11/07/2023
History never dies
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ก๐ฟ๐ถ ๐ข๐ธ๐ผ๐ป๐ธ๐๐ผ, ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฟ๐ถ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ (๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐)
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐ โ๐๐ค โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐ ๐ธ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐. ๐ป๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ก๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก โ๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐, ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ก, ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ . ๐ท๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐ โ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ .
"Each time the message came back from dibia afa that it was the mmo of the Eze Ndri who was calling me to take up the post. At length, I consented to take up the post, and I made sacrifices at the iru mmuo here, at the foot of this large Iroko tree.
I then made initial sacrifices to all the Alusi in Oraeri town. The great omen, at last, arrived that really convinced me that the mmo was calling me. The walls of my compound fell down for no apparent cause, in the dry season.
Both my parents were dead before I took up the post, for no mother or father may see their son as an eze Ndri. I was told by my people that I would have to sacrifice on behalf of the town twenty cows before they could recognize me as being selected by the gods to be their head and owner.
The first step in the ceremony is to drag a large Iroko log into the eze ama, or royal courtyard, and place it before this growing Iroko tree, where the iru mmo is situated. On this log, after having washed my body in my house, I stand to make sacrifices before I am led away by the Adama people into the thicket of bush on the right of this Eze ama.
In this thicket, I am stripped naked and whitened all over with white clay. The Adama do all this to me, for of the Adama it is said, "fa nafu eze Ndi nri oto" (the Adama see the nakedness of the eze Ndi nri.) My four new ofo sticks, which have been consecrated by having eight chickens sacrificed over them, are also whitened then with white clay. A white cloth called ajaghadi is tied about my loins, while four Omu are tied around my neck and another four around my waist. A special cap, native-made, and called Okpu Ogodo with eight Ugo feathers in it, is placed on my head by an Adama man.
The next step is for the Adama men to lift me up, gently placed me on my stool, and took me off again. This process is repeated four times. As they do this, they declare that all defilements and abominations are thereby removed and that if hereafter I ever fall to the ground no nso (pollution) occurs. I am no longer like other people. No one is allowed to touch me, except the Adama and small children, i.e., those who are not yet of adult age and so are not capable of polluting by their touch. I may not eat in public but alone and in silence.
After this, I now start off on my circumambulation to the Niger (Osi Mili) accompanied by many of my people.
I visited the town of Enugu Adazi and at the Ndichie of Enugu Adazi, a goat was sacrificed. From there I proceeded to Nnokwa where a she-goat is sacrificed to the Alusi, Eke Nnokwa.
From Nnokwa I went to Nnobi where a number of sacrifices were made. A goat and a fowl were sacrificed to the Ndichie in Nobi. Then a sacrifice is made before the Ndichie of Emu Ona Nnobi which is the name of an Umunna in Nnobi. The last sacrifice, a goat, in Nobi is to the Alusi called Idem Mmili, i.e., the large water. This water is a river that flows into the Osi Mili.
In Nobi I received instructions and directions for the next stage on my journey. From Nobi I and my followers pass to Agbaja where a goat and a hen are sacrificed before the Ndichie of Newichi's Umunna. While in Agbaja I go to the Umunna of Abolo. There the Isi nze produced an object, which looks like a bar of Iron, the length of a man's arm. It is, however, so old and covered with grime that it is not possible to say what the metal is. The Isi Nze stated that this bar of iron was handed to him by the first Eze Ndi Nri. It is presently covered with a Cloth and is never allowed to rest on the ground. It was placed on a piece of wood while a she-goat, a c**k, and a chicken were sacrificed over it.
From Agbaja I proceeded to the town of Ojoto. In that town, a sacrifice was made to the Ndi Ichie but I cannot remember its name. From Ojoto I passed to the town of Oba. There I handed over a goat and a c**k to sacrifice to the Ndi Ichie in the square. In that same place is the Alusi called Udo Oba, and to it, I gave sacrifice a she-goat and a c**k.
That night I stayed in the town of Oba and the next day I proceeded to the town of Obosi, to the house of the Igwe (i.e., to the Obu of the eze of Obosi.) He provided night and morning, three pots of palm wine for all my retainers who stayed there. In Obosi I made a sacrifice of a she-goat, a ram, a sheep, and a number of fowls to the Ndi Ichie of the Igwe.
From the Igwe of Obosi, I went to the Eze of Onitsha on the Osi Mili. I entered his place with two kids. One of these kids the eze kept and the other was sacrificed. A third kid was sacrificed to the Alusi called Ogugu. Fowls were sacrificed to Ojukwu Onitsha and to Ana Onitsha and to three other Alusi whose names I have forgotten.
After a long delay, the Eze Onitsha appointed a man to guide me to the Osi Mili. A huge crowd had gathered to see a new Eze Ndi Nri Oraeri come to the Osi Mili to pray. I gave the Osi Mili the following seven things.
1. My cap is decked with eight white Ugo feathers.
2. My stool.
3. My white loin-cloth
4. my wooden bowl (Okwa), containing white clay (Nzu)
5. A white fowl
6. The Omu tied onto me by the Adama.
7. My cotton cord anklets.
The Osi Mili sent back to the shore the seven things given to it. This happened four times. At the fourth time, I had to say to the Osi Mili that this was not the first Eze Ndi Nri to offer these seven things to the Osi Mili. Thereupon the river accepted them and opened its waters. The Adama then took me to the water's edge, stripped me naked, and washed me in the river. The Adama also washed my ofo sticks. If the Osi Mili does not open its waters it means it does not accept me as Eze Ndri. Such a thing has never been known to happen.
I afterward left Onitsha on my return journey to Oraeri......
๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐: ๐ธ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ 1930๐
๐๐๐ข๐๐๐: "๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐" (1934) ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ท๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐
