True
344;
Score | 524
Jefferson Nnadiekwe Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
city Lagos, Nigeria
1543
32833
196
71
In History and Culture • 2 min read • Oct 25, 2022 10:17a.m.
THE OSU CASTE SYSTEM
You might have heard of the Osu caste system in Igbo land. In case you haven't, this is a system of ostracization of certain people who have been judged to have committed an abominable act. It discourages social interaction, and even marriage with these people. So how does a person become an Osu? As stated earlier, these people have been judged and found guilty to have committed a terrible offence. In the past, the Igbo people lived their lives according to the Odinani (the laws of the earth). These laws were created by the earth goddess Ala, for the people to live by. Anyone who commits an atrocity against these laws, risks ostracization; thereby becoming an Osu. An Osu could be sold to slavery, or become properties of deities. Either way, social interaction is severed with these people. They are seen as inferior humans, unworthy to associate with the Nwadiala. They are seen as unclean and are even not allowed to break kola; which as you may know is very important in the Igbo culture. They are also made to live in shrines and market places, away from others. And should they bear children, those children automatically become Osu. It can become a generational thing. Modern times, have brought with it the criticism of this system. It has been considered as a violation of human rights, with some of the punishment associated with it labelled as inhumane. Human rights groups were known to have been really vocal about it, calling for its abolishment. According to history, the osu caste system has been abolished. This was on the 28th of December 2018, in a ceremony conducted in Nri. However, the question here is - how effective has this abolishment been? Till this day, families are hesitant to let their children marry a person who was born into a family identified as osu. Some outrightly forbid such union, believing it is a marriage which would be plagued with series of unfortunate events. It is one of the several 'findings' done by most families, during the introduction phase of a proposed marriage. Isn't it strange that even with the advent of Christianity and evolution, there are certain people who are still rooted in ancient practices? It goes to show that, tradition still has some sort of hold on us, even if we choose not to admit it.
THE OSU CASTE SYSTEM
By Jefferson Nnadiekwe
0:00 / 0:00
|
I know you like my insights 😁. Kindly consider leaving a tip.
Send tip
1
views 516
0 share
Jefferson Nnadiekwe is the most viewed writer in
Literature, Writing and Blogging.
Hi, it's Jefferson, thanks for reading my insights.
I'm a creative screenwriter, photographer, cinematographer and creative director. You can check out some of my works here https://instagram.com/themi...

Other insights from Jefferson Nnadiekwe

Jefferson Nnadiekwe
city Lagos, Nigeria
What Happened To Romance In People and Society True romance is dead. Cause of death? A lot of factors, and I canno...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
city Lagos, Nigeria
New Year Resolutions In Literature, Writing and Blogging Happy new year!! May we all have a great 2023 filled with success, ...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
city Lagos, Nigeria
Offending Sensitivities In Literature, Writing and Blogging Modern social courtesy demands that we be economical with opinions ...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
city Lagos, Nigeria
Respect Is Not Earned, It Is Lost In People and Society That doesn't make sense you may think. But stick around, and let me...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
city Lagos, Nigeria
Noblesse Oblige In People and Society Noblesse oblige. Such a fancy term I hadn't heard of till a few nig...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
city Lagos, Nigeria
Let Your Will Be Done In Christian Theology How often do we say the prayer: 'let thy will be done'? When you th...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
city Lagos, Nigeria
Bear Or Man In Literature, Writing and Blogging It's been a few weeks since the Bear or Man question trended on var...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
city Lagos, Nigeria
Money And (Un)Happinness In Literature, Writing and Blogging Do you believe that money is the ultimate source of happiness? I kn...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
city Lagos, Nigeria
Morality Vs Our Loved Ones In People and Society It is no news that social media and maybe even the country is buzzi...
Jefferson Nnadiekwe
city Lagos, Nigeria
Atheists Are Like Kids In Religion Agree or not, but humans historically, always have the need to beli...
Insights for you.
Asiogu Ugochukwu Global Security enthusiast
In History and Culture
The significance of Nzu (White Chalk) in Igbo Culture
 Nzu (White Chalk) is a very significant substance in  Igbo culture. It is a symbol of purity, innocence, peace and progress. Nzu, as it Is cal...
2450 views
4 upvotes
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
city Lagos, Nigeria
In Literature, Writing and Blogging
A little about the Nkwerre people
 Nkwerre is one of the local governments in Imo State, Nigeria. It is a small town of about 80,000 people (according to the 2006 national population...
943 views
3 upvotes
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
city Lagos, Nigeria
In People and Society
Social media (in)tolerance?
 I would like to believe that social media was created to bolster and improve communication and interaction amongst ourselves. And part of communica...
867 views
1 upvote
0 comments
Asiogu Ugochukwu Global Security enthusiast
In History and Culture
The Symbolic Representation of Ose Oji (Alligator Pepper)...
 Alligator Pepper, Mbongo spice or Ose Oji as it is called by Igbo people of Southeastern Nigeria is a West African spice that is extracted from the...
855 views
3 upvotes
0 comments
Asiogu Ugochukwu Global Security enthusiast
In History and Culture
The significance and interpretation of Kolanut cotyledons.
 I am very much aware that most of my readers would be bothered about why I have decided to write again on Kolanut. But you see, the truth remains t...
823 views
4 upvotes
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
city Lagos, Nigeria
In Africa
CONCEDING SUPREMACY - THE OWN GOAL PHENOMENON
 An African man would never agree to the notion that the whites are superior to us. The strange thing however, is that their actions suggest otherwi...
632 views
2 upvotes
0 comments
Asiogu Ugochukwu Global Security enthusiast
In History and Culture
LIP STRETCHING AMONG THE WOMEN OF SURMA IN ETHIOPIA AND S...
 Even though I have said it once in one of my articles, I will continue to say it until it sinks into the heart and minds of every of the people. Af...
616 views
2 upvotes
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
city Lagos, Nigeria
In People and Society
What does the football club you support say about your pe...
 It's weird how fans of football in Nigeria can all identify a Chelsea fan. They are known to be loud and abrasive, to the point that they have been...
557 views
1 upvote
1 comment
Asiogu Ugochukwu Global Security enthusiast
In History and Culture
The Yoruba Judicial Mechanism for Curbing Promiscuity
 Generally, the African culture forbids sexual recklessness. It abhors sexual irresponsibility from both men and women. Little wonder, it permits po...
538 views
3 upvotes
0 comments
Jefferson Nnadiekwe Freelance scriptwriter and creat...
city Lagos, Nigeria
In Literature, Writing and Blogging
Follow the yellow brick road
 If you know about the movie 'The wizard of Oz', you should be familiar with the yellow brick road. To shed a little light, it is the road which the...
535 views
3 upvotes
0 comments
What is TwoCents? ×