The Osu In Igboland
Some
people say the meaning of "Osu" in Igbo is slave; a bit like the Ohu
or even the Umeh. In fact these are wrong definitions. Ohu for instance is no slave
- he is an indentured servant. Strictly speaking, slavery does not exist in the
Igbo world, because there is nothing final to that relationship. For instance, the Ohu can work themselves out
of their indenture; in manyinstannces, the Ohu may even become fully adopted into
the family to which it is indentured, after a particular ritual to ala, which confers
a ritual link -amadi - to the individual, who is then accorded all the rights
of the Diala.
But speaking specifically about the Osu - there were two phases:
in the first phase, the "Osu" was part of the complex priestly system
to the Igbo ritual world. It is not easy to go into detail in a very short
space, but the Igbo world was a highly spiritual system in which all the four
elements in nature were recreated and symbolized: Ala (Earth) Ogwugwu/ Ime muru
ochie/ Idemili (water) Agwu ( wind) Anyanwu ((Fire) Sun)
In a later phase, as a
result of a historical accident in which an Igbo tyrant and King (Amadi-oha)
tried to domesticate energy as an instrument of war and was blown skywards, the
Igbo instituted the rites of Amadi-Oha as a reminder against the use of force,
or the domestication of energy for deployment in war. Amadi-oha was an engineer,
and that is why, you have the symbolic piece of iron at every shrine of
Amadi-Oha. It was part of the covenant with Chukwu, and it was also the beginning of the pacific idea in Odinala,
that the Igbo would never use such instruments of massive force which this
famous Igbo tyrant was attempting to produce, this experiment with
"ike" - energy/electricity. Amadi-oha, blown skywards and trapped
between the sky and the earth is supposed to remind us never to succumb to the
rule of one man or king or tyrant. The serpent of fire - the sign of Ogwugwu -
is said to guard Amadi-oha from returning with his fiery energy to earth. It is
also said, that whoever commits the high abomination on earth suffers the fate
which Amadi-Oha exemplifies, which is what gave rise to the myth that Amadi-Oha
is the earth's messenger in the event of alu. The Igbo had shrines to all these
forces in nature. Every community had the shrine of
Ala, Ogwugwu, Agwu or Amadi-oha (which gradually replaced "Ihu-Anyanwu").
Ala, Ogwugwu, Agwu or Amadi-oha (which gradually replaced "Ihu-Anyanwu").
The priests of these shrines were called Ezeala, EzeOgwuwgwu, Eze Amadioha, or EzeAgwu
- ndi "isi mmuo". Each had specific rituals and specific seasons all
connected with the movement of the nature; or with the celebrations, festivals,
or according to the covenants of each clan. There were traditionally in the Igbo
world, those who dedicate themselves, or are dedicated to the service of these
shrines: they were called Osu. It does not quite mean "slave." The
closest example of the function of the Osu in the traditional Igbo world is
what monks do in Catholic church or the in Buddhist
temples. They chose a life of complete surrender to the deities.
Traditionally,
they were regarded highly. In fact, the names, Osuji, Osuagwu, Osuala, Nwosu,
etc; did not confer extraordinary negation; it was a declaration of piety. To
this day, many Igbo bear these names, and they are not "osu" in the
caste notion of the word. However, the second phase of the Osu system, when it
became endowed with increasing negative connotations was at the height of the
slave raids in the Igbo world in the 19th century. By this time, the Osu had
begun to be seen as largely a parasitic institution - they were immune from too
many things, they had the best portion of the land, they did not work - and
they became subjects of both envy and derision
in a most difficult era in the Igbo world which demanded hard work and enterprise for survival. At
the height of the slave raids, some very vulnerable people chose to dedicate themselves
to the service of deities, or were dedicated by their families to the altar, so
that they would become literally "untouchable."
In time, these group
morphed into isolation from the rest of the community, and became subjects of
both fear, envy and disdain. This was the state of affairs until missionaries
entered the Igbo world late in the 19th century. The first group of people to
be evangelized were the Osu, and the missionaries of course saw in their ritual
isolation, a condition akin to the Indian caste system, and propagated the
dubious picture of a ritually isolate, ritually ex-communicated caste
community, and gave the Osu the bad name that it bears today in Igboland. In
fact traditionally, there was no hereditary Osu. Aside from the fact that it contradicted
the Igbo view of the individual and the world, it also totally negated the very
principle of the ritual purity of those traditionally dedicated to the altar of
Mmuo. Osu in Igbo did not mean slave, and traditionally, it had no negative connotation;
it was in fact a privileged institution, until its desacralization both by evolving
political and economic reality and by the transformations in the ritual meaning
endowed upon it by Christianity.
Anyanwu is not fire, is the Sun.
ReplyDeleteThe Igbo version of "racism". How I hate this practice!
ReplyDeleteOga, this article is pure class! Your narration explained a lot! Kudos! Can I receive more info in Igbo tradition in my mail: bushjeph@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteyou are wrong.Very wrong about the concept of Osu.
Deletevery good document. i would like to get more information is general Igbo culture and traditions to teach my kids and friends
ReplyDeleteSo wic people con be d osu
ReplyDeleteYour article is very an excellent piece. The abolition isjust a part of the solution,but the best isthat, every reasonable Igbo. Person should disregard that
ReplyDeleteInhuman dehumanization and marry who they are. In love but with full stop. Madu chikere.
I like your article I would like to read more about my origin.. Nice one
ReplyDeleteYou gave a vivid and lucid account thank you
ReplyDeleteNeed more info on my e mail chikezieiwuofor9@gmail.com
ReplyDelete