Rituals of the Umuofian Culture
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, many cultural values are demonstrated through special ceremonies. The Ibo inhabitants of the land Umuofia perform ceremonies of many different sorts. Today, in modern America, we brush our teeth, take showers and go to school, but in this text, the Umuofian villagers break kola nuts, have bride-prices, and sacrifice living organisms. These rituals are not just done for any reason, but they have special importance towards each clan. We may think the rituals to be odd, but in a peculiar way, it relates to many customs we do today. "'He who brings kola nut brings life. But I think you ought to break it,' replied Okoye, passing back the disc. 'No, its for you...'" (pg. 6) One must be wondering what a kola nut is and why it is so important. The breaking of the kola nut (somewhat like a coconut) shows status, respect and honor. As we have the custom of unscrewing the cork in a wine bottle, they break a kola nut. Normally, the oldest in the famil
The bride-to-be was not allowed to listen or be present, only to serve wine and food during the discussion. The bride price was done so that the bride's father would show his appreciation in how the other family would accept the duty of taking care of his beloved daughter. For instance, they also know to cherish and respect their elders. "If I fall down for you and you fall down for me, it is play. " Twins were also thrown into the Evil Forest because of the clan's superstition. 25) Unoka, Okonkwo's father was also laid in the Evil Forest to rest because he had developed an unusual disease. The people present were extremely polite and courteous toward one another and acted quite homely together. In the Umuofian culture, all the fathers had to pay a bride price to the husband and his family. Not only was it a shame, but leaving people to die in the Evil Forest was said to "cleanse" one from its' spirits. Many people were present at one of these discussions. Ceremonies and practices that we would normally not think about were performed in the Ibo culture, with many cultural values behind it. Not so far away, lay the Evil Forest, which entrusted in it are all of the bodies of the ill-fated men and women who died from "evil causes. Men were valued over women, which made them rather powerful.
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,
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