Bighi-bite Ceremony In Opobo Kingdom

Lady Pat Asabe Peterside during her bighi-bite ceremony in Opobo town three years ago. 

Have you been to King Jaja's Opobo kingdom? Many times I travel around Nigeria and some parts of Africa, I ask natives of those places if they've heard about the famous King Jaja of Opobo. Many of them tend to remember the story of a slave boy who fought against an unjust system to become a King and later abandoned the Ancient Bonny kingdom to found Opobo kingdom.  

What do you know about the culture and people of Opobo kingdom? The Bighi-bite ceremony is a prestigious cultural display and celebration of womanhood in the kingdom of Opobo. 

IN most traditional African communities, womenfolk are always associated with fertility, kindness and power. The relationship between men and women in traditional communities is complimentary for the smooth functioning of the society. However, the woman is regarded as the weaker sex whose primary roles include procreation and service to her husband, children and members of the extended family. In view of their pivotal roles in the society, festivals and ceremonies were deliberately instituted to honour the womenfolk. Such festivals include the Bighi-bite ceremony of the Opobo Kingdom. Opobo Kingdom is an island surrounded by Andoni (LGA in the west, Khana North) Ete Ibibio Akwa-Ibom in the East and South by the Atlantic Ocean. They are predominantly fishermen and traders.

Origin of Bighi-bite

Iria is a tripartite ceremony performed by parents in Opobo to advertise to the community especially bachelors that their daughter has attained womanhood, are virgins and are ready to get married. Bighi-bite is the third stage of Iria system.
The Opobos borrowed Iria culture from the Kalabaris after they settled in their present settlement. Since then, it has been a hurdle that every Opobo woman must jump. For a woman to perform Bighi-bite, she must have passed through the “Kala-egere-bite and Opu egere bite” which are the small cloth tying ceremonies.

Bighi-bite ceremony

It is one of the many cultural festivals celebrated by the riverine people of Opobo Kingdom. It is a cloth-tying ceremony or a rite of passage ceremony to commemorate the coming of age of a woman and to celebrate womanhood generally.
It is the actuality and recognition of a full woman basically in Opobo kingdom.
This Bighi-Bite ceremony is performed individually or in a group and is done when a woman has come of age before or after marriage.

It could either be performed by the parents or the husband of the woman. Most women prefer their husbands to sponsor the ceremony as this accords more honour and respect to the husband and the woman is regarded as having “married well”. The Opobo womanhood does not discriminate based on the marital status of a woman; rather such discrimination is based on the backdrop of the performance of the Bighi-bite ceremony.

A woman though married but has not performed the rite, does not have the right to be heard by the public or amongst the womenfolk. Most importantly, she is not allowed to use the two-piece of the Bighi-Bite (George wrapper) material, which is known as “Eregbo na-mgbudu” in public, else she would be disrobed and disgraced publicly, by other women who would untie the mgbudu or top wrapper from her waist.

Bighi-bite is a locally woven length of cloth known as “Akuru Aku” or Akwete cloth. This is redesigned locally by carefully removing some thread used to weave the cloth, thereby giving it a different design and pattern, which is beautiful to behold.

The Ceremony

When a woman has come of age and ready for the ceremony, she would convey her intention to the women leaders with a gift of drinks. Once these gifts are accepted, announcements are made concerning her intention.

The celebrant would henceforth start to notify relatives, family members and friends. Then she would be confined to the fattening/grooming room known as mgbede few weeks to the ceremony. There, she is taught her roles which include special dance steps for the ceremony. Some of the women are to assist the Mgbede on how to dance, some assist in meeting her demands like easing herself, water to drink or eat as she is not allowed to do anything for herself. The closest relation amongst the women bathes the mgbede since she is not allowed to bathe herself. She will also be tattooed in the fattening room. There must be at least a woman with the mgbede always.

The ceremony, being an expensive venture creates roles for the relatives and friends to play. They buy expensive gifts items like wrappers, head ties, trinkets as well as donating money for the success of the ceremony.

The day of the ceremony brings a flurry of activities. The celebrant in anticipation of many guests would cook and prepare different kinds of local dishes that would cater for the expected visitors.

A prominent feature is the yam pepper soup and folo (soup) rich in fish and other sea condiments like periwinkle, etc because they are staple in the Riverine kingdom.
Since the ceremony is centred on clothing, the woman makes a concerted effort towards the acquisition of five or more boxes (depending on how wealthy the family is). These boxes are filled with assorted kinds of wrappers and trinkets and other paraphernalia that are associated with the ceremony. The boxes filled with clothes are usually inspected by the women to pass as adequate and is mostly put on display on the day of the ceremony for all and sundry to view. Later in the day, the celebrant would be rubbed camwood, which dries on her body. She would tie two folds of Erogbo na mgbudu of Akuru-Aku wrapper with a matching blouse and head tie. She is lavishly adorned with good valuable trinkets on her neck, ears, fingers and wrist. Her elaborate coiffure or hairstyle is covered with a fine headgear. She is now set for the social appearance.

She would walk around and about the village square and the village in general with her well-wishers accompanied by drumbeats and songs eulogizing her and womanhood in general. She would entertain the crowd with her gait and dance steps; following the dictates of the tone of the music, which she must have been taught by the women leader in the mgbede.

She may opt to have a change of clothes and appear for another round of dance in a new set of costumes. She is usually showered with a lot of gift items either in cash or kind by friends and well-wishers. At the end of the display, she will retire home where the women group, friends and visitors will be entertained lavishly signifying the end of the ceremony for the day which is usually a Saturday. The celebrant thereafter goes back to her father’s house before going to the husband’s house if married. On Monday, the celebrant dresses up to visit the market square to share gifts. The sellers may give the celebrant gifts in return.
After these ceremonies, the celebrants must always tie two wrappers (eregbo na mgbudu) except on casual outing.

Non-performance of the Bighi-Bite ceremony attracts a form of social discrimination amongst the women group. Sanctions are placed on non-performer from tying two wrappers in public. If she does, other women will untie a fold of wrapper known as mgbudu from her waist in public and such is done with taunting.

Worthy of note is that Bighi-Bite is so relevant that it is performed on the deathbed of a no-celebrant before burial. A non-indigene married to Opobo is obligated to perform the Bighi-bite ceremony for proper integration to the society. An indigene married to an outsider is also obligated to perform this ceremony.

Due to the expensive nature of these ceremonies of Iria, the stages (Kala-egere bite and Opu-egere-bite are combined as one ceremony which precedes the Bighi -Bite. The family of the celebrant could perform these ceremonies in two days to reduce the cost of the celebration.

 This Easter in 2018 is another opportunity to see the beauty of cultural excellence of the people of Opobo Kingdom, if you have some time, find your way to Opobo town, Eastern Rivers State of Nigeria. There'd be lots of these ceremonies happening simultaneously across the ancient town. 

You can email soso.uow@gmail.com if you wish to know some more about this awesome culture.