Lifestyle
The Prestigious Awzaw Title Among the Igbos — As Documented by George T. Basden (1921)
The Awzaw (Ozo) title, one of the highest and most sacred honours among the Igbo, was traditionally divided into two stages: Awzaw-Unaw (conferred first by one’s extended family or “house”) and Nukwu Awzaw (full investiture recognized across the town). It was the most expensive of all titles, with total costs often exceeding £120—a significant sum in those days. Roughly two-thirds of the cost had to be paid in cash, and the rest in livestock, spirits, and other ceremonial items.
Initial payments were made to members of the candidate’s kindred (umunna), followed by larger sums to the Awzaw Chiefs of the local quarter, and then to the rest of the town’s titleholders. The festivities included traditional music, dancers, and ritual displays. A horse—regardless of its condition—had to be slaughtered by the aspirant himself as a symbolic act, earning him the honorary title Otibwu-Anyinya (“he who has killed a horse”), a feat made rare and prestigious by the scarcity of horses due to the tsetse fly.
Following the rite, the new chief entered a strict period of seclusion lasting two months. He was forbidden from staying in his own compound or seeing anyone outside his immediate family. A temporary shelter was built for him, and he was to be covered in white chalk throughout. He also had to remain with only his first wife during this period.
When he finally emerged, the chief paraded through town accompanied by the ogenne, a long, deep-toned iron bell used to announce his presence. He would publicly embrace his first wife and eldest son in a symbolic gesture of reentry into society.
The regalia of an Awzaw Chief included a spear with a twisted iron crown, red camwood-stained ankle cords, an ivory horn, and a special stool reserved for titleholders. Benefits were considerable: freedom from all manual labor, immunity from physical assault by other natives, judicial authority, and rights over domestic and communal disputes. Depending on his ritual sacrifice, he was saluted either as Obwu-Efi (“cow killer”) or Otibwu-Anyinya (“horse killer”). He also received a share of all entrance and administrative fees paid into the order’s treasury.
Note: The famous Igbo Ukwu altar stand reflects the sacred aesthetics and artistic heritage surrounding such elite traditions. (Source: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art).
Source Kehinde Thompson
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