Traditionally, there are two classes of people in Igboland – the Nwadiala and the Osu. The Nwadiala literally meaning ‘sons of the soil’. They are the masters while the Osu are the people dedicated to the gods; so they are regarded as slaves, strangers, outcasts and untouchables.
What is OSU in Igbo land?
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).
Who are the OSU people in Nigeria?
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?
An Osu cannot contract a marriage with a Freeborn. Because of the Osu factor, marriages in Igbo society are preceded by investigations – elders from both sides travel to native villages to find out the social status of the other party.
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.
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.
Is there OSU in Anambra State?
It is located in the present Anambra State. Only one type of Osu is now in existence and it is wholly accepted by those who are fond of disparaging the descendants of the discredited Osu caste system in Igbo land.
What is OSU fruit called in Yoruba?
In southern Nigeria it is called “osu” (Edo), “nkpokiri” (Ibo), and “erin” (Yoruba). It flowers in November and from March to May. The fruit is about 5.25 cm in diameter, yellow to orange, glabrous and smooth containing twelve or more disc-shaped seeds embedded in a gelatinous pulp (Keay et al., 1964.
Is Mbanta a person or a place *?
In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Mbanta is a village in Nigeria where many people of the Igbo tribe inhibit. Mbanta is also Okonkwo’s (main protagonist) mother’s place of birth.
What are the consequences of marrying an OSU?
Our parents would tell us which barber’s shop to use and which one to avoid. As custom demands, if Osu person cuts your hair, you will automatically become Osu, and every member of your family becomes Osu instantly. If you marry an Osu, you will become Osu instantly and all members of your family will be Osu.
What an Igbo man wants in a woman?
Igbo men love women that have oyel in their head. They love a wife that can help the children with their assignments. Completing your good looks with an intelligent head makes you a treasure in his eyes. Women that knows how to pamper their husbands.
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.
Did Africa have a caste system?
Caste systems in Africa are a form of social stratification found in numerous ethnic groups, found in over fifteen countries, particularly in the Sahel, West Africa, and North Africa.
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.
When did the abolishment of slavery happen?
Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States and provides that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or …