Kolanuts- Omenala Jikotara Igbo

How do I start a gathering of Igbo people without first presenting Kola.

".... he who brings kola, brings life.

Bless the kola before us.

We pray for a good harvest, we pray for our wives and for our children.

Let good come to all man and if anyone disagrees may he not see the sun set.

Let the kite perch, let the eagle perch too".

Is it not synonymous to the Bible passage Psalms 23.

Okay, no way! Especially when the topic of revenge is brought up. But we say, back to sender still, so?

The kolanuts is to the Igbo people what the prayer book ( Bible) stands for in Christainity.

It is a way of showing acceptance, it signifies co-operation. It is used to trace seniority in a gathering.

The breaking of the kolanuts is an invitation to the supernatural to be part of the activities. 

Come on! this is the most solid foundation of Christainity. Prayer. Prayer is an invitation from the humanity to divinity for an intervention.

What did you say is the difference again?

An Igbo myth tells about the origin and marking of kolanuts in the Igbo culture as this;

 It talked about a special relationship then between humans and spirit- the man and spirit interacted so well that they exchanged ceremonies and festivities, sport, wrestling. In one of it, a spirit called Aji Ike Ugburuoba stood unconquered in a wrestling match. It was the pattern of women to fall in love with the unbeaten wrestlers. Amongst the numerous women, was Ugo Onobo. She was so in love and obsessed, that she eloped with him. Aji Ike. 

News of her disappearance spread round the village. Agala and Ogbu Onobo were openly ridiculed about their inability to find their one and only sister. They were furious and went to the house of a diviner (dibia) to ask of her whereabouts.

He gave them directions which they followed strictly and behold they found their sister with Aji Ike Ugburuoba, pregnant. In excitement of seeing his brothers-in-law, Aji Ike went to his room and came out with native chalk (nzu), coconut with water as drink and kolanuts. He gave the chalk to smear on their left wrist as a welcome gesture, the coconut with its water as food and drink and the kolanuts as dowry for their sister.

In anger the two brothers rejected it but demanded to take their sister. The helpless Aji consented to their request but pleaded with them to accept his gesture of hospitality.......

So firstly that was the aim of the kolanuts, to show hospitality. Growing up, I remembered older people coming to visit my Grandad in the village and they were being presented with powder which the females rubbed on their neck. Women were not a partakers of the kolanuts breaking ritual. So far I've read and heard? What was your experience about Igbo welcoming? 

Amongst the Igbo people it is said that Kolanuts-Oji stands for O- Omenala (Culture) j- Jikotara (unites) I- Igbo.

Therefore when we present oji-kolanuts, we say, Culture Unites Igbo.