The oath of an Ẹṣọ

The market day had finally come and all the young upcoming warriors welcomed the day with building excitement, after all, it is today the day that they will all be given their incisions and then they will finally be acknowledged as fully-fledged warriors, ready for war. They are finally going to take the sacred vow to Oduduwa the father of all of the Yoruba people, to join the elites of the land in defending the people of the land against those motivated by evil. Two hours before sunrise, all the chosen candidates had assembled in front of the Osi-Balogun's hut, according to his instructions the previous day.

Ṣeyi had arrived several minutes earlier and was hoping that Kẹnny and Modupẹ are able to master a chant that would help them to qualify for the next rank.

The moment the Osi arrived, he did not waste any time reciting any motivational speech and he did not tell them things like "behave yourselves or you'll be punished". He simply called out the names of all those allowed to venture into the shrine of Ifa, those who are worthy to receive the Incisions of a warrior and to Ṣeyi's relief, his name was included along with the rest of his teammates.

"Osi please tell us about the ranking of the Ẹṣọs," Kenny said "that way we will know how to progress in our ranking"

"Yes, at this level you should know" the Osi responded with an appraising smile "the lowest rank is known as the rank of the Ẹṣọ (warrior), at this level you are considered a warrior and have the right to wear the Koronet which is the symbol of a warrior"

"The next rank is known as the rank of an 'Iba' (lord) the moment one reaches that rank his or her name changes with the words Iba placed in front of his or her name like Ṣeun becomes Ibaseun of Baseun"

"But you're not using that name" Afọlabi observed

"That's because I'm ranked higher than the second level" the Osi replied, "I'm called the Osi-Balogun meaning the left rank of the Balogun, and the word Balogun is Iba-Ologun lord of the warriors or warlord. Hence, I am the left hand of the war chief"

"Stop confusing us, give us the ranking in the proper order" Ṣodipọ growled, the Osi pretended not to notice

"Each rank carries its virtues, its level of power and to qualify for each rank you must prove yourself and these ranks are…"

The upper rank

Balogun 8th rank

Aṣepa 7th rank

Ọtun/Osi-Balogun 6th rank

Mid rank

Sẹriki 5th rank

Aṣaju/Sarumi 4th rank

Lower rank

Ajiya 3rd rank

Iba 2nd rank

Ẹṣọ 1st rank

"You forgot to mention the rank of the Bada and the Kankanfo" Akin added

"The Kankanfo is the highest rank and only one can reach that rank at a given time and as for the Badas the rank is neutral based on a specific breed of warriors known as the beast riders," the Osi replied

"So when are we going to receive our incisions?" Akin inquired

"Sunset" the Osi answered, "you must all be at the shrine of Ifa by then" from the tone in his voice everyone can tell that the period for questions and answers is over. Then the Osi continued to lecture them on the morals behind the warriors and the consequences of breaking the rule of the Ẹṣọ.

"There are many out there who have power but they have been corrupted by the temptation of greed and lust, such men have gone astray. This is the reason why it is forbidden for any Ẹṣọ to use his/her powers when not on an ise(Quest). So you must swear an oath to your soul, never to raise your fist for ambition or greed and I promise you will become successful warriors in future"

*****

Market day

The day would have gone on without Ṣeyi working any of his usual pranks, but it is hard to keep a lion from roaring or a dog from barking. During the first mission Ṣeyi remembered asking Modupẹ to produce more of the lucky charm she had given for that mission, what Ṣeyi did not count on is the fact that Modupẹ would become a little extravagant and produce far more than Ṣeyi had expected about 500 more using beads instead of cowries. Modupẹ has always been a shy girl and she never had the courage to face Ṣeyi and tell him that she had made a second one, thus continuing to make more for the next 2 seasons.

"Come and buy!" Ṣeyi shouted, taking advantage of the market day to sell some of the beads. "This is one of the greatest protective charms in the village; this charm is blessed with Agbaranla and other protective chants Gbabẹ!"

