In the Igbo society, marriage is seen as the foundation of a lineage. It is in marriage that the family is extended. The igbo family believes so much in succession that is why for a woman to have foothold in a family she must have children especially male children. This guarantees that she earns the respect of the whole family of the bridegroom. The explains the reasons for such native names as ama efula (the posesion cant be lost), nwabuihe (a child is light) obiadichie (the terriotory has come to stay).
The family lineage is a most important aspect in igbo culture. And as such a man shows his worth when he marries a wife. That is why the igbo man seek to marry many wives just to make sure he has a male child who will continue the family
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This word mean pride and the walk of pride. This pride is not in the negative sense but in the sense of making great achievement. All these still goes back to the children or procreation. In some parts of igbo land11.when a woman ggive bet to mor than ten children, a goat is killed by her kinsmen in celebration for the achievement. This is because in the traditional igbo setting the more the children the more the farm produce. Richness in the traditional igbo sense is measured by the number of children which one prodes and the number of wives he can be able to marry. In Adazi Nnukwu, Anambra State, their history has it that the king of the land had forty eight wives. And this certainly showed in the fact that he man had vas land and was a great warrior who conquesrd many territories. Some of these territories are still disputed in civil courts till date.
1.5.4. Decision Making
The igbo society is a more of a democratic society. Because of this democratic character every man wants to be heard. Being that the igbo society is more of patrilineal, men seem to marry so that their wives could produce as much male children so as to earn him that right of speakership in this democratic setting. As a married man, you are automatically an elder, this is even better if the children reach the age of adulthood, the man’s voice would even be heard