It is a prestigious (Shagba) marriage dance festival. A celebration by the Tiv people on a more or less competitive basis amongst age mates. Each member of an age group strives to out-dance his mates. The significance lies in the fact that it has the potentials of enhancing an individual’s personality traits, thereby letting him into the early part or the twentieth century when the Tiv people finally settled down where they are now, to a more viable economic and social life.
The “Ivom” itself is a raised platform carefully and artistically molded by a specialist and painted with pictures of wild animals like lions, leopards buffalos, and crocodiles depicting the bravery of the celebrant. He must be married as he must dance the “Ivom” with his wife. He must also have celebrated “tsantic”, a ritual consideredto be a preamble to the celebration of the “Ivom” proper. He must in addition to the above qualities,receive approval from the Council of Elders.
While the chief celebrant dances or performs the ritual on the “Ivom” with his wife, a spear and / or horsetail in hand, his age-mates who have never done the dance, shower money or gifts on the couple from a distance or through an initiate as anybody who is not initiated is forbidden to go near the “Ivom” let alone touch it. It usually takes place between January and April.
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