ESAN ANCESTRAL WORSHIP THROUGH UKHURE

ESAN ANCESTRAL WORSHIP THROUGH UKHURE

All children worshipped their father when dead, through the most senior brother who was the man’s first surviving son.

He had the custody of the family representative in this world, which Esan called UKHURE. A short stick of about two feet in length with cowries tied round it just as it is easier to imagine and keep close to a person looking at his picture or effigy, the Ukhure represents the spirit of the dead father.

The first son alone could touch this Ukhure and use it to bless the family as he had always watched his father do. Thus, if any of his junior brothers or sisters had to appease the spirit of their dead father, they had to come to ask their senior brother or oldest male child of the dead to perform the worship for them.

The goat or fowl or whatever the native doctor had told them would tum their father’s spirit to their direction, would be brought to the first son. He slaughtered the animal and the family or Uelen was called to witness the rite. Such members shared the food that was cooked for the occasion, and all blessed and prayed for the person for whom the worship was done.

This acted as a binding force bringing together brothers, sisters and cousins who might have been drifting apart as when children lose the binding force when they lose their father and mother.

When the first son died, his own first son took up the custody of the ancestral stick and now had to perform the rite not only for his own brothers but for his uncles and aunts if he succeeded to the Ominjiogbe position of the family.

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