ORIKI IGBORI

From Egungun Among the Oyo Yoruba

By S. O. Babayemi

Onigori son of Kulodo
The son of Kulodo Awubi
The son of Kulodo Awusi Eyo
The son of the man nicknamed
"There is a spirit of the dead” at the brook who came from Igbori
Who says that Onigbori has no brook?
That they drink water from the water of death?
Who is the owner of Aasa river?
Who owns Ekoro river?
Who owns Dobode the river of Ipakun?
Who owns the ever clear water of the brook of the Queens?
Dobode brook is now only a few inches deep.
See how the ever clean brook almost turns the Queen  naked.
Dwellers of Igori the children of Kulodo Awubi.
Citizens of Igbori, the Childrenn of Kulodo Awusi Eyo.
People say that the people of Igbori have no elders.
They have no seniority in age grades.
All of them are called "fathers”.
They are called “fathers”  yet they are not aged.
I greet you the way people are greeted at Apinni.
Natives of Igbori have places to live in.
Dwellers of Igbori have places to travel to.
It is the agitated in mind who dances to egungun music.
I am associated with members of egungun cult.
I am I am a member of both egungun and opa cults.
The son of those who carried a corpse to the market for sale but which nobody bought.
The corpse which was taken to the market which nobody bought.
The corpse was carried back home.
It began to dissolve gradually.
Until it was reduced to the size of a needle.
The remains is now at the shrine of Orisa Akire.
It is the remnant that the children of Molufon Ade worship as their deity.
There is an Akee apple tree in front of the compound at Ijan.
There is a huge white star apple at Iwoye.
A very huge kirpoc tree in Soungbe market.
Under the locust bean tree was the market.
Soungbe was their home.
We danced to the beating of drums and clapping of hands.
Soungbe was becoming a home.
We danced to the sound of the drum and sang the choruses.
We danced to the sound of Koso drums, and the smitting of the cymbals.
We danced to Abente beat, the most recognized of drums.
Amongst the taboo in Igbori.
Three are the most important.
The children of Ogogo do not carry indigo plant.
Spinsters in Igbori do not follow their husbands beyond a river.
People do not play snail shell in Ibori mako homes.
They are the children of Olupejobi, the consultant of Osanyin (deity of medicine).
That is my father’s home.
That is where the head hunter was born.
Ilori Ogunbode who has the appearance of a smoke in the battle.
The blacksmith’s dog cannot devour a chipped iron.
One who kills a hoopo and does not share it with his neighbors (to the right).
He hears of a fight brooding urgently runds to where he keeps his charms.
Sogbaunmu’s father, who sells civet cats without skinning them.
They are the dead whose spirits incarnate in Igbori mako.
I leave the child in bed to fetch leaves in the bush.
In the town of Onilefun where one is proud to be a fool.
They are fond of eating bean bread cooked with palm oil.
The bean bread has no legs.
No bean bread has a liver in Agure.
Saba Ogogo, what can we cut with a knife in bean bread?
The bean bread packed up and went to Apinni.
The same kind of bean read packed up and went to Agure.
The masqued egungun packed up and went to Igbori.
There we took sixty-one cold pap (eko) wrapped in leaves.
To the grove of Moriwo (cult members).
We ate twenty bare.
We crumbled thirty in water and drank it.
The remaining eleven are the objects of worship for the cult members.
Making fire in egungun grove is forbidden – that is the nickname for all cult members.
The dead Igbori, my house cannot accommodate two hundred people.
Neither can my piazza can accommodate that many.
Where then can I keep eight hundred egungun?
I attend the cult meetings of both egungun and opa.
I struck Atori whip on the ground with a loud sound.
I am the offspring of the owner of the sixteen atori whips.
Tied together that is called Agan.
In the grove of cult members.
With one Atori whip I invite two hundred egungun.
Two hundred egungun come out; the whips are not sufficient for all.
People cry, ‘Let the Agan be lifted up’.
The tail of Agan must not touch the ground in the grove.
The tail of Agan is just getting low to touch the ground.
