AGBON-URHOBO FESTIVALS AND FEMALE PROHIBITIONS: A 21ST CENTURY DISCOURSE
Abstract:The Urhobo nation is endowed with several
forms of traditional festivals which are celebrated periodically to preserve
and promote the cultural values and heritages of the people. In this paper, we
investigated the cultural reasons for the seclusion of the womenfolk from
certain rituals during traditional festivals in Agbon-Urhobo communities in
Delta State. The data for this study were collected through in-depth interviews
of respondents that have insight into Agbon festivals and women prohibitions
from certain rituals. The study adopted the purposive sampling technique which
gives the researchers freedom to select respondents who have profound knowledge
of traditional festivals in Agbon Clan. The interviews lasted for three days
with the interviewer recording the oral data with a tape and also taking notes
of respondents. The oral data obtained from the key informants were carefully
transcribed and translated into the English version. Two research assistants
were recruited to handle the tape recorder and take notes while the researcher
asked the unstructured questions. Besides the primary data, secondary materials
were consulted to substantiate the arguments and the views of the respondents
from the field. The qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive and
analytic methods since the information is non-numerical based. The findings
show that traditional festivals in Agbon Clan are characterized with female
prohibitions. Though culture is dynamic, the Agbon people still hold unto their
strong cultural beliefs and practices, hence women are excluded from certain
rituals during traditional festivals. Informants argue that the men serve as
mediators between the living and the dead, and they also preserve and protect
the cultural values and heritage of their communities. Unlike the men, the
women cannot keep family or community secrets and oaths taken during
traditional rites and rituals. They are regarded as “unclean” and so during
festivals they could desecrate sacred places especially when they are under
their menstrual period.