Abwoi religion

A tradition among the Atyap ("Mabatado") suggests that the Aku clan credited as the first settlers in the land who came out from the ground at the arrival of the Atyap hunters were the originators of Abwoi among that Atyap (Nenzit) sub-group, with some of the latter Abwoi types being of Atsam and Agworok origins.[1]

Atuk (March 2008: 30-33) noted that the idea of the Atyap religion (the Abwoi cult) was introduced by the Anghan, courtesy of the oral history narrated by an informant, Atyoli Abwui Kato, who narrated that:

The Anghan people came to Kanai or Sanai or Bafoi Kanai to mourn the death of their indigene - Kura Yanga, a woman in Atyap land. As is the custom of the Anghan, such burial ceremonies are often accompanied with an Abwoi ceremony. The indigenes of Bafoi asked the Anghan to leave behind the Abwoi with them, which they came with. After they agreed, a small ritual of two goats and some ingredients and wine were performed.

According to Atuk, this information sounds accurate as the genealogy of the woman in question has been found, furthering that Tokan Bukhwu was the first priest or a̠gwam a̠bwoi, followed by Baghai Tokan.[3]

One of the traditional narratives in the Bajju area goes that the cult came from the village Tsoriyang of the Bayinhwan clan eight miles away from Zonkwa. Another claims that a man named Tawai brought it from the Irigwe country. A third claims it was of Ham origin.[4]

Among the Gwong, a tradition claims that the cult began in a village called Agabi and started only of recent, probably in the 19th century.[5]

A Gbagyi origin was suggested by Gunn (1956:79) for the cult's existence in the Southern Kaduna area, based on his "linguistical evidence" in which he presented that the Gbagyi word for 'calabash' or 'gourd' is 'obwe'/'obvwe'.[6] However, Isichei (1988:46) differed in view, stating that there was no mention of any cult called 'Abvwoi' (or 'Abwoi') from any available oral data of the Gbagyi. Alternatively, Gunn suggested that the cult was 'borrowed' from the Adara via the Bakulu.[7]

The initiation by 'swallowing and vomiting' signified the graduating of the male children into manhood, introducing them into the cult, and also remind them of the consequence of revealing the common secret. In his words, Atuk writes:

"It's clear that the rites symbolize a process of death and rebirth. The five days of silence (the period of their stay in the Abwoi shrine) is a portrayal of the early years of children who have not yet learned to speak."

[3]

Any amongst the initiated boys who would reveal the truth about the Abwoi cult would be taken back to the shrine and tried. If found guilty, his father would rub ashes on him (the symbol of mourning). Henceforth, that child would be impaled on a sharpened stake (a form of execution used by the Abwoi) and all the initiated would begin to sing and dance around to drown the screams of the victim. The women would hence be told that the boy had been 'swallowed' by the Abwoi.[3]

There were several types of Abwoi, each with its peculiar duties. These include:

1. Li̠m (Jju: Zabyya̠; variant spelling: Zabieh): The most dreaded and terrifyinɡ of all the Abwoi. It was responsible for 'swallows' and 'voming' children during and after the initiation ceremony. Its cry made the ɡround trembled 'like an earthquake'. It had a gigantic appearance.
2. A̠bansop or Bansop; variant spelling: Bansip (Jju: Aninyet; variant name: Daniet): This also had a ɡigantic appearance and looked like a forest due to its reɡalia being complete leaves from head down to the feet. It was usually confined around forested environments. It is made with bamboo frame covered with leaves and goes about at night.[12]
3. Mapyia̠ (variant spellings: Mapio, Mapie, Mupie): This was sometimes reɡarded as A̠yang A̠bwoi (mother A̠bwoi). It did appear and cried in the niɡht to friɡhten and scare the errinɡ people especially, thieves. It was found mostly around streams. It is thought to be a male Abwoi which produces a feminine sound by ululation.[8]
4. A̠bwoi A̠gwoot: This was said to have been imported from Gworok (H. Kagoro). Its duty was mainly to watch over all theft scenarios in maize farms. Females were not involved in this very Abwoi practice, except initiation males.
5. Dankwari (Jju: Dankpari; variant spelling: Dangpari): This Abwoi was practiced mostly at night and involved two or more people, scattered around. When the one (the female) produced a sound wilily repeatedly, the other (the male) would respond with a hoarse humming voice, moving simultaneously.[13] It was usually heard after harvest.[8]
6. A̠kursak (Jju: A̠kusak): The Kursak was an emissary of the Abwoi. It was earlier clothed with grasses, then leaves and recently with a colourful raffia costume. The Atyap's Kursak's crest or headpiece is more elaborate than the Bajju's Kusak's crest, but other features are more or less same.[10][14]
7. Alewa: This is a version of Kursak found among the Agworok, which speaks unlike the other Kursak which is mute. It usually appears in festivals, at the deaths of elders and during epidemics.[14]
8. Mbwoi (variant spelling: Mboi, Mbue): This was a visible masked spirit introduced in Gworok (Kagoro) in 1930 by the Ankwai in response to the wickedness of the then paramount ruler, Mugunta Atin. It was banned in 1933 by the British colonial government due to its violent tendencies.[15]

At the top was the office of the chief priest of the A̠bwoi cult, known as the A̠gwam A̠bwoi (H. Magajin Dodo) and there was the A̠byii̠k A̠bwoi (wife of Abwoi) who was the A̠byet A̠bwoi (H. Madaucin Dodo) whose duty was the interpretation of the A̠bwoi's messaɡes.

There were as well the Mman Tutu A̠bwoi (children of A̠bwoi's shrine) who numbered between 10 and 25, whose main duty was to answer the A̠bwoi's sonɡ.

There was the office of A̠gwam A̠nyiuk A̠bwoi (H. Magajiyan Matan Dodo; E. Abwoi Women Leader).

Also, there were the Tswá Ywan, the orɡanizers of the various A̠bwoi feasts who supervised the compulsory brewinɡ of a̠kan or dikan (beer/liquor) by the women.[13]

The worshippers (mainly men) were instructed to keep away from women during ceremonial periods. This rule was compulsory especially for him who is to be made a Kursak. It was believed that if the person isn't clean, when in the Kursak attire, the attire will eat deep into his flesh. Due to this, worshippers were advised to look clean both in body and in spirit.

A lot of taboos abound in the Abwoi shrine, which worshippers were expected to keep sacred without violation. One of such is: While in the shrine, no worshipper was allowed to eat food or drink wine without the permit of the a̠gwam a̠bwoi (Abwoi chief priest). The priest himself was as a matter of fact the disher of such things. Any worshipper who does contrary to those simple rules is bound to be expelled, since he would be regarded as a "sinner".

The Abwoi practiced and imposed capital punishments on its erring members. A capital punishment usually goes to any member who reveals to his wife what the Abwoi is and what it looks like. It is interesting to note that the communication which transpired between a husband and his wife is known in the Abwoi's shrine. Investigation made it known that this was not an omnipresent attribute that could be associated with the Abwoi, but that the Abwoi had a complex network of spies and informants even among women. They knew women to be more talkative, hence, they cannot keep secrets, and they were bound to be heard. Once an initiated member violates the rule, the punishment was a capital one.[3]