ńlérí lásán ni, kò ní kọ. The duck is simply pretentious, it won’t crow.
• Mímì lẹpọ̀n àgbò ńmì, kò lè já. The ram’s testicles are merely dangling, they cannot fall off.
• Ẹyìn tí yóò di epo, yóò tọ́ iná wò. A palm nut that wants to become palm oil would have a taste of fire.
• Ọlọ́run tó dá ẹnu, ti dá ohun tí kálukú máa fi síi. God who created the mouth had also created what we’d all be feeding it with.
• Ajá ìsìnyì, ló mọ ehoro ìsìnyì ńlé. Only the modern day dogs can chase the modern-day rabbits.
• Orí bíbẹ́, kọ́ ni oògùn orí fífọ́. Decapitation is not the antidote for a headache.
• Bí èyàn yóò bá wọlé kan, yóò kọ ẹ̀hin si òmíràn. To enter one house, one invariably has to turn one’s back on another.
• Pẹ̀lẹ́pẹ̀lẹ́ là ńpa àmúkùrù ẹpón. It is with gentleness that one kills the black ant lodged around one’s scrotum.
• Onísùúrù ló ńfún wàrà kìnìún. Only a patient person can get to milk a lioness.
• Bí inú ṣe lè bí àjànàkú, ló ṣe lè bí èèrà. If the elephant can be angry, so can the ant.
• Bí a kò bá rí ẹni bá là, ọ̀là kì í yá. If we lack good network, the efforts to build wealth can be stifled.
• Òkun kì í hó ruru, kí á wàá ruru. Do not paddle wildly in a stormy sea.
• Ẹni gbé ọkàn lé Olúwa kò ní jogún òfo. Whoever places his hope on God won’t hope in vain.
• Bí ọkọ̀ kan ó re Ejínrín, ẹgbẹgbẹ̀rún ẹ̀ á lọ. If one bus won’t go to Ejinrin town, thousands of others will go.
• A kì í mọ iyì wúrà tí kò bá sọnù. A piece of gold is seldom appreciated until it gets lost.
• Àìríni bárìn, a máa múni pe ajá láàwé. The absence of anyone to associate with, could make one call a dog a friend.
• A kì í yàgò fún ẹlẹ́ṣin àná. No one gives way (or defer) to someone who used to own a horse.
• Àpa àímú délé ni kò jẹ́ kí a mọ̀ pé ológbò ńse ọdẹ. Its penchant for not bringing home its games, is why the cat is not known for hunting.
• A kò lè tìtorí pé a fẹ́ jẹran kí a wá máa pe màlúù ní bọ̀ọ̀dá. No one defers to calling a cow a brother because one desires to eat beef.
• Ẹní bá rọra pa èèrà, á rí ìfun inú rẹ̀. Whoever would patiently dismember an ant would see its intestines.

I could go on and on… but hold on, I will continue, till you learn all the Yoruba proverbs and their meanings.

The post Yoruba Proverbs And Their Meanings 2018 appeared first on Couture Crib.

Gradually, we will update the meanings as we did on our post on Igbo proverbs.

African Proverbs Collection…

1. A bad cook also has his/her share of the bad food.
2. A beautiful one hurts the heart.
3. A beautiful thing is never perfect.
4. A bird that flies off the earth and lands on an anthill is still on the ground.
5. A chicken with beautiful plumage does not sit in a corner.
6. A child can play with its mother’s breasts, but not its father’s testicles.
7. A child is a child of everyone.
8. A close friend can become a close enemy.
9. A doctor who invoked a storm on his people cannot prevent his house from destruction.
10. A dog knows the places he is thrown food.
11. A family is like a forest, when you are outside it is dense, when you are inside you see that each tree has its place.
12. A family tie is like a tree, it can bend but it cannot break.
13. A fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow.
14. A flea can trouble a lion more than a lion can trouble a flea.
15. A friend is someone you share the path with.
16. A happy man marries the girl he loves, but a happier man loves the girl he marries.
17. A healthy person who begs for food is an insult to a generous farmer.
18. A housewife who complains that there is not enough foodstuff in the market should remember that if her husband adds to what is already available, there would be more for everyone.
19. A large chair does not make a king.
20. A leader who does not take advice is not a leader.
21. A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning.
22. A man’s wealth may be superior to him.
23. A patient man will eat ripe fruit.
24. A patient person never misses a thing.
25. A patient that can swallow food makes the nurse doubtful.
26. A pretty basket does not prevent worries.
27. A pretty face and fine clothes do not make character.
28. A real family eats the same cornmeal.
29. A short man is not a boy.
30. A single bracelet does not jingle.
31. A single stick may smoke, but it will not burn.
32. A small house will hold a hundred friends.
33. A spider’s cobweb isn’t only its sleeping spring but also its food trap.
34. A united family eats from the same plate.
35. A wise person will always find a way.
36. A woman who pursues a man for sex loses her spiritual beauty.
37. A woman’s polite devotion is her greatest beauty.
38. Advice is a stranger; if he’s welcome he stays for the night; if not, he leaves the same day.
39. Advice is a stranger; if he’s welcome he stays for the night; if not, he leaves the same day.
40. Always being in a hurry does not prevent death, neither does going slowly prevent living.
41. An abundance of food at your neighbor’s will not satisfy your hunger.
42. An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.
43. An intelligent enemy is better than a stupid friend.
44. An old lady feels uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb
45. An orphaned calf licks its own back.
46. An ugly child of your own is more to you than a beautiful one belonging to your neighbor.
47. Anger and madness are brothers.
48. Anyone who sees beauty and does not look at it will soon be poor.
49. As porridge benefits those who heat and eat it, so does a child benefit those that rear it
50. At the bottom of patience one finds heaven.
51. Bad friends will prevent you from having good friends.
52. Be a mountain or lean on one.
53. Beautiful discourse is rarer than emerald, yet it can be found among the servant girls at the grindstones.
54. Beautiful from behind, ugly in front.
55. Beautiful words don’t put porridge in the pot.
56. Beauty is not sold and eaten.
57. Because he lost his reputation, he lost a kingdom.
58. Better little than too little.
59. Between true friends even water drunk together is sweet enough.
60. Birds sing not because they have answers but because they have songs.
61. Brothers love each other when they are equally rich.
62. By crawling a child learns to stand.
63. By labor comes wealth. ~ Yoruba
64. By the time the fool has learned the game, the players have dispersed.
65. By trying often, the monkey learns to jump from the tree.
66. Children are the reward of life.
67. Coffee and love taste best when hot.
68. Cooked food is not sold for goats.
69. Cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you.
70. Despite the beauty of the moon, sun and the stars, the sky also has a threatening thunder and striking lightening.
71. Dine with a stranger but save your love for your family.
72. Do a good deed and throw it into the sea.
73. Do not follow a person who is running away.
74. Do not forget what is to be a sailor because of being a captain yourself.
75. Do not let what you cannot do tear from your hands what you can.
76. Dogs do not actually prefer bones to meat; it is just that no one ever gives them meat.
77. Don’t take another mouthful before you have swallowed what is in your mouth.
78. Dress up a stick and it’ll be a beautiful bride.
79. Ears that do not listen to advice, accompany the head when it is chopped off.
80. Earth is the queen of beds.
81. Eat when the food is ready; speak when the time is right.
82. Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands.
83. Even the best cooking pot will not produce food.
84. Even the colors of a chameleon are for survival not beauty.
85. Even the lion, the king of the forest, protects himself against flies.
86. Every woman is beautiful until she speaks.
87. Fine words do not produce food.
88. Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with gravel in his mouth.
89. Food you will not eat you do not boil.
90. Getting only a beautiful woman is like planting a vine on the roadside everyone feeds on it.
91. Good music goes with good food.
92. Good words are food, bad words poison.
93. Greatness and beauty do not belong to the gods alone.
94. Greed loses what it has gained.
95. Happiness is as good as food.
96. Having a good discussion is like having riches
97. Having beauty doesn’t mean understanding the perseverance of marriage.
98. He that beats the drum for the mad man to dance is no better than the mad man himself.
99. He who burns down his house knows why ashes cost a fortune.
100. He who doesn’t clean his mouth before breakfast always complains that the food is sour.
101. He who earns calamity, eats it with his family.
102. He who eats another man’s food will have his own food eaten by others.
103. He who fears the sun will not become chief.
104. He who goes to sleep with an itching anus wakes up with smelly fingers
105. He who is destined for power does not have to fight for it.

