by
Obododimma Oha
Cursing springs from a desire that bad things visit an entity, while blessing, its opposite, expresses a desire that good visit the entity. In other words, cursing and blessing are seen as additions to an entity's situation, as a kind of compensation for a perceived disposition. Unpleasant experiences may force somebody to curse. Job's wife advises him to curse God and face death, when his tragedies become too many. Single individuals or groups may offer blessings or utter curses, but there may be some specialists in performing these, or people adored or feared for their powers who may be summoned to perform these. What is interesting is that cursing and blessing can assume several discursive forms in Igbo, including being single statements, songs, longer stretches of narratives, visual displays, etc. Each mode chosen may have some relationship with the context of the type of interactants. In this brief article, modes of cursing and blessing in Igbo culture are explored, as a way of probing these acts as necessary performances in the lives of the people. It is possible that these modes can also be found in some other African and non-African traditions.
But let us reflect briefly on the community acts of cursing and blessing. Among the traditional Igbo, coming together as a community to curse and to bless is seen as one voice speaking, one mind reacting. It is mainly performed by adult males representing each village and is known as "ịsụ ọfọ'" or "ịsụkpo ihe ọfọ" (Confirming with the ọfọ) named after the acts performed by the participants who indicate their agreement to the assertion by knocking their "ọfọ" to the ground. The earth and the ancestors are also also seen to be endorsing the assertions and mobilizing them.
The participants, acting on behalf of the living and the dead, the ancestors and the militant living, seal the issue with the authority of the ọfọ which makes it irrevocable, unless certain rights are performed to assuage anger here and there. If a curse is pronounced and affirmed, such a curse is an important act believed to govern lives and community for several generations. If it is a blessing, the same. But blessing is hardly a cause for "ịsụ ọfọ." One wonders why blessing, as a positive act, is hardly given this attention. Why is cursing, a negative act, a cause for "ịsụ ọfọ"? Does it mean that the negative is considered more important and more serious? Well, the main thing is that whatever would lead to a curse and "ịsụ ọfọ" to affirm it is even prevented or avoided completely. If it gets to "ịsụ ọfọ," that is a dangerous and irrevocable bend.
Single words or sentences amounting to wishes of good fortune or bad fortune may be uttered by offended or grateful individuals sometimes. We sometimes ask or persuade them to take back their words, if a curse is the design. They do so, if their anger is assuaged sufficiently. In the case of blessing, their act is praised highly or commended. This cursing or blessing is based on the assumption that
(1) spoken words have power, especially if uttered by the right people, in the right circumstances, and if the utterers are in the right standing (i.e. are justified;). Is it not because spoken are believed to have power that many ancient narratives represented the Maker as partly using spoken words in creating?
(2) the words of this world are also the utterances of its Maker (the voice of humans is the voice of God);
(3) my-will-be-done and thy-will-be-done reconcile finally if my will is founded on responsibility being given to me.
When cursing and blessing are couched in longer narratives, they may look like performances. Actually, they are performances of pain and would eventually convey pain on the targets. As children, we had several of such to display. And that was when denial was blunt and everybody claims to be innocent. Then, somebody would raise the song, or rather the curse:
Onye nyụrụ ahụrụ a
Nyụrụ nyụrụ nyụrụ
Nyụjere Nwaagbaọsọ
Nwaogbaọsọ were ogiri
Sụchie ya akpụrụ sị!
(Whoever let out this fart
Let out this fart (repeated two times, chorus)
Let the fellow go and fart for Nwaagbaọsọ
So that Nwaogbaọsọ would seal the person's anus
With melon paste)
That curse, especially when collectively performed and the dreaded charmer (Nwaagbaọsọ) is mentioned, is very scary. It is expected that confession of guilt would follow next and the group would be begged to beg Nwaagbaọsọ!
The group assent to the curse is signified by such elements as the chorus ("Nyuru nyuru nyururu") and the fact that everybody present is invoking the sealing of anus by Nwaagbaọsọ. In that case, all are cursing by proxy and Nwaagbaọsọ is actualizing it. There could be an argument as to who is the proxy here: Nwaagbaọsọ or the singers? Nwaagbaọsọ is far away and is fictional. Nwaagbaọsọ may not even know about the offensive smell of the fart or that some offended children are singing. So, in that case, let us take Nwaagbaọsọ as the proxy-aggrieved or curser. But if the children are only representatives of Nwaagbaọsọ the Master curser, then the children are the proxies!
The type of cursing that is extreme and total is the visual. In this visual mode, the offended may bare buttocks ("ibọ ike"), may drag buttocks on the ground ("ịkpụ ike ala"), and may strip naked, showing bare breasts and sexual organs. This type of cursing is particularly terrible when performed by elderly women and married daughters. In visually cursing, the cursers focus on the target, may call the target's name, and may pronounce another terrible wish, like death. It is expected that rescinding be done quickly, to avert the wrath of unseen forces.
It is clear from the points raised above that individuals or groups could curse or bless. The collective or group performance is also reconcilable with those of the individual, in that the collective acts as a single entity, one offended or excited person.
Further, even though it is assumed in cursing and blessing that the origin actually does it, indeed, it is actually the owner of the universe that knows how to punish or commend. Humans can only show their sentiments, hoping that mighty one would act. But the mighty one is not a domestic servant to humans or an errand person. In that case, cursing and blessing are only human expressions of their sentiments. The mighty one decides.
But cursing and blessing do not have to be uttered by people or have direct forms before being effective. That young boy that removes his earphone, stopping his having a lovely session with hip hop, and proceeds to help that old woman in carrying a heavy bundle, is already negotiating a huge blessing. In this case, a simple "Thank you, my son" is a blessing which mobilizes huge fortunes to come his way. We find this demonstrated in many Igbo and African folktales that I seriously recommend to young people of today.
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