A BARBARIC CUSTOM IN (LUUWA) AND REASONS FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE CUSTOM

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Published by Just-web Research Institute [11^TH September, 2019]

A BARBARIC CUSTOM IN (LUUWA) AND REASONS FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE CUSTOM

AN ARTICLE 

BY

DEEDENWII, BARITURE NEELE

(ND, D.CL)

deedenwiibariture@gmail.com, deedenwii@gmail.com and debbyhorsafall143@gmail.com

+2347012543482 and +2349050517580

PREAMBLE

The name Lûûwa Community derived from “i-lûû-ãã” meaning “let’s come together”. The community was founded by three men “Gûrû, Tĕĕbãnã and Dîgî-Ûrûwãrî”, whereby Gûrû was the traditional ruler, Tĕĕbãnã was to oversee the festive periods and Dîgî-Ûrûwãrî was to oversee other community activities. Based on this, Tĕĕbãnã appointed (Dãĕ Kpõ-Dĕ) to oversee the laybating on each farm roads before each farming season. 

This is one of the several customs in Lûûwa Community. The “Yîî-Tor-Wîî” custom in my community is barbarous because it is not pure, uncivilized and uncultured. It is operated by the known rules of ancient libertie.

HISTORY OF THE CUSTOM “YÎÎ-TOR-WÎΔ

The custom “Yîî-Tor-Wîî” started after the first sitting of the founding fathers of Lûûwa Community. It was one of the most important customs that was strictly observed by the founding fathers of Lûûwa Community, of which they believed that after the observed, the farm lands will be fertile. This sacrifice are made between “February and March” before anyone starts to cultivates his/her farm land.

In Lûûwa Community, farm lands are kept for five years before cultivation, this is done to enable the farm land to regain it fertility, after the previous cultivation. No one cultivates the farm land till the five years elapse by law of the community, whereby defaulters will be strictly penalized.

“Yîî-Tor-Wîî” is one of the customs that was established and maintained in Lûûwa Community by the founding fathers. The ancient fathers conceived in their minds that this custom if observed would cause the yam and crops planted to yield good fruits. “Yîî-Tor-Wîî” means a period in my community (Farming Season).

When the traditional ruler with his council declares that every members of the community would not go to any farm land for a period of two (2) weeks. It is a period you cannot go to your farm land to uproot, yam, cassava, crops and event to fetch firewood because traditional rights will be carried out while nobody goes to farm for any activities.

The traditional ruler and his councils sacrifice and laybat on each farm roads, they claim that they are fortifying land to a productive harvesting. This sacrifices are done ones a year and it is done by one of the council (Dãĕ Kpõ-Dĕ) appointed by Tĕĕbãnã to make sacrifice.

This is observed at the “Beginning” of every farming season. It is the believe of our fore-fathers that if this custom is fully observed the Yams, crops and other things planted on the land will yield good fruits and bountiful harvest.

The irony of this particular custom is that within the period that have been declared for it, any person that default would be liable to pay, one (1) she goat, fowl, seven (7) tubers of yam, pepper, salt, scent leaves and other soup utensils, for sacrifice to appease the gods of the land. Once someone defaults, it will cause the extension of the time frame by one week. If the defaulter is unable to provide those items for sacrifice, the traditional ruler and this council would not repeal or invalidate the period for observance of the customs.

Apart from the above, another area of concern is that within the period, this custom is to be observed, no adult is expected to fight in the community. If husband and wife, or any person fight, they will also pay the same fine as stated earlier. Whoever fight within the period will face the penalty regarded as defaulter.

The period of the custom is a period when every citizen in Lûûwa Community is forcefully given house arrest or psychological imprisonment. No one goes to farm both the Old farm and the new farm that are yet to cultivate.

REASONS FOR THE ABOLITION OF “YÎÎ-TOR-WÎΔ

The following are the reasons for the abolition of “Yîî-Tor-Wîî”, they are;

1. There is no significant effect of the “Yîî-Tor-Wîî” custom on the fruitfulness of the land. If the land is not a fertile land, there is no amount of sacrifice that would be done that will cause it to be fertile. 
2. A rocky farm land can never produce any good fruits no matter the sacrifice.
3. The custom is against the Christians faith. It contradicts the law of God as written in Exodus 20:2-5.
4. The citizens are kept under bondage within the period the custom is observed. Citizens are forcefully imprisoned.
5. There is no civilized place that still practices such obnoxious custom again.
6. The food items so prepared for the period of the custom may be exhausted and one would stay hunger for the remaining days which is detrimental to health.