"One! One!! Cowrie, One! One!! Cowrie" Ṣeyi shouted

The very idea of someone like Ṣeyi selling a product as sensitive as a protective charm sounds absurd, so you cannot blame anyone for not being interested in purchasing the merchandise. Even though the bead is being sold at a takeaway price of one cowrie. The fact that the product has never been tested and no one has ever recommended its use, tells the tale of a man trying to swindle innocent people of their hard-earned money. The only person who stopped to purchase a bead is Bọlaji who has actually seen how potent the bead can be, especially when he found out that Modupẹ made it.

"Ṣeyi please stop making a fool of yourself," Modupẹ pleaded not liking the way Ṣeyi belittles himself in the attempt to sell the beads that she made "nobody wants to buy the bead"

"We sold one" Ṣeyi said in an optimistic tone

"But Ṣeyi that one is different, Bọlaji already knows how the bead works," Modupẹ said

"Modupẹ cool down," Ṣeyi said with his mischievous smile shining like the morning sun "all I need is one customer and then we will be selling at ten cowries per bead, Gbabe"

So Modupẹ being surprised by Ṣeyi's faith decided to remain silent. As she watched, Ṣeyi calls out even louder than before.

"One! One!! Cowrie" he screamed, "Protection against evil spirits, nothing will harm you"

To Ṣeyi's joy, an Igbo merchant came by in search of new goods to sell in his land, judging from all the goods he had in his possession the man had already bought everything to his heart's content he simply has a little more money to spend on some extra goodies before travelling back to his homeland.

"What-a is-e dis-e" the merchant inquired

"This is the correct charm of protection, blessed with Agbaranla (ultimate power) the Agbara of the creator" Ṣeyi replied

"Nonsense it-e looks like-e a piece of-e wood"

"Ha, this is not a piece of wood" Ṣeyi pressed unwilling to let this customer escape "this is the most potent chant of protection money can buy and..."

"Two kolas," the Igbo merchant said "I will-e pay two kolas"

"Two kolas!" Ṣeyi exclaimed, "I know you are cheating me, but I will accept the money, after all, you are my first customer," he said in a sad tone

Therefore, the stingy Igbo man handed two kolas to the cunning boy in exchange for the bead in Ṣeyi's possession, Ṣeyi then gestured to Modupẹ and asked the Igbo man to receive the final blessing.

"You see that girl," Ṣeyi said, pointing towards Modupẹ "tell her your name and she will bless the bead in your name"

"Pam!" The Igbo man exclaimed as he walked over to Modupẹ "nna! My name-e is-e Mazi Chukwuma Odion" he said proudly

"And may God give you peace" Modupẹ blessed as she handed the bead over to the merchant

"Isẹ" the Igbo method of saying aṣẹ meaning the same thing (amen/let it be so)

Modupẹ used some of her Agbara, which is as white as the cloud flow into the bead and then politely bowed to the man to prompt him that the ritual had ended. As the Igbo man walked away, he felt the potency of the protective charm, warm his body and empowering his spirit, he thanked Ṣeyi a final time preparing to return home. If only, too bad for the Igbo man because Ṣeyi is not done with him yet. The earth suddenly began to tremble and a loud roar can be heard from the background, the sudden disturbance disrupted the activities of the market women, the threat finally revealed itself. It came in the form of a large stone emerging from the nearby trees surrounding the market; the stone was covered in potent green Agbara, leaves and swamp marsh. The strange being, moved purposely towards the Igbo merchant, with the intent of killing him, at least that was what everybody was led to believe.

"Chukwuma" the beast roared

"Ewo!" The Igbo man cried in fear, everyone else ran away towards one hiding place or another, "Chukwuma" the beast shouted again

Unlike other market traders, Chukwuma had no place to run and nowhere to hide, so he did the only logical thing he could have done, he fell to his knees in order to beg for his life.

"Use the bead!" Ṣeyi cried in a misty voice "it will protect you"

As though on queue the bead around the neck of the Igbo man began to glow with a strange white radiance, he felt it the essence of pure peace surrounding him. Chukwuma slowly rose to his feet feeling his courage returning as the beast slowly fell to the ground gasping in pain. The beast roared again, this time in pain.

