𝘼𝙂𝘽𝘼𝙍𝙃𝘼-𝘼𝙈𝙀 𝙒𝘼𝙍𝙍𝙄 𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂𝘿𝙊𝙈~𝙒𝘼𝘿𝙊 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝙔

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗱𝗷𝘂 𝗢𝘄𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹

𝘼 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙜𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙝𝙖 – 𝘼𝙢𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙇.𝙂.𝘼 ~ 𝙒𝙖𝙙𝙤 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮

It is true that festivals and ceremonies anywhere in the world represent the experiences of a people. The Agbarha-Ame people are believed to be originally from Edo territory and stopped in Agbarha-Otor, from where they founded the present Agbarha described as Agbarha-Ame. The Agbarha-Ame kingdom is located in Warri Township in present day Warri South Local Government Area, of Delta State, Nigeria and consists of seven settlements namely: Otovwodo-Agbarha, Igbudu, Edjeba, Ogunu, and Okurode- Urhobo. While two riverine communities Oteghele and Ukpokiti are situated in some kilometers North West of Ogunu town with other satellite town.

Their neighbours are Uvwie, Udu, Ogbe-Ijaw, Okere-Urhobo and the Itsekiri. The name, Agbarha, Otite notes, is used both to cover all the seven towns as one unit and to refer to one of the towns i.e. Otovwodo-Agbarha . The occupation of their present territory dates back from the 13th century.

The Idju Owhurie Festival

The Idju festival is a bi-annual festival celebrated by the Agbarha-Ame people of Warri South in worship of the Owhurie deity (the god of war). It is celebrated on an odd year because like the town which is seven in number, an odd number the people of Agbarha-Ame cannot be divided without a remainder. This is symbolic of the unity of the people.

The festival is characterized by ancestral veneration (Esemọ and Iniemọ ‘male and female’ ancestors). The festival, also known as “Agbassa Juju,” features ritual activities, symbolic war duel occasioned by war dance as well as intense festivity. The word “Agbassa” is a corruption of the kingdom’s name Agbarha while juju is used to represent the deity. In other words, “Agbassa Juju” simply means “Agbarha Deity”.It is one of the unifying forces that bind the seven communities that make up the Agbarha-Ame kingdom.

The origin of the festival from oral accounts may be traced back to the early 15th century. Oral accounts show that the ancestors who founded the kingdom first settled at Ukpokiti and then Oteghele. They however left Oteghele to settle on the southern part of the Omia River. During their stay there, there were frequent deaths of the elders. The people saw the frequent deaths of their elders as the handiwork of an evil force or a curse by a deviant spirit who was out to wreak havoc on the town in order to reduce her population.

The people therefore sought the assistance of a diviner who directed them to retrieve their shrine/deity left behind at Oteghele to their present settlement. The people swiftly went and retrieved and installed the god and called it the Owhurie deity .The people therefore instituted the bi-annual Idju festival in worship of the Owhurie deity for ensuring the people’s safety from frequent deaths and for protecting them against external forces. Hence, during the celebration, the people wear gallant and warlike costumes, with the men wielding cutlasses in a procession that is characterised by mock dance duels of clanking cutlasses and other battle instruments.

The aim is to re-enact the heroic warfare encountered by their ancestors and the victories they achieved. The festival which is celebrated on a day fixed by the Chief Priest with pomp and pageantry is preceded by six days of intense preparations. During this period, the preparations usually take place at night. The warriors from each of the settlements visit one another in groups and are escorted back by the host community. This is done to cement the cordial relationship that existed between them.

Very early on the sixth day, warriors from the seven settlements would converge at Sedco, one of the hunting sites of the kingdom to carry some sacred ritual materials, which are wrapped in a mat, to Otovwodo in preparation for the final day of the festival. As a war festival which marks the return of the war deity (Owhurie) from battle, the people on the day of the festival are dressed in martial costumes – red and white clothes sewn to represent costumes of their ancient warriors. Some of the male role players put on red or white skirt (buluku) and a sleeveless shirt while others leave the upper part of their body naked with their faces painted variously with kaolin and charcoal.

Skulls of monkeys, birds, and feathers of wild birds, bells (both small and big), as well as different amulets are tied to several of their body and clothes. Red/white caps with feathers of birds pieced on them are also worn by participants, giving them an air of ancient traditional warriors – each bearing a cutlass or an axe, brooms or staff with scabbard worn around their shoulders. At intervals, one group would clank their cutlasses against those of others in a mock duel. The women dress in comical costumes, carrying brooms, palm fronds and sticks.

Idju Cultural Festival

The activities of the final day start between 7am and 10am in the morning at each of the seven communities that made up the Agbarha-Ame kingdom. Each of the seven settlements, with the chief priests (Esedjọ) and Warriors, would process to Otovwodo (the traditional headquarters of the kingdom) to give account of their stewardship to the god of war (the Owhurie deity). Each troupe arrives with an Osa (a palm fronds decorated burning basket with a boy of about four years old) guarded by heavily armed warriors.

The procession from each community arrives one after the other and halts at the feet of the Owhurie shrine at Otovwodo. They and their entourage dance to the admiration of the spectators before entering the temple. This is quickly followed by the arrival of the Igbus (warlords) led by the Aridjo who is the traditional medicine man and the Olotu’s second in command whose duty is to see to the safety of the warriors at war times.

