Ilu mgbede or mgbede

Mmilijiofor

Females were raised by their mothers, aunts or grandmothers. After puberty and betrothal, they may be taken into seclusion for an average of six months’ intensive pre-marital course. During this Binterval, they are tutored on the finesse of Aro womanhood and etiquette. The graduating class of maidens usually pass out about the start of the 24-days annual Ikeji festival during which time they are formally given out to their respective husbands as “virgo intacta” under a system of ceremonies replete with symbolism.

All girls from the age of fourteen were beautifully chauffeured, their bodies carrying various designs patterned with uri marks, but the most beautiful part of all is that they all wore beads-rings upon rings round the waists, sometimes on colour at other times variegated red and black.

Once the girls were ready to marry they were put into the “fattening room”. They were fattened ready to marry. On appointed days, there were general parades of the brides to be, their bodies all painted in camwood, their legs carried rings of brass and the more the brass rings, the richer the parents. At such parades the girls were married off or selected to be married.

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