Kola (Ọjị) nuts are not only known for its origin to many American and European soft-drinks and its chewing by labourers to diminish hunger and fatigue but even more for its sacred significance in Igboland.
The kola presentation symbolizes peace and welcome; and if one makes a mistake while carrying the kola round, he is traditionally dealt with according to norms in different communities. Such an error is considered as very grave and indicates that the offender is not so responsible and may not be a reliable person.
Attending a kola nut ceremony is almost inevitable for anyone visiting Enugu and is Igbo tradition at its best. Elders agree that once the 5-centimetre nuts are blessed with incantations, the visitors will feel ensured that they are welcome. People are more than willing to explain the ceremony, and where there is no kola nut available, the host will need to do the explanatory apology to his visitors. The kola nut tradition is used for a variety of events, but principally to welcome guests to a village or house. The Igbo welcome is incomplete without the presentation of kola nut.
As earlier mentioned, the blessing of kola is the right of the eldest person in any gathering or it may be that of the Eze (king) as the case may be. However, the oldest person is preferred in most cases because he is the custodian of truth and closer to his ancestors. In the evolutionary trend of the tradition, an ordained minister or one consecrated to God now takes precedence in the blessing of the kola; but the eldest person or the king who has this right will give or transfer it to minister as a privilege, not as a right.
The principle behind this Igbo kola culture is that the nut cannot be broken without the saying of prayers or incantations by the eldest in the gathering. This has given rise to the proverb “He who brings kola brings life”, because, in the kola nut prayers, the elder in addition to his wise sayings normally requests for peace, prosperity, long life, happiness and protection from all ill fortunes.
Not only do the Igbo say prayers before the breaking of the kola nut, but no traditional Igbo would also drink or eat without sharing at least, with the ancestors. “The kola nut, a symbol of life and communion.
Ọjị is the first thing served in every function or ceremony, personal or communal agreements, welcoming of a visitor to an Igbo home, and settlement of family disputes. The kola nut is presented on a dish or saucer, or more precisely, on a wooden platter prepared and kept for the sole purpose of presenting kola nut. In the dish are one or more nuts. The owner first takes a nut and puts it to his lips, thus signifying that it is about to be offered in good faith. This symbolic gesture proves him to be free from malice. The dish is, thereupon, passed to the visitor.
Kola is preferably broken with a knife rather than by hand which can be done equally as easily. Many claim it is broken with a knife due to health reasons, that is for hygienic reasons. Some say it is because kola is sacred, and as much should be treated piously.
The popular reason is that the kola is broken with a knife as a mark of honour to it because it is not up to the size of a piece of yam which people bite and chew. The remote reason is essentially religious, for people who have shed blood develop a “strong hand”, ” aka ike” and may not break the Sacred Kola for others using the soiled or profaned hand or bloody hand. The sacredness of the ọjị (kola) stems from the fact that ọjị is the Igbo symbol of life.
The high degree of sanctity accorded the Kola nut throughout Igboland is likened to that of the biblical ‘forbidden fruit of Paradise’ in the sense that women are forbidden from either planting, climbing, plucking or breaking the Kola nut. This does not mean that men are holier than women in Igbo society. It is just a question of a mentality similar to the biblical general regard for women.
The denial of women’s’ right to break Igbo ceremonial Kola is more of social character and organization and does not in any way imply inferiority towards women. Women do break the Igbo kola when they gather in their usual cultural groupings where no man has a saying. On the contrary, Igbo women have their cultural organizations which are completely independent of men.
There are many other rules surrounding the kola nut ceremony, which you can read in the books mentioned in the references. Scooper will also mention only a few of these rules: kola nut should only be presented with two hands at the same time, and also as the kola tree is associated with man, only men can climb and pluck the kola fruits. Sorry ladies!
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