The Aridjo is vested with the traditional authority to “survey the conditions of safety in the town three times before the Olotu (field marshal) may venture out during the festival. He emerges with the Olotu amidst a thunderous hail of seven cannon shots that can only be compared to a regular missile sound.

The Olotu is like any other field marshal in the world. There has been an instance when an Olotu killed a lion with his bare hands, while another Olotu with few warriors captured a full town. In times of war, he is the ultimate person to be consulted filled, with bravado he confidently leads his people to war. The physique of an Olotu are most often intimidating. They are huge with eerie appearance facially.

During this period, the traditional sacred drum is being prepared by the chief drummer who pours libation and utters some chants to fortify the drums. His ritual fortification of the drums, which are painted in red and white, is climaxed by another round of libation with a special palm wine brought from the Owhurie shrine. The chief drummer has an assistant who beats some smaller sets of drums. When satisfied with the fortification of the drum, the chief drummer beats it to spur the warriors who are already at the arena. The warriors dance from one end of the arena to another and then to the deity’s altar directly facing the Owhuire temple, say some chants and then processed into the shrine, thus paving way for the arrival of the Olotu.

The Olotu arrives the mini-theatre stage already prepared, accompanied by warriors who cover him with trees and palm fronds as the tempo of the sacred drum is increased. The scenario is such that the trees are seen to be moving as a forest that is being transferred. The Olotu’s emergence heralds a mock heroic dance of clanking of cutlasses and gallantry to the admiration of the spectators. He is led directly to the Owhurie temple for further fortifications. On the arrival of the olotu in the Owhurie shrine the chief priest (Olowo) of the shrine and his acolytes shower benediction on the Olotu and prays for a feast devoid of mishap, acrimony and misfortunes.

The Olowu is the chief priest of the Owhurie great shrine who communes with God through the Owhurie diety. He often offers sacrifice to God and prays for the well being of his people and the rest of the world in general. The Olowu is a mystical being whose idiosyncrasy is trapped up in tolerance, clemency, chastity benevolence sincerity and truthfulness. As a sober and pious man he is distant from lewd and vulgar jokes. He also prepares the potent concoction that keeps people fit ahead of the Idju-Owhurie festival.

The Olowu To Owhurie Shrine

At this stage, the festival arena is covered with enthusiastic participants who dance in a mock heroic duel of cutlass clanking. They sing the popular song… ” uvworhon ro Ovie re, ugo eeh sasako”, meaning feathers of the King of eagle is precious. The tempo of the drum is heightened amidst clinking cutlasses. The Igbus (warlords) re-enter the arena, dance in a calculated steps in synchrony with the drumbeats and then move to the altar stage, a raised sacrificial platform in front of the temple, utter some chants and return to the inner chambers of the Owhurie temple.

At this point, the arena is cleared to usher in the Olotu who emerges without the sacred head-gear. He is dressed in white buluku (skirt) with the upper part of his body, smeared with charcoal, naked. He holds two brooms in his hands and dances to salute the drummers to the admiration of the spectators. He moves from there to the sacrificial platform directly in front of the Owhurie shrine, utters appropriate chants and returns to face the spectators on the upper stage of the arena, dancing ostentatiously to the rhythm of the drum. He does this three times and then returns to the inner chambers of the Owhurie shrine.

At this stage, elders and chiefs of the kingdom in jubilant mood dance around the open section of the arena to greet the spectators, creating a space for a free-for-all dance. This goes on for about thirty-five minutes and then the arena stage is called to order the second time to receive the Olotu, this time in full military regalia. He dons the Oletu head gear (a warrior cap decorated with feathers of sacred birds, each representing the numbers of enemies killed in battle), with the upper part of his body smeared with charcoal and several amulets tied to his hands and waist.

He holds a cutlass on his right hand and the head of a ram dripping blood on the left – drinking the fresh blood from the severed head of the ram at intervals, reenacting an ancient battle scene where the blood from the severed head of an enemy warrior is drank by the Olotu. The Olotu looks fierce in his charcoal-smeared body, marching menacingly in calculated steps, he is firmly held in the waist by stoutly looking young men to eschew untold casualties, following the rhythmic beats of the drums.

He dances for about 25 minutes and he is escorted back to the inner chambers of the shrine. At this point, the oldest man of the kingdom is escorted to the arena by elders and chiefs, all dancing to the rhythm of the drumbeats. This signals the end of the sacred aspects of the festival. The merriment ceremonies thereafter continue till dawn.

The Economic Benefits Of Odju Owhurie Festival

Festival is an expression of culture of a particular group of the society with intricate social, economic and cultural values. Today, local festivals are regarded as important tourism resource, a prominent component in the culture of many societies and an inevitable part of the heritage of many nations

Without doubt like any other festival the odju owhurie plays an economic role in the development of Warri and its environ. It serves as a tourist destination to people, there by boosting the economy of hoteliers, pubs, transportation local markets and supermarkets in Warri.

So whenever you are in Agbarha Ame Kingdom of Warri South L.G.A., Wado City, Delta State, you should do well to stop by Agbarha town to enjoy the rich cultural heritage display of the great people of Agbarha –Ame Warri kingdom in Wado City

Please help us to share by clicking the share button