Akpa Agbugbo.


                             Akpa agbugbo is the Igbo name for the Rhinoceros Beetle grub. Akpa Agbugbo simply means-- the grub of the compost pile.
There are other "akpa"s, like the larva of the beetle which attacks the palm trees and devastates them if not discovered on time. There is the "akpa" or "agu" ngwo, which attacks the raffia palm tree by the rivers. Humans had a way of fighting back and saving their palm and raffia trees. With no insecticides available, thank goodness ,they extracted these grubs, carefully and skillfully, and after carefully processing the waste out of them, fried or roasted them and enjoyed very tasty delicacies, alone or tossed with other nutritious dishes.
        The akpa agbugbo -----the compost pile grub, however helped in turning the compost pile faster, reducing the biodegradable waste into usable manure for gardening and farming. However, when the grubs changed into the rhinoceros beetles, they end up damaging palm trees, an undesirable
development.

 In the old days, in the process of turning the compost or taking manure from the compost pile, the grubs emerge, fat and wiggly, and end up very healthy nourishing snacks or  meals for children and adults as well, and they taste great, nutty and chewy. They blended well with different salads and dishes or alone, roasted in the open fire as a chewy snack, combined with palm kernels, roasted corn, roasted groundnuts(peanuts), and other snacks, and they were good, and from what I know now, life sustaining too. They were popular in the rural communities during planting season, in the good old days.
They were actually very useful---curbing hunger, nurturing bodies and reducing the compost to great manure---a farmer's delight.
Next time you see a grub, take a second look. They are great------and actually useful!

Last week I was narrating how a fox repeatedly killed some of my chickens and the last time, he had killed one of my happiest hens. After that attack, I was wondering if the attack was carried out by a pack of coyotes, but my son and his friend were adamant that the culprit was a fox
Read on:


I was skeptical and I remained skeptical
Until the last attack; so typical, and
Miss Hen was attacked and killed.

I felt bad for the attack
The chicken house was secure this time.
I had let the chicks out just before sunset
My plan was to get them in one hour.
My music drowned out the noise.
I heard nothing-
"Are the chicks out?" My son came out asking
" They are making noise behind my window"

I ran outside to see---and there was
The frizzled rooster, always ready to fight.
He flashed before the door in a hurried trot-
I ran in the direction of his flight
And there before my very eyes was--
A fox, a big fox, the size of a medium dog,
A fiery color, and a bushy tail-
 running off right in front of me.

If I had a rock,or a stick
I could reached  him with a hi--
He was that close, running,
On his way to the fence.
I was so startled, I couldn't do a thing.
I was happy he was already on his way
And not attacking me, by the way.

Miss Hen was on the grass panting,
Blood dripping from her beak, bright red,
Down and feathers all around
And death around the bend.
There was nothing I could do,
She was dead within minutes.
Her two sisters made off safe.
I found the rooster collapsed in the grass
Quite a distance from the scene.
His frizzled wings spread out like shields.
He looked dead, but was surely alive;
There was no sign of bleeding, but
Something was obviously wrong.
He could not stand or hold his head up.
It was hard to decide what to do with him;
Couldn't get myself to put him down.

He would not eat or drink for three days,
Even with food and drink close by.
By the fourth day, he started coming back to life
Lifting up his head, eating some,
drinking some, but no crowing
No threats of fighting anybody
He was nursing his battered body.
In the past, after charging for a fight,
Wings spread, claws in the air,
He would land, trot around
And then puff up and crow-
A deliberate drawn-out crow,
Head jerking back and forth.
" The rooster's victory crow"
My son used to call it.

He never charges anymore-
Now he moves slowly away, eyeing
us carefully, but,
His crow is back-
Elaborate and drawn out,just as before-
He looks out for himself and the chicks-
Making warning sounds -
As if to say-
"Danger! hide, do something-
The monster is back-
They run to hide, or trot around-
Makin noise.

I had buried Miss Hen behind the chicken house-
And put an oak seedling on her grave.
The chicks can see it from the roost-
Not that they know or give a hoot.


This past Easter, we picked up more birds
All chicks, No ducks
Different breeds-
Diversity-----


To be continued next week---a diversity issue is on  the range.

Goodbye Miss Hen.

