Wyndham, John - Myths of Ife

MYTHS OF

IFE

JOHN WYNDHAM

ERSKINE MACDONALD, LTD. LONDON, W.C.1

William Bascom, Director

Museum

of Anthropology

University of California

Berkeley 4, California

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University of California

Berkeley

WILLIAM AND BERTA BASCOM COLLECTION

MYTHS OF By

IFE

JOHN WYNDHAM.

MYTHS OF By

JOHN

WYNDHAM

LONDON, W.C.I ERSKINE MACDONALD,

LTD.

All Rights Reserved. First published 1921.

TO MY

WIFE,

AUTHOR'S NOTE The author spent District

Officer

several

years as an

Assistant

the Yorubas in Nigeria,

among

and

was thus enabled to collect the folklore contained in this

book from native

The

made

sources.

on

reticence of the natives

it

necessary to piece

much

religious subjects

together from in-

cantations and chance remarks, but

the notes will

show that no great

it

is

hoped that

liberty has been taken

with the beliefs of a tribe which inhabits a large area in

West

Africa.

The legends

are bare

and uncertain, and

that blank verse would prove a to present

them than

The author Mr. Ford

was

more

it

seemed

suitable form

prose.

desires to express his indebtedness to

Madox

half-finished,

Hueffer for advice

and

when

this

also to the Council of the

work Royal

Anthropological Institute for permission to re-publish

and XI-XIV which appeared originally in Man." The suggestions contained in Note IV on

Notes "

I

the Creation of Man, and in Note VII on the possible

connection between the Edi Festival and the Saturnalia, are offered after a subsequent reading of the

Bough." 9

"

Golden

PERSONS Ardmft

God

Orisha

Creator of men.

Odtiwa or] Odudiiwa j

King

tfgun

God

Ordnyan

The warrior son

Lddi

Smith of Ogun.

Obdlufon

A

of

Thunder and Father

of

of

Son Son

men.

Iron.

Son

of the Gods.

of Aramfe.

of

AramfS.

of Odiiwa.

of

Ogun.

worker in brass. N

Mdrimi

Ifa

Wife

of Obalufon.

The Messenger of known by reason

the Gods, principally of divination.

Oldkun

Goddess of the Sea.

Oldssa

Goddess of the Lagoons.

Oshun

A

Goddess who transformed and became

the River Oshun.

The led

Perverter.

men

astray. 10

A God

of

Evil

who

PERSONS Now regarded as

shu

as the

A

Peregrin 'Gbo

Undoer

Forest

the Devil, but originally of the favours of the Gods.

God who

caused the Forest to

bring forth wild animals and watched over the birth of Orunmila.

A God who

Orunmila

watches over the birth of

children.

Offun Kdnran

A

drni Odtim'la

The ancestor

Ojtimu

A

priest.

Osdnyl

A

priest

messenger of

f fa.

of the Ornis of t fe.

and maker

of

charms.

The Sun, Moon, Night, Day, Dawn and Evening~were also Gods and Goddesses sent by Aramfe, who is often spoken of as God. But a higher and very distant Being is mentioned by some of the Priests. Oibo means White Man.

Okpelle

The

is

final

a charm used in the divination of

N

is

as in bon,

nearly correct in

all

Ifa.

and French pronunciation

the above names. 11

is

A

white

man

Ydnibas, and asks

visits

Ife,

the sacred city of the

to hear the history of the place.

The

Orni, the religious

and

directs

head

of Yorubaland, begins,

the Babalawo Araba, the chief-priest of

Ifa, to continue.

12

MYTHS OF I.

f

F E

THE BEGINNING. The 6rni of

Ife speaks

:

Oibo, you have asked to hear our

lore,

The legends of the World's young hours its

home

in the precincts of the shrines of

Those

Could truth in greater surety have

Than

and where

Who made the World, To whom

From

and

their doings

sire to

son

in the

of priests

have been handed down

?

made

Before this World was

Ardmfe

mouths

reigns in

There reigned Aramfe in the realm of Heaven

Heaven

Amidst

;

his sons.

Old were the

The Sun had shone upon

Since time past reckoning.

The

father of the

The youth

of

Gods

Heaven.

.

around him

and

;

cornfields

Old was Aramfe, his

:

.

hills

his vines

youth had been

Once when the King

reclined

Upon

the dais, and his sons lay prostrate

In veneration at his telis

feet,

he spoke

Of the great things he purposed

his

"

sons of the

My

creation of

But

Heaven

I called

;

fair

you know things which I made

:

sons,

your

spirits 13

for you, before

from the Dusk

:

for

always

THE BEGINNING Your eyes have watched the shadows and the wind corn, and I have given you

On waving

The dances and

An

the chorus of the night

age of mirth and sunrise (the wine of Heaven)

your existence. You have not even heard Of the grey hour when my young eyes first opened To gaze upon a herbless Mass, unshaped Is

And

But

unadorned.

I

knew

Of Him-Who-Speaks-Not,

well the heart

the

far-felt

Purpose

that gave

Me

birth

I

;

laboured and the grim years passed

Streams flowed along their sunny beds

The

stars

above me, and the

hills

I set

;

about

:

;

and taught the birds budding Their song the unshapely I had formed to beauty, And as the ages came I loved to make I fostered

The

A

trees,

beautiful

more

noble animal

Emerged

My

my

fair.

.

All

went not well

;

form to prey upon a river, born to bask

In sunlit channels and mirror the steep

Tore down

its

banks and ravaged

While cataract and jagged

Now

field

hills,

and plain

;

precipice,

grand with years, remind 14

:

mind conceived

in loathsome

gentle creatures

.

me

of dread

days

MYTHS OF When Heaven

my Fair

hills,

tottered,

young and all seemed

Think, now,

if

F E

t

and wide

rifts

Yet

lost.

sundered

I prevailed.

the accomplished whole be Heaven,

How

wonderful the anxious years of slow

And

hazardous achievement

But yours

For Gods. Creation

To

by

way from Mass He paused on the remembrance,

Great Orisha cried

What

has not been to lead

it

the cliffs-edge

Paradise."

And

a destiny

" :

Can we do naught

use in godhead without deeds to do

?

?

Where yearns a helpless region for a hand " To guide it ? And Old Aramfe answered him sends them to

make

World.

the

"

My

son,

:

your day approaches. Far-off, the haze

Rests always on the outer waste which skirts

Our realm

;

beyond, a nerveless Mass

lies

cold

'Neath floods which some malign unreason heaves.

Oduwa,

first-born of

my

sons, to

you

I

The five-clawed Bird, the sand of power. Call a despairing land to smiling

Above the

jealous sea,

The

eternal life of Gods.

(1)

See Note

is

You

not are their judge

on the Creation of the Earth. 15

Go now,

life

and found sure homesteads

For a new race whose destiny

I

give (1)

;

THE BEGINNING Yours

is

the kingship, and to you

And men

are subject.

Vague spirits The race that

(1)

my

sons,

the grateful task to loose

is

Orisha, yours

Gods

all

Wisest of

Dawn

waiting for the

shall

be

;

and

to

I

you

to

make

give

This bag of Wisdom's guarded lore and arts

And you,

For Man's well-being and advancement.

younger sons, the chorus and the dance,

My The

To

and the

voice of worship

teach

that the

The mirth

of

crafts are yours

new thankful

race

Heaven and the joys "

Theft Odtiwa said

:

Happy our

may know

of labour."

life

has been,

And 1 would gladly roam these hills for ever, Your son and servant. But to your command I yield

;

and

in

my

kingship pride o'ersteps

Sorrow and heaviness. I

am

The

your

arts

first-born

and wisdom

The King,

will

Yet, Lord Aramfe,

wherefore do you give

:

to Orisha

be obeyed

;

Will turn in wonder to the

Strange benefits."

To each

(1)

is

?

the hearts of

God who

But Aramfe

fitting task

is

I,

given.

said

spells

"

Enough

Farewell."

See Note IV on the Creation of Man. 16

men

;

MYTHS OF The Gods leave

f

Here the Beginning was the

Through

Heaven.

desert

:

F E

from Ardmfe's vales

regions

the

Gods

exiled

approached

The edge

A To

of

Heaven, and into blackness plunged

sunless void o'er godless water lying seize

(1)

an empire from the Dark, and win

Amidst ungoverned waves a sovereignty.

Oduwa steals the

bag and causes

But by the roadside while Orisha slept Oduwa came by stealth and bore away The bag Aramfe gave. Thus was the

War Of God undone

:

for

will

thus with the charmed

sand

on Earth.

Cast wide on the unmastered sea, his sons Called forth a

World

of

envy and

of war.

Of Man's Creation, and of the restraint

Oldkun

(2)

placed upon the chafing sea, Of the unconscious years which passed in darkness Till dazzling sunshine touched the unused eyes

Of men, of War and magic

And

my priest shall tell you,

the Great Ones did before the day They vanished to return to the calm hills (1)

(2)

all

I on the Creation. The Goddess of the Sea.