Read about Igbo Ora: Nigeria’s Twin Capital. More African Proverbs below.

106. He who is unable to dance says that the yard is stony.
107. He who learns, teaches.
108. He who loves money must labor.
109. He who loves the vase loves also what is inside.
110. He who marries a beauty marries trouble.
111. He who receives a gift does not measure.
112. He who refuses to obey cannot command.
113. He who runs after good fortune runs away from peace.
114. He who thinks he is leading and has no one following him is only taking a walk.
115. Hold a true friend with both hands.
116. Home affairs are not talked about on the public square.
117. However little food we have, we’ll share it even if it’s only one locust.
118. However long the night, the dawn will break.
119. Hurry, hurry has no blessings.
120. If ten cents does not go out, it does not bring in one thousand dollars.
121. If the cockroach wants to rule over the chicken, then it must hire the fox as a body-guard.
122. If the throat can grant passage to a knife, the anus should wonder how to expel it
123. If there is character, ugliness becomes beauty; if there is none, beauty becomes ugliness.
124. If you are building a house and a nail breaks, do you stop building or do you change the nail?
125. If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom.
126. If you are looking for a fly in your food it means that you are full.
127. If you are ugly you must either learn to dance or make love.
128. If you can’t resolve your problems in peace, you can’t solve them with war.
129. If you carry the egg basket do not dance.
130. If you close your eyes to facts, you will learn through accidents.
131. If you do not have patience you cannot make beer.
132. If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there (Uganda)
133. If you find “Miss This Year” beautiful, then you’ll find “Miss Next Year” even more so.
134. If you find no fish, you have to eat bread.
135. If you give bad food to your stomach, it drums for you to dance.
136. If you marry a monkey for his wealth, the money goes and the monkey remains as is.
137. If you pick up one end of the stick you also pick up the other.
138. If you see a man in a gown eating with a man in rags, the food belongs to the latter.
139. If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent a night with a mosquito.
140. If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
141. If you watch your pot, your food will not burn.
142. If your cornfield is far from your house, the birds will eat your corn.
143. If your only tool is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail.
144. In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams.
145. Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone.
146. It is better to be loved than feared.
147. It is crooked wood that shows the best sculptor.
148. It is no shame at all to work for money.
149. It is not the cook’s fault when the cassava turns out to be hard and tasteless.
150. It is only a stupid cow that rejoices at the prospect of being taken to a beautiful abattoir.
151. It requires a lot of carefulness to kill the fly that perches on the scrotum
152. It takes a village to raise a child.
153. It’s much easier to fall in love than to stay in love.
154. It’s those ugly caterpillars that turn into beautiful butterflies after seasons.
155. Judge not your beauty by the number of people who look at you, but rather by the number of people who smile at you.
156. Knowledge is better than riches.
157. Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.
158. Lack of money is lack of friends; if you have money at your disposal, every dog and goat will claim to be related to you.
159. Lack of money is lack of friends; if you have money at your disposal, every dog and goat will claim to be related to you.
160. Learning expands great souls.
161. Love has to be shown by deeds not words.
162. Love is a despot who spares no one.

