| The Unique and Symbolic Nature of "A'Nger U Tiv" - 2 |
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The colours (black and white) on the a'nger are literally signify the true nature of the Tiv people their believe concerning issues of life or existence. A Tiv man believes in taking a clear stand in any issue concerning life. In Tiv: It is either day or night, left or right, yes or no, death or life, etc. It this believe that is symbolically represented in two colours of nature: Black and White. Honesty and Sincerity in speaking or dealing with issues defines the character of a traditional Tiv man. Another way of viewing the black and white features of A'nger is terms of the peaceful nature of the Tiv people in general. In this way, the black and white symbolically represent the nature zebra in the wild. A zebra in the animal kingdom is one among the most peaceful, harmless and beautiful looking animal. The Tiv people are naturally peace loving and hardworking wherever they find themselves. There are many forms of traditional cloth (cultural costumes) of the Tiv which are worn at specific time honored periods in Tiv land, however, the A'nger is the most respected and highly valued among all the costumes. Sometimes, when an individual of non-Tiv origin has made a landmark achievement and the Tiv traditional council want to honour him or her with a title, it is the A'nger that is used in decorating him. Although, most of such titles have been politicalized, the meaning and honour accorded to such have not change. Today, A'nger is generally used as form of cultural identification. Young boys and girls of Tiv and non-Tiv alike wear it during schools' cultural week to showcase their culture. Because of the beautiful nature of the cloth, most individuals (men and women) who are non-Tiv, do wear the cap or tie it as the case may be. During marriages involving an illustrious or respectable Tiv son and a non-Tiv lady, the a'nger cloth is usually used in decorating both of them. This means two things, first for the lady and the second for the man. First, that the lady has been accepted into the Tiv culture and she should not consider herself a stranger or alien in Tiv land anymore. On the part of the man, it means an honour given to him for coming of age to take responsibilities in the Tiv society. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kunde_Terkura_Matthew |