(RÚBLÍ –ÎSÁLA)MEDICAL BODY MARKING AND THE MANAGEMENT OF CHILDHOOD DISEASES AMONG THE MÌGILI-KÓRÒ OF NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Medical body marking is a traditional healthcare practice associated with many African societies, including Nasarawa State, Nigeria.Existing studies have focused on the patterns of utilisation for preventive and curative healing processes among adults and children. However, scant attention has been devoted to analysing the symbolic aspects of most medical incisions and scarification carried out on children, and the factors that have sustained the practice in some societies in spite of the popularity of Western medical knowledge. This study, therefore was designed to examine rúblí-îsála(medical body marking) on childrenamong the Migili-Koro of Jenkwe Kingdom in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. This is with a view to determining local meanings, cultural knowledge and factors sustaining the practice.

Herbert Mead and Herbert Blummer’s Symbolic Interactionism and Adeoye Lambo’s Culture bound Theory of diseaseswere adopted as framework. Ethnographic technique was used. Three Migili-Koro communitiesof Ashige (one of the largest Migili-Koro towns), Assakio (the spiritual centre of the Migili-Koro), and Nene (believed to be the first city established by the Migili-Koro) were purposively selected. Data were obtained through the In-depth interviews with 10 randomly selected traditional healers, 16 key informant interviews conducted with the paramount ruler of Jenkwe Kingdom, traditional heads of the three selected communities, and 12 renowned elders both. Twelve sessions of focus group discussions with young parents was also conducted. Data were analysed using the thematic descriptive methods.

Rúblí-Isálaisutilised in the treatment of childhood diseases such as convulsion, pneumonia, polio and spleen disorder. The process of administering marks is exclusively carried out by men who acquired knowledge of the practice through inheritance, apprenticeship and spiritual revelation. Competence in medical body marking involvesdeepknowledge of the traditional religious beliefs system, membership of cult group, oath-taking and intimate relationship with the spirits of the land. Body marking patterns of specific childhood diseases are symbolic. The symbolism of each pattern of mark is embedded in the local world view regarding sicknesses as being caused either by God or malevolent spirits. Stability as a cultural and spiritual construct is depicted in various markings: three vertical marks (on the forehead and one each on both cheeks) for convulsion; six vertical marks and three horizontal marks (on the left side of the chest) for pneumonia; and three vertical marks on the knees for polio. For spleen disorder, the ten to twelve vertical marks and seven horizontal marks (on the left region of the abdomen) represent stability and perfection. Medical body marks are also symbolic means of severing the link a child has with the evil forces of illness. Although there is declining patronage of rúblí-Isála, poverty, low-level education, cultural nationalism, syncretism, and poor primary healthcare facilities in the communities are key factors for its resilience.

Rúblí-îsálaatteststo the ingenuity in the Migili-Koro’s perception and treatment of childhood diseases. Meanings and knowledge from rúblí-îsála markingscanbe helpful in developing more syncretistic approaches to managing childhood diseases.