When the people begin to flog me with whips,
They showered the whips on me.
If two hundred uninitiated tie me with rope, I dare not cry.
But if a young Ato ties me with rope.
I will cry bitterly and painfully.
I will cry bitterly that I saw Agan.
Twin Ogogo, little Ato who is a sharp and rapid speaker.
I dare not mention a rope in Agure.
I have not committed an offence for which one could bind me.
Ogogo, do not tie my arms with rope.
I prefer the fore leg of a goat to a rope.
Who could be the last in the egungun grove?
On the day the current was sweeping Ato away.
Sweeping Ato away like the calabash placed on a current.
At the market slope at Agure?
Ato screamed pleadingly, you slender akee apple tree on this river bank, deliver me.
The current is sweeping Ato away.
The akee apple said, care not for her.
Let the current rush Ato away.
The tree alleged all the days Ato had been eating bean bread.
Ato did not share with anyone.
When Ato was eating the same type of food, she did not ask anyone to partake of it.
The current continued to sweep Ato away more rapidly.
Like a calabash on a current.
At the market slope of Agure.
Ato exclaimed pleadingly; please rescue me, you tender indigo shrub.
For the current is sweeping Ato away.
The indigo plant stretched its tendril forward and Ato clung to the tendril.
That is why Ato is called Ofori which the indigo plant saved.
The little Ato with a tongue as sharp as razor.
If two hundred uninitiated bind me I will never moan.
If a tiny Ato binds me, I will cry loud and roar.
Ato Ofori, daughter of Kulodo Awusi Eyo.
Ogogo the daughter of one who died but did not stay in heave.
If I die in the morning.
I will become egungun in the evening.
Ogogo, I greet you as descendant of Mako Apinni.
Igbori is the market place, Soungbe is the home town.
When the locust bean dry pods start to beat one another.
It is at the time the sheabutter nuts dealer makes profitable sales.
Shee butter nut dealers make profit but kola nut sellers grumble.
Tell kolanut seller to stop grumbling.
Let the she-butter nut sellers count her money.
In the city of Igbori Mako.
There are three types of trees whose tops resemble the crown.
The Brown Kapoc flowers resemble the crown.
But it is not recognized as the crown.
The flowers of the tulip tree resemble the crown.
But it is not recognized as the crown.
Ologun sere’s flowers (A kind of torn tulip tree)) resemble a crimson crown.
But cannot usurp the office of the crown.
One can contest for all tiles in Agure.
But who dares contest for death today, Igbori tomorrow?
In the town of Igbori Mako where the egungun are well dressed.
There are three principle egungun at Apinni.
One wears a crown of cowries.
One wears a beaded gown.
One wears a crimson gown.
They paraded to the King’s market to dance.
They began to sing.
Oh citizens of Igori Mako.
Owners of beautiful egungun.
They also sang seven occult songs.
Saying Alagbaaa.
Alagbanlagba.
When you knew,
Why did you commit the act?
Let it resound well and clear.
Yes, let us chant the chorus.
Two thousand cowries in not enough to pay for escaping death.
Oni’gbori two thousand cowries debt worries a lazy person.
There are three principal sides from where a achild can be born.
It is in sets of six lines abaja marks are arraged.
It is into three families I will trace your lineage in the house of Kulodo Awubi.
He who recites Oriki of Igbori Mako.
And exludes Nupe.
Is a bush and ignoran man.
Tapa, the dead elephant fought in Ego.
The dead elephant occupied an extensive area in the forest.
The living elephant struggles and occupies the savanna path way.
If the little ofo Aiku (one who escapes the pang of death) fights.
He then goes to Igbori homestead.
They are the citizens of Ibaru the son of Dapannu.
Excessive application of a spur to a horse’s flank makes it to become aggressive.
A dead Nupe is not fit to be called one’s relative.
A living Nupe is fit to be called one’s next of kin.
All these animals are not fit to be installed Agan Chief.
In the city of Ibaru son of Dapanu,
It is the monkey only which is fit to be installed Agan Chief.
They are obi, I harvested my guinea corn.
I must not gather it.
