© Lopez O. M. Awa
_(Odezigizigi Ohafia)_
*Part One- Overview*
Ududu is an earthenware object found within the cultural and genealogical traditions of Ohafia in southeastern Nigeria. Although the object itself is an ordinary earthen vessel, its cultural importance derives from the meanings, relationships and practices attached to it by the curators and for the people. In Ohafia, Ududu functions as a material representation (symbol) of ancestry, lineage and family continuity, particularly within the _Umudi_ and _Ikwu_ dimensions of descent. It therefore provides a useful point of entry into the study of Ohafia kinship, oral tradition, ancestral memory, leadership and cultural preservation.
This work examines Ududu as an indigenous genealogical institution rather than merely as an earthen pot. It considers its relationship with family trees, firstborn leadership, custodianship, patrilineality, matrilineality, oral tradition and it's serendipity with the annual _Iri Ji*_ celebration. Particular attention is given to the preparation and communal consumption of _Ofuo Omume_ and the subsequent presentation of _Inri Omume_ on Ududu as part of the annual remembrance of ancestors.
Additionally, I explore the expression of Ududu as an “archaeological navel of patrimonies,” a conceptual metaphor I have used to describe its function as a material point of connection between ancestry, inheritance, memory and succeeding generations.
Ududu is supposed to be an archivists delight because it represents an indigenous form of material archiving in which an object, oral genealogy and ritual practice operate together to present a permanent exhibition. Interestingly, its preservation therefore requires more than keeping the physical pots. It requires the documentation and transmission of the genealogies, narratives, responsibilities, food traditions and social meanings associated with them.
Ududu therefore deserves greater scholarly attention as an important expression of Ohafia cultural identity and as a possible model for understanding how African communities preserve genealogical memory through material culture.
0 Comments