In the ancient Igbo days, Kings( Chiefs, as the case may be) were buried with human he.ads and live osu who are believed to accompany them and serve them in the after life.
This is one of the most bar.baric acts that has been successfully abolished all over Igbo land.
The Osu were sacred people.
They were dedicated to an Alusi ( Shrine or deity).
Their blo.od was used to cleanse the land from various atrocities.
And they were used for many other spiritual purposes.
The Osu were also believed to have the protection of the alusi that owns them.
No one hu.rts them or have any dealing with them, because they bear the mark of a deity.
The Osu blo.od was so powerful that it could turn a nwadiala (freeborn) to ‘Osu’ if they had any intimacy;
An Osu cannot become a Nwadiala (freeborn) from having an affair with a freeborn,
but a Nwadiala( freeborn) can become an Osu from having an affair with an Osu.
There were different ways of becoming an Osu;
1. To be born by Osu parents,
2. Having an affair with an Osu
3. Surrendering yourself / taking refuge in an alusi.
Many ancient Igbos became Osu from running to an Alusi for refuge.
In the ancient days, if someone committed an uchu ( cri.me) that warrants dea.th, they’ll run to an alusi for protection.
Immediately they do this, their prosecutors leaves then to the deity.
Such people become excommunicated from their loved ones.
Osu in Igbo is a scared thing. In Igbo setting, you do not shed an Osu blood. Osu being already dedicated to a particular God or deity is protected and cannot be used for any form of sacrifice. It is not true that Osu is in anywhere used for burial of any person high or low.