Customary Gidar Marriage and Christian Tradition
Customary Gidar Marriage and Christian Tradition

Summary/Abstract: In Cameroon we are dealing with three types of marriage: traditional, universally practiced marriage; civil marriage, required by state law before entering into a religious marriage; and, finally, sacramental marriage. Most widespread is the traditional form of contracting marriage. This article will present this particular form, referring to Gidar traditions and also showing its similarities to, and dif- ferences from, the Christian tradition brought by the missionaries. It will also propose solutions which combine the two traditions.A characteristic feature of marriage rites was their multi-stage nature. They were not single acts but events long prepared and celebrated with suitable gestures, symbols, words, and events. The indi- vidual, successive stages of “taking a wife” consisted of the choice of a spouse, accepted by both fam- ilies; an engagement period; an act by both families of acknowledgement of the joining of the young persons as one in marriage; the conveying of the bride to her husband’s home; celebrating; and pay- ing the matrimonial fee.The Church in northern Cameroon recognized traditional marriages contracted outside of bap- tism as valid and licit, provided that local principles, e.g., payment of a marriage fee, were taken into account. If either of the parties accepted baptism, the marriage became for him or her sacra- mental. If the other party also made the same decision later on, their union took on a sacramen- tal character, without a need to renew the marriage vows. Controversy would however arise if attempts were made to contract a traditional marriage if one party was [already] baptized, or if both parties were baptized. These controversies mainly concerned the unity, indissolubility, and sacra- mentality of marriage.

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