Traditional Marriage, the Case study of Oku.

emmanuel237 (49)in #steemcameroon • 6 days ago

I am Mnkong Emmanuel Saah and I come from Oku a tribe in Bui Division, North west region of Cameroon. And as the indigent of the tribe I would like to share with the STEEMIT Space Community friends, a little about traditional Marriage in my locality. First of all I would like to give a little definition of traditional Marriage.

The primary established form of marriage recognized in any county or religion or social group at a given time. In that culture, traditional Marriage requires the families of the future bride and groom to engage ritual visits and exchange of gifts.
THE CASE OF CAMEROON; according to Cameroon marriage traditions; a girl was betrothed at birth, and then married off at age of 15. She was however free to reject her parents choice of husband. A boy on the other hand was allowed to marry only after his circumcision ceremony between the age of 14 and 18. In Cameroon it was the paying of the brideprice from the groom to the bride's family-known in french as "le dot" and basically the sanctioning by Community members of the wedding-of which judging the brideprice quality and payment was but one many steps.

THE EVOLUTION OF TIME, AND THE CASE OF OKU.
With the change of times, things have also changed, giving rise to a new school of thought. Today pre- marriage arrangements by parents no longer hold or are minimal in some communities or societies. And inter Community or tribal Marriage is common unlike before. Today, girls and boys are free to choose who they want to spend their entire lives with and present to their parents.( Considering that Marriage is a life time commitment and must be handled carefully)
The brideprice is where the groom offers a certain amount of either goods or money ( or both). This is given to the father of the bride to demonstrate his commitment to the bride. Bride price in the Oku is determined by what the father of the bride paid to the father of the bride's mother. And with the evolution of time things have also changed with changes in the prices of commodities, Education bottlenecks and standard of living. For example if the bride's father roofed the house of the bride's mother's father, Where the bundle of zinc used to cost 50.000frs and today he will ask for a bundle of zinc or it equivalent in terms of money. And other obligations in commodities and cash. The bride's father may also add a token to the brideprice considering that he educated the bride to be well off, in some cases. A well a educated and established bride would be given off, at a reasonable price ( that doesn't mean there are selling off the girl child ).
Couples may choose a classic traditional wedding unlike what use to hold before now.
TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE PROPER; during the ceremony the extended families of the bride and groom actively participate in the ceremony, which is also very colourful in dressing either with Bamileki royal dressing, the Toghu, the sale or African dress. The bride's family goes into ceremonial ground with the bride to hand to the groom, who in turn pays the brideprice to the bride's father, who says some thing to groom and the family as well as the community members. And that is followed by words of best wishes by selected person's, either the best man and maid of honour of the bride and the groom, the colleagues and some family members, and a religious figure, for a fruitful Marriage.
Thereafter exchange of gifts to the couple, as a sign of love. After which there's refreshments, photographs and departure to various destinations.