marriages have been on the run for decades now, people get married traditionally. In modern societies or nations, the legality of a marriage can be proved by showing a certificate issued by the state to symbolise its recognition. The gift was given and accepted after all necessary enquiries had been made by both families to ensure both partners were suitable. JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM Nunkunya G. Tradition and change in Ghana. "Bridewealth and Dowry in Africa and Eurasia." Selected Old Testament Prophets And Their Teachings 1987. Loyalty To God: Elijah Henceforth in this paper, I will use the term “marriage gift” to refer to this custom due to its reciprocal nature and its symbolic meaning to the people which is in no way similar to the buying and selling of items on a market. Among various elements involved in the rite of marriage bridewealth plays an important role. Jesus’ Passion Africa (Lond). March 2020 2014 This was of disadvantage to young men especially who had to marry but the traditional subsistence activities did not fetch in much for them. 2002 1978. 1969. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY The legitimisation in turn confers upon both spouses, conjugal rights which includes sexual rights as evidenced by the traditional Ssenga institution in Uganda in which women were encouraged to be sexually assertive. May 2020 FORM 4 Elders in kinsgroups have almost lost the positions they once enjoyed. It is a practice which has long been accepted by clan heads, chiefs and traditional rulers alike. They include “purchase money”, “brideprice”, “wife-purchase”, “bride wealth”, “lobola” and it is sometimes wrongly referred to as “dowry”. The type and amount of wealth to be paid varies from one community to another. The legitimisation of the marriage is the quintessence of the cultural implications as it is from it that all other implications can be inferred from. Also, by legitimising the marriage, formal authority over the bride by her father shifted to the bridegroom and it ensured a safe position for the man as husband 6. June 2020 This resulted in many adulterous practices and led to a widespread of sexually transmitted diseases. Why Bride price is important in marriages. It was thus a threat to social order when the permission of authorities in one’s social group was not sought. Christian Approaches To Law In South African society, the custom of bridewealth [in Zulu: ilobolo] is widely upheld, although its current practice may constrain marriage in African society. John Ogbu (1978) posits that marriage is a publicly recognized union between two members in a society in accordance with the given rules in that society. In such cultures, a marriage is not reckoned to have ended until the return of bridewealth has been acknowledged, signifying divorce. Sinai Covenant: Moses This eventually attached new meanings to the marriage gift practice 12. Initiation was and is still important today and in the traditional African communities in boys from the passage from childhood to adulthood.The shedding of blood onto the ground binds the initiates with the God and the ancestors. Angel Gabriel Appro. November 2019 Giving bride wealth is the evidence of the groom’s ability to take care of a wife/family. It also has ‘eternal’ consequences based on African beliefs in afterlife. Shadle BL. Culture is not static thus its symbolic meaning will only be represented in new forms. The Bible i) It was a way of thanking the brides family for taking good care of her. PREVIOUSLY << STATE THE RELEVANCE OF PROPHET JEREMIAH’S SUFFERING TO CHRISTIANS TODAY. The purpose of giving "bride wealth" is to honor the wife giver "Mayu" and to create a strong relationship. Insofar as African traditional religion can be defined by specific “religious” actions, the cult of the ancestors is its most common and essential activity. JOHN THE BAPTIST Faith And God’s Promises: Abraham by Mercy Nikenya. EVIL Bride wealth has often been termed as purchase money. It is an African custom. 2007 Life-of-jesus “Social fatherhood is usually determined by marriage” 6(p11). The marriage gift must however be differentiated from the dowry. If they are not forthcoming at the right time, the bride’s father (or his kin) will try to persuade her to return home until the husband meets his obligations. Christian Approaches To Wealth 10. Prophet Isaiah 5. Unity Of Believers, January 2025 4. The given rules in most African societies stipulate that a form of agreement be reached between both families and this is where the issue of the bride wealth comes in. Marriage is the beginning of new life and when two people become one.In African Traditional Religion, marriage is a cherished fecundity and is intended for procreation. Prophet Moses The cultural implications and status of elders in kingroups have been affected by the monetisation of economies. 