The Marginal Groups in Urhobo Society: The Widow, Orphans, Strangers and their Social Status

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IV. All fingers are not equal (Irhian bo eje ria ukuku-u) In this, the people acknowledge the differences in society particularly with reference to financial capacity.

The Proverbs express the moral and social values held by the People of Urhobo society as regards social status and social inequality among the communities.

4.6 The Marginal Groups in Urhobo Society: The Widow, Orphans, Strangers

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this attitude. Thus the widow could suffer neglect in Urhobo society. Although there are some striking similarities in purpose for the institution of the widow inheritance among the Urhobo and Israelites, there are seemingly different cultural goals for the practice.

The Levir, ie, the brother in the Jewish tradition, is meant to raise children for the late brother (Gen.38) an obligation which was in biblical text at first mandatory though without any consequence and was often evaded.²¹⁷ The reason for evading the responsibility in ancient Israel was that children raised by the widow were for the late husband. However widows among Urhobo community do not raise children in the name of the late husband whose responsibility would be to care for the children. The Hebrew word for widow

„hn"m'l.a;

(almanâ) in the substantive denotes a woman whose husband has died and who has no means of financial support and therefore is in need of special legal protection.²¹⁸ Since the social security of the widow in both communities could not be guaranteed by the culture of widow inheritance the situation has given rise to alternative approach which the Deuteronomists advocate in the legal texts. A programme which taggets the welfare of the widows in the society emerges from the Deuteronomic texts under consideration which can address their social conditions.

4.6.2 Orphans and their Social Status in Urhobo Society

The social status of the Orphan in Urhobo is significant in the debate on social inequality in Urhobo social setting. Although the Old Testament has been seen as a part of a broader and intricately interrelated cultural milieu whose customs, institutions and linguistic and literary pattern are shared in large measure throughout the Fertile Crescent, it could be said that similarities also exist between the Urhobo people and Israelite

217 J.D.Douglas, N. Hillyer et al “Eds” 1994. New Bible Dictionary. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press. p.735.

218Encyclopaedia Judaica, Vol.16 Ur-Z, Jerusalem.

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society with regard to the social status of the Orphan. It is evident in the extant literature that oppression and discrimination against the Orphan (

~AtÜY""h ;

) was strictly prohibited.

Rob not the poor, because he is poor Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate For the Lord will plead their cause

And spoil the soul of those that spoil them Remove not the old landmark

And enter not into the fields of the fatherless For their redeemer is mighty

He shall plead their cause with thee (Prov.

22^16, 24^22,28)

The orphan among the Urhobo people is considered for special care because the Urhobo social system is communal. The orphan is not abandoned but recommended for protection and provision. For the Urhobo people, a man‟s continued existence is believed to be perpetuated through the gift of children hence a high premium is placed on the child. In the case of the loss of one or both parents the orphan automatically comes under the care of the members of the extended family. However, contemporary evidences show that this is often more complicated and more of the rule than the practice. The common plights of the orphan in Urhobo include negligence, lack of access to education and sometimes health services. This calls for the interpretation and application of the Deuteronomic response to social inequality in the context of the Urhobo society to include care for the Orphans in the society. There is need for a purposeful attempt to bring this group into social schemes that can adequately take care of the plight from which they suffer.

4.6.3 Sojourners and their Social Status in Urhobo Society

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Social inequality is said to describe a situation where groups in a given society do not have equal status. This applies to the social status of the stranger among the Urhobo people. Evidence of social inequality exists in Urhobo social structure in view of the status accorded the stranger or sojourner. The Urhobo society, like ancient Israel, is acquainted with two types of sojourners. These are the stranger who pays a temporary visit from a nearby community or one that stays among the community but hails from another tribe altogether. Although this distinction is made between the two groups; a stranger might just be a member of the extended family or neighbouring community that visits a family probably to discuss social issues such as marriage, land issues or economic and financial transactions. Both are indentified under the same terminology ie Orharha (Orhorha) The difference between the use of the terms

yrIêk.n"

^and

rGEh;w>

for the sojourner is not so distinct among the Urhobo people. The sojourner, whose stay is more permanently conceived as obtained in ancient Israel, is also given protection among the Urhobo people. The communal nature of the Urhobo society does not encourage discrimination against the sojourner among the Urhobo, communities rather strangers and sojourners are protected. This however does not nullify the existence of the phenomenon of social inequality. The sojourner cannot rise to acquire the title of the King. This can be compared to the Dt injunction in Deut. 17¹⁵ which instructs Israelites from appointing one who is a foreigner as king. He may obtain some degree of social status by being given a chieftaincy title of the land. It is important to note here that the Deuteronomic conception about the social status of the marginal groups is completely captured by the Urhobo culture. The attitude of the Deuteronomist as conveyed in the Deuteronomic code about social inequality compares with the Urhobo society. The

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culture of the Urhobo people does not encourage alienation of the sojourner or strangers, thus showing the close relationship between the Urhobo people and Ancient Israel. The alienation which the marginal groups may suffer as a result of influence of modernization common to both Urhobo and Israelite communities hence the Deuteronomic legislations are relevant in contemporary times (Num.15¹⁴).

In document The Deuteronomic Response to Social Inequality in Ancient Israel and its Relevance to the Urhobo Socio-Cultural Context in Nigeria (Page 159-163)