"Stop!" The beast shouted, "it's painful"

"You have-e no power over me" Chukwuma replied with a swollen head

"Take that stone off, I want to kill you," it roared again

"mba nọ, I will-e not take-e this off" Chukwuma answered and then the bead glowed brightly, the beast roared one final time and then turned to dust, and once again the market was quiet.

"Yeah, the stone really works Sha!" Someone from the crowd said he had just witnessed everything that had transpired

"Me I will buy one for myself and more for my family," another market woman said

"Customer," the Igbo merchant said in an urgent tone, "I will-e buy six-e more, for-e my family"

"Ọga" Ṣeyi said with an evil smile, "I'm not selling again; I want to use it for my own family"

"What" the people exclaimed in Unison "don't even try to say that at all, you better sell o"

"You better sell o," another shouted

"Sell or we will destroy your market," the third declared

"Then I will sell them for one white bead, Gbabẹ!"

"But that is too expensive!" The Igbo man complained

"Just take and give me three beads," one of the people shouted

"Give me five, give me five," another shouted handing Ṣeyi the exact amount thus the beads were being sold

Modupẹ stood shocked and speechless, her lower jaw dropped, leaving her mouth wide open, how she wondered, how is Ṣeyi able to sell so much so soon. In addition, to sell to so many people at once is just overkill. The bead is potent, but in order to sell it at a good prize, Ṣeyi needs a way to display the potency of the bead, hence the drama. The monster was obviously Akin in a home-made monster costume, using his Agbara to its fullest potential and when he turned to dust Ṣeyi simply switched him with the dust he had gathered behind his hut. The ability to sell and to command the customers, nothing is impossible for Ṣeyi's cunning mind.

"Twenty cowries per bead," Ṣeyi shouted with authority "buy it or get lost, Gbagbe!"

"What!" The people shouted angrily

*******

The incision ceremony

It is now late in the evening; the sun had hidden its bright yellow face behind the horizon of the western forest canopy shedding the last bit of light the day has to offer before the moon arrives to govern the night. This is the period chosen for the incision ceremony; the ritual occurs once every year. The Ifa priest is expected to go on seven-day fast offering cola nuts as a sacrifice to all the gods of Yoruba land, chanting into the black paste that is used to represent the core of the incision ceremony. There are two major types of incisions, the small incision and the large incision.

The small incision allows the user to use his inner potential to form Agbara; it serves as a connection between the inner spirit and the physical body. The only shortcoming of the small incision is its ability to seal away the bearer's full potential because once the Agbara stored within the warrior's body is exhausted the warrior dies. The small incision ensures that the warrior does not use up his spiritual strength carelessly during a battle, warriors with a very low Agbara potential focus on using the small incision.

The large incision serves the same purpose as the small incision, in other words, it allows the user to form Agbara and connect the inner spirit with the physical body. The only difference is that the incision allows the bearer to manifest his Agbara to its fullest potential, the major backlash of this incision is that due to the volume of Agbara produced the warrior is capable of getting exhausted quickly. Most warriors prefer a large incision to the small one, but the choice remains sourly in the hands of the Ifa priest. The priest measures the potential of each warrior and decides according to the level of strength of the warrior if he needs the large incision or the small incision.

As the Ifa priest walked towards the awaiting candidates, the watcher appeared behind him hidden in the shadows.

"I extend my greetings," the watcher said

"My old friend," The Ifa priest replied, "when the Frog is seen hopping during the day if it is not after a fly then something is after it"

"Your words are sharp and to the point as usual" the watcher acknowledged

"So what brings the servant of God to my humble home?" The Ifa priest inquired

"The boy Ṣeyi, he is going to receive his incision today, isn't he?" The watcher quarried

"Yes" the Ifa priest replied, "The journey to manhood is one of experience through strength and weakness"

"Give him the small incision," the watcher commanded

"But then he will not be able the use his strength to its fullest potential in battle, he might die" the priest protested