 Over the Easter season, a local Farm Equipment outlet sells chicks and ducklings. For the past few years, my son and I buy a few and raise them.
We have had run ins with predators stealing some of our chickens. Finally recently we saw the culprit in the act. He did his grizzly deed again, but we caught him in the act. He did not do a lot of damage this time, but he killed the best hen in the chucken house. Read on :

****************************************************************************************

I had named her Miss Hen; for she was so dainty-
Her brown plumage, speckled with white around the neck.
Her healthy chicken legs, bony and thin, were strong.
They were ringed in yellow, ending in sharp spiky claws--
Great for scratching and digging-
for treasures from the eyes hidden.

The chicks- as my son called them-
There were four of them-
Three Rhode Island reds, hens,
And a shiny black frizzle rooster.
He looks like a ball of rough black yarn with a bright red crest
On his small rooster head.
He was always ready for a fight
In defense of the chicks and himself.

Miss Hen would stand behind the door, clucking happily
ready to burst out, half running, half flying
As I let them out of the chicken house to scratch and graze around-
And near the chicken house, close to the house.

With those sharp claws,quickly,
They got to work, scratching, inspecting and-
retrieving any edible find-
Rhinoceros beetles larvae--grubs
Fat and wiggly-
Grasshoppers, crickets, ants, earthworms-
Seeds, anything hidden beneath the pile of fallen leaves.
Other kinds of beetles and spiders surface, all
Scratched up with alternating feet, claws fully engaged
To expose  smorgasbords of chicken delight.

After the last attack, the second one actually,
For it had happened the year before, weeks after Easter
Just as the chicks were maturing into brooders
The culprit hit and made a clean swoop-
Leaving chicken feathers all over the yard
And nothing left in the chicken house.

I was angry with that creature.
How could he kill eleven chickens in such a short time?
How greedy can he be? Or was it a nursing mother
Hunting for her little ones?
For the next Easter, the chicken house was fortified
Really fortified.
Pinned to the ground, like a mobile home
Thoroughly modified, with the top like a dome.
It was a lot of work and it showed.
Fox-proof, as my son described it
Hours of work put in by him and his friend, Alex-
Fox-proof indeed!


For months, it was fox-proof
Then something happened.
The proof failed
The fox railed
He did not like the proof
We did not hear the noise-
He slaughtered thirteen  of seventeen chickens.
Some were decapitated and the heads left behind.
A pile of  mixed color down and feathers left behind
Like a pile of artwork done by a sculptor.

It looked  like a crime scene from the chicken world
Waiting for inspector Rooster to arrive with his team
And gather evidence to find out whodunit.
Just like the children's book tales.
But this was real as a matter of fact.
Thirrteen adolescent chickens, full,of life
Brutally murdered, just like that.


A fox! my son  and Alex had concluded.
Tracking paw prints, just like the first time.
"The culprit is still a fox" they insisted
"No Way" I had said
"No Way!"
No fox can can kill so many chickens in such little time.
"A fox " they insisted.
" Too many chickens died, in such a short time, maybe a coyote" I argued
"A fox" they insisted
Coyotes strike at night under the cover of darkness
This fox struck at dusk, still some daylight.


To be continued next weekend.

IGBO CULTURE. OBADA FESTIVAL IN NSULU, NIGERIA

Obada Festival in Nsulu
BY IKEGWUE E. A

NSULU is one of the towns at Isialangwa-North local Government Area of Abia State. It shares boundaries with Ntigua at the West, UmuohialIkwuano at the North, Akwa- Ibom State at the NorthEast, Obingwa local council area at the East and Isialangwa-South at the South.The people are mainly farmers who engage in the production of kola-nuts, Palm oil, oranges among others. The predominant language is Ngwa with a slight difference from the one spoken by the surrounding other Ngwa villages that's the reason it is called Nsulu dialect. Nsulu person would say "we nde" meaning "them" while someone from Ntigha and Ngwaukwu would say "we lile" to also mean them.

Abada festival

The Nsulu people have well-cherished traditional festivals among which is Abada. This festival is used to showcase maidens between the ages of (16-18) ripe for marriage and to subsequently send them off to the homes of their lucky husbands.

This festival was celebrated every five years either in October or November. This is when the rains have subsided. They choose five years for the festival- to allow those given out in marriage by their parents at the age of twelve years to get to sixteen years at least before they were given out to their husbands.