Read about Oriki: That Yoruba Song

163. Love never gets lost it’s only kept.
164. Make some money but don’t let money make you.
165. Man is like a pepper, till you have chewed it you do not know how hot it is.
166. Many hands make light work.
167. Marriage is like a groundnut; you have to crack it to see what is inside.
168. Milk and honey have different colors, but they share the same house peacefully.
169. Money can’t talk, yet it can make lies look true.
170. Money is not the medicine against death.
171. Money is sharper than the sword.
172. Much wealth brings many enemies.
173. Nature gave us two cheeks instead of one to make it easier to eat hot food.
174. Never marry a woman who has bigger feet than you.
175. No matter how beautiful and well-crafted a coffin might look, it will not make anyone wish for death.
176. No matter how hot your anger is, it cannot cook yams
177. No one gets a mouthful of food by picking between another person’s teeth.
178. No partridge scratches the ground in search of food for another.
179. Nobody is born wise.
180. One cannot both feast and become rich.
181. One cannot count on riches.
182. One spoon of soup in need has more value than a pot of soup when we have an abundance of food.
183. One thread for the needle, one love for the heart.
184. One who bathes willingly with cold water doesn’t feel the cold.
185. One who causes others misfortune also teaches them wisdom.
186. One who causes others misfortune also teaches them wisdom.
187. One who eats alone cannot discuss the taste of the food with others. Proverb
188. One who plants grapes by the road side, and one who marries a pretty woman, share the same problem.
189. Only a wise person can solve a difficult problem.
190. Patience attracts happiness; it brings near that which is far.
191. Patience can cook a stone.
192. Patience is the key which solves all problems.
193. Patience is the mother of a beautiful child.
194. Patience puts a crown on the head.
195. Peace does not make a good ruler.
196. Peace is costly but it is worth the expense.
197. Poverty is slavery.
198. Pretend you are dead and you will see who really loves you.
199. Return to old watering holes for more than water; friends and dreams are there to meet you.
200. Rich people cook their food in a potsherd.
201. Rich people sometimes eat bad food.
202. Roosters’ tail feathers: pretty but always behind.
203. She is like a road – pretty, but crooked.
204. Show me your friend and I will show you your character.
205. Slander by the stream will be heard by the frogs.
206. Slowly, slowly, porridge goes into the gourd.
207. Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.
208. Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable.
209. Sweet words lure the snake out of its cave.
210. Teeth do not see poverty.

Read these cool facts about the Igbos and facts about the Yoruba people. More African Proverbs below.

211. The beauty of a woman becomes useless if there is no one to admire it.
212. The best of mankind is a farmer; the best food is fruit.
213. The chicken that digs for food will not sleep hungry.
214. The child of a rat is a rat.
215. The child you sired hasn’t sired you.
216. The cook does not have to be a beautiful woman.
217. The death of an elderly man is like a burning library.
218. The food eaten first lasts longest in the stomach.
219. The food that is in the mouth is not yet in the belly.
220. The food which is prepared has no master.
221. The fool speaks, the wise man listens.
222. The forest not only hides man’s enemies but it’s full of man’s medicine, healing power and food.
223. The forest provides food to the hunter after he is utterly exhausted.
224. The friends of our friends are our friends.
225. The frown on the face of the goat will not stop it from being taken to the market
226. The goat says: “Where there is blood, there is plenty of food.”
227. The grasshopper which is always near its mother eats the best food.
228. The heart of the wise man lies quiet like limpid water.
229. The hyena with a cub does not consume all the available food.
230. The impotent man does not eat spicy foods.
231. The man who counts the bits of food he swallows is never satisfied.
232. The man who has bread to eat does not appreciate the severity of a famine.
233. The man who marries a beautiful woman, and the farmer who grows corn by the roadside have the same problem
234. The most beautiful fig may contain a worm.
235. The mouth is stupid after eating it forgets who gave it the food.
236. The night has ears.
237. The old woman looks after the child to grow its teeth and the young one in turn looks after the old woman when she loses her teeth.
238. The one who loves an unsightly person is the one who makes him beautiful.
239. The poor man and the rich man do not play together.
240. The rich are always complaining.
241. The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay.
242. The skin of the leopard is beautiful, but not his heart.
243. The surface of the water is beautiful, but it is no good to sleep on.
244. The way to the beloved isn’t thorny.
245. The wealth which enslaves the owner isn’t wealth.
246. The wise create proverbs for fools to learn, not to repeat.
247. The worlds of the elders do not lock all the doors; they leave the right door open.
248. The young bird does not crow until it hears the old ones.
249. The zebra told the white horse, “I am white,” and told the black horse, “I am actually black.
250. There are many colorful flowers on the path of life, but the prettiest have the sharpest thorns.
251. There can be no peace without understanding.
252. There is always a winner even in a monkey’s beauty contest.
253. There is no beauty but the beauty of action.
254. There is no fool who is disowned by his family.
255. There is no one who became rich because he broke a holiday, no one became fat because he broke a fast.
256. There is no virgin in a maternity ward.
257. They ate our food, and forgot our names.
258. Things are to be tried, an old lady cooked stones and they produced soup.
259. Those who are at one regarding food are at one in life.
260. Three things cause sorrow to flee; water, green trees, and a beautiful face.
261. To be without a friend is to be poor indeed.
262. To get lost is to learn the way.
263. To love the king is not bad, but a king who loves you is better.
264. To run is not necessarily to arrive.
265. Traveling is learning.
266. Two ants do not fail to pull one grasshopper.
267. Ugliness with a good character is better than beauty.
268. Unity is strength, division is weakness.
269. War has no eyes.
270. War is not porridge.
271. Water is colorless and tasteless but you can live on it longer than eating food.
272. We desire to bequeath two things to our children; the first one is roots, the other one is wings.
273. Wealth diminishes with usage; learning increases with use.
274. Wealth, if you use it, comes to an end; learning, if you use it, increases.

Checkout these latest Agbada styles. They’re so lovely…

275. What one won’t eat by itself, one will eat when mixed with other food.
276. What you give you get.
277. What you help a child to love can be more important than what you help him to learn.
278. What you learn is what you die with.
279. When a king has good counselors, his reign is peaceful.
280. When a man is stung by a bee, he does not destroy all beehives.
281. When a once-beautiful piece of cloth has turned into rags, no one remembers that it was woven by Ukwa master weavers.
282. When brothers fight to the death, a stranger inherits their father’s estate.
283. When the food is cooked there is no need to wait before eating it.
284. When the leg does not walk, the stomach does not eat.
285. When the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spreads death to the branches.
286. When the shepherd comes home in peace, the milk is sweet.
287. When there is peace in the country, the chief does not carry a shield.
288. When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.
289. When you befriend a chief remember that he sits on a rope.
290. When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him.
291. When you show the moon to a child, it sees only your finger.
292. When your luck deserts you, even cold food burns.
293. Where a woman rules, streams run uphill.
294. Where there are experts there will be no lack of learners.
295. Where there are many, nothing goes wrong.
296. Where there is love there is no darkness.
297. Where water is the boss there the land must obey.
298. Where you will sit when you are old shows where you stood in youth.
299. Why they like an ugly person takes long for a beautiful person to know.
300. Wine, women and food give gladness to the heart.
301. Wisdom does not come overnight.
302. Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.
303. Wisdom is like fire. People take it from others.
304. Wisdom is not like money to be tied up and hidden.
305. Wisdom is wealth.
306. With wealth one wins a woman.
307. Without a leader, black ants are confused.
308. Words are sweet, but they never take the place of food.
309. You always learn a lot more when you lose than when you win.
310. You are beautiful because of your possessions.
311. You are beautiful, but learn to work, for you cannot eat your beauty.
312. You become wise when you begin to run out of money.
313. You cannot build a house for last year’s summer.
314. You cannot name a child that is not born.
315. You cannot tell a hungry child that you gave him food yesterday.
316. You cannot work for food when there is no food for work.
317. You do not teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla.
318. You have little power over what’s not yours.
319. You learn how to cut down trees by cutting them down.
320. You must act as if it is impossible to fail.
321. You must act as if it is impossible to fail.
322. You must attend to your business with the vendor in the market, and not to the noise of the market.
323. You should know what’s being cooked in the kitchen otherwise you might eat a forbidden food.
324. You should not hoard your money and die of hunger.
325. You should not hoard your money and die of hunger.
326. Youth is beauty, even in cattle.

I’m sure you loved these African Proverbs. So, which of these proverbs do you like?

Special Thanks To AfriTorial, Matadornetwork,

The post African Proverbs: 300+ Ancient Proverbs And Their Meanings appeared first on Couture Crib.

Here’s a quick glance at the latest festivals coming up in 2017 from June down to December. You have no reason to miss any of the upcoming festivals. Like Roy Ayers mentioned, “the true beauty of music is that it connects people”. Time to get connected.

NOTE: I will continually update the table below. Please check the organizers’ website and confirm the dates.

Upcoming Jazz Festivals Table

Name of Festival	Venue	Date	Organizer’s website
2017 Jazz-N-June Festival	Alabama USA	June 16th to 25th 2017	JazzNJune
10th Dixie Jazz Fest 2017	Tarnovo Bulgaria	July 6th to 8th 2017	DixieJazzFest
11th Annual Lancaster Ave. Jazz & Arts Festival	Philadelphia USA	July 15th, 2017	LancasterJazz
12 Points Festival	Aarhus Denmark	July 16th to 18th 2017	12Points
29th Annual Beaches International Jazz Festival	Toronto, Canada	July 27th to 29th 2017	BeachesJazz
16th Annual River Raisin Jazz Festival	Michigan USA	August 10th to 13th 2017	RiverRaisinJazz
4th Annual Alexander Zonjic's Shoreline Jazz Festival	Michigan USA	August 24th to 27th 2017	ShorelineJazz
26th Annual Capital Jazzfest	Missouri USA	September 9th, 2017	CapJazz

Special Thanks to Jazz Directory.

The post Best Cool Jazz Festivals You Shouldn’t Miss This Year appeared first on Couture Crib.

From Nigeria to Ghana, and Botswana down to South Africa and Kenya, to mention a few countries, the long list of African traditional attire is endless, and they are quite unique to each tribe.

Some of these garments are mostly worn on special occasions especially during festivals, although they are gradually becoming more formal and can now be casually worn – the Agbada/Boubou is a typical example.

Here are 3 Traditional Dresses Only Africans Rock

1. Pagne: Otherwise referred to as a wrapper, this is one of the most common traditional wear in Africa. It is often included as part of a bride or groom’s traditional wedding dresses. The Pagne is worn from the east to west and from the north to the southern part of Africa. It’s often worn alongside a top (blouse) and a head tie, the type the Yorubas of Nigerian call “gele”. In Nigeria, it is called ogodu in Igbo and iro in Yoruba.

2. Aso Oke: The Aso Oke fabric is owned solely by the Yorubas of Nigeria.It is hand woven by them alone, just as the Tivs hand-weave their own clothing which is popularly known as A’nger. The Yorubas use the Aso Oke fabric to make other clothing like the Agbada, iro as well as the men’s hats otherwise called fila, the women’s shoulder sash called Iborun or the blouse called the Buba. The Aso oke is of three types;

1. the Alaari – red in color
2. the Sanyan, – brown in color
3. the Etu – dark blue in color, and is mostly worn during important occasions.

3. Lace: The lace here doesn’t refer to our shoe laces… No, it is actually a piece of clothing made from yarn with open patterns all around it. The lace is often referred to as Air Conditioner Aso Oke by the Yorubas.

More updates coming soon… Stick around!

The post Traditional Dresses: You’ll Never Find These 3 Outside Africa appeared first on Couture Crib.

What is the hardest language in the world? Is it English, French, Mandarin, Spanish or Igbo??

For many, learning a new language is easy for people like Pope John Paul II and Shahab Ahmed, both of whom are referred to as Polygots for speaking 5 languages or more (or HyperPolygots if they speak 12 languages or more), but may not be easy for some especially people traveling to a new country.

Learning a new language?

Then you need to check out the criteria listed on this school’s website. 

Ludwig Wittgenstein said “The limits of my language means the limits of my world.” Ludwig isn’t wrong in his assertion.

When a man understands more than one language and can speak more than one language, he’s a brother to everybody. Peace is promoted, and so is unity. That’s one major advantage of learning a new language.

So having known that, the following are the 30 hardest languages to learn in the world, arranged in no particular order…

Read our Fun facts about the Igbos

• Mandarin. Mandarin is a form of Chinese language and is actually the most spoken language in the world. Statistics show it’s spoken by over 1 billion people in China. The mandarin language is similar to Japanese. Mandarin has over 50,000 characters.
• Arabic. In Arabic, most letters are written in 4 different forms depending on where they’re placed in a word. Arabic has many different dialects and vowels are not included when writing. The language is spoken by over 200 million people in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It’s worth noting that a present tense verb in Arabic has 13 forms.
• Japanese. This is the language of Japan and is spoken by over 125 million people. Japanese has 3 independent writing systems each with a different alphabet. Many believe Japanese is easier to speak than Mandarin. It’s considered among the most difficult languages in the world because of its close relationship to Chinese and because of its complex system of honorifics as well as thousands of characters that must be learned before being able to write in Japanese. The Foreign Service Institute declared Japanese the most difficult language to learn for a native English speaker. More so, Japanese is a highly contextual language. The form spoken with family, with friends, with seniors, by women, men and children are different, so speakers must select words carefully to avoid being rude or appearing inappropriately childlike, feminine or masculine. It’s worthy to note that the highest number of Japanese speakers outside Japan are found in Brazil.
• Hungarian. Linguistics believe the Hungarian language has some of the most difficult grammar rules that anyone can ever come across. Cultural elements from the Hungarian culture makes the language somewhat difficult to learn, thus giving it a spot in this list of hardest languages to learn.
• Korean. Korean language is a unique language and is regarded as the most spoken isolated language. It is the official language of North and South Korea, but is also spoken by some people in China. The Korean language has seven different speech levels, which manifesting as verbal endings. The Korean language is spoken by over 66 million people and it has two different numerical systems. More so, it is a contextual language just like Japanese. A single sentence in Korean can be said in three different ways based in the context where it is used.
• Finnish. The lettering and pronunciation of Finnish language are somewhat similar but the grammar is different. Due to its agglutinative language, words in Finnish can also become absurdly long and mean an entirely different thing than the English speakers will find natural. The Finnish language is spoken by about 5 million people. It’s also similar to the Estonian language. Barry Farber, the Author of “How To Learn Any Language” said that in the course of his studying 25 languages, Finnish and Korean were the hardest. The longest Finnish word consists of 61 letters. ‘Lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas’ means ‘aeroplane jet turbine motor assistant mechanic, non-commissioned officer, in training’. No wonder it made it to our list of hardest languages to learn.
• Basque. Like the Korean language, the Basque language is isolate. It has five dialects and is spoken by about 700,000 people. The different dialects makes it not only tough to learn, but gives you sleepless nights as to which one you’d like to learn as well. The Basque language is the ancestral language of the Basque country, a part of northeastern Spain.
• Navajo. The Navajo language is a Southern Athabaskan languages that are spoken in the southwestern part of the United States and is spoken by about 170,000. The Navajo is a verb centered language.
• Icelandic. Remember, the Icelandic naming system? The Icelandic language is one of the hardest languages in the world. It is spoken by over 400,000 people on Iceland. The language coins new words from old ones. To learn the language, one needs to be resident in the country since its learning requires the use of resources.
• Tagalog. This language is spoken by about a quarter of the total population of the Philippines. It’s an Austronesian language and is regarded as one of the most difficult and hardest languages to learn in the world.
• French: Even though it is the official language of 29 countries, the French language isn’t that easy to learn. One of the reasons why philologists say the French language is hard is because its pronunciation follows a set of strict rules based on the spelling and history.
• Dutch: This West Germanic language is the official language of Aruba, Netherlands, and St. Marten, Curacao.
• Sanskrit: The Sanskrit is considered the liturgical language of Hinduism and Buddhism! It is well spoken in places like India.
• Urdu: This language is commonly associated with Muslims in Hindustan. It is also widely spoken in India.
• Danish: Spoken by over 6 million people around the world, the Danish language which is a North Germanic language just like the Norwegian language, is also on our list of the hardest to learn languages in the world.
• Slovenian. The Slovenian language belongs to the south Slavic language group and is spoken mostly in Slovenia and in other parts of the world by about 2 million people.
• Afrikaans: Spoken by the natives in Namibia, South African, Zimbabwe as well as Botswana, the language is surprisingly categorized as a West Germanic language since the linguists believe that it is an offshoot of the Dutch language.
• Welsh: The people of Wales speak the Welsh language which is a part of the Celtic languages. The Welsh language is also referred to as the British tongue.
• Hebrew: This West Semitic language belongs to the Afro-asiatic language family and was first used by the Israelites and the ancient Hebrews. It’s one of the hardest languages to learn.
• Croatian: The Croatian language which is spoken by over 12 million people in the world including in places like Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia as well as Romania. This language belongs to the Uralic language family. Linguist say it will take an average of 1100 hours to learn the language.
• Gaelic: This language is spoken by many in Scotland. It is a Celtic language.
• Albanian: This language is spoken in Albania, Kosovo, Bulgaria as well as Macedonia. Linguists are of the opinion that the language shares the same lexical isoglosses with languages like German and Greek although its vocabulary differs from them.
• Polish: The Polish language which is officially spoken in Poland and in other parts of the world by over 40 million people, is one hard nut to crack. The language is quite ‘hissy’ as philologists would say.
• Georgian: This language is spoken by about 4 million people worldwide especially in the small country of Georgia.
• Thai: Spoken by over 20 million people, the Thai language which belongs to the Tai Kadai language family and has similar features with the Sanskrit language. Linguists grade the language as a tonal language since it uses tones which could change the context of what is being said. It’s one of the hardest languages to learn.

• Mongolian: This language which is spoken by the Mongolian people is another hard language to learn. It is spoken by about 6 million people and has one peculiar feature; the alphabets are written upside down.
• Vietnamese: The tonal Vietnamese language is on the lips of as many as 68 million people in Vietnam. The Vietnamese language has borrowings from Chinese although it also has a few Latin additions to its alphabets. The Vietnamese language is also officially recognized in Czech Republic.
• Estonian: Last but definitely not the least of the hard languages to learn, is the Estonian language of Estonia spoken by just over a million people. Linguists say the Estonian language has 14 noun cases, making it one difficult language to learn.
• Norwegian: The Norwegian language is otherwise referred to as the North Germanic language, and it’s the official language of Norway. According to linguists, the Norwegian language is intelligible with languages like Icelandic and Faroese. Most Norwegians speak their own dialects at any given time.
• Persian: The Persian language is next on the list of languages that are very difficult to learn. The Persian language is spoken in many parts of the world including Afghanistan, Iran and some parts of Europe where there was Persian influence. Estimates have the number of speakers of this language at over a hundred million worldwide.

There’s one language many of us know how to speak, yet we don’t speak it. It’s not one of the hardest languages to learn.

It’s silence!

Learn to keep quiet when you need to keep quiet!

The post Hardest Languages To Learn In The World: See The Top 30 appeared first on Couture Crib.

Call it scarification, facial/face marks or tribal tattoos – probably because they are peculiar to the faces of most people from a particular tribe– tribal marks are one of the core physical features that helps one to identify the African tribe from which an individual with such marks belongs to.

The most common place where people are given a tribal tattoo is on the face, hence it’s called facial marks.

How important are these facial marks?

These marks used to be the “in thing” in the olden days. It was often given for various purposes like beautification of a child’s face, marking a child to distinguish his tribe, marking out slaves during the era of slavery in Africa, chasing away spirits that cause illness in children who are always ill, or probably because the parents/grandparents liked the idea of their children having such in accordance with the culture and tradition of the people. That was then, not now. It has, however, lost its significance with the coming of Christianity and Westernization.

It is pertinent to note that these marks are given to a child during their naming ceremony in many parts of Africa.

There’s no gainsaying that these African tattoos are going to die with the generation of people born before the 80s and 90s. As a matter of fact, the practice of giving tribal marks has been abolished in African countries like Ghana. This is a clear indication that such a practice has no place in the 21^st century.

Types of Facial Marks

In this section, we’d look at the different types of tribal marks each with its own meaning, and the African tribes they are peculiar to.

• Tribal marks in Nigeria
• Tribal marks in Ghana
• Tribal marks in Ethiopia
• Tribal tattoo for girls, women, men e.t.c

Stick around. More updates are coming soon…

The post Tribal Tattoo Designs For Men And Women appeared first on Couture Crib.

Ask a typical guy who claims to be an Igbo man to tell you at least 15 Igbo proverbs and he’ll probably disappoint you. That’s not normal, but in a country like Nigeria where culture is fast being replaced by western values and lifestyle, it’s a norm.

The Igbos are one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria; a country with more than 250 different ethnic groups. The two other groups include the Hausas and Yorubas.

For the purpose of this post which will be divided into parts, this first part will bring to the limelight, some funny Igbo proverbs with their meanings (Igbo to English translations). This is part of the series of posts we’ll be doing on African proverbs and their meanings. Knowledge of proverbs are a true representation of interest and versatility in Igbo culture.

So, all aboard? Let’s go there!

Note: Italicized lines are the Igbo proverbs. Igbo kwenu!!! Ya!

• Atuolu nwata inu kowara ya, ego eji nuta nne ya naa n’iyi. If you speak a proverb to a child and explain the same to him, the money that was used to marry the child’s mother has been wasted. (Don’t crucify me for starting with it.. lol)
• Nwata etoghi eto juo ihe gburu nna ya, ihe gburu nna ya e gbuo ya. A child who is not old enough but starts asking what killed his father, will be killed by what killed his father.
• Akwuru oto tuba nwanyi ime, o muo onye ara. If you impregnate a woman while standing, she’ll give birth to a mad person (Don’t ask me if it’s true.. lol)
• Nwayo nwayo ka e ji eri ofe di oku. A hot soup is eaten slowly and steadily.
• Ihu di nma adighi mma itu mbo. A pretty face doesn’t deserve to be pinched.
•  Ngwere niile na akpu afo n’ala, amaghi nke afo n’asa. Because all lizards crawl on their bellies, one can’t say which one is purging.
• Were ehihie choba ewwu ojii maka na chi jie, igaghi ahuzikwa ya anya ozo. Look for a dark goat when it’s still daytime for when night comes, it’ll be difficult to find it.  (Make hay while the sun shines)
•  Anaghi eji maka mgbagbu aghara ogu. One cannot fail to go to war because he’s afraid of death.
• Eme ngwa ngwa emeghara odachi. Attending to issues at hand prevents problems from arising. (A stitch in time saves nine).
•  Okenye anaghi ano n’ulo ewu amu o n’ ogbi. An adult shouldn’t be at home while the she goat delivers whilst still tied to a stake.
• Awo anaghi agba oso ehihie n’nkiti. The toad doesn’t run around in the afternoon without a tangible reason. 
• Kaodikaodi kpoba, kaodikaodi egoru. A seller who puts up wares anyhow will attract an anyhow buyer. 
• Aki na nwanne ya yi, ma na owere ichere gbabido onwe ya. The twin palm kernel separates itself from its brother. 
• Ana m anwu anwu, jere be ana m anwunyu anya. A dying man has gone to the house of one who’s closer to the grave yard. 
•  Pam pam ka nkwu ji eju agbo. Drop by drop, the palm wine keg gets filled up. (Little drops of water make an ocean)
• O ji ututu tutuba na atutuju akpa. He who starts gathering early in the morning fills their bag before sunset. 
• Okirikiri ka ana agba ukwu ose, anaghi ari ya elu. You cn only go round and round the pepper tree because no one can climb it. 

Read our tutorials on How To Tie a Tie.

