Palm wine is an indigenous liquor in Ngbo land and the best drink in Ngbo. Its significance is enormous. It is used to entertain visitors, visit friends and a bereaved person. It is also used while making sacrifices before the Yam Barn gods, Aliobu, Uzu and other gods. Palm wine is for everybody in Ngbo. Both males and females consume it. There are rules guiding Palm Wine which must be strictly observed while drinking or sharing it. Part of it is that female folk don't share a keg of Palm wine with men nor pray over the Palm wine too.
Importantly, Palm wine is used on different occasions in Ngbo, both exciting events and unfortunate events. It unites people together and fosters love and happiness among friends, and relatives. And offers the opportunity to crack jokes with one another. Buoyant one can buy a keg of palm wine for his labourers (Ndu Oru Oguh) to show appreciation. It's mostly done in oru women (Free will hoeing).
When you visit someone in Ngbo and he offered you palm wine or you went to greet someone with a keg of palm wine. First, before presenting the wine, you are expected to sip it small. The essence of this is to show that you didn't poison the palm wine. It is called centrally called (Igbule Mmeh Onu).
This is followed by acceptance of the wine which is done through a handshake laced with fanfare.
After offering prayers which are done with the outer face of the palm wine poured into a glass cup, the youngest at that spot will take over the palm wine. If someone from Okposhi is there, it's his right to share the palm wine or delegate someone outside Okposhi to do his behaviour. This is necessary, because, in Ngbo, Okposhi is the youngest and hence, saddled with the responsibility of sharing items. He will shake the keg of palm wine vigorously and start sharing it from the right-hand side down to the left-hand side. He will, first of all, give two cups to the person that offered the palm wine. That is the outer face of palm wine called (Ifu mmeh) in Ngboejeogu, followed by giving one cup to the person that offered the prayer which is usually the eldest. The person that is offering the palm wine (Ogbemmeh) will now drink two cups alone and after which, he then starts sharing the palm wine roll by roll starting from the right-hand side. After the first round, he can decide to start afresh from the left-hand side or randomly. As the palm wine exhaust gradually, he then shares it kan in Ngbo parlance.
Worthy of note, it's offensive to place a keg of palm on one's toe while sharing a drink in the gathering of Elders. One who does this is mandated to buy another fresh keg of palm wine as it negates the custom of Ndu Ngbo. You can only place a keg of palm wine on your laps (close to ur kneel). While serving the palm wine, the keg of the palm is handled with the left hand, while the glass cup is handled with the right hand. It is an abominable act to take a glass of Palm wine with the left hand or share it with the left hand.
When the palm wine in the keg is about to finish, the last one left in the keg which is called (Ike-mmeh) will be given to the eldest person. The person will now give some within the scene to sip and hand over to him for final prayer which is usually libation. He will drink part of the palm wine and pour the rest on the ground.
Then, the one who shared the palm wine will turn the head of the keg towards where he is seating. This signifies that good things should come as soon as possible. When translated into Ngbo dialect, it means (Ozo biakwa Egwegwa). The event in that empty keg of palm wine would be kept in this form is Child dedications, Naming ceremonies, Traditional marriages, Festivals etc. The diagram below describes how the keg is situated when emptied.
On the other hand, if it is during a traditional wedding where in-laws present what is expected of them to the kinsmen, the first to be served palm wine amid Unwunna is the eldest (Onye-Ogerenya). The youngest doesn't share the palm wine this time. It is the work of Ndu Oke iphe le Ngbo to do so. Unless they mandated someone to do so on their behalf.
Plausibly, what is used to drink Palm Wine in Ngbo is called "Tombula" or "Ako Mmeh". Historically, calabash or Upii Epfi is used in drinking palm wine in Ngbo before the advent of glass cups. It is worth noting that palm wine is not kept on a floor made of cement. Doing so will destroy the taste of the palm wine.
In Ngbo, there are two kinds of palm wine:
1. Up Wine (Npfu Eli). It is costly.
2. Down wine (Oguji Ali). It is cheaper.
Up wine is gotten from a living palm tree, while the latter is gotten from an uprooted palm tree.
•Species of Palm Wine:
1. Akuru: One without a mixture of water. (Very costly). Currently, 2keg is sold from #6,000 to #7,000 depending on the season.
2. Goro-Goro Mmeh: The first wine that gosh out from the palm tree after tapping. (Very sweet).
*Note*: Goro-goro Mmeh reduces men's potency in bed but is advisable for a woman in mugwort (weaning) to enhance the flow of breast milk.
3. Mmeh Aturu Mminyi: The one with a mixture of water. (Very Cheaper)
•Types of Palm wine Keg:
1. One Gallon
2. 2 Gallons
3. Pot of Palm wine (Ite mmeh (For Traditional Marriage).
4. `Okoro` Mmeh (One inside calabash).
Conclusively, after drinking Palm wine in any unfortunate event or burial of someone, the format in which the empty keg of palm wine is kept is different. The mouth of the keg is usually faced outside. This signifies that evil things are not welcomed and such unfortunate events shouldn't occur again. When translated into Ngbo parlance, it means (Njoo Jekwa Ezhi). When faced inside, it signifies that good things should keep coming. This is done depending on where and how the sharer is sitting. The diagram below represents how a keg of palm wine is kept when emptied in Ngbo.
Nwede Chinonso Martin-Ede Cultural Enthusiast writes from Abakaliki.