2016 Life-of-jesus The development of these new urban centres which saw huge numbers of the youth seeking wealth resulted in new behaviours being created 4. Leone Ouedraogo, Burkina Faso: The bride price is commonly paid in Burkinabe culture and is largely a symbolic act. A regeneration of past traditions is restoring their positions however as churches demand the consent of extended families before they recognise marriages. Its main function is to legalise the union between a man and a woman and to elevate their positions to that of a husband and wife so their children might be accorded social roles. For a marriage to be recognised especially by churches today, the couple must prove that their families have been consulted and they have consented to the union. 2008 Their impact however is only as strong as individuals in these modern states push them. C.R.E REVISION KIT The importance of bride wealth in traditional African communities. Radcliffe-Brown A, Forde C. African systems of kinship and marriage. 2006 Children are cherished in many African societies as through them, the lineage is continued and the memories of those gone before into the hereafter are still held in this life. July 2019 Selected Aspects In African Religious Heritage: African Concept Of God I am referring to the more traditional items and not the iPads and laptops demanded by some families. April 2019 That is to say, the gift is a price set by the bride’s family to be exchanged for their daughter. The certificates issued by traditional societies was the acceptance of the marriage gift by the family of the bride. Explain the importance of bride price in traditional African communities. In South Africa, the law provides for respecting the marriage practices of traditional marriages, whereby a person might be married as young as 12 for females and 14 for males enhancing the practice (Nawal, 2006). Goody, Jack. 2013. The dowry, a practice in medieval and Renaissance Europe and today largely practiced in India, were inherited goods by the bride from her family which she brought to her new home with the groom with the intention to support her new family with it (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2015). It is the money usually given to the bride's family by the man who intends to marry the lady. Bride Wealth Closely related to the above is the aspect of bride wealth. 6. The Kikuyu of Kenya, for example, believed that when they died they would be rewarded in heaven with wealth in the form of cattle, sheep, goats and their wives. FALSE PROPHETS It can also be termed as the bride price. The “bride wealth” system is extremely important for kinship system in Kachin society and has been used for centuries. CREATION The bride-wealth is mainly in the form of livestock, beer, grain and honey. 2010 Fortes M. Kinship and marriage among the Ashanti. Schneider H. A model of African indigenous economy and society. This, side-lined the role the elders played in the marriage process and diminished the marriage gift. Bride wealth acts as an outward seal of the marriage contract/cements the marriage. Bride wealth acts as an outward seal of the marriage contract/cements the marriage. CREATION AND THE FALL OF MAN The gifts exchanged may be of many items or materials and sometimes a direct exchange of sisters as amongst the Tiv of Nigeria. The bride price can also be referred to as the bride-wealth. Naming Ceremonies That is, it is done according to the customs of the parties involved. Church Unity Bride-wealth in traditional African societies had some positive aspects but mostly negative consequences, as it was the foundation of patriarchy. In relegating these practices, the authority and power of elders in kingroups were also undermined. Bride price, on the other hand, refers to the payments that a prospective groom and his family make to a prospective bride and her family. Amongst the Nkundo of Belgian Congo, the collective gifts given to the bridegroom’s family by the bride is called nkomi and with the exception of the ikula, payed by the bridegroom’s family to the bride’s family to signify formal betrothal, all other prestations given to the bride’s family are reciprocated. 12. In traditional African communities, bride wealth is given as a sign of commitment by the groom. May 2019 2004 Un Press Accra. 3. For Chigwedere (op.cit) these small charges are never looked upon as an important element of the marriage deal. This thus led to the betrothal of many women to older men against their will resulting in a series of elopements as exemplified by Shadle (2015) in her study of elopement cases amongst the Gusii in British Kenya. However, the monetisation of African economies has diminished its symbolic value reducing women to one of the materialistic objects money buys. Bridewealth and Dowry. Moreover, it was only when the marriage gift had been given could a partner claim redress for the abuse of conjugal rights 4. in Online Special. 