See Note

17

THE BEGINNING Life in Ife Of Old Aramfe's realm is

as

it

was But

.

.

They went away

.

in the time Remain, and from their shrines the hidden of the

;

with us their altars and their priests

still

Gods

Gods Peer forth with joy to watch the dance they taught,

And

hear each night their chorus with the

drum

:

For changeless here the early World endures In this

stronghold of humanity,

first

And, constant as the buffets

Of Queen Oldkun on the

The dance ThjrlifeZ^

Odum'la

F[or;

Gods

;

.

.

I,

when from

too,

Gods

am

waves

shore, the song,

abide, the mirth,

born of the Beginning

the sight of

men

:

the Great Gods

passed,

speaks for the

of those old

of the

left

on Earth Orni Odum'la

(1)

They To be a

father to a

To tend

the shrines and utter solemn words

charged

mourning people,

by Those invisible. And when Odum'la's time had come to yield the crown, Inspired

To wait upon the River's To Old Aramfe Ifa/ 3 in *

brink, his

(2)

and

cross

wisdom,

(2)

See Note II on Odum'la, the first Orni' of He. The River which separates this World from the next.

(3)

See Note XIII. The Messenger of the Gods.

(1)

his divination.

18

See Note XII on

MYTHS OF and

lives

Proclaimed that son with

Thus has

for ever in

Abode.

the person

With me that Being

of the

And on

6rni.

The words

it

1

F E

whom

ever been is

;

and now

about, within

our sacred days these of

Odum'la's soul

lips

Odudiiwa and Orisha.

pronounce

THE DESCENT

II.

Ardba speaks I

am

Of

all

:

the voice of Ifa, messenger the

Gods

Are known, and

me

to

:

the histories

you of the days Old Ardmfe sent

I will tell

How

Of the Descent.

The Gods from Heaven, and Oduduwa The bag

my

king has told you.

.

.

stole

For many a

day Across un watered plains the Great Ones journeyed,

And sandy

deserts

^gCty Aramfe

for

such

the stern bar

is

'twixt his smiling vales

The Gods

And the stark cliff's edge which his sons approached

arrive at

Tremblingly,

till

from the sandy brink they peered

the edge of

Down

Heaven.

The parched, forbidding leagues but yet the Sun Was there, and breezes soft, and yet the mountains

the sheer precipice.

Behind them lay ;

A

faded line beyond the shimmering waste

Called back to

Hung

chaos

mind

their ancient

home.

Beneath

dank blackness and the threatening

roar

Of untamed waters. "

Orisha, what did we

Outcasts to-day

Our destiny

;

Then Oduduwa spoke And what fault was ours? :

?

to-morrow we must seek

in dungeons,

20

and beneath

MYTHS OF

F E

f

That yawning blackness we must found a For unborn men Better a homeless life In desert places

To some

What

we

turn and

lost valley of the hills

"

think you

men The Great

Oduwa

this

who

arts I

know

see the

first

That

I shall

away

flinch

to give

of toiling, living

Forbidding

think, ere

calm,

from

how

we

return to peace

is

Aramfe would not know

?

Dumb

sends

Orisha

life

ears

await us

;

?

let

:

.

.

the fate

think

us go."

spirits

hungering

So spoke

and Oduwa hung a chain

Ojtimu

Over the

cliff

And

Ojumu, the wise

Bird,

The magic sand upon the sea and

to the dark water's face,

21

?

Has Might no bodes

with the

sent

is

Godhead blind

With eyes and For

For me,

?

our task,

You

Odtiwa

men

men is

boundless

Besides,

!

gift,

the hearts of

long to use, and yearn

make.

You say but And Heaven's

You

I

that I hear

Aramfe's

stole

to filch

With blessings which were mine

To

Orisha,

Then spoke Orisha whom

?

"Is

:

And thought The

?

flee

call*

mother's son

My

dare

:

city

priest, to

pour

loose

THE DESCENT The

five-clawed Bird to scatter far and wide

Triumphant land.

Ever

(1)

But, as Earth's ramparts grew,

in the darkness

Away

came the waves and sucked

the crumbling shore, while foot

Lagoons crept up, and turned

The

Oldkun

and

(2)

to reedy

foot

swamps

So Oduduwa called

of hope.

soil

by

and Oldssa "

(3)

to the

cliff

Oldkun and

And thus he spoke

Oldssa.

With the new-rising World, and would destroy Our kingdom and undo Aramfe's will. /Go 4xrthe

That they

fields of

shall

For there your

To curb For

Beneath, the waters wrestle

men

make.

rule

to be, the

Oldkun

!

homes to the sea

and your dominion

shall

And

thus, in our first

secret sanctuaries

queen of

on lonely shores

Through every aeon as the season comes, Shall

men

bring gifts in homage to Oldkun.

And

you, Oldssa, where your ripple laps

The

fruitful

The

offerings of thankful

bank, shall see continually

(1)

See Note

(2)

The Goddess The Goddess

(3)

!

be

:

the hungry waves upon the coastlands

ever.

And

:

I

men."

on the Creation of the Earth. of the Sea. of the Lagoons.

22

cities

MYTHS OF

I

F E The months

Of Heaven passed by, while

in the

moonless night

The Bird

Beneath the Bird

makes

The corners of the World were steadfast.

the

Earth,

toiled

on until the bounds,

And then

Odiiwa called Orisha and the Gods

To "

the

We

cliff's

edge, and spoke these words of sorrow:

go to our sad kingdom.

Of Old Ardmfe:

so let

it

Such

is

But

ere

be.

The hour the wilderness which gapes

the will

for us

Engulf us utterly, ere the lingering sight

Of those loved

can gladden us no more

hills

May we not dream awhile of smiling days Fair was drenched morning Gone by ? .

.

in the

Sun

When

dark the

hill-tops rose o'er

misty hollows

;

Fair were the leafy trees of night beneath

The

silvering

Upon

Moon, and beautiful the wind

the grasslands.

Good-bye, ye plains

we

roamed.

The Gods descend.

Good-bye to sunlight and the shifting shadows Cast on the crags of Heaven's blue hills. Ah! wine

Of Heaven, farewell

Then

of

an age

By wanings

".

.

.

So came the Gods to

of passing

of the

months untold

Moon our

23

lore repeats

Ife.

THE DESCENT A

sunless

World.

The

dirge of wasting hopes

Of a people

World shuddering the unseen waves

in a strange

Beneath the thunder

On

and the lament

of

Always the marsh

crumbling shores around.

Pressed eagerly on

f fe

but ever the Bird

;

Returned with the unconquerable sand

Ojumu poured from his enchanted shell, And the marsh yielded. Then young Ogun bade The Forest grow her whispering trees but she Budded the pallid shoots of hopeless night, /And^dl was sorrow round the sodden town

Where Odudiiwa

reigned.

Yet

Orisha

Orisha, the Creator, yearned,

creates

To him

man.

He

for live

and

men

called

the longing shades from other glooms

threw their images

(1)

into the

;

wombs

Of Night, Oldkun and Oldssa, and all The wives of the great Gods bore babes with eyes Of those born blind unknowing of their want

And

limbs to

From

feel

the heartless wind which blew

outer nowhere to the

murk beyond.

.

.

But

as the unconscious years wore by, Orisha,

The

Creator,

Wistfully (1)

watched the

as one

who

unlit

Dawn

Man

follows the set flight

See Note IV on the Creation of Man. 24

of

MYTHS OF

i

F E

Of a lone sea-bird when the sunset fades

Beyond a marshy wilderness To Odudiiwa " Our day is :

and spoke endless night,

And deep, wan woods enclose our weeping children. The Ocean menaces,

chill

Our mouldering homes.

winds moan through

Our guardian Night,

who spoke To us with her Of Heaven

Her

Is

sends fire, the

Sun

and

the

Moon.

And where

hours

is

Evening

?

where

!

"

He

ceased,

crave the Sun and the

The torch Ardmfe

still

yet she can but bewail

and Odudiiwa sent

the Messenger, to his old sure

If a,

To

;

task.

restless

Oh Dawn ?

strange sounds in the

here

is

of

warm

flame that

lit

Heaven's Evening and the dance.

.

.

A

deep compassion moved thundrous Aramfe, The Father of the Gods, and he sent down

The vulture with red For men Still

;

and,

fire

upon

his

head

by the Gods' command, the bird

wears no plumage where those embers burned

him

A

mark

of

honour

The Father spoke

for

remembrance.

the word,

Again

and the pale Moon

Sought out the precincts of calm Night's retreat 25

THE DESCENT To

share her watch on Darkness

;

and Day took

wings,

And

flew to the broad spaces of the sky

To roam benignant from the floating Which cling to hillsides of the Dawn

Who

calls the

happy

toilers

mists to

home.

