The Osu caste system is an ancient practice in Igboland that discourages social interaction and marriage with a group of persons called Osu (Igbo: outcast).
What is an OSU in Igbo culture?
Among the Igbo people of eastern Nigeria the Osu are outcasts, the equivalent of being an “untouchable”. Years ago he and his family would be shunned by society, banished from communal land, banned from village life and refused the right to marry anyone not from an Osu family.
Can I marry an OSU?
Osu are only supposed to marry other osu; osu as a status is contagious (if one of your parents is osu, then you are osu; if you marry an osu … you can become osu; in some places, if you share food with an osu, you are in danger).
What is OSU and Ohu?
Under slavery, Igbo society was divided into three main categories: diala, ohu, and osu. The diala were the freeborn, and enjoyed full status as members of the human race. … This person then became osu, and lived near the shrine, tending to its grounds and rarely mingling with the larger community.
Is there OSU in Anambra State?
Osu in the region of Anambra State is located in Nigeria – some 218 mi or ( 351 km ) South of Abuja , the country’s capital city .
What means OSU?
The word Osu comes from oshi shinobu, which means “to persevere whilst being pushed”. It implies a willingness to push oneself to the limits of endurance, to persevere under any kind of pressure. The single word Osu captures most accurately the ultimate in what the art of karate, particularly Kyokushin, has to offer.
What is OSU fruit in Yoruba?
Hunteria umbellata K. Schum (Apocynaceae) is a shrub about 15-22 m tall growing throughout west and central Africa. In southern Nigeria it is called “osu” (Edo), “nkpokiri” (Ibo), and “erin” (Yoruba).
What happens when you marry an OSU?
If you marry an Osu, you will become Osu instantly and all members of your family will be Osu. … When he wanted to marry his so-called Osu wife, his father told him not to try it otherwise he would disown him and he will never be allowed to come to the village again.
Can Yoruba marry Igbo?
Some Yoruba men end up marrying Igbo ladies not because they had it planned out but because love happened. … Yoruba men know that marrying Igbo ladies who are well cultured and behaved will help them keep their family members together. Over time, the family members may start to see the good in them and love them too.
Can slaves get married?
9 Slaves were prohibited from marrying because, as long as they were in a state of bondage, they lacked the capacity to enter into any legally enforceable civil contracts. Once emancipated and granted the capacity to contract, the right of freed slaves to marry was undisputed.
What is UME in Igbo land?
One traditional Igbo practice is the caste system which dehumanises and treats as outcasts those designated to be „Osu‟. Also referred to as Ume, Ohu, Oru, Ohu Ume, and Omoni (Okpu-Aja), people of the Osu caste “are regarded as sub-human… unclean…or slaves”.
Who are the Igbo tribe?
Igbo, also called Ibo, people living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria who speak Igbo, a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family. The Igbo may be grouped into the following main cultural divisions: northern, southern, western, eastern or Cross River, and northeastern.
What do I need to get married in Nigeria?
How to register a marriage in Nigeria
- Marriage is registered at a local public registry, which requires a Letter of Marriage Intention and payment of a fee of Naira 2,000.
- A person under 18 years of age, who wishes to register a marriage, is required to present a letter of consent from his or her parents.
How did OSU start?
It all began in 1890. The story of Oklahoma State University began on Christmas Eve, 1890, at the McKennon Opera House in Oklahoma’s territorial capital of Guthrie when Territorial Governor George W. Steele signed legislation establishing an Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (OAMC) in Payne County.