Introduction and Brief History Anaang (Annang) People
Annang Tribe Map
Here are brief historical facts of this ancient tribe, starting with the traditional greeting – Annang, mma! Iya!
The Anaang (also spelled Annang) is a cultural and ethnic group native to "South South" geopolitical zone in Nigeria. The Anaang people are indigenes of 8 local government areas of the present 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State namely Abak, Essien Udim, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Oruk Anam, Ukanafun in Local Government Area , and part of Obi Ngwa L.g.a of Abia state, e.g Akirika and others, Nigeria. They were formerly located in the former Abak and Ikot Ekpene Divisions of the Anaang Province, in the former Eastern Region of Nigeria. They have a population of over 2.1 million Native speakers and occupy a landmass of about 2.5km2. The political capital of the Anaang people is Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area.
History reports that they have their origins in Jewish tribes from Egypt and settled in Ghana before arriving in the Coastal Southeastern Nigeria and Southwestern Cameroon in Africa.
From ancient Egypt and through various wars and conquests, the Annang tribe was pushed south into the Sahara Desert. They moved across the desert, and some settled in the Upper West African region about 7500 BC. Remnants of their language can be found among the Egyptians. Another evidence of their Jewish/Egyptian origin is in their eight-day calendar, circumcision, burial customs and veneration of the dead.
Weather/Climate
The state is situated in the north of the Equator and within the humid tropics and its proximity to the sea makes the state generally humid. Annang land has a very calm tropical climate, marked by two distinct seasons – the rainy and dry seasons.
The state experiences abundant rainfall with very high temperature and the mean annual temperature of the state lies between 260 C and 280 C, while mean annual rainfall ranges from 2000 mm to 3000 mm, depending on the area. Maximum humidity is usually recorded in July while the minimum occurs in January. Thick cloud cumulonimbus type is commonly experienced in the months of March to November.
The climate of the state allows for favourable cultivation and extraction of agricultural and forest products such as palm produce, rubber, cocoa, rice, cassava, yam, plantain, banana, maize, and timber.
Cities & Towns
Important cities and towns include Abak, Ekparakwa, Ikot Ekpene, Ukanafun, Ikot Okoro, Ukana.
Tourist Sites
Annang Arts
They are countless site attraction in Anaang Land from natural to man made ones. the following are list of some of the sites
- Ikot Ekpene Raffia Museum
- Ikot Ekpene Plaza
- Great ancient palm tree with double head at Edem Akai in Adiasim clan of Essien Udim LGA
- First Police State at Ikot Okoro, Oruk Anam
Culture
Anaang society is patriarchal. Individuals locate their place in the social world from the Idip, literally translated as "womb". Thus a brother/sister from the same Idip means that they can trace their origin to the same mother or father. Since polygamy is practiced in the society, those who can so trace their ancestry to the same parents form Ufok (literally a house or compound). Several ufoks make up Ekpuks or extended family and several Ekpuks (extended families) make up "Idung" (meaning village) and several villages make up the "abie" or clan.
Leadership at the family, lineage, village, or clan level remains the prerogative of the men, and lineage ties extend to women even after marriage. There are many societies and associations (Urim also called "udim") for men and women which are very important in traditional village life. Individuals are measured by both the number and types of memberships in Urim and by the achievements of one or more Urims. Governance is done by elderly males who act as the legislative arm called Afe Isong, directed by the Obong or Abong Ichong (Village Chief and Clan Chief) who is the head and the chief executive but without the authority beyond what the Afe Ichong gives. A chief can be appointed by the Afe or can be an inherited office.
The strength of any individual, family (or group for that matter) is typically based upon a consensus of the village or clan through this complex social system. In all this, Anang women are not completely subordinate to men. Instead Anaang women are partners and leaders in many aspects of Anaang tradition, including serving as female chief priests "Abia Idiong" in the Idiong cult or as healers in the healing cults. The first-born female known as Adiaha is important and commands respect in the family and lineage. Some traditions hold that a woman's first birth should take place in her mother's compound. Women's organizations such as "abi-de" and "Nyaama", and "Isong Iban" play important roles in giving the women voice and status in society. There are no traditional or cultural barriers that prevent women from attaining high offices or positions.
Birth
At birth there is no special celebration associated with the entry of any individual into planet earth. When is born there is always a shout of joy followed the women rubbing talc or white clay while the men gather to drink to welcome any child into the world. The father gives the child a name at any given time he chooses without any formal announcement or celebration.