And The Age of Mirth

Was changed Had lifted from :

,

for

when the

Made brazen

all

terror of bright

Day

the unused eyes of men,

Sparks-flew from Ladi's anvil, while The/iise~bf iron,

Eve

and wise Obdlufon

vessels

Ogun taught (1)

and showed how wine streams

out

From

the slim palms. (2)

And in the night

the

Gods

Set torches in their thronging courts to light

The dance, and Heaven's music touched the drum Once more

as in its ancient home.

With Oduduwa (1) (2)

And

mirth

reigned.

See Note V on Obalufon. Palm-wine, an efficacious native intoxicant.

26

MYTHS OF III.

I

F E

THE WAR OF THE GODS. Ardba continues Oibo,

A

I will tell

:

and chronicle

second chapter from the histories

The fable

Bequeathed from other times.

of Earth,

How God

Earth, Water and the Forest

With one and twenty That are the sons

gifts for

Earth

of

God promised

Earth and men

and

;

The Forest and the Rivers

stole

save one

all

;

and how

to his first-born, Earth, that

Should win the twenty

Of that

tale is told

in the Beginning sent three sons

Water and Into the World Forest

A

.

.

last one, Good

gifts

again

Humour.

by

And

men

virtue

this is true

:

For in those years when Ogun and the Gods

Made known

their handicrafts

men

learned to seek

Thatch, food and wine in Forest and in River Strife

between

So Man prevailed but in those days. Came strife and turmoil to the Gods for still Patiently.

;

Odtiwa and For jealousy and pride Odiiwa held Orisha

The bag Aramfe gave Often Orisha

A

suppliant

Till

made

to Great Orisha.

entreaty

came before

;

oft

his brother

in vain

once when Odudiiwa sat with Ogun 27

;

THE WAR OF THE GODS In that same palace where the Orni reigns,

The sound

of

drums was heard and Great Orisha

Approached with "

skilled Obalufon,

The time has come

To men. That

Have a

how

not told

mine

(for it is

do our Father's bidding.

care, is it

:

to teach Aramfe's arts

Give back the bag

may

I

and said

!)

Else,

caution slept

In the still woods when the proud leopard fell, " Lured on by silence, 'neath the monster's foot?

(

Odiiwa angered exceedingly ^~

I

:

-v.

not king

?

Did not Aramfe make

Me lord of Gods and men

?

Begone

!

Who speaks

Unseemly words before the king has packed His load."

(2)

Orisha and Odiiwa called brings to tfe.

war To arms

And on

their followings of

that day the

Gods and men,

first of

wars began

In Ife and the Forest.

Such was the

Of the Gods from paths

divine,

The woe that Oduduwa's But

little

fall

and such

for

theft prepared

men

;

the Gods recked of their deep guilt

Yoruba threat " The Elephant has power

to

(1)

cp.

(2)

Leopard, though he be silent." (Communicated by drum-beats, I think.) Yoruba saying. The speaker is probably prepared crush

the

to travel.

28

MYTHS OF darkness

Till

and

fell

all

F E

i

was quiet

Returned the memory of Calm,

Of Heaven born and destined Gloom,

with the

too,

still

for then

their heritage, for the

World

came down

night

;

:

a

sense

Of impious wrong, ungodly sin, weighed down Warriors aweary, and all was changed. Around, Dead, dead the Forest seemed, its boughs unstirred

Dead The

too,

amidst

while on that hush, the storm's

stifled air

came the

Ardmft

Mute

tries to

Of Old Aramfe as he mused

stop

it ;

herald,

distant thundrous voice :

Into the Waste beneath I sent

The

A

my

children of

World

of mirth

happy

"In

vain

my

sons

vales

of ffe,

and women with

Are outcast

in the

naked woods."

the great trees were smitten

Thundrous Aramfe His erring sons

:

in his ire

their

in the

by

rebuked

"At my command you came

Insentient Violence in the

sky

the wind,

darkness, where the Evil of the Void

To shape

babes

But when

The whirling clouds were wheeling

To

make

to

for desolation holds

:

The homes

And

;

knotted growth

its strangling,

had made

its

home,

Abyss a World of joy 29

OFTHE GODS

THE WAR And

ways of Heaven. brawling ? Did the Void's black

lead Creation in the

How,

then, this soul

Outmatch you, or Again into I grieve

its

possess your hearts to

own

come

For Man's misfortune

?

but you have borne them on the tide

;

Of your wrong-doing, and your punishment For now my thunderbolts Is theirs to share. I hurl,

with deluges upon the land

To^nll the marshes and lagoons, and stay

aye your impious war."

If or

Dawn came

but fails t

Was

Aramfe

gone, and Old

in his grief

But

Departed on black clouds.

But

still

And

in the dripping forests

The

rebel

the storm

;

still

Gods fought on

and the marshes

while in the clouds

Afar Aramfe reasoned with himself "

I

spoke in thunders, and

The marshes that Ojumu

They

fight.

Achieve

?

the wrath,

the anger of his sons endured,

Punish,

I

my

deluge

dried

may

?

I

cannot

Beyond the sky where 30

I

but

;

filled still

but what can

In Heaven omnipotent

What means it

:

tell,

have

.

.

:

I

but here

?

In the Unknown,

set the Sun,

MYTHS OF

F E

f

He-Who-Speaks-Not He knows all. Can this Be Truth Amidst the unnatural strife of brothers Is

:

:

TheWorld was weaned: by strife must Oibo,

how

the

first

And Old Aramfe Of blood

of

it

endure

?"

wars began,

sought to stay the flow

your pen has written

but of the days,

;

The weary days of all that war, what tongue Tis said the anger of the Gods Can tell ? '

Endured two hundred years

we know

:

Osanyi made strange amulets for

The mortal

soldiers of the

Could turn a spear

aside, a

Gods

flee

charm

one

its

sting,

full

another

score

but not one word of the great deeds,

Of hopes and

fears, of

imminent defeat

Or victory snatched away

No

all

second robbed

The wounding sword of all Made one so terrible that a Must

the priest

is

handed down

:

legend has defied, no voice called through

The dimness and the

baffling years.

But when

An end was come

to the

ill

days foreknown

To Him-Who-Speaks-Not, remembrance calm

Of Heaven

stole

upon the 31

sleepless

Gods

of the

THE WAR OF THE GODS For while the Moon lay

On

ff

of the

many

soft

battles

with

all

her spell

while

;

With sorrowful reproach the wise trees stood And gazed upon the Gods who made the soil

The

voices of the Forest crooned their dreams " "Sleep, sleep all weary Nature craved, " " the slumbrous reed-folk urged, Sleep

Of peace

And

:

and

'twixt

The shadow and the igun asks

Oduwa

to

The drowsing dawn

silver'd leaf, for sleep

breezes yearned.

.

.

.

And

with the

give back

Ogun, the warrior, with his comrades stood

the bag to

Before the king, and thus he spoke

Orisha.

We

weary

of the battle,

and

its

Weighs heavy on our people.

The

careless hours of

What means You

say.

Will

buy no broom'.

.

.

?

agony

Have you

Orisha willed

?

it so,

'Twas said of old 'Who has no house (I)

Why then did Great Orisha in

In Heaven

Afar Ardmfe gave to you the empire, Yoruba

forgot

empty war between

Bring plagues on those he made

(1)

Oduwa,

Old Aramfe's realm

this war, this

One mother's sons

" :

saying.

32

love

?

MYTHS OF And

to Orfsha

f

F E

of the

ways The bag things. but not its clue the skill, the wisdom knowledge

Of mysteries and hidden

You seized

;

Of Great Orisha which alone could wake

The

sleeping lore.

Are yours

:

.

The nations

.

give back the bag, and Great Orisha

But neither Ogun

Will trouble us no more."

Nor the

World

of the

soft voices of the night could loose

Odiiwa from the

envy the rule Of men and empire were of no account

When

refuses

the hot thought of Old Aramfe's lore

The bag he held years had not revealed

his black ire anew.

But

the faithless

" ;

:

Roused

Its

Odiiwa

thrall of

all

These

many

his king

Upon And greatness,

My

Bitterly he answered

promised treasures.

son

years ;

I

my

brother has

while for the crown,

my

its

Could not uphold your

Priest bury,

will

33

his

to hold of kings

and be your spur

Is it not said,

and anon

To-day

my cause itself my enemies.

Weak son, the sceptre you were born And hand down strengthened to a line Until the end.

power

cause,

Wearies of war, and joins

"

:

made war

have wrought unceasing.

hope of

;

Shall one

mate dig up

X

THE WAR OF THE GODS The corpse ?"

No

(1)

day's brief work have you

undone,

But

all

my

Of labour.

heart has longed for through a

So

be

let it

:

God

life

of Soft Iron

!