2005 The marriage gift greased this relationship even more. Christian Approaches To Leisure African weddings often consist of modern Islamic/Christian ceremonies whilst intertwining traditional African beliefs and practices. Marriage Laws Africa Arthur Phillips Henry F …. The Uses of the Cow in Africa The cow has always been very important to Africans. This has had an impact on family systems and has resulted in the challenge of hierarchical positions which the elders of the kinsgroup enjoyed. In addition, payments amounting to some 3 cows, 1 goat and 20, 000 cowrie shells should be made during the lifetime of the marriage, the last of these at the time the bride joins her husband. In the process of marriage, many gifts are presented to the family of the bride, but the bride wealth is that which Fortes (cited in Ogbu, 1978) terms as the prime prestations. Above, the importance of the marriage gift in relation to marriage has been emphasised. It is thus important that the union between a man and a woman is recognised by society as a whole. PARABLE OF GOOD SAMARITAN (iv) Payment of bride-wealth is a requirement in traditional African marriage while in Christian marriage dowry is not a requirement. September 2020 PROPHET JEREMIAH It also served as a token of gratitude by the groom’s family as the care of the woman had be entrusted to them 1. However, despite a shake in the system, the old practices have not been completely thwarted. KCSE 2013 April 2020 “The giving of the [marriage gift] is not regarded as an economic or at least not as a business transaction. It is especially tenacious where cattle have a relational value. It is a very common cultural practice in Africa. 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In traditional African societies, bride-wealth was related to goods and services that a bridegroom and his kinsmen transferred to the family of the bride (Kanogo,2005:105). iii) A sign of contract /commitment that a man would marry the girl and live with her. The payment of bride-wealth by the family of the man is an essential part of a traditional African marriage. So valued are children that amongst the Abaluyia of Kenya, if a woman with not more than two children dies, her body is returned back to her family and the marriage gift is given back to her husband 1. Among the Gonja the transactions are returnable 7–9. The monetisation of the economies of African societies disrupted many modes of exchange across the continent. the African context of a bride price being paid is substantially di⁄erent and the dynamics that apply in many parts of Asia cannot be extrapolated to the African continent. In Bridewealth and Dowry, by Jack Goody and S. J. Tambiah, 1–58. Bride wealth is the custom of handling over livestock or valuable goods (eventually money) to the bride’s family on the occasion of a marriage. January 2020 7. Spread Of Christianity Marriage is so pivotal in African societies and the marriage gift lies at its core that essentially, it can be said that marriage in many African societies is the rendering of the marriage gift to the family of the bride and the rendering of the marriage gift is marriage. of African local communities. December 2020 Ities LAST SUPPER Bride wealth initiates a long-lasting friendship between the two families. 2003 Amongst the Gusii in south-western Kenya, and this is also characterised by most African societies, it was a crime for a man and a woman to live together as a couple in cases where the bride wealth had not been paid 5. The cultural implications of the marriage gift have been grossly misrepresented as a result ethnographic bias. Nature Of Man Mahapatra, Lisa, and Sophie Song. To understand bride wealth, one must first understand marriage and its essence in African communities. Jesus Temptations In South Africa, as a result of the brutal and inhumane apartheid laws, husbands seeking greener pastures were separated from their wives for as long as a year getting a chance to meet for about only a week in that year. July 2020 KENYA TODAY December 2019 Amongst certain societies like the patrilineal Ewes of Ghana and Togo for example, it is given to the family of the bride to ‘compensate’ for the disruption in the structure of their kinship lineage. Human Sexuality August 2020 Christian Ethics iv) It showed grooms ability to take care of the wife and the family. Traditional South African wedding (Source: Wikimedia) Kim Chakanetsa, Zimbabwe: The term “ lobola ” is also used in southern Zimbabwe, but in Shona communities it is known as “ roora ” and while the tradition is to give cattle, this is now often replaced by cash – the amount is subject to negotiation. The integration of African indigenous ... depiction of western cultural and intellectual arrogance. It's also done in our churches where vowing is involved and also in the attorney general’s office where couples are too announced married by the law. The bride wealth however is seen as the custom of presenting a gift to the brides people 1. It is symbolic” 6(p48). 