Marriage in the Colombian Kogi Tribe
Marriage in the Colombian Kogi Tribe
Marriage rituals exist in all types of societies whether it is in today’s society or past societies. Researching this particular topic, the Colombian Kogi Tribe, the role of women and their marriage rituals are very different in today’s post-modern society. This tribe is found in Santa Marta Colombia. They reside primarily in the Sierra Nevada, a place where snow can only be found in this South American country.
Residing in the rainforest the Kogi Tribe migrated towards the Sierra Nevada for lack of salt and was the only tribe that was not decimated by the Spaniards. The Kogi Tribe were a culturally and technology advanced culture. Since they needed salt to survive the Kogi Tribe traded gold with the Spaniards in exchange for salt. The Kogi also view their creator as the Great Mother. They claim, “The Great Mother gave us what we needed to live and her teaching has not been forgotten right up to this day. We all still live by it.” (Falvey).
A girl becomes a woman at menstruation and is right away ready for marriage and love. After the girl’s second menstruation she is placed aside and not allowed to be touched by anyone. A Mama speaks about this process, “So then, we know this, so even today we keep a young woman who has just had her first period in a corner, that woman cannot be touched. When she has had her second period, she has become a woman. Then she is ready to love, and then the Mama blesses the man, orders the man to confess. He orders the young woman to confess whether she has committed any sin without the Mama’s permission of her mother, then she asks for forgiveness and the Mama makes a payment, purifies the person so that she will be cleansed, will have clear mind, good heart, good soul and marries them.” (Falvey) In the Kogi Tribe marriage is considered long term monogamy.
Marriage for love is viewed as a possibility but doesn’t necessarily always happen. Lineage orders must be met to balance the good of society when marriage comes into play, which is why arranged marriages are the basic process for the Kogi Tribe. The nuclear family is the basis for...