Upon your royal brow descends this day The crown of a diminished chieftaincy, With the sweet honours For

and

trans-

forms

to

stone,

I

of a king in

go back to Old Aramfe's

name

hills

And the calm realm you prate of." Then Oduduwa Transformed to stone and sank beneath the

soil,

Bearing away the fateful bag.

And

taking the

bag with

Beneath, through

Mm.

A

voiceless lore

Have (1)

all

and

arts

lain in bondage.

Yoruba

saying.

34

thus,

the ages of the World

which found no teacher

MYTHS OF IV.

F E

f

THE SACRIFICE OF Ardba continues Oibo

I

(1 > .

:

have told you of the days

When Oduduwa and But

M 6RIMI

Orisha fought

;

of the times of peace our annals hold

Now in

the age

when mirth

Strange legends

also.

And Oduduwa

reigned, grief ever-growing

.

.

Befell Great Morimi, the wife of skilled

Mdrimi

Obalufon

for while his lesser wives

has no

Proudly bore

sons.

A

many

sons unto their lord,

daughter only, young Adetoun,

Was

granted to his queen.

And

as the years

Lagged by, a strangeness which he always seemed

To keep

in hiding chequered the fair

day With doubtings, and waylaid her in the paths Of her fond nightly dreams. Once with the Spring, She saw the clustered tree-tops breaking into

leaf

Copper and red and every green, and she

Remembered how beneath the new It

was ordained by Peregrin 'Gbo, lord

Of uninhabitable woods, that Life (1)

year's

See Note VI on M6rimi's 35

sacrifice.

buds

THE SACRIFICE OF M6RIMI Should spring from Forest, and Life from

Life,

tiU all

The Woods were gladdened with the And birds and thus she reasoned

voice of beasts

:

How

Peregun 'Gbo

(1)

Of Forest leaped the

How

"Is

it

not told

spoke, and from the sloth that laughs

womb

by night

?

'mid the boughs the sloth brought forth the

ape

That bore the leopard

Watch

And Fair

And

o'er the birth of

when

ever,

Must

?

yield life,

up

did not Peregun

young Oninmila,

the morrow's sorrowing

dawn

to the leaguing fiends the child's

God send down

did not the watchful

His messenger to stay the grasping hand

Of Death Will give

Thus do the Gods

Ah whom

me sons.

!

and surely one " must I appease ? ;

Quick with new hope Great Mdrimi sought out

She consults

tfa

?

:

A

(2) in his courtyard dim, priest of Ifa

Where from each beam and smoke-grimed

pillar

hung

The charms the wise man

set to

His wives and children from the

XI on Peregun

guard his home, ills

(1)

See Note

(2)

See Note XII on the divination of

36

contrived

'Gbo. Ila.

MYTHS OF

f

F E

By the bad spirits. To her gift And laid it on Okpelle and the

she whispered, priest

;

Seizing the charm of ifa said

"

Okpelle,

:

To you the woe of Mdrimi is known You only can reveal its secret cause,

;

Its

And Of

Who

" tells

"

unknown cure

Then he laid down the charm

!

Offun Kanran stood before them.

Ifa's priest

Mdrimi, this

was

f fa

sacrifice

You have

:

her

Was

yours.

daughter.

But

in

Whose

and he said

the message of

is

a son, nay

her to

troubled,

many

sons,

my

:

for.

a daughter, and your husband's love

The Gods would give you many

sons,

your path stands Flshu, the Undoer, shrine calls out for blood, for sacrifice

Without hope Mdrimi

Went

and loathing

forth,

Possessed her

Of her one

of the

ways

of the

:

Gods

while indignation fed her love

child.

.

.

.

The months passed by

A

face

lord

you long

Adetoun."

And

The

:

Moons came,

in the smiles of happier wives she read

Moons faded from the sky, mockery And grief and her Adetoun remained ;

Companions of her hours. " But sons I asked for I ;

37

At will

last she cried

go again

:

THE SACRIFICE OF MORIMI And pray The

last

for sons

word

Has ebbed

is

and

Adetoun. Oldkun's tide

not yet.

not flow again

will it

:

my

" ?

Yet hope She

Went not with Mdrimi

consults

Of

Ifa again.

The

tfa's priest self -same

To her

drear

;

to the dark court

and when a torch

bode

of sorrow in the

home Great Morimi

disclosed

dusk

fled

back

In terror of the deed which love commanded,

And di advises

love condemned.

Came

fidi,

.

her to act

Who

on Ifa's

To

message.

Reveal the thoughts of

Of

.

.

Silently in the night

the Perverter, the smooth of tongue,

with his guileful reasoning compels

conscious sin

ifa,

" :

The forms ffa,

of messengers

and the

ears

the God-Messenger, have heard

The far-off, thundrous voice. Would you hold back? Is

not the birth of Nations the

first

law

Aramfe gave ? Can any wife withstand His will, or maid stern Ogun's call ? (1) To-day Is yours, oh, mother of great kings that shall be :

The green shoots greet the Spring-rain and forget The barren months, and Morimi shall know Her grief and her reproach no more." (1)

Ogun

kills

unmarried 38

girls of

Then doubt

marriageable age.

MYTHS OF Seized Mdrimi but

still

f

F E

she answered

" ;

Will Gods

Not give ? Is the grim World a morning market Where they drive bargains with the folk they made ? Are babes as bangles which Obalufon Fashions to barter

" ?

But

fidi

answered her

:

"

But once Aramfe spoke to Odudiiwa, And with what heavy hearts the Gods went

forth

From Heaven's

Now

thrice,

Thrice to the

Has come

valleys to the blackness

!

(1)

woman Mdrimi

the word

with promise of the World's desire

:

Not every wife is chosen for the mother " Of a house of kings. And think Obalufon !

Then

di,

In darkness

;

The death

On

of Adetoun.

The lazy blue

and with the dawn a young

the Undoer Iishu's altar of early

girl

lay

while

morning smoke

Crept up the pass between the (1)

!

the Perverter, hid his form

hills.

According to the legend, M6rimi consulted Ifa^three times before acting on his advice.

39

THE UBO WARS.* Ardba continues After the

War

:

Oibo, graven on

my memory my father

of the Is the sad legend which

Gods, ffe

Of the Great Gods' departure.

returns

Unnoted while King 6gun (2)

to the arts

Was young

of peace.

Shot forth

With

1*

told

me

The years slid by reigned. The World .

.

upon the craggy slopes the trees red buds, and ancient ffe, gaunt :

suffering,

dreamed again her early dreams.

Taught by the Gods, the folk began to learn The arts of Heaven's peace anew the drum ;

Returned to measures of the dance, and Great Orisha saw the joy of

In his creatures' eyes.

life

once more

Thus

lived

mankind among

The Gods, and multiplied until the youth foundation Of ffe sought new homes and wider lands In the vast Forest and thus was born the of Ubo The

;

Fair daughter of Odiiwa's city.

Her Ubo, and the Olubo

of

Ubo

is attended

But

by

Gave no good

strife

from first.

the

leader took the

Men

first

called

name

with his chieftaincy.

to these colonists the Gods, their Fathers, gifts

:

'midst battles with the Wild,

'Mid struggles with the Forest the town grew

While dull remembrance of unnatural wrongs See Note VII on Ubo and the Edi Festival. (1) (2)

See Note

X

on Ogun. 40

MYTHS OF IFE Bred Man's

And when

Word came Would

first

;

to f fe that the folk of tJbo

bring no

gifts,

nor worship at the feet

But the King scorned them, laughing

Of Ogun.

"Who

:

lights

His lamp between the leopard's paws

The Chief of Obo

Gods

rebel thought against the

the time of festival was near,

"

(3)

?

Years passed In grieving while Oliibo sought the homes

seeks advice,0i spirits of the Forest springs, laid gifts

At crossway Or wandered

shrines where childless

With Ocean chafing But rivers answered Of

No

dawn

Gods

;

through the unceasing hissing of the foam

Olubo came with

.

.

With Autumn's

And prayed him to And the fat beasts, the

God saw

Of birds and Yoruba

fall

gifts before the shrine

Of the grim Forest-God who hedged

(3)

wrongs

not, not brooks, nor

voice of counsel came.

And

go,

at his old restraint.

crossway altars at the light of

And

women

to drear coasts to share his

accept the corn he brought

nor seize his lands again.

the

cattle

saying.

41

his land,

;

oil,

and smelled the blood

and the longed-for voice

THE UBO WARS which the

Came

to Oltfbo

" :

See with the rain

Forest-God Each year apon your gives

him

fields

I

come

with springing

Rank-growing grass and vegetation wild Your work of yester-year is all undone

trees,

:

By my swift desolation. Be this your symbol Go thus against the Scornful Ones arrayed As

:

I."

