Berbice Creole Dutch, a Dutch creole language based on the lexicon and grammar of the West African language Ijo, was spoken until well into the 20th century.
The Defaka language is thought to be most closely related to the Ijo languages, which is the basis for the Ijoid language family first proposed by Jenewari (1983).
It has also been very heavily influenced by Edo (Bini), Portuguese and English and has taken in loan words from neighbouring Ijo and Urhobo languages.However its basic structure, grammar and vocabulary is essentially Yoruboid with its closest relatives being the south-eastern family of Yoruba dialects - Ijebu, Ilaje-Ikale, Ondo, Akure and Owo.
The cult may have originated with peoples further west, possibly the Ijo, and then passed from people to people, reaching the Batanga at its most eastward extent.
Ozidi is a folk hero among the Ijo of Nigeria and the subject of The Ozidi Saga composed by playwright and poet John Pepper Clark .
Ijo |
The people of Degema are linguistically and culturally distinct from their Kalabari neighbours (The Kalabari people speak Kalabari, an Eastern Ijo language spoken in the Akuku Toru and Asari-Toru Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
The western hill of Gumuk Ijo provides beautiful scenery overlooking rice paddies, villages and Adisucipto International Airport.
Jaka Sembung has many sequels, such as Si Buta Lawan Jaka Sembung (The Warrior Against Blind Swordsman) (1983), Bajing Ireng Dan Jaka Sembung (Jaka Sembung vs the Ninja) (1985), Jaka Sembung Dan Bergola Ijo (1987), and Jaka Sembung Dan Dewi Samudra (1990).