Secondary marriage in northern Nigeria

Smith, M. G. (Michael Garfield)

article

Secondary marriage in northern Nigeria

Africa • 23 (4) • Published In 1953 • Pages: 298-323

By: Smith, M. G. (Michael Garfield).

Abstract
This is a look at marriage practices among the Kagoro and Kadara (FF34). The author makes the case that marriages play an important role along with religious rituals in maintaining social organization. Both groups are organized into localized, exogamous patrilineages, several of which can reside in the same village. A group of villages form a community that shares religious activities. There are three types of marriage: betrothal, widow-inheritance, and so-called "secondary marriage." Betrothal most often occurs between lineages living in the same community, and involves bride payment and service. In widow-inheritance, a man may inherit the wife of his real or classificatory brother, or the wife of his maternal or paternal grandfather. Secondary marriage occurs when a wife deserts her husband to live with another man. The first marriage is never annulled and the wife may in fact return to him at some point, or go live with yet another man. Such marriages are forbidden between members of the same community or lineage. One form of secondary marriage practiced by the Kagoro is wife-abduction between communities. The Kagoro distinguish between three types of marriageable relationships between groups: those that can intermarry ([n]niendi[/n]), those that cannot intermarry ([n]bin[/n]), and those that cannot intermarry but between which wife abduction is permitted ([n]nendwang[/n]).

Sociocultural trends

Marriage

Localized kin groups

Inter-community relations

HRAF PubDate

2015

Region

Africa