In Ife was great joy

Black thundercloud has passed

;

:

the last

the maids were

wed,

And

all

men

feasted on the sacred days

Day when

Oltibo in-

Of Ogun and the Lord of

vades Ife,

From

and

Portents of moving trees and hurrying grass

the

takes

men

On

the

still

sudden,

Forest o'er the walls there broke

Ife's stone-still revellers.

(Hope perishes

away as

In the dark hour a mother sees the dance

slaves.

Of white-robed goblins (1)

A

glimpse, no more

Despair held rule Their

Was

A (1)

men were

:

;

the

of the

and her

midnight streets sick child

is lost).

new-wed wives were lone

slaves of tibo lords.

and laughter mute. About dull tasks but not so people wandered

silent,

listless

;

The drum

See Note XIII.

;

These goblins are called 42

Etere.

MYTHS OF Mdrimi

Mdrimi

consults

To

tfa,

Her

for she, assured of triumph, strode

the dim court of

A

gift.

And

and

ffa,

vision flickered

the priest prophesied

As when a I call

sick

man

lies

laid bare

and was gone, The bode is good.

" :

beset

fiends

by

then

tongue and thus invoke

my

Those very fiends

dread mother's name,

in their

command

the Prince of leaguing

(Though hastening to the River's such

Again

now

is

lip)

priest, his voice

'Evil has

to turn

me

come down on

ffe:

Evil only can desire prevail.

her to go

By

to tjbo.

Take

six he-goats to fishu, the

Thus crave

A

:

Woes

borne

ffa's counsel,

Swift in the form of Messengers to

who advises His

(1)

not to the Gods for aid, but take

The pepper on

And

F E

I

his aid

and

harlot to the land of

A

out the

Of

secret.

And he

;

go, Great Mdrimi,

Ubo

Mdrimi to the rebel town She finds

Undoer

;

'

' .

.

So sped

and when

lord of tibo sought her midst the shades night, the Undoer's will possessed his lips,

betrayed the

way

of tJbo's downfall.

While lishu's shrine yet ran with blood, the Gods, (1)

See Note XIII for the incantation.

43

THE UBO WARS Meanwhile, Unknowing, sat alone in their abasement, the gods And Ogun said " We scorned our upstart son :

transform

Scorned him and

let

nor bore in mind

him be '

A

to stones,

The wisdom

rivers,

Is yet

etc.,

Swift from the sight of mocking

of the Past,

a snake.'

(1)

See

now

The sage Osanyi

Depart.

The door

"

the lorn Gods.

.

Beneath the

soil

wide

come then

his

who but

" ?

charms

I ?

"

moan and sank

And 6shun

he loved.

:

men we must

Orisha could but

made you

Children I

:

come

dominion what are we Gods

of

And one by one Osanyi gave To

snake

little

the end has

will lay

of our deliverance

For naked

;

(2)

threw

Her body down but never ceased a stream Gushed up, the sacred stream that flows for ever. :

Oldkun

To

(3)

fell

;

'neath the wide Earth she flowed

the broad spaces of her troubled realm.

except

So went the Gods

6gun.

The charm

to

Back from the

but

;

Ogun, rebel

Rushed back, and

last, as

Gods

town Great Morimi

cried

" :

(3)

Yoruba

(4)

See Note VIII on Oshun. See Note IX on O16kun.

saying.

44

.

Osanyi gave

last of all the

brought

(5)

.

The

fire

the vulture

MYTHS OF IFE Shall slay the hosts of l)bo

".

.

.

The months

by

crept

Fate-laden, while (1)

!

King Ogun's warrior

son,

schooled the sireless lads to

War

Ordnyan

Oranyan,

destroys

But when the

the tJbo

Them

army.

And, as the invading hosts of l)bo scaled

The

festive season came,

with red

walls,

prepared within the

fire

;

he hid city,

a rush of flaming boughs destroyed

Grass garments and rebellious men.

Thus

fell

tfbo before Ordnyan, and her folk

Saw

slavery in

ffe.

.

.

Time spared

these deeds

But gave to the impenetrable wilds The place where Cbo stood, her rebel Gods, The

di

Festival

Her

rites.

And

here in

f fe,

by command

Of Morimi, the children of the captives

Worship Olubo, but must flee before Oranyan's fire. And on those days of feasting No man may blame his wife for her misdeeds All-mindful of the guile of Morimi. (1)

See Note

X

on Ogun and Ordnyan.

VI.

THE PASSING Ardba continues

After the tJbo

An

:

age passed by, and

Wars, Of battles

knew no more

f fe

Ogun, grey and bent, chose out

for

;

of peace beloved of

6gun reignsThe way

OGUN.

OF

Old Aramfe.

in peace.

Forgotten

were

lives

lived,

and shadowy

priests

Kept warm the altars of the departed Gods Old men went softly to the River's lip (1)

Unsung

Went

'twixt

:

hope and fear mute

Of the givers

of

told

Yields

for, at

;

World

the

Their names are

life.

last,

up the legend

a

let

lost.

men used

of its

In those

fall.

torch-lit

Happily. (1)

.

.

Ogun

;

to tell of their brave deeds

In battles where Oranyan

The

.

that silent age

Last tranquil years the mothers blessed King

old

.

final tale

For peaceful days and night's security

And

;

wives sought out the shrines

new

Yet now, Oibo,

Be

colonists

forth to the strange forests of the

And unremembered

:

led,

applaud

dance and pass their

But then came

The River which separates 46

last

calm days

traders from the wilds

this

World from the next.

MYTHS OF IFE By

thorn and tangle of scarce-trodden ways

Through the dim woods, with wondrous

tales

they

heard

At crossway markets

(1)

in far lands of deeds

Oranyan did on battlefields beyond The region of the forests. These tales, In house and market,

And dreams Of ancient

ife

of the

for,

his first far-off

Were always Lagged by. of

returns

while the fathers feared

day when the grey God, would go back home, the young men's dreams

of Earth's Kingship,

Aweary

Oranyan

oft-told

the air with rumours

war which troubled the repose

of

The coming

To

filled

.

of .

Oranyan, and their pale days

Such were the various thoughts

men

when on a day, unheralded,

from

In

distant

Oranyan with a host appeared before Her peaceful gates. None could deny his entrance

Wars

(2)

to

demand crown.

ife,

the

The hero

From

strode again the streets he saved

the Oliibo's grass-clad men, and

Before his father to

Of Oduduwa. (1) (2)

:

demand

King Ogun spoke

:

Markets are often found at crossroads See Note X. on Ogun and Ordnyan. 47

came

the crown "

My son,

in the forest.

THE PASSING OF OGUN and you are welcome. But why with these armed men do you recall Times well-forgotten and the ancient wars ? Tis long since you were

This

Of

here,

a land of peace

is

ffe's trees

:

beneath the shade

the mirth of Heaven's vales

Has found a home, Their measure.

the chorus and the dance

Lay by your arms, and may no

hurt

Attend your coming or your

restful

Harshly Oranyan answered his old father "

You speak

for a

!

:

Ogun, and the calm

of peace, Great

Aramfe destined

"

hours

World

to be.

Aramfe spoke and Oduduwa's dream Of wisdom linked to supreme power begat

A

theft

(1) !

And

that same night on Heaven's rim

Devised another destiny for men.

What Heaven-sent

art has

That deed, and bid the

Who

Ogun

to

undo

still-born live ?

Besides,

taught the peaceful peoples of the World

Their longing for red

War

?

Who

forged their

weapons

With

steel

Ardmfe gave

for harvesting

?

Who slew young maids who would not wed to bear (1)

The

theft of Orisha's bag.

48

MYTHS OF

f

More sons for ancient wars of

War

'The

field

The God

The

?

Who,

What

.

.

?

F E pray, but Ogun,

then

Tis said

?

:

'

father sowed his son shall reap

!

And Ogun Made answer

" :

The

story of

my

life

has been

As the succeeding seasons in the course Where Oshun pours her stream. First, long The sunny months

A

heaven when

of

boy upon the mountains

careless

ago,

roamed

I

;

then,

As a whole season when the boisterous storms the crag-strewn bed with racing waters,

Fill full

And the warm Sun is hidden by the clouds, Doom brought me journeys, toils in darkness, wars And yet more wars. Again the barren months Are here

the wagtail lights upon the rock

:

The

river hid

And

in

my

;

a lazy trickle moves

age Aramfe's promised peace

Gives back her stolen happiness to

And now,

the sage

Osanyi^

His charms forgotten

And

vanish like

:

.

.

.

no more,

cannot turn to stone

I

Oduwa

is

f f.

;

I

cannot cast

(2)

Yoruba

(3)

Osanyi made the charms which enabled the Gods

saying.

to transform.