2011 November 2020 Names of all kinds have been used to describe this prestation system. September 2019 KCSE 2012 Christian Approaches To Law Order And Justice The monetisation of African economies thus, led to a shift from the extended family system to a nuclear one. The average Nigerian wedding today takes four phases basically, which obviously does not … It is a way of thanking/appreciating the bride’s family for taking good care of the girl. Many pastoral communities in … 1992. Marriage and Kinship of the Modern African Society As the bride walks down the aisle, the hopeful and excited groom waits. 2. 2015;(2003):241-262. doi:10.1017/S0021853703008429. The payment of bride price is a very common thing in many places in Africa and certain parts of Asia. This reciprocity ensures a lively and welcoming relationship amongst both kins. (iii) Ghost marriage or women to women marriages are practiced in some African communities which is forbidden in Christian teaching on marriage. The creation of new societies and urban centres also as a result of this new economies introduced new family systems that has shrunk to that of the nuclear. Bride price is defined as the price that is paid either in kind or cash by a man to the family of the woman he wants to marry. It is a cultural phenomenon not only in Africa but also outside. Qualities Of God Comp Stud Soc Hist. That is to say, it is that which constitutes the “sole jural instruments for the transfer of marriage rights” 4(p246). JESUS TEACHINGS The continuation of the kinship system is essential to African societies and she or he “who does not participate in it is a curse to the community” (Mbiti, 1969: 133) as it may be regarded as a deliberate attempt to discontinue the lineage system upon which the names and memories of the ancestors depend. Importance of Bride Price, Why People Should Pay It. Assimeng J. 1973. traditional communities. In Kachin society, bride wealth is required to be given by wife taker “Dama” to wife giver “Mayu.” Kachin ancestors thought that … October 2020 The first is that the context of this article is sub-Sahara Africa. Jesus Death The Ashanti’s however accept drinks, mostly bottles of gin, (tiri nsa, lit. This was seen to be gross disrespect. Marriage, which used to be a communal affair now only needed the consent of the man and woman involved. The Akans say “Wɔnsei ammamerɛ” (Traditions must not be destroyed) and as a reflection of such thoughts, it has led to the fusion of the old and new; the traditional and the modern. The amount to be paid is fixed in some community while in others it isn’t and may vary sparingly … St. Luke Gospel The bride price list is an integral part of the traditional marriage ceremony, commonly referred to as engagement ceremony in Ghana. Pertaining to the marriage gift, it converted many existing prestations into money transactions 4. THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Thus, it was regarded as a crime for a man to live with a woman in British Kenya, whose family had not received the marriage gift from him 5. Form 1 CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES IN EAST AFRICA Bridewealth is when a groom's family pays … Children must however be given a place in society and this is done through their being born into a legitimate union. “Normative”,’Recollected'and “Actual”Marriage Payments among the Lowiili of Northern Ghana, 1951–1966. The acceptance of the gifts bestowed upon the bride’s family by the groom shows that an agreement has been reached by not only the bride’s family but by society as whole in recognising the two partners as a man and wife with reciprocal rights and obligations. PROPHET ELIJAH The symbolic value is essential for coming to terms with its usefulness. The marriage rites are followed strictly and are very traditional. October 2019 11. BRIDEWEALTH AND FEMALE CONSENT : MARRIAGE DISPUTES IN AFRICAN COURTS , GUSIILAND , KENYA University of Mississippi. The Infancy And Early Life Of Jesus Death And Resurrection Easter Marriage is so pivotal in African societies and the marriage gift lies at its core that essentially, it can be said that marriage in many African societies is the rendering of the marriage gift to the family of the bride and the rendering of the marriage gift is marriage. CHRISTIAN APPROACHES TO WORK 1. 