"Yes, I am well aware of the risks" the watcher responded "but we don't know how great his true strength is considering the nature of his birth. It is better to be safe"

"You are playing a dangerous game, my friend," the priest observed, "there are many footpaths that lead to the marketplace and only one footpath leads to the graveyard"

"A true man must scale all obstacles in his path in order to achieve his chieftaincy, my decision remains, give him the small incision," the watcher concluded

"As you wish" the Ifa priest accepted quietly. "But remember when a king makes a decision he must be ready for the consequences of such decisions and take responsibility where necessary, a fool blames others for his mistakes"

The Watcher chuckled it seems like the priest is strongly against this decision despite the understanding between them, but sometimes they disagree on a few issues, even though the priest is against the Watcher's idea he knows better than to go against it. Ṣeyi is going to receive the small incision, which might prevent his progress as a true Ẹṣọ of Ilu-inọ; this will definitely stunt his dreams to become the greatest warrior of the village. Nevertheless, if the Watcher is right and the boy's power is as unstable as the rising tide then a small incision is needed to control it and to limit the damage caused to the bearer of the incision.

Outside the shrine all, the Ẹṣọs had gathered to witness the ceremony. All the candidates wore small white cloths knotted on their right shoulder and passed under their left in order to expose the part of the body they wish to incise. As usual, Ṣeyi and Akin came in late, seems like the business of selling protective beads had gone well, judging by the misshapen smile on Akin's face and judging from the number of swollen bruises on the face of his friend, Ṣeyi had had a rough afternoon, but otherwise, they are whole.

"What happened" the Osi-Balogun inquired

"All the customers got angry the moment Ṣeyi decided to sell a bead for one string" Akin replied

"Serves you right" the Osi scolded to the amusement of everyone present

"It's not funny" Ṣeyi growled, but everyone had started to laugh, "it's Akin's fault, he made everyone to start beating me," Ṣeyi said defensively

"Ṣeyi stop complaining and get in line," Kenny said while chuckling

A female Ẹṣọ walked towards Ṣeyi from the crowd and used a healing chant on Ṣeyi's wounds, he recognised her as Ṣade the Balogun's Iwofia (apprentice/assistant)

"Now, join the others Ṣeyi, the ceremony is about to begin" she commanded

"Thank you," Ṣeyi said in a grateful tone, and then he ran off to join the others with Akin in tow.

The tension in the atmosphere grew more intense as the seconds passed, everyone waited impatiently for the sight or the sound of the Ifa priest, wondering what the edge of the ceremonial knife will feel like the moment it cuts their flesh and fortifies them with power. The shrine suddenly busted into life with large columns of smoke and the sound of the Yoruba traditional flute. The Ifa priest emerged from the shrine holding the sacred blade in his right hand, his two apprentices followed thereafter. The first one holding a calabash filled with black paste and the second carrying a calabash filled with water in his right hand and a palm frond on his left, which he uses to sprinkle water all over the surroundings in order to purify the environment

From the movement of his lips, it is obvious to say that the high priest is chanting, but no one knows exactly what he is saying; to them, he speaks the language of the spirits a language that only Ifa understands.

The Ifa priest started moving from one person to another chanting beneath his breath and skilfully using the knife to cut each candidate on the exposed body part of choice, chanting into the wound and then rubbing the black paste in the wound to symbolize the connection of power between the flesh and the spirit. The moment he reached Kenny, he stopped

"Kenny, son of the Ewedemi, I am sorry," the high priest said without touching Kenny's left shoulder, his chosen spot for the incision "It is difficult for a leopard to roar like a lion and the lion is king"

Kenny understood the gesture even before anyone could explain it to him, he tried to swallow the lump in his throat but failed. So this is as far as he goes even though he has achieved his first chant it is still not enough to make him worthy of an incision. He found it difficult to endure the pain of disappointment and he did not want anyone to see the pain in his eyes, "please" he said in desperation, but the priest shook his head. Discouraged, Kenny left the shrine as quickly as he could with the Osi-Balogun in hot pursuit.