THE PASSING OF

6 G U N

My worn old body down to rise instead A river of the land, as Oshnn did. No, Earth must hold me, glad or desolate,

A King Till

or outcast in the vague forest,

Heaven

call

And Oshun In peace

My I,

sleeps.

and, with

;

.

the lone

Ogun,

I,

Let the

then

ask to be

I

Aramfe's bidding done

first

I

fair

Heaven,

the Father bade us give

life

the road

Upon

Till

God on Earth who knows

the calm

To men,

.

the locked pools bask.

my tale of days accomplished,

last arts taught,

And

"

me when

will

make way, and go

came."

But Oranyan said

Mistress of the

World

:

decide.

These years the kingly power has passed away

From

the old sleeping town Odiiwa built

To me, Oranyan, battling in far Where no voice spoke of Ife. Let Her way

A

:

obscurity or wide

silence

fell

:

lands ffe choose

renown

" !

the black clouds of the storm

Were overhanging human destiny The breathless pause before the loud wind's ;

Held

all

men

speechless

heave 50

blast

though they seemed to

MYTHS OF The

old

men

desire

Ogun

For utterance.

to

remain

fc

length, Eteffon, the friend

Of Ogun, voiced the fond hopes

Who "

;

At

F

f

feared

Ours

The

is

Oranyan and

his

of the old chiefs

coming day

:

the city of the shrines which guard

spirits of

the Gods, and

our ways

all

Are ordered by the Presences which haunt

The sacred precincts

from those who dream beneath the

Is far

Of

Ife.

.

The way

From To

The noise of war and tumult

.

There

is

another

of colonists.

way

of life

trees

:

God's command,

By

this first breast the infant nations stray

the utter marches of humanity.

Let them press onward, and Till

Until the

Swerve

Law

;

before their sword

But

prevail.

of conquest

roof, the

Of men

fall

filled

let

not ffe

from the cool road of her destiny

For dreams

And

Oranyan lead them

the far corners of the World be

Let the unruly

The

let

evening

;

and

firelight

to go forth to the

the old chiefs echoed

not

Ogun

leave

and the ways

naked woods." "

:

let

Live with us yet,

Oh, Ogunl

Reign on your stable throne." 51

But murmurs

rose

THE PASSING OF but the

From

the young

young men acclaim

men

6 G U N

suppressed at

first,

then

louder Until their leader, gaining courage, cried "

Ordnyan.

Empty

our

life

has been

:

while from far plains,

Vibrant with the romance, the living

lustre,

Oranyan' s name bestows, great rumours came

To mock our

laggard seasons

;

and each year

Mdrimi's festival recalls alike

The

hero's

name and

ffe's greatness.

All Ife slumber that the old

No

;

we

will

may

Must

drowse

?

have Oranyan, and no other,

To be our King." And a loud cry went up " " From his followers Oranyan is our King And in that cry King Ogun heard the doom :

A Of

chieftain of our

day

!

sees clear in eggs

fateful parrots in his

The

inmost chamber

:

walls of his proud city (his old defence)

Can never more uphold a

rule of iron

And

For victor treachery within.

He spoke his last

Had ended on (1)

(1)

A

sad words

" :

wearily

My boyhood scarce

Aramfe's happy

hills

of oarrot's eggs to a Yoruba chief is an intimation that he has reigned long enough, and that, should he die by his own hand, trouble would be saved.

gift

02

MYTHS OF IFE When

I

came here with Oduduwa

And

watched

I

Lovingly

with him,

this ancient city growing,

planted the grand forests for a robe

For queenly Sometimes Ife,

;

and

Ife

Of

away.

Would be more

Yet she

Ogun

kind,

and

still

:

lapse

Ah

me.

rejects

If&

did become

Ogun, with the

tigun goes

years.

have grown old with

I

f fe.

I feel that

to

my

my

!

trees

I

trees

go."

Dawn came and Ogun stood upon a hill To Westward, and turned to take a last farewell ;

Of

his old

queen of

cities

but white and dense,

O'er harbouring woods and unremembering ff6

A As

mist was laid and blotted islands from a

Two

all.

.

Beyond,

morning sea, arose

and Ogun dreamed he saw Again those early days, an age gone by, When he and Great Oduwa watched the Bird lone grey

Found

hills

those grand

;

hills

with magic sand,

bare

slopes,

Yet born

to smile.

.

.

That vision paled

:

red-gold

Above grey clouds the Sun of yesterday So passed Climbed up to shine on a new order. Old Ogun from the land. 53 Dl

NOTES I.

The

THE CREATION.

relationships of the various gods are differently of ffe, and also

by different chiefs and priests by the same men at different times. stated

however, that Aramfe ruled in Heaven, Odiiwa and Orisha, to a dark and below to create the world and to people watery region It appears,

and sent

his sons,

According to the legends told in were not sent away as a punishment

it.

the gods but there is

ife, ;

some story of wrong-doing mentioned at 6wu in the Jebu country. Aramfe gave a bag full of arts and wisdom to Orisha, and the kingship to Oduwa.

On the way from Heaven Odiiwa made Orisha drunk, and stole the bag. On reaching the edge of Heaven, Oduwa hung a chain over the cliff and sent down a priest, called Ojumu, with a snail-shell full of " " magic sand and a five-fingered fowl. Ojiimu threw the sand on the water and the fowl kicked it about. Wherever the fowl kicked the sand, dry land appeared. Thus the whole world was made, with f fe as its centre.

When themselves

the land was firm, Oduwa and Orisha let down the chain, and were followed by

Orisha began making human beings was dark and cold, because Aramfe had not sent the sun with Oduwa. So Oduwa sent up, and Aramfe sent the sun, moon and fire. (Fire was sent

several other gods.

but

;

all

54

MYTHS OF fFE on a vulture's head, and that is why the vulture has no feathers on its head.) Then the gods began to teach their arts and crafts to men.

made war upon Oduwa The various gods took sides, but some looked on. The medicine-men provided amulets for the men on both sides. Aramfe was angry with his sons for fighting and threw his thunderbolts impartially for he was the god of thunder in those days. The war is said to have lasted 201 years, and came to an end only because the gods on Odiiwa's side asked him to give back the bag. Oduwa, in a huff, transformed to stone and sank beneath the earth, taking After

to get

many

years Orisha

back his bag.

the bag with him. became king.

II.

ODtiM

His son, Ogun, the god of iron, then

'LA,

THE FIRST ORNf OF

According to tradition, when the gods transformed, they ordered Odiim'la to speak for them, to be a father to the whole world and to remain on Earth for ever. " In the words of an old chief It is our ancient law :

that the spirit of Odum'la passes from body to body, and will remain for ever on the earth. The spirits of the gods are in their shrines, for them." I

This

and Odum'la speaks

think the Ornf claims to be Odum'la himself. is

a matter of dogma, and 55

I

express no opinion.

NOTES ODtfWA.

III.

There in Parts

II

I,

Araba

War

to

is little

&

me

told

add

to the story of

Oduwa

told

III.

another version of the end of the

Gods Orisha and Oduwa agreed to stop the fighting on condition that each should have a man Fourteen months was for sacrifice every seven months. of the

:

then regarded as a year. "

Another story Araba told me was The Moon is a round crystal stone, which is with Oduwa. They :

take it in front when they go to sacrifice to Oduwa otherwise the god would injure the man who offers the Odiiwa is said to have taken the stone from sacrifice." a Moslem, and to have been in the habit of looking at

it.

When

I

went

to Odiiwa's shrine, there

of doors to

knocking I did not see the stone.

IV.

of

was a great

my

arrival.

ORISHA AND THE CREATION OF MAN.

The legend

He

warn the god

of Orisha's creation of

Man

is

mysterious.

have thrown images into wombs. I I can was once told he put signs into women's hands. is

said

to

only account for this story by the suggestion that it may date from a period when men had not discovered the connection between sexual intercourse and the birth of children. 56

MYTHS OF IFE As "

said

he

is

to spirit life before birth, the priest of Aramfe child may have been with the spirits, but when

A

born he forgets

The

sacrifice

all

offered

about to

it."

Orisha consists of eight

goats, eight fishes, eight rats Orisha was a god of great

and eight

kola-nuts.

knowledge (apart from the contents of the bag which was stolen from him), and taught his son, Oluorogbo who, according to tradition,

the ancestor of the white races.

is

The Orni

attributes ascendancy of Europeans to

the up-bringing of Oluordgbo. Our ancestor has need of eggs, fowls, sheep, kola

and

snails.

OBALUFON.

V.

Little is told of Obalufon, the

He was a man

husband

of Morimi.

Heaven by Aramfe, and was a weaver and a worker in brass. He also showed sent from

how

to tap the palms for palm-wine. " he took care of everybody as Apart from that, a mother of a child, and used to go round the town

the people

to drive out sickness

and

evil spirits."

His image represents him as a king.

VI.

MORIMI.