I planted groundnuts.
I mustn’t step there.
Obi, I conceal myself at the edge of the bush.
Olurore, I stare at the farmer.
Olugbee Agan, if he dies,
I will of course carry away the slain.
They are fragile animals on the tree.
Where again we trace the Nupe to Empe.
Native of Ogodo.
The legs of an elephants are like mortars.
But pounds the yam with its mouth.
The Nupe of Empe are the inhabitants of Alo forest.
Native of Tapa of Upper Niger, citizen of Ibaru and lineage of Dapanu.
It was the foremost Obi to whom I claim my relationship.
I do not claim to be related to the latter generation.
When the Obi of the foremost generations saw me on the other side of the river.
He at once halted his horse to greet me.
When the latter generation of Obi saw me on the bank of the river,
They used to goad their horses in the most grim manner.
The horse would then be kicking as the dragon scorpion.
Obi captures me.
Do not let your spear grip me.
Your javelin must not touch human blood.
Your spear must not touch the blood of man.
Native of Segee of corn fields.
Native of Upper Niger inhabitant of Subambe.
Only a person who lacks wisdom would recite the Oriki of Igbori.
Without including Soungbe Asamu.
Of Obidira family.
As he is active, alive.
He is stone dead.
Each individual packs his load at Agure.
The son of the dead, help to put my load on, and  help me to put it down again.
Help put the load on me that we can walk together.
The burial of Agan in not an easy job.
Mourning in Ego is equally not easy.
He who will mourn.
Get me some cotton wool.
The son of Osopetun, find me a honey comb.
Cotton is plentiful but honey comb is scarce.
We understand cotton wool is available.
We understand honey comb is available.
But the Nupe corpse is buried erect.
But who will help to dig the vertical grave?
The Nupe who uses a cudget to fight.
And struck the rear end of a spear to the ground and spoke an unknown language.
He who recites oriki Igori.
But fails to recite Oloponda.
He is only ignorant.
Oloponda, the son of a powerful beast.
The robust beast, son of Atiba.
Oloponda, offspring of Agan beast.
The tail of Agan never touches the ground in the grove.
I, the monkey, lean against the locust bean tree.
I stare at the farmer like a dazzling light.
Alapinni has only one caldrm (water pot).
And the caldrum is made of brass.
Iyamose who dounded Igbori town,
She was barren.
Amusan Ogogo peeped at Aasa river.
Iyamose has grown old,
And she is aged.
She has grey hairs.
And she wept regretfully for she has no issue.
She saw the chickens following the mother hen and she burst into tears.
She was mourning because she had no child to carry at her back.
Instead of rubbing a baby with wet camwood powder she rubbed a dry wall.
She was mourning over herself though alive.
Amusan who peeped out of Aasa river.
They swore in the name of Opa.
And said, Iya Mose,
You will conceive.
And you would have a child whom you would carry on your back.
And you will give birth to the child yourself.
Consequently Iya Mose gave birth to Egun Amunmi.
Native of Oponda, he leaps and gallops.
He sat down at the foot of the palm tree, son of mystery man.
Palm kernel is picked one at a time.
Whoever picks two commits fraud.
Help me to lift my load and help me to put it down again.
Help me to lift my load to the head that we may go together to Mosa.
You Ogogo, the dead of Igbori,
When women are absent from home.
Let the egungun reply with cult utterances.
When disputers dispute in Ego.
There they spoil the child for his parents.
It has a reason; it is not without an explanation.
That they spoil the child for his parents.
There, when egungun of Igbori came out.
And commanded the pregnant woman of Igbori to come out into the open.
He vowed in the name of Opa that the woman will give birth to a male child.
The woman cult member in Igbori (Egungun Priestess) came out.
She vowed in the name of Opa that she will definitely give birth to a female child.
That the mother of Agan (Egungun priestess) may have some one to fetch her water.
And the pregnant woman delivered of a child.
The front appearance was a male.
But the back that of a woman.
And thus the child was spoilt to the grief of the mother.
In the home of Saba Ogogo,
It is death that makes one’s opponent have victory over one.