06/04/2025
TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE IN NSO
The Nso society is divided in to lineage groups refered to as " big compounds" and they are ruled by traditional heads known as " fais"insituted by the Fon.
Traditional marriage in NSO takes place in the big compound as tradition demands the groom to be must visit the bride's family.
The bride's parents have little or nothing to say about the Bride price. The bride price of the first girl is paid at the mother's family compound and the other girls in their father's compound.
Tradition of the family compound demands that what was paid on your mother's head is exactly what will be paid on you the bride to be and it is often in cash or kind, but the groom's family is often given a list of things as bride price.
The most common items on the list are usually red oil, salt, matches, zinc, palm wine, a hen, c**k ( rooster) goats and loins ( wrappers) .
Items like the chicken will be slaughtered and offered as scarifice to the gods together with palm wine .
This is done to ensure a happy marriage life for the couple.
At the ritual area where only the head of the family can visit and who can be Fai, Shey, Biki, will sprinkle red oil and salt to awake the gods as a sign of acceptance that the girl wants the groom as her husband.
Palm wine is poured into a traditional cup by the head of the big compound. He makes a speech, drinks abit, asks the girl to drink abit then hands the rest to the man who will become her husband.
The husband must finish the wine left in the cup to show he has taken possession of his wife.
The remaining items are usually distributed to the inhabitants of the compound and the zinc, used to build a new house in the big compound.
Greetings to all family members from NSO. Read and adjust where necessary.
ROOTS with Ibemsi Ngam