Morimi

The

is the great heroine of the ffe legends. story of her sacrifice which I have adopted is

Araba's version. 57

NOTES went

I

who showed me

also to Mdrimi's priest,

of painted

image

wood and no

artistic

merit

her

repre-

senting a naked negress. His story was much the same as Araba's ; but, in his version, Mdrimi sacrificed her only son, Ye"su, for the whole world and not to any god. It would appear that some early had recognised the Virgin Mary

Christian missionary

in Mdrimi but be doubted whether the missionary had heard Mdrimi's visit to tfbo (See Note VII). ;

may

VII.

The

tiBO

AND THE EDI

story of the

Ubo Wars

is

it

of

FESTIVAL. that some colonists

found a new town which they called but as the T)bo gods had given them nothing, they invaded ffe. On the first occasion they were driven back but the next year they came dressed in grass, terrified the people of ife and took the men as slaves. (And hi those parts of Africa dead kings and gods in

went from

Ife to

;

;

need of

sacrifice are believed to prefer slaves

to free

men).

Then Mdrimi consulted

f fa,

and was

told to sacrifice

shu, and go as a harlot to T^bo. Her mission was successful, and she returned with the necessary information only to find the gods had transformed to rivers, stones, etc. (It seems that Ogun did not transform, as he was aftersix goats

and

six bags of cowries to

wards displaced by his son, Oranyan). Acting on Mdrimi's advice, Oranyan tJbo soldiers on their next inroad. 68

set fire to the

MYTHS OF fFE The end festival of

in

1913).

mn

have to with

fire.

On

the

remain

of tfbo

is

commemorated by

di

(the

Mdrimi, which began on the 21st November Men dressed in hay parade the town, but for their lives

Fire first

in the

is

when

others pursue

them

also taken out to the Bush.

day

the Orni appears, but must (Palace) for the remaining seven.

of

Ann

di,

this period the women do honour to Mdrimi's share in the victory by emulating her deed, and their husbands are not allowed to interfere.

During

The meaning

may have been

of the legend is doubtful. There such a town as tJbo, but it seems likely

that the Festival

is

connected with agriculture.

tJbo (or tgbo) means the Bush, and M6rimi may have advised the customary burning of the Bush to

prepare the land for crops. (early in the dry season), the hay,

all

suggest

this

The date of the Festival and the men dressed in

fire

interpretation.

On

the

other

hand, the same arguments, combined with the seclusion of the Orni and the license of the women, would favour the view that Fldi was the more general Festival of the Saturnalia. Possibly it was so originally ; and

demons

to be driven out appeared so material form of tropical vegetation that tJbo (the Bush to be burned) has obscured the former meaning of the If this be so, Mdrimi's mission to l)bo may Festival.

the

in the

be a later fable to account for the license of the before farming operations begin.

women

NOTES VIII.

Oshun was a woman

OSHUN. (or goddess)

with both Odiiwa and Orisha.

"

It

in high favour

were well were

Oshun with us," said Odiiwa, and Orisha agreed Accordingly she took her place on Oduwa's left, Orisha that is to say Oshiin was considered being on his right ;

the third personage in

fie.

The second chief in ffe, the Obalufe, claims descent from Oshun for himself and half the people of his quarter of the town. He has a well in his compound, called Oshun, which is said to be the actual water into which Oshun transformed herself. He says his first forefather took a calabash of the water with him when he went to war, and this gallon became the source of the River. The source is forty miles from Ife, and perhaps the Obalufe is right. The well is never dry and it is needless to add that the water has many curative properties. One would be surprised if a descendant of Oshun died, except from other causes. ;

" "

all

of the Oshun Festival," says Obalufe, her tribe collect sheep, goats, yams, agidi, palm-

At the tune

wine, kola, rats, fish and pigeons, and bring them to for the feast. Oshun gets the blood of goats, sheep

me

and pigeons, the head of a rat but not of a fish. eat the fish although they are the children of Oshun consequently our brothers." laced than her descendants. 60

Oshun

is

more

We and

strait-

MYTHS OF IFE IX.

OLOKUN,

There is a pond in ffe called Okun (the Ocean), where Oldkun transformed to water. Thence she flowed underground, and came out in the sea.

Her priest showed me a bronze head of Oldkun, which has considerable merit. He told me that, in return for sacrifice, Oldkun gives beads. In Benin, Oldkun is considered to be the Goddess of Wealth as and a King of Benin, who must well as of the Sea have been alive about 1400 A.D., is said to have found the treasures of Oldkun laid out on the shore and to have looted her coral. ;

X.

OGUN AND ORANYAN

Ogun was the son of Oduwa, and God of Iron and of War.

is

usually regarded

as the

According to his chief-priest (the Oshdgun), he went away to war and captured a woman called Deshdju, whom he made his wife. When Ogun returned to There is thereffe, Oduwa took Deshdju from his son. fore some doubt as to whether Ogun was the father of Ordnyan who was born with a leg, an arm and half

body black, the remainder being white (according to the Oshdgun). his

Ogun may have had other attributes. He may have been a Phallic Deity, because there are hewn stones in ffe, called the staves of Ogun, which appear 61

NOTES to be of Phallic origin.

It is also

noteworthy that, said to kill any find in her mother's house.

at the time of his Festival,

Ogun

is

girl he may happened once to Araba the prospective son-inlaw could not produce 5, and Araba, who gives no

marriageable (This

;

credit, lost

a potential

of his daughter).

the severed skin

pound note in the shape when a child is circumcised

five

Further,

"

to put in a calabash of Ogun him the that with a snail in order worship (together

wound may

is

heal)."

Ogun may

also

have been the Sun-God

the Sun-God). His festival is shipper called Oldj j or (Lord of Day). Oshdgun says of

(or

a wor-

commonly Ogun was

Araba says Oldjjor was someone else, the Oldjjor confusion being due to the circumstance that the two festivals take place at the same time. In this connec;

tion, the half-and-half colouring of

to

Ordnyan is suggestive.

The dog is the principal animal used for sacrifice Ogun. Ordnyan prefers a ram, a rat, kola and

much

palm-wine.

Eventually, Ordnyan displaced his father, who planted his staves in Ife and went away. I have presumed the death of Osdnyi, as I cannot otherwise " " instead of went away explain the fact that Ogun

In his transforming as the other gods had done. " went away he had too much medicine turn, Ordnyan :

to die." 62

MYTHS OF

f

F E

THE CULT OF PEREGUN

XI.

'GBO.

,

Peregun 'Gbo (or Peregun Igbo) seems to have been a god who caused the forest to bring forth birds and He was a son of God, and came to earth with beasts.

Ebbor (worship) and fidi, a god who causes men do what they know to be wrong. It

is

evident

from

the

incantation

to

below that

Peregun 'Gbo was originally approached by people in need of children, but nowadays the same formula is recited by the priest whatever a man may be asking for. The priest tells the man to bring a sheep, kola, also a live goat palm-oil, a pigeon, a cock, and a hen ;

for the priest.

The priest kills the sheep, pigeon, cock and hen. The three birds and a part of the sheep are placed in separate broken pots with palm-oil. The man is then told to produce nine

pennyworth

of kowries,

which

The priest takes the balance are also put in the pots. of the mutton in addition to the live goat.

The

priest then faces the pots, puts

and

into his mouth, 1.

Igbo Idbi iror

The 2.

3.

forest bore the sloth.

tror Idbi dgubor The sloth bore the

dgubor

Idbi

pepper (atare)

recites the incantation

monkey,

dhan-ndmajd

The monkey bore the 63

leopard.

:

NOTES 4.

5.

Ahan-ndmajd Idbi erelu-agdma The leopard bore the guinea-fowl. relu-agdma. Idbi ekusd

The guinea-fowl bore the hawk. 6.

kusd

Idbi dju-gbona

The hawk bore the evil

spirit

who guards Heaven's

gate. 7.

6ju-gbona

The

Idbi dfi ikere-tikere

evil

spirit

ehin eku.

bore the generative organs of

men and women. 8.

Peregun 'Gbo ni abobd Imdle. Untranslated. Imale is Peregun 'Gbo's messenger and is sent to do what the man asks.

9.

Oriydmi la-popo

Good 10.

luck

ami Idpe The father

se

11. Atorladdrla

is

human.

okute aba of a lucky child

is

Igbadd lordifa fun

lucky.

Orunmila

nigbati

nwon

ft ojor iku re ddla. Atorladorla Igbada approached Ifa on behalf

Orunmila when they had fixed his for the morrow. (Atorladdrla Igbadd is a good spirit who keeps on postponing an evil deed contemplated by of

death

someone.) 64

MYTHS OF

I

F E

Orunmila ni kdtikun tikun kdtikere tikert. Orunmila says menstruation will cease," and

12.

pregnancy

will begin.

Orunmila ni on ko yunle orun. Orunmila says that he (the child) Heaven (i.e. will be born

13.