• Onye ejide n’ukwu ose ka ana akpo onye ori ose. Whoever is caught at the foot of the pepper tree, is regarded as the pepper thief.
• Onye nodu ebe ono, ebe onoghi ana agu ya. No matter what a man’s position is, he’ll still want to go to a higher position.
• Ugwu muta igbaji ikpere, agadi nwanyi amuta ejekata akwuru. If the hill becomes difficult to climb, the old woman will always device a means of climbing. (When the going gets tough, the tough gets going).
• Nwata rie awo, o ju anu. When a child eats a frog, he’ll never eat meat again. 
• Ijiji na anaghi anu ndumodu n’eso ozu ala n’inyi. The heedless fly follows the corpse to the grave. 
• Nti na anaghi anu ndumodu, egbupu isi, nti esoro ya. The ear that doesn’t listen to advice will get cut off along with the head. 
• Ochuu nwa okuko new ada, nwa okuko nwe mwomwo oso. He who chases the chicken has the falling to do, while the chicken has the running to do.
• Oke mmukosi na ebuta oke mkpari. Over familiarity breeds contempt.
• Onye ulo ya na agba oku anaghi achu oke. He whose house is on fire doesn’t go about chasing a rat.
• O bu na okpu isi amaghi akpu ka o bu n’aguba adighi nko? Is it that the barber doesn’t know how to cut the hair, or that his tools aren’t sharp?
• Mmiri mara ugo sara ugo ahu. The rain that falls on the eagle bathes the eagle. 
• Nkita na anaghi anu nti n’aga eri nshi ya. The dog that doesn’t listen goes back to eats its’ faeces.
• Eneke siri na kemgbe mmadu mutara gbaba ya egbe na akwusi akwusi, ya onwe ya mutara febe efebe ebeghi ebe. Eneke the bird said that since humans learnt to shoot at it nonstop without missing, it has learnt to fly without perching.
• Onye bi n’ulo ugegbe anaghi atu okwute. He who lives in a glass house doesn’t throw stones.
• Ndi bi n’uso ulo uka na ekpe azu abia uka. The people that live close ot the church are always late for service. 
• Mbe no na ikpo nsi rue mgbe aga akpoputa ya, osi ha mee ngwa ngwa na nsi esigbuo ya. The tortoise was in a pit filled with faeces for a long time, and when it was time to bring him out, he yelled at his helpers to be quick that he’ll die from the stench.

Check out these facts about the Igbos you probably didn’t know.

More Igbo proverbs below…

• Mberede nyiri dike, mana o bu mberede ka e ji ama dike. A sudden impossibility is too much a task for a hero, but a hero is known for doing sudden impossibilities.
• Ezigbo oyi kariri ezi nwanne. A good friend is better than a brother/sister.
• Nwata etoghi etoghi wara ogodu, ikuku kue, o buru ya n’ogodu o ma n’ukwu. A child who is not yet of age but ties a wrapper, if the wind blows, the child will be blown away with the wrapper.
• Onye ya na ekwensu n’ eri nri na eji ogologo ngazi. He who dines with the devil uses a long spoon.
• Onye ndi iro gbara gburugburu n’eche ndu ya nche mgbe nile. He who is surrounded by enemies, guards his life always.

• Azotasia ala, ewe zoba ute. Fight and win the land first before fighting for the mat to place on it.
• Onye ara na ama onye ara ibe ya. A mad man knows a fellow mad man.
• Ezigbo aha ka ego. A good name is better than riches.
•  Eziokwu bu ndu. Truth is life. 
• Okwa siri umu ya na ha turu ji, ha turukwa mgborogwu maka na onye new ji gwuru ji ya, ha ewere mgborogwu biri. The partridge told its kids to feed on both the yam and the roots so that when the owner of the yam harvests the yam, they’ll still be able to feed on the root.
• Egwu anaghi atu afo oburu uzo. The stomach is never afraid, that’s why it’s always in front.
• Mmiri anaghi eri onye ohuro ukwu ya. The waters cannot drown the man who it doesn’t see his leg. 
• Agadi nwanyi anaghi aka nka n’egwu o ma agba. An old woman is never old when it comes to the dance steps she knows too well.
• Anaghi agwa ochi nti n’agha esu. You don’t tell the deaf that war has begun. 
• Onye anoghi ebe eliri ozu, na esi na okpa abo ya. One who isn’t present when the dead was buried will start digging up the dead from the leg.
• Anu gbanari taa, echi bun ta. When a game escapes today, tomorrow is yet another hunting day.
• Nkwucha abughi ujo. Being at alert doesn’t mean one is afraid.
• Ukpana okpoko gburu, nti chiri ya. The grasshopper that is killed by the train is certainly deaf.
• Ka afutasia ka afutasia, ka mgbo ji tuo enwe n’isi. The inquisitive monkey gets hit in the face by a bullet.

Also Check Out Naming Ceremony in Igbo land

• Tupuru Nkita okpukpu n’ezi ma hapuru ya ogu ya na umu ndi mmuo. Throw the bones out to dogs and leave it to fight with the spirits.
• Onye nyere nwata nkakwu/nkapi ga enyekwa ya mmiri o ga e ji kwo aka. He who gives a child a shrew (a rat with pointed nostril) should also give him water to wash his hands.
• Nwata rie ihe o ji maka ya muru anya, o rahuo ora. When a child has gotten that which kept him awake, he can then sleep.

Special thanks to this Nairaland Topic.

Now’s your turn, add any Igbo proverbs you know via the comment box below.

Don’t forget to use the share buttons.

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With all the hustle and bustle in the city of Lagos Nigeria, one wonders how they make out time to celebrate one of the most prestigious festivals in Nigeria; the Eyo Festival. The festival is one that expresses and exhibits the cultures and tradition of the city of Lagos.

The History of the Eyo Festival

The festival is celebrated in honor of the deity Adamu Orisha and marks the passage of souls to the spirit world. According to some historians, the Eyo Festival wasn’t originally a Lagos affair as it was brought down to Lagos by two men from two communities in present day Ogun State sometime in the 18^th Century. The first recorded procession in the history of Eyo Festival was in the 1850’s when Oba Dosumu organized the festival in honor of his late father Oba Akintoye.

Aside organizing the festival in honor of the dead Oba’s and highly placed chiefs in the Kings Court, the festival is also organized to celebrate and honor an outstanding personality who the people of Lagos believe has done so much for them.