1999 August 2019 In traditional African communities, bride wealth is given as a sign of commitment by the groom. Traditionally speaking, the payment of bride price in Africa is a practice that is as old as time itself. Being young, they had not acquired much to be offered in the exchange of a bride. An example of this is the common practice of bridewealth in Africa, particularly among the Zulu people. Answers. Or the payment is an exchange for the bride’s family’s loss of her labour and fertility within her kin group. 2009 Follow us now to receive the latest updates @schoolatika, All Passover CRE PAPER 1 QUESTIONS Morris H. Review of Developments in African Marriage Law Since 1950. Spirits And Ancestors The gift is thus “used to replace the daughter by obtaining a wife for some member of the family, usually a brother of the woman who has been lost” 6(p50). 2000 In spite of the introduction of Western medicine and health care systems in Africa, many African communities still rely on traditional health care (World Health Organisation [WHO] 2001). I had a chat with one of my Aunties to find out exactly what goes into the bride price for our family (GA by the way) and according to her this was the list presented to my cousin who was getting married then to a Fante man. Thus marriage serves as the platform for which lineages, clans and ethnicities can be continued. Above, it has been established that the marriage gift is a prestation made mostly by the family of the bridegroom to the bride’s family to ensure the legitimization of the marriage. Firstly, the giving and acceptance of the marriage gift implied that a smooth relation existed between the family of the bride and that of the groom. Application Questions 2001 The African Energy Chamber forecasts that 2021 generation is likely to range between 870-900 TWh if demand picks up aggressively throughout the year. This, thus restores the temporary imbalance in the structural composition of the family. Children 2015 PROPHET AMOS in the perception of African scholars, a traditional healer who is able to cure a particular disease using specific herbs has the knowledge and theory of the plant species and their characteristics. Bridewealth, also called bride-price or marriage payment, payment made by a groom or his kin to the kin of the bride in order to ratify a marriage. 2019 Goody J, Tambiah SJ. There is a glorious reincarnation of traditional practices as the ideal person in society is one who does not deviate from the norms of tradition. Shepherds As a result, the significant implications of the marriage gift might resurface. The African marriage rites are very important to the African peoples. 1997 CRE PAPER 2 QUESTIONS Marriage is defined by Maxwell Assimeng (1999) as “the coming together of a man and a woman from two different clans to establish a family such that offspring could ensue to replenish and perpetuate the [ethnic group]” (p.79). “There are frequently…some in the [groom’s] direction” 6(p47) thus it is reciprocal although the gift from the bride’s family “may be materially smaller than those of the man” 1(p140). These behaviours relegated the traditional practices. Tweet Share. traditional religion; bride wealth; groom bride : African marriage. September 21, 2014 . It is symbolic” 6(p48). African Moral And Cultural Values Goody J. During the marriage process, many gifts are presented to the bride’s family. LEADERSHIP IN ISRAEL: DAVID AND SOLOMON FORM 2 Once the gift was given and accepted, it meant a formal betrothal, elevating the status of the man to the position of husband and the woman to the prestigious position of a wife 1,4–6. They have no binding force between husband and wife. In order to understand the importance of ancestors one must realize that in the African view, death is not thought to end human relationships. However, the money was to be found in the pockets of the elites as old as they were; and army men who had served in the second World War fighting unknown enemies and obeying words they did not understand. Jesus’ Ministry In Jerusalem Prophet Nehemiah Social structure of Ghana: A study in persistence and change. June 2019 Labour migrations in new nations across the continent, a major characteristic in Africa in the late 20th Century saw the birth of new behaviours and attitudes towards the conjugal rights of spouses 4. February 2020 Mbiti J. African philosophy and religion. 8. The list differs from tribe to tribe in Ghana. 