Fattening Room
The fattening room is traditionally where virgin adolescent girls were fattened up in preparation for marriage.
Annang Maidens (Mbobo)
A fattening room girl is known as a mbobo. This was an occasion for a major village celebration. As part of her preparation for marriage the girl was also instructed on how to be a wife. She would spend her time in the room naked so that her fattening could be observed, and would sleep on a bamboo bed which was thought to fatten her up. It was also meant to make it more possible for her to conceive easily.
This use for fertility purposes was also used at time for infertile wives and as a prerequisite for entrance into secret societies.
Marriage
Annang Married Couple
The Anaang marriage rite is greatly synonymous to any other tribe in Nigeria. Foremostly, A Traditional marriage ceremony in Anaang (Annang) is not an exception and not new to the beautiful heritage displayed during its proceedings.
The traditional marriage in Anaang (Annang) starts with a young man from any tribe asking a girl from Anaang (Annang) to marry him. As soon as the girl agrees the journey legally begins. At the acceptance of the man, the bride’s kinsmen reschedules another meeting also known traditionally as ‘Nkong Udok’. The Nkong Udok is made a little ceremonial, here the man is told the lady’s bride price and a list of required items is given to the man and his kinsmen. At the man’s acceptance of the demands, he thereby proceeds to the purchase and delivery of the request on probably a latter date. As soon as all the demands are granted (sometimes one has to compromise) and both families are duly satisfied a proceeding is made for the traditional marriage arrangement. A date is slated and detailed arrangements made. The traditional marriage ceremony rightfully follows.
On the day of the traditional marriage, a vibrantly coloured and cheerful-looking dance troops, traditional recipes and other traditionally valued activities roll out in display.
In our modern day, what follows the traditional marriage ceremony is an English wedding, this is seemingly optional though.
The Anaang (Annang) people have got a very enchanting tradition which adds spice and color to every traditional events or occasion which are done annually or occasionally. Ceremonies in Anaang (Annang) are always flamboyant, captivating, rich and glamorous.
The traditional marriage process in Anaang (Annang) is in four phases namely:
The introduction phase natively called the Nkon udok
The Collection of List phase
The marriage ceremony is known as Ushoro Ndo
The post-marriage phase known as Usio uyong
Funeral
Annang burial ceremonies may be understood as rites of passage based on the global, intercultural belief that the body and the mind are related but not the same, and that the mind continues after the body dies. In Annang culture, the community engages in a brief initial stage of intense mourning and wear black clothing immediately following a death — even the death of an elder, because it is recognized that that person is no longer present in their familiar form. This is followed quickly by a second phase of mourning involving lots of spontaneous music and dance, the butchering of animals for ritual and food, and ceremonies to ensure the dead one’s safe passage to the world of the ancestors. Some elements of these proceedings include the creation of a funeral shrine, a homage procession, a “second burial,” and a “Newcomer’s Meal” which the meal the death person is believe to go and have before the close where food are stored for that reason the person must buried before sunset so that he or she will not miss the evening meal.
Inheritance Pattern
The Anaang (Annang) inheritance pattern is somewhat universal. This could be by birth, marriage or registration. The inheritance pattern by birth is completely indisputable and cannot be infringed upon. In the birth inheritance pattern, it is designed that every ascendant born into the family possess a full-fledged right as an indigene of the community.
The marriage inheritance pattern comes to play when the bride is married into the community from another tribe. Automatically she becomes an indigene and shares a common right every indigene has.
The registration inheritance pattern is a citizenship derived by registration. This allows for citizenship to non-indigenes especially outside the community or tribe. One who wishes to become a citizen by registration has a stipulated duration of time he/she needs to reside in the community before his citizenship could be granted. On his/her fulfillment of this, if the community finds him/her fit to be a patriotic citizen, his/her citizenship is granted on conditions for which if he/she flouts, the citizenship could be withdrawn.
Religious Beliefs and Values
Anaang (Annang) has two predominant religions which are Christianity and traditional.