Also Read 16 WEIRD Totems of The Tiv People of Nigeria

The festival even though it may have lost some of its followers to Christianity, hasn’t lost the fun and prestige which it has been known for. As a matter of fact, the festival attracts thousands of tourists every year. A full week before the festival (always a Sunday), the ‘senior’ Eyo group called Adimu (identified by a black, broad-rimmed hat), goes public with a staff. When this happens, it means the event will take place on the following Saturday. Each of the four other ‘important’ groups — Laba (Red), Oniko (yellow), Ologede (Green) and Agere (Purple) — take their turns in that order from Monday to Thursday.

According to this post on NICO, the festival procedures are as follows…“Each Eyo comes out of an Iga (palace) of a ruling family in the morning and heads for the shrine (Agodo). It is robed from head to toe in white flowing cloth. The white flowing costume consists of an ‘agbada’ (the top robe), and the ‘aropale’ (the bottom wrap around). No part of the person carrying the Eyo is expected to be seen. The Eyo also wears an ‘Akete’ (a hat that bears the colours and shield of the Iga from which he comes). An Eyo may tie ribbons in his Iga’s colors to the Opambata (palm branch) that he carries. An Iga’s Eyo may have up to 50 to 100 or more members. Each person carrying a robe as Eyo must pay a fee for the privilege. This fee is paid to the Iga – ruling house, whose colors and Akete the Eyo wears.

Only adult males may robe as Eyo, but sometimes, there may be a child Eyo in a group. The sons and daughters and wives, as well as friends and neighbors of the Iga follow the Eyo on a parade from one end of Lagos Island to the other. The route of each Eyo goes from the Iga, where the Iga’s Eyo leave en masse, and then on to the Agodo – the shrine of the Orisa Eyo. After this, the Eyo may go anywhere on Lagos Island their feet can carry them, all the way from Ebute Ero to Obalende, via Oke Popo, Campus, Lafiaji and all neighbourhoods the Eyo’s whims may carry him. In fact, an Eyo may easily cover 20 to 30 kilometres on that day. The crowd of supporters following the Eyo does not wear white robes. Imagine the spectacle of thousands of white robed figures in colourful hats, flowing ribbons, men women and children milling about the streets singing and dancing. The Lagos Eyo gives good meaning to the words, festival and spectacle.

The only Eyo that is not part of a group is the most senior Eyo-Adimu Orisa. This Eyo’s nose is forever running, hence, the name Adimu. Only a very old and spiritually advanced male can robe as the Adimu. It is the last Eyo to leave the “agodo.”

Also Read 3 Nigerian Cultural Festivals You Never Knew About

The Eyo, when it encounters people, greets them with the phrase, “E sunrunkunrun, we ma jagbon die!” meaning, “Don’t fear anything, have a taste of the palm tree,” and taps the individual on the shoulders with the “opambata.” When he is given money, he will pray for the person and recite the praise song of his Iga. The phrase, “e sunrunkunrun, we ma jagbon die!” is in the Ijebu dialect of Yoruba. It was rendered as a wedding present when the Oba of Lagos married an Ijebu princess”.

It is a taboo to either wear the Eyo costume overnight or cross any body of water, such as the Lagoon and the Eyo mostly admits tall people. Some items are prohibited during the festival and they include Okada (motorcycle), bicycles, sandals, and smoking not forgetting the Suku hairstyle (a popular hairstyle among the Yoruba people). The masquerade whips anyone who is seen with any of the items using the stick it carries.

What more can I say? Nigeria is indeed blessed!

“Eko Oni baje O”

The post Eyo Festival: The Pride of Yorubas in Lagos appeared first on Couture Crib.

The Osun Osogbo Festival is one mammoth crowd drawing festival held in Osun, state Nigeria a lot of people would never miss for any reason! How could this be?

The festival is a 700-year old well preserved culture rich festival which celebrates the Osun goddess. The annual two week-long festival which is held in the month of August at the Osun Osogbo Sacred Groove, a forest situated along the banks of the Osun river, shares quite some similarities with the Argungu Fishing Festival.

Without wasting much of your time, check these interest facts about the Osun Osogbo Festival out!

1. The festival is held to celebrate Osun who is the goddess of fertility according to Yoruba.
2. The story behind the Osun Osogbo festival has it that the festival began over half a century ago when a group of settlers led by Olutimehin settled in the Osogbo area. A version of the story has it that the goddess revealed herself to them after their activities disturbed her and in other to appease her, they promised to offer an annual sacrifice to her and in return, she promised to make their women fruitful. Thus far, the Yoruba people of Igbo Ora have the highest twin birth rate in the world. Unbelievable, right?
3. The annual festival lasts for 2 weeks and it starts with the Iwopopo. The iwopopo refers to the traditional cleansing of the town from evil.
4. After the iwopopo comes the lighting of the 600 year old 16 point lamp (Ina olujumerindinlogun), three days after the iwopopo has been done.
5. Next is the Iboriade which is one special moment for the Ataoja of Osogbo. During the Iboriade, the crowns of the past Ataoja’s (Kings) of Osogbo are assembled and the sitting Ataoja in the company of Osun priestesses, the Arugba and the Yeye Osun.
6. The Arugba is an essential figure in the whole ceremony. The Arugba (calabash carrier) is a votary virgin who bears the calabash containing the sacrifice materials for the festival on her head as she leads the people to the Osun River. As she passes, people pray and cast their problems to her. She isn’t just regarded as a virgin, she’s the goddess they see. The current Arugba is the daughter of the sitting Ataoja. She took over the position from the previos Arugba who had done the work for 10 years.
7. The history and story of the Osun Osogbo Festival isn’t going to be complete without mentioning Susan Wenger, an Austrian who dedicated her life starting from the early 1950’s till today to ensure that the Osun Osogbo Festival became what it is today. It’s not surprising that her efforts paid off when UNESCO designated the Osun Osogbo Groove a world heritage site in 2005. As she continues to rest in peace, she would forever remain in the hearts of the people.

Special Thanks to Nigerian Bulletin.

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