TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE

This Study Examined a semiotic analysis of items used in Igbo traditional marriage of Aguluzigbo community, Anambra State. The study relied on data collected from primary sources. The primary method involved oral interviews with 4 competent speakers of Aguluzigbo compising 3 women and 1 man, who are also vast with the cultural and traditional practices of Aguluzigbo, with their ages ranging from 40 years and above. The theoretical framework employed for the research is the "Semiotic theory" by Saussure (1916). The findings revealed that the items used in Igbo traditional marriage in Aguluzigbo carry significant symbolic meanings that reflect cultural values and social norms. Money, particularly the N1,000 paid by the groom, symbolizes his commitment and readiness to take on marriage responsibilities, serving as a marker of respect and social status. Palm wine represents unity, fertility, and prosperity, while also legitimizing the marriage between the two families. Items like small stout and malt drinks are symbols of strength, celebration, and inclusivity, reflecting the groom's ability to provide and the communal spirit of the ceremony. The male goat and yams signify fertility, provision, and respect for the bride’s family, emphasizing the agricultural roots of the community. Modern elements like Gulder beer symbolize the blending of tradition with contemporary practices, while raffia wine connects the ceremony to ancestral traditions. The cash payment and additional gifts, including palm wine and a goat, highlight the formal exchange and social identity within the community. The research concludes that the items used in the marriage ceremony of the Aguluzigbo community of Anambra State reinforce unity, respect, and the continuity of cultural practices.

The definition of marriage varies according to cultures. Marriage is a legal union between a man and woman as husband and wife. In some jurisdictions, it is a union between two persons in the same sex usually entailing legal obligations of each person to the other. Marriage is also called matrimony or wedlock. It is a socially or ritually recognized union or legal contract between spouses that established rights and obligations between them and their in-laws, as well as the society in general.2 When defined broadly; marriage can be recognized by a state, and organization or a religious body, a tribal group, local community or peers. Oxford advanced dictionary defines marriage as the legal relationship between a husband and a wife. According to the definition above, which states that marriage could also be a union between two persons of the same sex which has a legal backing.3 However,, this research stands with the definition that are based on marriage being a union between a man and a woman which is the most acceptable in Egbudu-Akah land and not the other way round. Egbudu-Akah is a town located in Aniocha-South Local Government area of Delta state. Akishe River formed the boundary between her and Ashama, Ubulu in the East, in the west bordered by Ekuku-Agbor, in the south by Ejeme and Nsukwa and in the North by Ute-Okpu. Egbudu-Akah, is located in the forest belt of the state, Delta, it covers a total of about twelve (12)miles east to west, and the same North to South