ESAN PEOPLE: DEATH OF A MARRIED ESAN WOMAN AND TRADITION.

By Prince Kelly Udebhulu

 In Esan culture, it is customary and mandatory after the dead of a married woman for her corpse to be returned back to family. Usually,  after the burial ceremonies at her husband's families compound,  the corpse is taken to her family compound for the proper burial. Optionally, an Esan woman could be buried outside the family home based on a valid request to that effect; a consideration sought and obtained by the first male child. A request to bury her mother in his personal home as honor to her.  He may be accompanied by his age mates and backed by uncles of the deceased. It can be honored or declined. Esan culture has in-built flexibilities. Like every culture, it is dynamic and admits refinement.

The culture is dialectic; it imposes duty on both parents and offspring. While parents owe a sacred duty to nurture children to adulthood, it is the corresponding obligation of adult children to stay alive to celebrate their parents and conduct them through the lonely path home.  It is understood that a child who cannot do honor to his mother is worthless; he enjoys scant regards among his mates and friends.

“Tradition demands that the woman family totally examined the woman before burial. The reasons for this are many but principally to examined whether the woman died violently or was maltreated by her husband. Esan values their children, male or female, this is why unlike some cultures,  the bride price is very low. If any evidence is observed that suggest the woman died violently, questions are usually asked and most times answers can only be accepted after the payment of fines.”

  

In Esan culture, a man does not discuss the burial rites of his late wife. But the only scene where the husband is summoned, if evidence shown that he did not send the smelly he-goat and a bundle of seven yam tubers just before the first male child birth. It is their entitlement to feast and celebrate the impending motherhood of an Esan maiden.  A deserving right of the youths in the maternal lineage. That is the only fine the man may pay to the youths.  It is strictly between the first male child and those younger than the deceased. Elders do not partake in all the talks about burials and do not plan the attendant cultural ceremonies.

Conclusively, Esan woman in most cases, never buried in foreign land except in rare instances.

…To be continued

By Prince Kelly Udebhulu

www.vicuma.net

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