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Annang Shrine
The traditional religion of the people is based on the belief in the existence of a Supreme Being called Abasi Ibom (Abasi Enyong) whom they believe lives beyond the clouds, and myriads of divinities and spiritual beings (Abasi Isong) that assist Abasi Ibom to deal with human problems of moral, social, economic, political and psychological nature “Ibom” means the whole limitless universe. Here accordingly, he is the lord of the whole boundless universe and everything within it. Due to his boundlessness, there is no temple or shrine for him, since that cannot accommodate him. Awasi-Ibom is ubiquitous, and, and because of this, no particular temple, place or shrine can accommodate him. He, therefore, needs no temple nor shrine since he can neither be localized nor spatialized. He transcends space and time continuum. The temple is, therefore, non-existent in the Annang religion. As the Awasi-Ibom is unlimited, so are his powers.However, Abasi Ibom is a withdrawn God, the so-called ‘deus-otiosus’ and hence assistance from other divinities and ancestral beings. Awasi Ibom or Abot is the creator, the creator of the divinities, humans, animals, plants and other existents in the world. Awasi Ibom comes first in the hierarchy of existence.
According to their order of importance, ‘Awasi Anyong’ (god of the sky) and ‘Awasi Isong’ (god of the earth) are nearer to Awasi Ibom than other deities. When libations are poured at public functions in Annang land, invocations are made to ‘Awasi Anyong’ and ‘Awasi Isong’. Awasi Anyong takes charge of the affairs of the ethereal region while Awasi Isong is concerned with the happenings on earth.
The exact number of these divinities is unknown. Messenger gives an estimated number of these divinities as being over thirty. Of all the divinities, one most dreaded among the people- "Ekpo ka Owo"- whose duty is to check and punish infidelity in the marriage institution.
At the head of all the deities are “Eka Awasi (mother goddess) and “Eka nnem” (mother of the deities). These two are believed to exert control over lesser deities.
Tabular arrangement to show the names of the deities, their abodes and functions.
Name Approximation
|
English Equivalent
|
Abode
|
Function
|
Awasi Anyong
|
Sky god
|
The Sky
|
In charge of the ethereal region
|
Awasi Isong
|
Earth god
|
The earth
|
In charge of the earth
|
Eka Awasi
|
Earth goddess
|
The earth
|
Responsible for female fertility
|
Awasi Ukod
|
God of Inlaws
|
The village
|
Protection of inlaws
|
Awasi Ajejen
|
God of grandchildren
|
The Village
|
Protection of grandchildren
|
Eka nnem
|
Head of divinity
|
The earth
|
Protection of other deities
|
Nnem usung
|
god of the road
|
Road corners
|
Protection of the roads
|
Ekpenyong
|
god of the wood
|
The wood
|
Protecting the woods
|
Ikpa isong
|
god of the village
|
Village squares
|
Protection of the villages
|
Nnem utin
|
god of the sun
|
The sun
|
Responsible for sunlight
|
Nnem idung
|
god of the home
|
Compound entrance
|
Protection of the home
|
Mmiam
|
deities of truth
|
Compound entrance
|
Responsible for truth and justice
|
Idio inwang
|
goddess of farm
|
The farm
|
Responsible for good harvest
|
Nnem iman
|
god of the clan
|
Clan headquarters
|
Protection of the clan
|
Nnem akai
|
god of the forest
|
The forest
|
Protection of the forest
|
Abot
|
god of fertility
|
Road corners
|
Responsible for reproduction
|
Nnem mmong
|
goddess of water
|
Seas,rivers,streams,spring
|
In charge of water bodies
|
Mbama
|
god of first harvest
|
Village square
|
Responsible for first harvest
|
Esien emana
|
reincarnation deity
|
The forest
|
In charge of reincarnation
|
Nnem erim
|
god of the rain
|
The atmosphere
|
In charge of rain
|
Annang Taboos (Ibed)
Taboos were associated with rituals and were thus held in absolute sacredness and sanctity. Contraventions brought undesirable material consequences to the offender and the community. Rituals were often performed to expiate and propitiate the evil committed. Some days were set aside and held to be sacred. For example, No woman was expected to fetch from the community stream on Ared market day (Usen Urua Ared). No one was expected to offend his grandchild or grandchildren (Ajejen or Nto Ajejen), his or her grandparents (Etebom and/or Ekam), his in laws (Ukod). A woman is prohibited from having sexual intercourse with another man other than her husband. Contravention of this injunction attracts the dead of the husband, who is believed to be killed by the wife through the evil minstrels of eros called Ekpo Nka Agwo.
The following are some of Iman Annangs and their food taboos. Eka Abiakpo clans do not eat turtle. The Afaha people forbade its members from eating the (Nserise) squirrel. They identified with the quickness and intelligence of the animal. Other examples of clan groups and their food taboo are: Ukana python (Asabo); (Ibom); Ekpenyong (albino Python); Ikpe Uruk- Ikot (snake); Utu, Ebom, Midim (birds); Nto Osung (African black bird). Other Annang clans chose vegetables as their food taboo. Thus Ika has sweet yam (anem) as taboo, and Nto Edino has the river reed (Nyama). The food taboo was so important to the Annang that it was used as a distinguishing characteristic to locate the origin of an individual and to separate one Iman from another. Children learnt as part of the socialization process that a particular Iman are people living in a particular geographical area with a given food taboo.
