06/09/2019
ITESO TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE
STEPS TO FOLLOW
1. COURTSHIP(Eisupane)
Signs of a boy who is in need of a wife is realised by parents. Parents with the help of any relative more so an auntie start to look for a girl. The girl should be from a good family background. If not a boy can also be allowed to get a girl of his choice but has to share it with the relatives in order to ascertain the girls family background.
2. EXAMINATION STAGE(Angicio Na Ateran):At this stage, a girl is requested to come to the boys home for a day or two. During this time, a boy will not be allowed to come back home either he goes to look for cattle or stays completely out of home. This girl is subjected to so many trials such as fetching water, pounding gnuts, cooking, grinding mill etc. After that, she can be then sent with a letter or she goes with somebody who will inform her parents of the success of courtship. Their, they arrange for introduction. The day can be arranged for that.
3. INTRODUCTION STAGE(Aitodiar)
During this day, the boy is es**rted by fellow boys and probably his aunty.
A table is put in the middle of the home where the boy es**rted by two or four boys will come and move around the table following any musical rythm of their choice. After some rounds, they place what the girl requested on the table then they go back to their seats. The girl will equally be es**rted by some girls to come and pick what was put on the table. When she accepts the offer, ululations come in.
Later, the boy is es**rted by one boy then the girl also follows suit. They sit near the table as people look at them. Ululations follow. After that, the next visit is to be to the boys home by the girls parents.
4. BOYS FAMILY ASSESSMENT VISIT.(Abilakino)
The clan of the girl visit the boys home. The mother of the girl must not go. This is the time pride price will be negotiated. After agreeing on brideprice. A day for taking it to the girls home is agreed.
5. BRIDE PRICE DELIVERY/Traditional wedding (Epeta Lo Ateker wok)
Here, the boy together with his parents except the mother will go with what was agreed. The clan chairpersons play a leading role here.
There, yes, pride price is welcomed. After sometime, the boy and the girl will be brought to sit in the middle of the home where people start giving them gifts for starting off a family.
After that, the girl is bathed near the door of her parents by her auntie where blessings upon blessings will be urttered. Now , the girls fully becomes a wife.
5.THE BRIDES DELIVERY(Ainyamakin Ateran)
This is the stage where the girl is officially delivered to her official new marital home. When going to her home, some girls are given to es**rt her locally referred to as Apiriai. Those girls will stay there for almost a week or one month before coming back. They will help their sister with some work as away of helping her set up the home. At that period, the wife is not yet allowed to sleep in her husband's house not until the other girls have been officially released to go back.
That's when the girl will enter her house, organizes it and lays the bed. That's when they will start sharing the bed.
http://tesovibez.com/104/Iteso-traditional-Marriage-What-you-need-to-know
