Research proposal sample
2.3 Religious implication of traditional marriage rituals among Iteso.
African Traditional religion is a constituent of African culture. Along that line, Wong, P. T.P & Wong, L. C J (2018:33), in their experience believe that, marital joy has to be at the top of the list of blessings from this world. A happy marriage and even a happy family are part of the ideal good life that most individuals have dreamed of at some time in their lives. Millions of others have been moved to tears and inspired to dream of the same type of love that has the power to miraculously change their lives by romantic novels and films.
Therefore, most of African ritualistic activities involve invocation of supreme powers for assurance of safety and success. For example in death or marriage rituals. Basing on foreign religious traditions like Abrahamic religions, it is vividly expressive that marriage rituals e.g. wedding, have a religious/spiritual connotation. This is evident in things like making a religious vow before the congregation, the officiant, makes a sermon, blesses the couple etc. all those rituals have a religious connotation which scholarship has richly covered.
However, in the contrary, African traditional rituals are always done with scholars paying little or no attention to their religious connotation, yet it is necessary to have such a gap addressed academically. This is because it is just to understand the religious experience of African societies on traditional marriage rituals. That is the main objective of my study.
Nevertheless, Pallathadka, L. K, Pallathadka, H & Sangita, M. D (2022), give an observation on a religious stance of the Hindu marriage. They assert that, “Hindu Marriage as a sacrament, the Hindu sight of the wedding is that it is for good dharma and the necessity for desire (Kama)”. In that observation, it is clear that among the Hindus, marriage rituals on a religious connotation are meant to challenge one to achieve good dharma which helps one to live a holy life while on earth and expect justice hereafter. This implies that African traditional marriage rituals must also be having a religious connotation. This remains a gap which must be addressed by conducting specialised studies on traditional marriages of African societies.
Strydom, M (2019:172-175), in agreement with the above observation, identifies other marriage rituals in Abrahamic religions that have a religious connotation. Among others include: Sermon. He says that in Christian traditions, the preaching is the most important thing. After the Nikah contract is signed in Bangladesh, the Mullah will deliver a brief sermon for the Muslim community. He will talk about marriage and its importance in this sermon. Additionally, he will offer a prayer for the recently married pair. In his assertion, he clarifies two issues i.e. Sermon and saying a prayer. Those two aspects imply that the core value is to help a couple leave a religiously holly life. This is because in the ritual of a sermon, the married people are reminded on how to keep family life and each other happy and holy before the Supreme Being.
He clarifies this when he further asserts that, Within the Christian sermon in a marriage ceremony there is a reminder about the meaning of marriage and its importance. This will also include an indication of how marriage is seen as a religious act in a Christian context. This religious experience implies that In the Christian tradition, the sermon consists of a complex arrangement of prayers, scriptural readings, personal remarks from the couple, and other elements. This portion of the marriage ceremony is required by religion rather than by civil or legal requirements.
Spurles (2004:155), discusses “Blessings” as another marriage ritual in Abrahamic religions with a religious connotation. He emphasizes that marriage rituals in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity provide a variety of blessings. The henna and henna ceremony contain the first benediction in Islam. The bride is said to receive a supernatural blessing that will protect her from both physical and spiritual harm when she is covered in crimson markings from the Henna paste used in this ceremony.
In accordance with the aforementioned, Monger (2013) suggests that in Judaism, following the veil, the bride will get a blessing from both dads with the following words: “Our sister, sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousand… Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah are all created by the Lord.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (2017) states that during the Christian sermon, it is customary for the officiant to continuously pray for God’s blessing on the couple’s marriage. The rings will be blessed with holy water by the priest in a Roman Catholic Church.
Not only the above but also The Church of England (2017:109), assures us that, the preacher will also offer a prayer of blessing for the rings. Within the Greek Orthodox Church, prayer for God to grant the couple the same blessings that biblical characters have experienced in their marriages may be said during the ceremony. (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America n.d.). According to Islamic customs, it is customary for the guests to offer blessings and best wishes to the newlyweds (Monger 2013:42). The Rabbi blesses the wine at the betrothal ceremony in Judaism, after which the bride and groom sip from it (Greenberg 1990:9). In the Nussuin part of the Jewish ceremony, seven blessings are recited over the second cup of wine from which the bride and groom drink (Greenberg 1990:9). Therefore, it is clear that marriage rituals do not have a cultural significance alone but also religious one.
In conclusion, when we see other foreign religious traditions having the religious/spiritual connotation of marriage rituals, it is an implication that African traditional marriage rituals too have a religious connotation. The unfortunate part is, this vital information is not academically studied and documented according to the experience of the natives. If attempts to document this exist, the information is general and scanty. Therefore, my study intends to specifically study Iteso as one of the African communities and document their religious worldview of traditional marriage rituals so as to present a clear portrayal of African religio-cultural practices to the outside world. This will help to promote African cultural and religious heritage to the next generations on an African experience
