The Naming Ceremony

One week had passed since the child was born. He had not been given name because everyone was waiting for communications from the ancestors.

On the fifth day, a few days to the end of the dry season, many arrived at the chief's compound to come up with suitable names. Adero Akello, the chief's sister-in-law and the wife to his younger brother was the first one to give a suggestion after many had sat enjoying the efficacy of the community liquor.

"Chief Ong'am, last moon, just a few days before the great son of Osindi clan was born, I had a dream...the dream came from my great grandmother Nyakam... "

"You are talking about Nyakam? The woman who single handedly annihilated the soldiers from the Omeke tribe? " Okumu, one of Nyakam's fun interjected.

Legend has it that Omeke tribe was one of the strongest tribes that surrounded the Lu tribe. According to the legend, the Omeke warriors' bodies were as hard as steel. Whenever there was battle, they could walk into the battlefield without 'okumba' (shields) and could kill their opponents without having any casualties.

Nyakam was a young woman who came from a very humble Okuan clan. She was never known until the day Omeke tribe attacked the Lu tribe on the Okuan side. The Lu warriors were never prepared and most of them died in that one sided battle. Nyakam wanted to join the battle but no male warrior could allow her, most of them were even furious seeing her, a woman get closer to the battlefield. She was forced to hide in the nearby bushes.

In the bushes, Nyakam saw what made her the Lu tribe heroin. As their warriors were being annihilated, she saw her youngest brother fighting tooth and nail to an Omeke warrior. She held her hands tightly and with eyes closed she recited a prayer to 'Were', the god of the lands. When she opened her eyes, her brother was no more.

From the bush she flew, her body was covered with flames, her eyes were red like blood. Her muscles became extremely hard, the aura she emanated made it difficult for anyone to approach her. When she reached the battleground, she snatched a spear from one of the remaing few Lu warriors. She then slaughtered all the Omeke warriors. After that, she flew to the Omeke tribe and destroyed the whole tribe using her breath, the Omeke tribe ceased to exist since then.

"That's right..." confirmed Akello.

"What name did she give you? " This time it was the chief who asked.

" Ochieng' Lwanda... She said he'll be a great warrior."

"I will take no more names, the one given by Nyakam will do... let's celebrate the naming of Ochieng' Lwanda! " The chief declared.

Just like that, the child was named Ochieng' Lwanda and celebrations begun. Cattle, sheep and goats were killed. Their blood were poured everywhere for appeasing of the ancestors and for performing other spiritual activities.

Ancestors were greatly respected in the ancient African societies. These ancestors had great power in the communities and no one could veto the decisions they made as that could bring a lot of calamity to the society. They communicated with the people through dreams.

During that child naming ceremony however, no ancestor seemed displeased with the child's name as most of them sent their good wishes to the child.