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OGODIN’OMULUNWA (THERE IS VALUE IN MOTHERHOOD) BURIAL DANCE OF OSOMALA SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA BY EDITH ABISOLA MADUAGWU MATRIC NO: 38525 B.A. (Hons.) English (Ibadan), M.A. Literature-in-English (O.A.U. Ile-Ife) A thesis in Performance and Cultural Studies submitted to the Institute of African Studies, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the award of the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Of the UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN MAY, 2012 CERTIFICATION I certify that this work was carried out by Edith Abisola MADUAGWU, in the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, under my supervision. …………………………… ………………….. Supervisor’s signature Date Oladele O. Layiwola B.A. (Ife), (Ph. D. (Leeds) Professor of Performance and Cultural Studies Institute of African Studies University of Ibadan ii DEDICATION The work described in this thesis is dedicated to God Almighty For making this work possible and for giving me My Children, Chinedu Mark Bodunrin, and Chimere Louissa Kofoworola, in whom I continually experience the many joys of motherhood iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work has been made possible by the special Grace and Mercy of Almighty God; my constant guide and source of inspiration throughout the duration of this research. I recognize the love, friendship and encouragement of families and friends too numerous to mention. I begin by extending my gratitude to my husband Professor Emmanuel Ndubisi Maduagwu of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan for his financial contribution. I am particularly grateful for the expert guidance and direction, patience and understanding as well as the support and openness I was privileged to receive from my ebullient Supervisor, Professor Oladele O. Layiwola, throughout the duration of my research work. I thank you, Sir. A wealth of gratitude goes to Professor I.O. Albert (present Director of the Institute of African Studies), and to Drs. O. O. Adekola and S. Olorunyomi, and to the various past and present sub-Deans, who have fought my administrative battles at the Institutes of African Studies. I am equally indebted to the following members of the Institute for their kind academic disposition towards my studentship over the years, namely: Professor B. Agbaje-Williams, Drs. O. B. Olaoba, I. A. Jimoh, T. K. Adekunle, O. O Ishola, N.D. Danjubo and Dr. F. A. Faleti. To you Dr. K. A. Adeduntan, I extend my felicitations for the useful suggestions and editing of my thesis. Also I would like to extend a well deserved post-humors appreciation to late Professor C.O. Adepegba, who was a father to me whilst he still walked with the living, ‗Ema je ekolo l‘orun o, baba!‘ In addition, I thank the many mothers and fathers that I have accumulated through the stages of my life. I begin by extending my heart felt gratitude to my kind uncle, the erudite scholar, Professor Tajudeen Balogun (Retired) for his fatherly devotion to my welfare throughout the years of my undergraduate studentship at the University of Ibadan and thereafter; Eng. S.O. Shodeinde (Daddy) for his encouragement; Chief Mrs. Modupe iv Lucas, my mother in Ibadan; Prof. (Mrs.) A.O. Faparusi, my mother in Malawi; Professor (Mrs.) Omibiyi Obidike (Retired), my mother at the Institute; Professor B.O.D. Oyebola for his Christian counsel and advice; to my biological parents, Chief Louise C. Awogu for his moral support and constant encouragement and my incomparable mother, Mrs Victoria Shodeinde for her constant prayers. I also thank my friend, Mrs. Toun Oyelude for her encouragement and Mrs. Patricia Awa Taiwo for her selfless dedication through painstaking criticism and editing. To Mr. Adeshiyan and Mrs. Aderibigbe of the Post-Graduate School, who have been like a brother and a sister to me, respectively, in their concern for the actualization of this work, I cannot thank you both enough. God bless you! Furthermore, I wish to acknowledge the support I garnered from all the non-teaching staff of the Institute of African Studies, led by Mr. P. B. Unuofin, Assistant Registrar and Secretary to the Institute. These Acknowledgements will not be complete without the expression of my unqualified appreciation to the Director of the Institute for the provision of space and other facilities for my work. Finally, my great appreciation and praise for resilience goes to my jewels of inestimable value: my son, Chinedu and my daughter, Chimere, for their endurance through the many deprivations of maternal care and love, occasioned by the rigours and demands of my research endeavour in the preparation of this thesis. v ABSTRACT Ogodin‘omulunwa dance is performed among some Ogbaru Igbo of South Eastern Nigeria, especially among the tripartite brotherhood of Osomala, Odekpe and Okoh towns. Ogodi celebrates the lifetime of a deceased elderly woman