Measurement Techniques

Daughter-wife marriage in Awgu is the type of marriage whereby a daughter, usually the first daughter, is retained by the father to bear male children for him. This marriage occurs only when the

83 wife or wives of a man failed to bear a male child. Parsons (1977:27) believes that “order, stability and cooperation in society are based on value consensus, and that is a general agreement by members of society concerning what is good and worthwhile”. For order and stability to be maintained in any society, the family institution will continue to bear children that will transmit the culture of the land to the new generations that are yet unborn. This is why families are obliged to bear children especially male ones that will continue their father’s name, and teach their children what is good and what is bad. The agreement of the Awgu people is that it is good and worthwhile that every family should have a son who will be taking care of the homestead at the demise of the father. When the son is not forthcoming, the couple will be adviced to retain one of their daughters as ịdagbe to bear children for them especially male children.

Also Riyono & Himam Shah & Bhat (2010) note that the wide interest in motivation is because it is seen as essential for understanding and explaining the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of the human behaviour. i.e. how people can be motivated to perform their activities and why they behave in certain ways. The ‘why’ Awgu people retain one of the daughters from a sonless family is for family continuity: to allow the ịdagbe to bear children hopefully male children that will continue the lineage of her father.

Daughter-wife according to Mgbavo Oge (Personal Communication 17^th December, 2017) is retaining one of the daughters usually the first daughter in a family where only female children are born. She explained that there is a ritual that will be performed before a daughter can be retained as daughter-wife which is called ịdagbe in Awgu. This she said is the presentation of kola-nuts and wine of the kinsmen (inye ọjị na ibunye mmanya ụmụnna) of the father to the girl. The above explanation was also quoted by Okeeja Nwuuzo,, Ibeka Nwaedu, Nwokporo Egwu and Inoegbu Ozoele. Nwokolo Nwavo (Personal Communication 8^th October, 2017) explained that in

daughter-84 wife marriage, bride price is not paid because the father of the bride who would have received the bride price of her daughter from another suitor will not pay himself. After the presentation of kolanut and wines of the kinsmen, the father will make known his intention to his kinsmen. Then the ritual of retaining the daughter will be performed. This ritual is called emume nhachi nwaanyị in Awgu. She said that the ritual is performed by the kinsmen only as no outsider is allowed to join in this ritual.

Their reason is that they are trying to prevent an extinction of a lineage of their kinsmen and as such they do not want an outsider. This was affirmed by Nwaata Nwaokomma, Mgbechi Nwude, Mgborie Uka and Olovo Ali.

The ritual according to Egwuoke Onu (Personal Communication 9^th January 2017) is performed as follows: the father of the daughter-wife would be asked to leave his house as early as 4am on the day of this ritual to return after four market days. The reason, he said, is that the father has handed over his compound to the hand of his daughter to whom he hopes to continue the lineage in his absence. At about 6am in the morning, the daughter to be retained is made to sit at the center of the compound to which she is getting married and be holding a she-goat that has given birth. The elders from each household of his kinsmen will stand round the daughter and make libation, one after the other, calling on their ancestors to come to their aid and wipe away the tears off the face of their kinsman whose homestead is about to lie desolate. They will also implore the gods of the land to come to their kinsman’s aid to achieve this task through his daughter. As the she-goat has giving birth to both he-goat and she-goat, may the daughter also give birth to both female and male children. At the end of the ritual, the she-goat will be immolated and the meat will be used in cooking yam porridge for the kinsmen who have performed this ritual. Bachelors and men whose wives have not giving birth to male children can be part of the ritual but they cannot partake in eating the yam porridge. The reason for not allowing this group of people to take part in this meal is

85 that they too can be victims of such in future. After the entertainment the kinsmen will disperse to their various homes and the daughter will be sleeping with a man recommended by the father for bearing children. The person must be without bad character. Ogbumma Nwali, Simon Okolodeligwe, Uzo, Enu and Iweolu Nwavobu affirmed to the above explanation by Egwuoke Oṅu.

Mgbavo Oge (Personal Communication 17^th December, 2017) said that except in three or two cases in Awgu, all the ịdagbe bore male children that continued the lineages of their fathers.

This was corroborated by Nwoji Nwavo, Ovuteuzo Ugwa, , Onukwe Aṅu and Agbidi Okeke.