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DEGEMA(UDEKAMA) TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS

The Degema (Udekama) traditional calendar is built on natural phenomena within the 13 lunar moons. Nature is the benchmark for all traditional events held within a year. There is no clear or fixed calendar for the establishment and measurement or calculation of events (traditional) during a year. Before the clock, wristwatch and other time keeping tools were invented, early humans relied on natural phenomena to tell time and track seasons. The Degema (Udekama) tradition; an ancient tradition that still exists to this day uses natural phenomena as time measuring instruments to identify time and seasons. We begin with the"Amin-fany" festival (New water festival). After Amin-fany, traditional drums are not allowed to be played in the community until the “Osu” Festival (Saints Festival) is conducted. Two nights after the “Osu” Festival, some ancestral house consecration activities are conducted before the “Ogugule-Ofengo” Festival. Seven (7) days (from the day of the “Ogru” or “Ozogu”market, depending on the forecasting) another masquerade festival called “Igugule-Atonw” takes place in the “Afiny-Gina”. (Although women and foreigners are not allowed to enter the “Afiny-Gina”, it is an exception to the day of the“Igugule-Atonw”, commonly known as “Igugule Afiny-Gina”). Eight (8) days after the “Igugule-Atonw” Festival, the “Igugule-Amun” Festival is held on the Town Square. After the “Igugule-Amun” festival, some religious events are held between the night and the next day during which the “Igugule-Odisan” festival (Daytime/Afternoon masquerade) begins. “Igugule-Odisan” has no specific duration. It can continue until the “Igugule-Asu” festival (night masquerade) ends it, but elders or priests can decide to end it before the “Igugle-Asu” festival begins. After the “Igugle-Odisan” festival the “Igugule-Asu” festival takes place. The moon is generally used to calculate and determine the season of “Igugule-Asu”. After the moon has evaporated in the east (around the end of January and early February); natural cycles can change, but natural cycles are usually used to calculate. The moon can take a different course and change everything. Traditional elders and priests begin to calculate using river water to watch the first moonrise from the east, and on that day the signaling drum (“Oda”) is beaten in the late evenings (between 7 and 8 pm and must be “Ogru” Market Day). Therefore, the calculation must be made correctly by observing the moon), and then the festival "Igugule–Asu" begins for four (4) days (from the day of “Ogru”– to “Adaki” market day). On the fourth night of “Igugule-Asu”, an event called “gimam-ikpe” is carried out and in the morning “Osom-Ogugule” moves from one “Ikpe” venue to another and between the afternoon and the evening “Uso” movement takes place. The next day which might be “Ofaram” market day (pending on natural phenomenom,) “Eyal-Ezor-Ekeze” (Ekeze festival) is carried out which lasts for four (4) days. During this period, it is forbidden to run, pluck any kind of leaf, and break wood around some certain locations. On that same day, the day for “Igugule-abi” festival is forcasted. After the ceremony of “Igugule-abi” which marks the end of the “Igugule festival” (it is popularly called “Igugule-gbem”, meaning the end of “Igugule” Festival) a traditional rite is carried out by the priest in order to end everything concerning “Igugule” entirely (“Edimete-ebuta”). After the “Igugule” festival another masquerade festival called “Iwu” festival takes over. “Iwu” displays on four (4) days interval (“Ogru”- to- “Ogru” or “Ozogu”-to-“Ozogu” market days pending on natural phenomena). Many types of “Iwu” are displayed e.g “Ilagba, Itobo, Imele and Otongo-pele”. “Otongo-pele” is the last “Owu” (masquerade) to be displayed before the crowning of the festival by the Official “Iwu” festival celebration which lasts for four days. After the “Otongo-pele” masquerade, some forecasting are made to determine the day for the final “Iwu” festival (”Iwu-gbem”) which lasts for four (4) days (“Ogru” – “Adaki” market day). On the first day of the “Iwu” festival, all the “Iwu” (Masquerade) ranging from the biggest to the smallest are displayed. On the second day the big masquerades “(Otokulo”, “Igankle”, “Agri”) do not display; only the small ones do. On the third day, little or no masquerade display, only people dancing around the town square. On the fourth day which is the final day, all the masquerades (“Iwu”) are displayed and it marks the end of “Iwu” festival for the year. (Note: the year is not the normal calendar year. It is the year calculated by using the thirteen (13) lunar moons as stated earlier. “Iwu-gbem” normally takes place in around the month of April pending on natural phenomena). After “Iwu” festival, another festival called “Idu” festival takes over between April and May. It is held between April and May for an interval of four days for each “Idu” festival. “Omo-uso” starts the festival and after four (4) days “Osuo-atala” and after another four (4) days “Amaki” crowns it all (Note: it is calculated from “Ozogu” – to – “Ogru” market days). On the day that “Amaki” displays, the end of year festival (“Ekein-Kpom”) is decided upon based on the calculation of the thirteen (13) lunar moons. On the morning of “Ekein-Kpom” (end of year/town cleansing which is normally between June and July), “Obubein” family and others carry out some consecrations. During “Ekein-kpom” all women and children and foreigners are expected to be indoors until all consecrations are done with. The custodian of the community’s staff of authority (“Olo-ekein) checks/studies the river 4 times before the event is carried out. After “Ekein-kpom” (end of year/town cleansing) festival some forecasting based on the market days are done and then the festival of “Tengele-mogba-ekasa” is held. After that “Onu-onyan eda” festival is celebrated (around August pending on calculations). After eight (8) days, “Ijziba” festival is celebrated and carried out by women (although the festival has not been held for a very long time now by the women). After “Ijziba” festival pending on calculations), “Iwu Ogbokina” takes over the stage during “amin-engeni” (big water that can be mistaken for flood by foreigners). “Owu tire-tutu” is the first masquerade that begins the “Iwu” display. After that “Amin-fany” (New water) festival is held. During “amin-fany” festival, no one is expected to fish or go home wet from the river; you’ll wait by the river bank until you the water dries up. For this reason people are not advised to swim in the river or go fishing. After the “amin-fany” festival, the circle continues again. These are the various events that mark the thirteen (13) lunar months of the Degema (Udekama) Kingdom and these events have been observed from time immemorial. From the very first period when the founding fathers settled in the area, these events have been carried out without any mistake or error. Someone might be tempted to ask, how did the ancestors carry out this observations and calculations without any mistake? Even events that were carried out in the interval of seven years were not misplaced. This shows how brilliant and knowledgeable the founding fathers were, observing and calculating a whole year without the aid of any calendar or its equivalent!!! This great art shows that the people of the ancient times understood nature more than this modern generation does!!!

References

P.S. Solomon, (2003), Degema People their Dreams and Aspirations: Wellington Printing Press, Port Harcourt. Solomon, P.S, Ewuze, O.I.J and David, Help (2003), The Traditional Political System of Degema: Position of the Founding Fathers. Wellington Printing Press, Port Harcourt. Iwo, O.G. (1991) A social Histroy of Degema: Dun Sun communications, DSC. Major Arthur Glyn Leonard (1968), The Lower Niger and it's Tribes: Frank CASS & Co. Ltd.