Housing
The Annangs live in a communal settlement where brothers build and live close to each other but the eldest son lives in biggest space or inherited the father's house. Every family have a central meeting called Afe. The buildings behind belonged to the women and the children belonged in their mothers’ apartment. The older boys each had their own section close to the big building and all the buildings were enclosed within a big wall that gave one a sense of security and privacy.
Occupation
Annang Art
The Annangs are known for the power of their charms, expertise in trading, and their renown art and their creativity is displayed in the marketplace through intricate handmade crafts like mats, baskets, gourd stands, bags, masks, sculpture, wood carving, raffia shoes, hat and, most notably, raffia cane furniture etc.
Annaang is known as a regional center of commerce, with notable exports of palm products, especially palm oil, kernels, raffia products including raffia fibers and its wine, ground crops of yams, cassava, taro, and corn, tree crop like orange, avocado, bitter kola, kola nut and vegetable like pumpkin leave.
Festivals
Annang Ekpo Masquerade
Anaang`s rich cultural heritage is reflected through traditional dances. The Annangs have many cultural celebrations. Principal among these are Akata, Ekong, Asian Akan Anwan, Eka Ekong, Idiong, Asaduk and Ekpo masquerade.
Despite of the advent of Western civilization and religion, there are some cultural institutions that still exist, such as Ekpo, Ekpe, Idiong, Attat Utu-Ekpe. These were powerful instruments of traditional governance before they lost their relevance in the mid-nineteenth century with the arrival of European missionaries. Akata was the investigative unit for the traditional council while Ekpo was the law enforcement unit.
Notable Festive Periods in Annang tribe and their Significance
FESTIVAL
|
SIGNIFICANCE
|
MONTH
|
Usoro Ikon
|
it is the melon festival celebrated in the month of September
|
September
|
Usoro Ebre
|
festival to mark the harvest of water yam
|
September and October
|
New Yam Festival
|
A thanksgiving feast to the gods and ancestors for yam harvest in Ikot Ekpene
|
July / August
|
Feast of Anyan
|
For appeasement of the communal deity of Otoro clan in Ikot Ekpene
|
July / August
|
Eset (Ise) Feast
|
A feast to pay tribute to the warriors in Ukana Clan.
|
July / August
|
Annang Festival of Art and Culture
|
Celebration of Art and Culture in the entire Annang land
|
December
|
.
Food
Another identity that represents one’s culture is food. A meal capable of representing one’s culture uniquely moves from its mere raw state to its method of preparation, occasions for which it is served and how it is served.
Like every other African woman, Anaang woman spends about 30% to 40% of her working time on food preparation. This is so because she derives pleasure in doing it, considering the importance of preparing a palatable meal for her family.
Here is an array of common dishes of the Anaang people; Afang, Edikan Ikong, Bitter leaf, Atama, Editan, Efere Otong, Efere Ikon, Afia Efere Ebot, Efere Nkpafere, Efere etighe, Efere Ndese served with garri, pounded yam, fufu. Porridges include; Yam, Plantain, Maize, Cocoyam, Ekpang Nkukwo.
Annang numbers
Numbers from zero to ten:
No. English Annang
0 Zero Ikpuikpu
1 One Ked
2 Two Iba
3 Three Ita
4 Four Inañ
5 Five itién
6 Six Itiéked
7 Seven Itiaba
8 Eight Itiaita
9 Nine usuk-ked
10 Ten duop
Annang Alphabet
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U W Y
GH as in Atighe
GW as in Agwo
KP as in Ekpe
KW as in Akwa
NG as in Ekong
NW as in Nwa
NY as in Anyen
Beautiful Facts About Anaang People
An Anaang man does not joke with his marchet and if he eventually brings it out from in the case of quarrel he must strike with it.
An Anaang man cherishes his wife or wives and is very jealous and protection of her or them.
An Anaang woman is a good homemaker, supportive and faithful.
An Anaang man is fearless that is why they say "Agwo Annang Ade Agwo Uko" Meaning an Annang man is a courageous man.
An Anaang people believes the worst things to happen are
1. Early morning rain
2.Someone to defecate at the base of your palm tree.
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