MY TOWNSMEN HAD BEEN PRACTISING SAME SEX MARRIAGE BUT WITH A DIFFERENCE
Thread.
As a young boy in the 1970s, I witnessed, aside from stories I heard, women marrying fellow women in my town. It was strange, but it happened.
Thread.
As a young boy in the 1970s, I witnessed, aside from stories I heard, women marrying fellow women in my town. It was strange, but it happened.
I was to find out why the elders of my town allowed such acts that have become outlawed because of how it has been repackaged and sold to Africans as lesbianism.
Under Nnewi native law and customs, a woman could marry a fellow woman under the following situations:
Under Nnewi native law and customs, a woman could marry a fellow woman under the following situations:
TO PRESERVE INHERITANCE: An only girl-child who was traditionally licensed to procreate in her father's house (Nhachi) without marriage and who has been unable to sire a male child or have as many male children as desired can marry a fellow woman of her choice to help her...
populate her compound. Once the bride price is paid, the bride follows her female "husband" home. The wife subsequently gives the female husband all the respects due to a husband. She calls her "di m" or "my husband."
It is the duty of the female husband to prequalify and choose the man or men who shall be sleeping with her wife for procreation purposes. Her choice of a man depends on the characteristics she desires in her "children."
She might go out of her way to beg a skilled man to reproduce himself in her house. Good men would always help. It is called "izelu agbọ", meaning "accessing and bringing into a lineage some desired traits from an admired man."
Men who are chosen have records of success in their profession and are proven, energetic persons. The choice could be a famous wrestler, successful farmer, wise and rich merchant or broad-shouldered, tall, gap-toothed handsome man.
The children from this arrangement are full members of the kindred (Ụmụnna) of the female husband's father and are never discriminated against.
TO EXTEND FAMILY LINE: Some mothers of men who died during the Biafran war married wives for their dead sons.
TO EXTEND FAMILY LINE: Some mothers of men who died during the Biafran war married wives for their dead sons.
Right now in Umuezenwegbu my family, we have a woman in her late 80s who was married by a grief-stricken mother for her dead son killed during Nigeria/Biafra civil war. As usual, the bride price would be paid, and a willing man is asked to copulate with the bride to further the..
dead man's generation. In this case, the wife and the children answer of the female husband just as that of the dead son.
ACTS BY FEMALE NATIVE DOCTOR:
Many Igbo communities had powerful women medicine practitioners who could not marry men or have sex at all by virtue of their spiritual office. They then marry same sex or women to have children for them.
Many Igbo communities had powerful women medicine practitioners who could not marry men or have sex at all by virtue of their spiritual office. They then marry same sex or women to have children for them.
A very popular female dibia specialising in exorcising mermaid spirits from ladies in Egbu Enem in Otolo Nnewi married 3 women. Most of the offsprings resemble the medicine woman's brother. The choice of sperm donors or a visiting fertiliser man is for the female husband to make.
The concept of same sex marriage is not new to my people. The difference is that today's practitioners are now doing everything themselves without getting men involved in manual sperm donation.
There is nothing new under the sun.
© Ikenga Ezenwegbu
26 January 2022
There is nothing new under the sun.
© Ikenga Ezenwegbu
26 January 2022
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