HOW DID OUR ANCESTORS DETECT ADULTERY WITHOUT MODERN INVESTIGATION? ||#AfikpoFirst

 HOW DID OUR ANCESTORS DETECT ADULTERY WITHOUT MODERN INVESTIGATION? ||#AfikpoFirst

Which of these traditional practices have you heard about before?

1. SUSPICIOUS MOVEMENTS: A woman may be suspected of adultery if her movements deviate from what is expected of a respectable married woman. This suspicion is encapsulated in the Afikpo saying, “Gi agbaghi okwa, ini je ijie” (If you do not commit adultery, your movements suggest you do).

2. BEING CAUGHT IN THE ACT: Sometimes, adulterers are caught red-handed, in which case there is no room for denial.

3. STRANGE AND UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR: A woman who suddenly falls and repeatedly strikes her mouth against the ground is believed to have committed an abomination, particularly adultery. It is thought that the Land Goddess has exposed her guilt and demands appeasement. The woman either voluntarily confesses or is persuaded to do so, as expressed in the saying, “Ini huhu onu ka onye ali ji” (One who trembles and shakes her mouth has been caught by the land goddess).

4. INTERVENTION OF MAA OBU (THE ANCESTRAL GOD): At times, the ancestral god, Maa Obu, afflicts the priest with a severe illness, sometimes resulting in death. By consulting an oracle, it may be revealed that one or more women in the compound have defiled the land through adultery. This discovery leads to a public oath-taking ceremony where the guilty often confess or, if they dare to take the oath, suffer severe consequences.

5. DEATH OR ILLNESS OF THE WOMAN OR HER CHILD: Maa Obu may inflict a severe ailment on the adulterous woman or her child, or cause death to either of them.

vi. Abnormal Natural Occurrences: Unusual natural phenomena, such as a banana or plantain bearing fruit from the trunk instead of the top, can be interpreted as a sign of adultery in the community.

6. UNUSUAL APPEARANCE OF BEES: The sudden appearance of a swarm of bees clustering at the gate, wall, or room of a house within a compound is a signal that a serious abomination has occurred. This prompts the consultation of an oracle, leading to a general oath-taking. A spiritual potion is administered to the women, and the guilty party is usually revealed.

Women found guilty of adultery through any of the above methods are subjected to specific penalties in accordance with the customs of Afikpo society.

Copied: Dr. Ikenna Ukpabi Unya 

© Afikpo Connect