of with surviving adult children. As a reward to the toils of maternity, it is a positive commentary on the level of social respect accorded the woman of Ogbaru extraction. Unfortunately, this dance faces a threat of extinction as a result of the ongoing state creation that rarely considers the disintegrating effect on culturally autonomous groups. Currently, the Ogbaru towns used for this research are based in two different states resulting from political divisions. This dance is equally not documented in scholarship. Existing literature on dance is scanty compared to other forms of performance, and funeral dances represent a minimal portion of what is available. It, therefore, becomes imperative that this dance be studied to fill this gap. Data were obtained through primary and secondary sources. The participant and non participant observation of dances, interviews with informants and community elders, and archival documents represented the primary sources. There were also video recordings of Ogodi dance. Secondary were gathered from the internet and libraries. Data were subsequently translated and analyzed using the structural system of semiotic analysis; that is, the icon index and symbol. In the absence of a formal notational system for African dance, a descriptive approach was also employed to explicate the content value of gestures. There are two types of Ogodi dance. In the first type, the body is buried after the husband‘s family had obtained permission from the deceased‘s relatives. Here, the body is replaced with a bust or photograph of the deceased. In the second type, the body is returned to the relatives for burial, thus featuring the full complement of the dances. Ogodi is still appreciated among Ogbaru people as a medium of transition of the deceased to the ancestral realm and also valued as an avenue of moral education the female youth. vi It was observed, however, that anti-tradition Christian doctrines are having negative effects on interest in the performance as most indigenes now prefer Christian burial rites for their dead. Burial dances such as Ogodi which contain moral values that have sustained African communities for centuries are on the brink of extinction. Effort should be directed to the research of such forms which reflect the way we think and live to forestall imminent extinction. In view of the fragility of oral tradition, it is imperative that research attention be directed to similar non-verbal performance. Keywords: Dance, Ogodi funeral rites, Motherhood, Ogbaru-Igbo Word count: 425 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Title page i Certification ii Dedication iii Acknowledgments iv Abstract vi Table of contents viii List of figures xiv Maps of Igboland xv CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background to the Study 1 1.2 Statement of the Research Problem 3 1.3 The Igbo People 7 1.3.1 Present Day Igbo People 7 1.3.2 A Brief History of the People of Osomala 8 1.3.3 Geography and Economy 11 1.3.4 Religious Institutions and Practices of Osomala 13 1.3.5 Ogbaru Culture and the Dance 20 1.4 Igbo Cultural Portrait of the Umuada 23 1.4.1 Umuada of Osomala 26 1.5 Research Questions 30 1.6 Objectives of the Study 30 1.6.1 General Objectives 30 1.6.2 Specific Objectives 31 viii 1.7 Justification for and Significance of the Study 31 1.8 Scope and delimitations of the Study 34 CHAPTER TWO 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 37 2.1 Introduction 37 2.1.1 Dance as Art in Western Society 43 2.1.2 Theories of Dance in African Cultures 69 2.1.3 African Dance: The Traditional and Comtemporary Scene 82 2.1.4 Dance as Symbol of Transition 87 2.1.5 Rites of Passage in Contemporary context 89 2.1.6 Introduction to Funeral Dances 91 2.1.7 Catharsis and Resolution in Funeral Dances 94 2.1.8 Funeral Dance as Socio-Cosmic Cohesive Force 101 2.2.0 Theoretical Approach 102 2.2.1 Structuralism and Semiotics 102 2.2.2 Cultural Sub-Codes 105 2.2.3 Communication process in Body Language (Kinesics) 106 CHAPTER THREE 3.0 METHODOLOGY 108 3.1 Study Poulation 108 3.2 Method of Data Collection 109 3.2.1 Library Research/ Internet Search 109 3.2.2 Fieldwork 109 3.2.3 Problems of Data Collection 119 ix CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 DATA ANALYSIS 119 4.1 Introduction 119 4.2 Ogodi-n‘Omulunwa Dance 124 4.2.1 Situation one (1) Ikwata Ozu 123 4.2.2 Preparation for Situation One (1) 124 4.2.3 The Message Process and Items of Presentation 124 4.1.4 Analysis of Message Section 127 4.2.5 Performance Progression 129 4.2.6 Costume 130 4.2.7 The Announcement Dance 133 4.2.8 Musical Instruments 133 4.2.9 The Setting of the Announcement Dance 134 4.2.11 The Women‘s Dances 143 4.2.10 Analysis of Announcement Dance Setting: 143 4.2.12 Semiotics of Ndiomu dance 144 4.2.13 The Ada‘s Dance Items: 146 4.2.14 Semiotics of Dance Props 147 4.2.15 The Role of the Okpala Ogbe (Village Head)

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