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185 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett 6. If on starting on a journey you strike the right foot it is a bad sign, but if you strike your left foot, no matter. SACRED ANIMALS. Only three animals, as far as my observations go, have sacred groves (i.e., the Leopard, the Elephant, and the Hippopotamus), but I have found the heads and bones of four kinds of antelope, the dog, the crocodile, the cow, and the shell of the tortoise, in or near their altars. The leopard is known by the names ATALAGBA, OGYUHA, EKME, and OGIAME or queen. OGIAME reminds me of the XIVILI word KAMA, royal wife or queen. OGIE-CI is the word the Bini use for the King indigenous to the country, equivalent to NKICI CI of the BAVILL When a man killed a leopard he had to take it to the OBA, who gave the hunter a boy and a girl in exchange for it. The OBA used to try very hard to obtain the leopard alive, so that he might sacrifice it. On doing so he would put his finger into its blood and make a mark with it on his forehead, from his hair to his nose. Fans for his use were made of the leopard's skin, or it was made into a coat for the great war chief EZOMO or OJUMO. The claws also were strung together and worn by this chief as a band around his head. Women were not allowed to look at the leopard's face. The dance connected with the leopard ceremonies is called IGWE. The Elephant ENI.-When a chief's father dies, an elephant's tusks are placed on the altar in the grove called ARUENIMI. The head and gun by which the elephant is shot are placed in the sacred ground called EFAII, and the dance in connection with this ceremony is called IKWEFÃI. When a hunter killed an elephant he had to give the OBA one foot and the tusks. The strip of meat round the kidneys was given to the OBA'S mother. One of the forelegs had to be given to the village owner of the country where it was killed. The rest and the tail belonged to the hunter, and its hairs were sold to the women for necklaces. The Hippopotamus OGWUNAME.- I have heard little or nothing about the Hippopotamus, save that his sacred ground is OKWHAIYE and his grove AROGWUNAME. There are plenty of hippos. in the upper OVIA or OSSE, but the people seem to fear them, and on asking the people about that part of the country why they did not kill them, they said it was no use doing so, as they did not eat them. www.globalgrey.co.uk
186 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett The Tortoise IGWI.-The sacred ground where the shell of the tortoise is found is called OTOI. The people dance IGWI once a year just as the rains cease. The character of the IGWI is a bad one; it is looked upon as a deceiver. There is a story that says one day IGWI was a person, and all animals spoke one language. There was a famine in the land. A meeting was called, and it was decided that all should bring in their mothers. The elephant brought in his mother. They killed and eat her. And each day an animal brought in its mother. They always gave some of the meat to the parrot (OKWE), most of which it preserved. And when each animal had killed its mother they told the parrot to go and fetch his. But he had hidden his mother away in a hole where she kept a rope. As he refused to bring in his mother all the animals set about to look for her, but they could not find her. Then the IGWI watched the parrot, and found the mother's hiding place. And he told all the other animals. And when they all knew where the mother parrot was to be found they held a meeting to decide upon some plan of getting her. Finally, they asked the parrot to go on an errand for them to a distant part. And he went. But he returned quickly to the court house and found no one there. Guided by the IGWI they had gone to find his mother. And when they were near the hole where the mother parrot was hidden the elephant sang a song, thinking that the mother would take his voice for that of her son. But the mother parrot was not so taken in. Then the IGWI sang, and the mother parrot was deceived and put out the rope for him. All the animals then seized hold of the rope. But just then the son parrot came along and sang to his mother, telling her to cut the rope, and this is how he sang:- IYEMAO IYEMALO, IYEMAO IYEMALO O Mother Mother, O Mother Mother OFIFIEGE FWAO Cut the rope, NENI DEGBEGWIO IYEMALO Let the elephant fall, Mother, NEGWI PIEPIAW IYEMALO And crush the tortoise, Mother. XINA OF THE BAVILI ARE SPOKEN OF AS AWA OR AGWA BY THE BINI. It is AGWA for a man to marry any of his EGBE and by EGBE they include OBIRAMI children of one father. OBIYIMI children of one mother. OBIYIYIMI children of one grandmother. OBIRERAMI children of one grandfather. IGODARO says that be may not marry any woman who lifts drink up with her left hand, and who, when she cooks, kneels only on one knee. www.globalgrey.co.uk
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TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE CHAPTER I
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