ABANYALA BA KAKAMEGA: Marriage Part 2- The Rite of Echio

Abanyala ba Kakamega have a marriage rite called echio. Echio is a rite performed within a marriage ceremony process that seals the marriage covenant. Also, upon the death of a parent, echio is believed to offer immunity against anyone who tries to sent the spirit of the dead parent to torment any of the children against its will- the animal would be invoked to block it. It also blocks any curses from one's step mothers in a home. It is a sure hit back at brothers or clansmen who my want to segregate the children based on issue of adoption claims since it is believed to brings a self inflicting curse called emongo (poetic justice). Furthermore, it makes the first lady to qualify to be called omukhaye. Omukhaye ranks higher than omukhasi or mkha-lebe (wife of so and so). The ceremony can be done at marriage time, after marriage or upon the death of any of the couples.

The process of echio involves slaughtering a cow or a she-goat. In modern wedding, those who know hide it in what has been christened as slaughtering a cow for 'supplying vegetable' and the cake. 

Echio is done by the husband's and, at times, by the wife's families. During the skinning of the animal for this ceremony, elders with some skills can read the blood veins after opening the inside of the animal to predict something about the marriage. Among the Abakwangwachi, there are members in Maombo's family who can do this entrails reading with scientific precision.

Embusi ya echio.

A) PROCESS OF PERFORMING ECHIO

First procedure of echio.
First, the wife's family is informed of the husband's intention of performing this rite. The women (cousins) from the wife’s clan either: come a day earlier to sleep over in order to collect firewood and grind maize flour for the occasion or they come with these items on the D-day.  The women, if not gifted some presents called amaecho, could pretend to refuse putting the firewood and flour buckets down from their heads as part of bride's pride called olukoosi lwa omweya or okhwema esianyi.

The brother to the wife joined the women for the purpose of eating the chicken to be cooked. They were referred to as abakhacha'ngokho or abali ba engokho- the chicken eaters. During eating, they could share this chicken with their brother-in-law: the groom.

If the parents to the couples who are to be involved in echio ceremony have no had the ceremony done for them then they were forced to do it or were given concoction called amanyaasi. 

Echio ceremony is usually held before the two couples get children. However, if the couple have children, then the children were usually sent away from the home until the ceremony is over. Echio was not done for pregnant lady. The children to any of the sisters to the wife were also excluded for they were not supposed to witness their 'mother' being married off. If the wife to be had children of her own from any other marriage, their clansmen had to be informed. After slaughtering the animal, the husband retains the hind quarter and give all the meat to the in-laws to cook. A small piece of skin called esikhaba was tied by the husband on the wife's wrist at start of slaughter time. This is the equivalent of the modern day's ring. If the meat is in excess, the rest of it is packed and taken by the wife's family

Ugali made from millet flour called owusuma owa naufu would never miss in traditional ceremonies like this. Those to cook this ugali had to have undergone the rite; otherwise, they be restricted to other lesser chores. While putting the ugali on the serving plate, it is passed down via the hands of the couples. The lady 'receives' it, drops it in palm of husband and the husband leaves it to drop on the plate.

After the ceremony, all the firewood, the flour, and the cooked meals were to be finished or consumed. Any left overs and symbolic utensils were carried by the women and shared among themselves such that none reaches the girl's family. The new set of utensils brought by them replaced those taken. The women carried the bones, remaining cooking firewood, cooking stones (usually made for this purpose) and the ash for disposal at a secret place on their way home preferably buried. Dogs and wild animals were not supposed to eat them. They also swept the house and packed the broom. The one who swept was given amaecho. They then traveled back home, without being escorted out of the home, leaving the husband and wife to 'begin' their official marriage life as abeeeya. The two had to spend the night together.

On their way home from the ceremony, they were not allowed to enter any person's homestead. No other animal was to be slaughtered in the home by the family on the same day. Much later, the parents to his wife would also slaughter an animal to complete this ritual. During this latter occasion, the wife traveled back to her clan’s home unaccompanied by her children. She would feast and return to her marital home. The husband or his kinsmen would then visit his in-laws immediately and have a meal with them.

The second procedure
This is when the husband starts off the process. In such case, he informed the parent-in-laws and send his clan men to deliver a heifer-which was not slaughtered. They would give them a cock, the rope that was in the cattle and a few presents to carry back with him.

After this, the clansmen to the wife could then come with a she-goat which was slaughtered as echio. The other part of the process repeated itself as highlighted earlier.

B) SOME DOs AND DON'Ts IN RELATION TO ECHIO

1. Remarrying a wife whose echio rite was not done. Even if full dowry or part of the dowry was paid, one marrying has to be assured that the ceremony of echio was not done. If the parents of the girl had not received the dowry, then the ceremony could go on but the former husband had to be informed. In case the first husband had paid dowry, then the cattle were taken back in a process called okhuwolola. In case the wife had children, then first husband had to pay three cattle for boys and two cattle for girl child. If this was not done, the children were assimilated by the uncles. At times,  new husband assimilated them by paying the dowry in full.
2. Inheriting a wife whose echio ceremony was not performed. The one inheriting had to slaughter an animal called eya ekokhe and go through a mock process of echo. 
3. The curse of the second echio- if a woman had echio done for her twice, then it lead to death of the second husband, problems in the family or the death of wife. 
4. Divorcing a wife whose echio was complete. Abanyala allowed divorce due to certified witchcraft, murder, abominations, attempts to mess the man's manhood and oluswa. In such cases, only elders representing a whole community, could undo echio and excommunicate the wife.
5. Echio and burial place rights- a man who performs the right of echio for a wife got all exclusive rights to bury her unless the wife went through a traditional legal process of divorce. If it was only the dowry paid, then the another man who remarried your wife could claim the wife upon paying the cattle to be given back to you as okhuwolola. 
6. The parent's echio to preceed that of children- If parents did not carry out the rite then the son or daughter could not do it. In such case, the children would be required to support their father to do the rite for their mother first. However, if the father was dead, then they were allowed to go ahead with the ceremony. 
7. Echio and marriage restrictions- if echio was not performed for a mother, the son to that wife could inherit any of their in-law at her mother's clan and the grandson could marry from their grandmother's clan. However, echio blocked them. Those not restricted were the great-grandchildren called abechukhulu-mbunda.
8. Echio and pregnancy- One was also supposed to ensure that their wife was not pregnant or suckling a baby before performing this ceremony. This was to ensure the 'child' does not 'eat' the food meant for echio.
9. Echio in case of death of a husband who had not slaughtered echio- the echio was slaughtered before burial. Latter on, the wife returned to her clan and an animal (either goat or cow) was slaughtered. The people, who accompanied the wife to her clan, would then help her carry the hind quarter of the animal back to her husband’s home.  
10. Echio in relation to circumcision and cooking for circumcised child- Delaying this ceremony denied one’s wife the right to perform some rituals such as cooking for their children when they were circumcised (abafulu). If she has to cook, then she has to be give herbs called amanyasi.