Marriage Of Urhobo People (Traditional Marriage)
The Niger-delta region is a home to the people of Urhobo. Just like others, the Urhobo social structures starts from the least composite unit, which is the family and aggregate to the level of a village. The smallest unit was the father, who saw to the maintenance of law and other and the well being of the family. The compound was next and it was to ensure maintenance of law and other and promotion of the welfare of lineage group, there was also the head of the compound picked amongst the head of each household.
The bride price of the Urhobo people varied from one locality to the other. Before the bride price is paid, the bridegroom must seek the hand of the bride for marriage by going to see the brides parents, following which there were negotiations that could eventually lead to agreement.
The bridegroom buys wrapper (cloth) for the father of the father of the bride with a walking stick and hat to match, the bridegroom also buys a blouse, head tie, and wrapper for the mother of the bride. The bridegroom also buys clothes for the bride which are kept in bag; the number o cloth which he buy for her might be eight in a number and a day is set for the marriage ceremony.
The bridegroom comes with his family and the bride price is paid depending on the acceptable currency of the time in question and the prevailing traditions in the society.
The brides mother is given a number of gifts and other items before he bride is presented and asked whether she desires to be the bride of the groom for life. If the answer was yes then the bride price would be paid but if not, the bridegroom will go back home. A man could marry more than one wife and this was allowed according to their tradition.
Their mode of dressing was a very unique one where the men were to be seen putting on a wrapper (Which usually called George) and had a hat to match and with a walking stick while the women usually wore blouse on their wrapper and with a head-tie to match.
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