When man The

will

not go to

alive).

the priest has finished the recitation, the

takes the pots to the shrine of fishu (the Devil). first ten sentences are in praise of Peregun 'Gbo, ordered Atorladdrla Igbada to go to ffa, and is

who now asked to send Imale to Orunmila with the applicant's (The incantation is apparently in some form request. of archaic Yoruba, and the Babalawo had to explain

much

of it to the interpreter. tions are probably very loose).

XII.

THE DIVINATION OF

If a

by

the

Some

of the transla-

IFA (A FRAGMENT)

was the Messenger of the Gods, and Yoruba on all subjects.

is

consulted

His priests (called Babalawo) profit considerably by divination, which they perform with sand on a circular board, or with a charm called Okpelle. Okpelle consists of eight pieces of bark on a string.

These eight are arranged in

Each the

fours.

of the pieces of bark may _fall either with or the inside showing. Consequently

outside

65

-3$ ")

NOTES each set of four

having

The

sixteen

6gb6

1.

2.

Oye'ku

3.

Iwdri.

all

di.

5.

Obara.

6.

Okdnran. Rdshun. Ow6rin.

8.

9.

in sixteen

fall

different

ways

:

face

all

4.

7.

may

names and meanings. names are

different

down

face

up

10.

gutan. Ossa.

11.

Ere"tte.

12.

Etiirah.

13.

14.

Oldgbon. kka.

15'

Oshe.

16.

Offun or Ordngun.

inside showing. outside showing.

When Okpelle is thrown on the ground and the two fours are identical the resultant is called :

Ogbe Meji (i.e. Oyeku Meji I

won

Two

Egutan Meji

Ogbes)

Ossa Meji Ere"tte Meji

Meji

Eturah Meji Ologbon Meji

di Meji

Obara Meji Okdnran Meji Roshun Meji Aworin Meji

Ekka Meji Oshe

Meji, or

Offun Meji

These are called the Sixteen Messengers of 66

f fa.

MYTHS OF The chance, however,

f

of the four

F E

on the Babalawo's

agreeing with that on his right is only one in sixteen. The other fifteen combinations which may appear with left

Ogbe on the right are called Ogbe Yeku, Ogbe Wori, Ogbe Di, &c., similarly with the other Messengers of :

These combinations are called the children of

ffa.

the Messenger who appears on the right. Yeku is a child of Ogbe Oyeku Logbe ;

Thus, Ogbe a child of

is

Oyeku.

From

this it will

be seen that Okpelte can show

256 combinations. Procedure.

A man

comes to a Babalawo to consult

He

places a gift of cowries (to which he has whispered his needs) before the Babalawo. The latter ffa.

takes Okpelle and places it on the cowries. He then " You, Okpelle, know what this man said to the

says

:

cowries.

lays

it

Now

me."

tell

out on the

floor.

Then he

From

lifts Okpelle and the messenger or child

which appears the Babalawo is supposed to deduce that his client wants a son, has stolen a goat, or has a toothache, as the case as a

what he must bring

may

He

be.

then

tells

him

sacrifice to achieve his ends.

cases the sacrifice (or a large part of it) is offered (the devil) for fear that he might undo the good

In

all

to

Eshu

For instance, the client is poor and needs money and the Babalawo tells his client to a a fowl, and some cowries and palm-oil. dog, bring The man splits the dog and the fowl puts palm-oil and work.

:

di Meji appears,

;

67

NOTES cowries inside them, and takes them to The shu. Babalawo presumably takes the bulk of the cowries for himself.

The appearance of Ogbe Meji promises long but a goat must be brought. If

a

man

life,

has no children and Oyeku Meji appears,

he must bring a ram and a goat. Iwdri Meji demands eggs, a pigeon,

and cowries

from a sick man.

As above.

fidi Meji.

Obara

A

Meji.

250 cowries

is

Okanran

sacrifice of

2 cocks, 2 hens, and

needed to purify after menstruation.

A

Meji.

goat and 500 cowries bring on

menstruation.

Rdshun

Meji.

A

she-goat and 2 hens to cure a

4

cocks and 800 cowries to bring

headache.

Aworin

Meji.

about the death of one's enemy.

A ram bad bellyache.

figutan Meji. to cure a

Ossa Meji.

away

(large)

and

1,200

cowries

Butcher's meat and 4 pigeons to drive

witchcraft.

Erette Meji. to get children.

Eturah Meji.

2 pigeons, 2 cocks, and 600 cowries

One

large gown,

cowries to cure eye disease. 68

a sheep, and 300

MYTHS OF 1FE Oldgbon Mji. Sacrifice 4 snails and 4 pigeons you suspect someone wishes to poison you.

Ekka

4 hens,

Me*ji.

oil,

and 700 cowries

if

for earache.

Offun Mdji. If children keep on dying, sacrifice 16 snails, 16 rats, 16 fishes, and 1,600 cowries, and the following children will live. Osse

8 snails,

Me"ji.

8 pigeons,

and 800 cowries

for children.

Ogbe Yeku.

(a)

If

a

man

has no money, he must

bring 4 pigeons, 2 shillings, and soap. The Babaldwo mixes leaves (ewe-ire) with the soap as a charm, and the man must use it for a bath. (b) If

5s. 6d.

a man is very ill, he must He will then be better.

Ogbe Won. (a) If a man is and a sheep. Otherwise he will (b)

If

a

man

offer

sick,

3 he-goats and

he must offer

8s.

die.

needs money, he must bring thread and

6 pigeons and buy soap. The Babaldwo gets ewe aji and puts them on the soap with the pigeon's blood. The thread is put inside the soap. The man then washes. (c)

If

7 cocks

a

man

and

has committed a crime, he must bring The Babaldwo kills the cocks, and

35s.

He takes the sand of Ogbe board and puts some on each cock's Five of the cocks are then breast, with 260 cowries. takes the 35s. for himself.

Wori from the

ffa

69

NOTES given to fishu and the other 2 are taken to a place Then either a necessary where three roads meet. witness will not appear in court or the accused will be found not guilty. If

(d)

two men want the same woman, and Ogbe

Won

appears (when one of them consults ffa), the Babalawo asks for 4 hens and a he-goat. The woman

then becomes the client's wife, fishu gets the hens and the goat's blood the Babaldwo, the goat. ;

A CURE FOR SUDDEN AND SERIOUS

XIII.

ILLNESSES. The recites

priest puts

pepper

(atdre) into his

mouth and

:

AWejd !

Akelejd!

A spirit who grips a man by the throat and makes breathing quick and uneasy.

Akilewdssa

A

!

spirit

Aktitobdrun

who

!

Spirits

which trouble sick persons.

Amtiror/dshorgtrrt Spirits

I

now

One who Ojoboldro

causes eye-disease.

called Anjanu,

who

cause delirium.

causes bad bellyache.

I

Spirits..

who

cause severe headaches.

MYTHS OF

I

F E

'

Abiytte-ashdrmunydnyan " One who has a very sharp edge to his doth," and causes backache. Asd-nUtt-tnofdrapd I Imps seen at night in white cloths. Ele"re.

They

Ol6mo-dro, niyeye tshuku "

Oldmo-dro, who does no

Now

called

children.

afflict

!

mother of evils." She invoked because her

art the

harm but

is

children, already named, will listen prayed in their mother's name.

when

Ardnposht freke!

The husband

of 01(5mo-aro

evil spirits.

man

dies.

If

He

he is

and the father of the

is

not invoked the sick

also called

upon

to stop

his sons' mischief.

tshuku den linyimi! "

Evil, leave

my

back

" !

When

this

has been

spoken, the spirits leave the sick man.

Bi

bura Nla ba de Hi 6mi, afieyinda. " If the Great Evil comes to the river's bank, he will turn back." fibura Nla

is

the master of

all

the

evils.

If called

by spirits, he comes to the further bank of the river Are*nkenken, which is described as the " water of Heaven ". If he crosses to the near side, the sick the other

man

dies.

NOTES.

.

,

After finishing the incantation, the preist takes some pepper from his tongue and puts in on the

of the

The patient recovers, and take nourishment at once.

patient's head.

Yoruba

(The

of

this

is

came

able to

archaic. The and the Babaliwo

probably

interpreter did not understand had to explain).

"

is

it,

XIV. AjfjA (THE DUST-DEVIL). Ajija was a doctor who lived with Aramfe, and They made various

to earth with another doctor.

medicines

one to

kill

a

He pronounced certain He could also kill' with

man when words,

asked to do so. and the man died.

He

his walking-stick.

lives

on Oke Aramfe (6ke Ora), and can only be approached through Aramfe (the father of the gods), because he is a bad man. He is worshipped near Aramfe's shrine. "

When he wishes to make trouble, he comes through He sometimes sets fire to a house by picking

the town. the

fire

"

up and putting

it

on the thatch.

When a man meets

Ajija, he should protect himself " in his mouth and saying Ahanby putting pepper " " of ki Shaomi fru re (names rlyen, Fagada Ajija), " The man tail in should then b