Preparation for the festival was in stages. First the Amala (council of elders) will meet at the village square not less than six weeks before the festival. At the meeting, application for participation was made by the parents (father) of the girls that were due for marriage that season. This application was done in the form of presenting one jar of palmwine called "Atuma Akwau" with four pieces of kola-nuts. The father would first salute the elders after presenting the items, which is laid on the floor, he will make his intention known, that is, his desire to have his daughter participate in the festival. The name(s) of the daughter will be mentioned. It should be noted that the father of the participant must be an indigene: The mother must have been properly married.

She was not put in the family way before getting married. And both of them have not offended the gods of the land for example engaging in abortion or stealing. Though it is extremely rare for application not to be approved, because before the parents would apply they must have known this condition as stated earlier, so if they had offended the gods, there was no need to apply. Also during this period, the whole village becomes a beehive of activities.

Youths between the ages of 12 and 16 were responsible for clearing the roads leading to the village square and other roads that connect the town with other towns and villages under the supervision of some elders.

During this period, the native drummers would not be left out, as they too would be practicing towards the festival at night after their meals. Suitors who may have found whom to marry would visit the home of their In-laws to be with gifts of wrapper which the girl may wear on the festival day and yam tubers meant for the girl's consumption, who is now restricted to "Irumgbede" (fattening room). 'This is meant to let the girl's parents know their intension to marry the girl. This is a good sign, signifying that those ladies that would participate have already got a suitor.

At the home of the participating ladies, the preparation was even more intense. Relations would be busy peeling melons as much as possible so as to be able to entertain large turn out of guests that would come visiting.

The lady to be showcased is usually not allowed outside as she is confined to the fattening room where she was decorated with "uli" (canwood) and only close relatives or maidens were allowed to see her. About three days to the festival, the young girl was inspected by women from her maternal home, who would now prepare her for the festival. An experienced craft woman applies a fresh application of uli mixed with "uhie" on the girl. On a second visit, the suitor who had concluded the marriage rites would visit with ranging from yam tubers to ornament like beads. This is to re-assure their in-laws to be that they were still interested. Although a lady might receive gift from her parents and members of her maternal home sanction more than one suitor, but only one.

The Village Square would be given a facelift. The place where the drummers would sit will be decorated with "omu". At each entrance to the square, which is also a linking road to the component quarters in the village called "Onuman"; cannon guns were placed to herald the arrival of visitors.

On the eve of the festival, middle aged men will after their dinner move about with the beating of drums, visiting the homes of the participating ladies. This visit was intended to congratulate the family and to felicitate with them. These group were given gifts like yam tubers, kolanut, and Ugba (prepared oil bean).

On the festival day, the participating ladies will then be given a final decoration with uli and beads of different sizes and colours will carefully be selected to bring out the beauty of the ladies. After eating a well-prepared meal, the ladies were escorted to the venue by relatives including young girls who may succeed them in the next five years. All ladies would have George wrapper worn round their waists. Upon arrival at the village ground, the cannons placed at the entrances to the square would be fired until the ladies had all arrived.

Elders from the component quarter's "onumara" who have converged at the middle of the square would pour libation to appease the ancestors of the participating ladies. It was believed that if the spirit was not appeased the lady, may risked not being picked by a suitor or loses a prospective suitor, and as such may never get married. After the pouring of libation, the ladies would move to the middle of the square and the crowd would cheer them. The drummer would begin playing their drums with the ladies dancing to the rhythm of the music.

The leader of the women who must have the title of "Emere-eme" and not Okpoo" would come out to formally hand over the ladies to the elder or village head who must be a titled man or was chosen by the council of elder to chair the festival for that season.

The ladies, after being received by the elders will now continue their dancing and intending suitors through their sister would move in and place a piece of George wrapper on the shoulders of the chosen lady. The crowd at this point would cheer and the father of the girl would fire his dance gun into the air to signify his approval. A suitor also picked up the showcased ladies who might not be lucky to have gotten a suitor on Abade festival days. However, if the father failed to fire his gun, the wrapper would be collected by the lady who placed it, and the drummers will quickly sing a song that would make jest of the young man.

Though this is a rare situation as this only happens when a young man from any of the surrounding towns just felt like taking part in the festival with no serious intention in mind. After sometime, the young suitors and their wives would dance together amid cannon shots. Both would then be escorted home for the final marriage rites. At the home of the girl's parents, both parties would be cited in the "ovu" (family sit out) where proper marriage rites would be performed. This was the time for bride price to be presented, blessed and paid in a wooden plate called "Okwandi ichie" the bride price is regarded as some thing very important. Therefore the Nsulu regard marriage as something that can only be terminated by death. After the payment of the bride price, the bride is formally sent off to the husband's house that Night after some entertainment.

