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177 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett 14. Then comes the month of rest again, which of course might be called the fourteenth month, or IWINA, which gives us the idea of (spreading and travail or) birth, and may be said to be the end of the double figure months. Thus the meaning of the names of the Bini months correspond to some extent to those of the Bavili months. I cannot however show that then any genetic connection was asserted of the month and seasons of the former. But if up to the present nothing of the sort has been found, it by no means follows that more extensive research will not bring it to light. I append a table of the Bini months, seasons, and divisions of the year. I now give a few notes on other points of Bini belief and custom. THE SACRED RIVERS OF BENIN CITY WHICH HAVE SACRED GROVES OR ARO (THUS, OVIA RIVER, SACRED GROVE AROVIA). OYISA is a river rising to the north of Benin City, near IBEKWE. This word is the general term used for God, and is pronounced ORISHA by the Yoruba people. In the lower reaches its name changes to OKWO. OKWO is noted for its natural bridge which crosses it on the road from IGWIKO to EMMA at a place called OKOKWO. While ARUWANA, a son of the King of Benin City, followed by his dog, was crossing this river, his dog fell into the rushing torrent and was lost. He was much grieved, and joined stick to stick until in two hours he touched the bottom, but could not find his dog, so they say he ordered this stone bridge to be built. OVIA. Ovia is said to have been one of the wives of AWLAWYO, the Alafin of AWYAW. A wife who was jealous of her put a rat and some water into her cloth, and then went and told the Alafin that OVIA had made water in her cloth. AWLAWYO was very cross with her, so she cried and ran away. And when AWLAWYO made inquiries, and found out that he had been deceived, he killed the jealous wife, and asked OVIA to come back to him, but she refused. Then he sent OKWO to bring her back, but she refused to go back, and OKWO feared to return without her, so they both became river spirits in the Benin country. The sign of the OVIA is the dress made of strips of palm leaves. www.globalgrey.co.uk
178 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett ATO. The river ATO runs into the OVIA, and ATO is a medicine to join broken bones together. Then the OVIA runs into the OLUKUN. There is a grove for the children of OVIA called IRIRI. AWRE83 or IKPOBA is the King's river (and the meaning of the word AWRE is royal self). At its source, which is near to the source of the OYISA, this river is called the ERUBI (i.e., one who bears, applied to animals), and she is said to have had a son called ISE (challenge), who would persist in living with the King. The King finally sent him away to a village on the IFON road called Utekon. Then ISE declared war on the King, and the King went to UTEKON to fight. ERUBI killed 200 men with poisoned FUFU, and ISE killed the rest of the King's followers. The King saved himself by hiding in a kola tree, from whence he howled for help. Then OLUMORIA and others came to the King's rescue, and they killed ISE. Now, OLUMORIA boasted of this deed, so that the King became very angry and drew his MUSU (sword) and tried to kill him. He tried three times, but failed on each occasion. Then he made a medicine called OKOKOGO (a small red bead worn at the back of the head) and gave it to those he specially honoured, and OLUMORIA asked for it, but for a long time the King refused to give it to him. Finally, however, he did so. This medicine then gave the King power over OLUMORIA, So that he drew his MUSU and killed him. The AWRE runs into the AWREOMO, called also the OSSEOMO. AWREOMO. The sign of this river is an earthenware pot of water. At its source, not far from the town of OKHI, this river is called AKE, the axe. As a "juju" this power AKE is represented by lumps of earth, ant-hills, bits of pot, stones and chalk, which are covered by a slanting roof of bark called OKUKU. There is a large "juju house" at IDUNGENA, near Benin City. It is a building of sun-dried mud, in the form of a hollow square, with lean-tos from the top of each wall forming cloisters. Over the doorway a long bamboo, with a basket cup-like arrangement at the top, hangs like a barber's pole. This has been called OYISA, Esu, and UKHURE by different people I have asked to name it. 83 The sound AW or o in the word corpse is written in Yoruba ô www.globalgrey.co.uk
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TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE CHAPTER I
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