1969. The agreement on the gifts to be given to a large extent depends on what the said society values. The symbolic value is essenti… The monetisation, also as a result of the formation of new national identities, saw the rise of new systems for recognising and legitimising marriages. This is a practise which stemmed from a relatively recent past. CUP Archive; 1973. This was the most important evidence symbolising the union 1. Every person in the pews has a sense of awe as they watch the marriage unfold. Yet, the indigenous religious beliefs and cultural values have served not only as the mediation of expressions for both indigenous Christians and Muslims in this area; they have, also, shaped, to a great extent, the forms of Christianity and Islam that developed as well as the relationships between members of the diverse religious groups. Below are 5 more Reasons Why Bride Price is an Important Part of African Marriages. K.C.S.E C.R.E 1996 Marriage And Family Old Testament Prophesies About The Messiah These two prestations are strikingly different yet similar in the sense that the former was given strictly to the family of the bride to symbolize the union whereas the latter was wealth acquired by the bride from her family to ensure the smooth running of her new home. In the Northern part of Ghana: The Gonja payment consists of minimal amount of 13 shillings and 12 kola; it is small by any standard, though it is supplemented by courting and greeting gifts to the future bride and to her parents… Among the Lowiili, the transactions flow in the same direction; there is a small payment of 350 cowries which is said to be all that is needed to “legalize” the union. 1950. This is as a result of many misinterpretations given to it. Traditional African approaches in the light of natural values, and of modern secular attitude If we are going to speak of traditional African concepts and customs regarding marriage and the family, a few clarifications are called for. Amongst the Anlo to the far east of Ghana and Togo, the gift is known as sronu, includes drinks, kente cloth, wax printed cloth (dumas) and cash 10. Amongst the Ashantis, this right was to ensure sexual satisfaction amongst both partners with the intended result of an offspring 11. The researcher wants to explore more about the practice of bridewealth. The Galilean Ministry London, New York: Cambridge University Press. 0. 2017 In addition, the legitimisation of the union between a man and a woman is principal to conferring on the offspring they beget a social relation. It is a way of thanking/appreciating the bride’s family for taking good care of the girl. The acceptance of the gift is thus the recognition and legitimization of the marriage by society as a whole and may be equated to certificates issued to couples in modern states to signify their legal union. 1999. 1998 head wine) and money as the marriage gift 10,11. 2.2. ii) Form of compensation to the bride?s parents for her absence. The exact details of the “bride wealth” system vary by time and place. “The giving of the [marriage gift] is not regarded as an economic or at least not as a business transaction. 1964. Its symbolic value will be discussed below. However, in most societies, both were to be restored or given back in case of a divorce. Lessons Christians Learn It is a form of compensation to the bride’s parents/family for the loss of the girl’s services. Healing Form 3 Examples of this include the exchange of marital vows and modern wedding attire being worn by the bride and groom. Ogbu J. African bridewealth and women’s status. Data will also be collected among the families of urban middle-class citizens in three rural ethnic groups where bridewealth is still important : the Lau and the Kwaio of the island of Malaita and the Kaoka located close to Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal. One of the most essential items normally required in most traditional marriages in Africa, is the Dowry. 1. Their time as a dating couple comes to an end and the moment that will bring their love together forever slowly draws closer than ever before. 1971. BRIDEWEALTH: Cultural Implications and Impact of the Monetisation of African Economies in Marriage Prestation Systems. NEXT >> Social-cultural changes that have taken place in traditional African communities, ​State the importance of bride wealth in traditional African communities, Christian Approaches To Law Order And Justice, Old Testament Prophesies About The Messiah, Selected Aspects In African Religious Heritage: African Concept Of God, Selected Old Testament Prophets And Their Teachings. The amount usually paid differs from one country to the other and from one tribe to the other. According to Wikipedia – The free encyclopedia, bride price also known as bride wealth or a dower is an amount of money or property paid to the parents of a woman for the right to marry their daughter. Technology And Environment Marriage is not seen as a union between a man and a woman but also between families, societies and ethnicities who could be considered as stakeholders in this union. 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