The Abada festival which was designed not only to showcase young ladies for marriage, but also to send them to their husbands homes is now extinct due to the influence of western civilization as people now regard the whole process as unnecessary. But the payment of bride price is still cherished and practiced by the people.

-Ikegwu Executive Officer Administration discussed this topic at National War Museum Umuahia study group... recently

IGBO TONGUE TWISTERS AND TONE MARKING.

IGBO TONGUE TWISTERS

Nwanyi n'akwa akwa,
n'akwa akwa,
na okuko yiri akwa,
n'elu akwa,
o'kwara akwa,
di n'elu akwa.

Meaning:
The seamstress ( female tailor) is weeping or crying because a hen laid an egg on the finished outfit ( fabric/material) she left on the bed.

Akwa in this case means:
1. Fabric ( material, dress, cloth)
2. cry, weep.
3. Egg
4. Bed
5. Sew, sewing
6. Bridge ( over a body of water)

The word "akwa" takes on a new meaning with a change of the tone of pronunciation.

Meet Amara Marie Bassey. She sings Igbo songs.

Meet Amara Marie Bassey, 4 year old grand daughter of my best pal in secondary school, Chijioke Bassey ( nee Nwashili.)


Amara is my name-sake. I am Amala. She is Amara. The same name, different variations.


Amara (Amala) means Grace. Some go by the full name ----Amarachukwu or Amalachukwu--meaning God's Grace or The grace of God. My variation is actually----Nwa Amala,---- meaning A child of Grace.


Amara loves to sing songs her grand mother teaches her. Each time she visits her grandmother they call me, and she sings her favorite song for me. The song goes like this----

Amara Chukwu, bara uba n'ebe m' no.
Amara ya, bara uba n'ebe m'no.
Bara uba n'ebe m' no.

I always agree with her completely.

In English, that would be-----God's grace is abundant unto me or
I have an abundance of God's grace.

Amara sings other Igbo songs with her grand mother. Some of them are listed below.
Enjoy.
Nursery Rhymes
1.
Onye tiri nwa n'ebe akwa
Onye tiri nwa n'ebe akwa
Egbe tiri nwa n'ebe akwa
Weta uziza wete ose
Wete ama ngorore ofe
Ka umu nnunu lacha ya
K'okpo otutu kpogbue ha
O -O Egbe- njo

2.
Nwa enwe ndo, nwa enwe ndo
O - O -O
Nwa enwe ndo
Nwa enwe, i'gbada ani,
N'eso m gi
O- O- O
Nwa enwe ndo
Nwa enwe, i'gbago enu
N'eso m gi.
O-O-O
Nwa enwe ndo.


3.
On disobidience----

Muo biko, merem ebere
Muo biko, merem ebere
Na nne si kwa m' ejena
Na muo kwuchiri na onu uzo
Muo biko mere m ebere .

I will share more next week end. God bless.

DOWN MEMORY LANE. IGBO SCHOOL SONGS

DOWN MEMORY LANE. Elementary school days.


Going down memory lane of elementary school days in the typical Igbo village.
These were some of the songs we sang, you can teach your children. That will help in learning Igbo.

Akwukwo n'ato uto
Akwukwo n'ato uto
O n' afia aru na nmuta
Onye nwere ntachi obi,
O ga amuta akwukwo
M'oburu na nne ya na nna ya (nwe ego).
M'oburu na nne ya na nna ya (nwe ego).


These two were for dismissal.
1.
Anyi agbasago akwukwo
Anyi agbasago akwukwo
Ekene diri ndi nkuzi kuziri anyi akwukwo
Ekene diri ndi nkuzi kuziri anyi akwukwo

2.
Oge erue, oge erue mgbe anyi ji ana
Oge erue, oge erue mgbe anyi ji ana
(Teacher)Onye nkuzi, kua mgbirigba, kua mgbirigba k'anyi na,
(Tacher)Onye nkuzi , biko kua mgbirigba n'agu n'agu anyi, i'nugo?
Anyi g'ana, I n'ugo?
Agu n'agu anyi, oooo ------ amen---

----- and you dash out the door like a bullet, with your school box making loud noises with all the ( akpakaradingwom) inside it.