"Don't give up Kenny" Ṣeyi whispered "you will become stronger; you will become stronger for all of us"

The Ifa priest continued the ritual as though the event with Kenny did not happen in the first place. As he reached Ṣeyi, Ṣeyi felt his heart rate increase, the moment he felt the blade cut the tender skin he flinched in pain and used every ounce of willpower he had left in his body to keep from crying out in reaction to the pain. Then the Ifa priest rubbed the black paste upon the open wound that he had just inflicted on Ṣeyi's flesh. Ṣeyi felt if a new kind of fear as the potency of the black paste flashed through his body in waves, with each ripple new strength is formed and with the new strength came the realisation of "the fear of the future". His life is about to change and this incision is a seal that proves that there is no going back. From this day forth, Ṣeyi thought, I am now a man.

This is not the first time that the Ifa priest is applying the incision the young warriors of the village, he has been doing this for years and his skills no equal. The thing about giving incisions to young warriors is that each incision has to be precise a small mistake and the warrior's Agbara flow might be corrupted; his knowledge grows far beyond just the basic incisions that warriors use. He is also versed in the major incisions used by all the different families in Yoruba land. As he finished with Ṣeyi's incision, Ṣeyi felt a new sensation, his mind suddenly reached an elevated state and he felt the sudden need to become one with everything, the environment, the people, even the air seemed to be drawn to him. The black paste was blessed with some of the most potent herbs known to man at the moment the paste touched the back of this special boy the Ifa priest felt Ṣeyi's body or rather the spirit within the body reach out to absorb all the Agbara within the surroundings. If he had given the boy a large incision it would have drained him of all his own Agbara, the Watcher was right it is safer to give him the small incision. Ṣeyi, on the other hand, felt like picking a fight with someone just to try out his new-found strength.

The next person to receive his incision is Akin, and like Ṣeyi, he felt the excitement of being able to receive an incision. The moment the Ifa priest touched Akin's hunchback, he said to Akin's shock

"I'm sorry Akin; I cannot give you an incision"

The horror reflected in Akin's eyes was unimaginable, he was at lost for words and his eyes suddenly grew ripe with tears.

"Why?" He managed to say

"Your tribe will not let me" the Ifa priest responded

Akin's face softened as he digested the words, then his face became twisted with the revelation of what the Ifa priest meant "tribe?!" Akin inquired in a confirming tone.

"Yes, Akin, tribe" the Ifa priest acknowledged

The shock of hearing that word "tribe" vibrated through Akin's entire being, he just stood there staring blankly at where the Ifa priest once stood with his mouth wide opened "tribe" he whispered again as though trying to prove to himself that the word is true. A tribe, not a father, not a mother, not a family, not even an ancestor, an entire tribe.

"Ṣeyi did you know?" Akin asked

"No" Ṣeyi replied "Not entirely, but I guessed as much" remembering the stranger that assisted during the first mission.

The Ifa priest finally finished with the last of the Ẹṣọ candidates and recited the final chant giving each candidate a piece of cola nut to chew on as they approach the Ọba's palace for the final phase of the initiations

"This way" the Ọtun commanded, "it is time for you to take the Ẹṣọs oath"

They were led to the Ọba's palace and presented to the local king, Ọba Ogidiolu and beside him sat his wife the Olori of Ilu-inọ, the Ọba also had his two children present the prince and the princess of Ilu-inọ village

"Ọba n ki yin," the king said as he sat upon his throne (the king greets you)

"Ka bi a si o!" The Ẹṣọs greeted prostrating in reference to the king

"Arise," the king said in an authoritative tone "and prepare yourselves to take the oath of a warrior"

It is a ceremonial practice that the Balogun and all the other higher-ranking chiefs of the village be present to witness the oath of all the upcoming warriors of the village, the Oba is meant to represent the Alaafin of Ọyọ, the Balogun is meant to represent the Baṣọrun of Ọyọ.

Ṣeyi felt a slight jolt of irritation the moment he noticed the king's daughter Atinukẹ Ogidiolu winking and making other flirting gestures at Ṣodipọ "sick" Ṣeyi thought, even during an important occasion such as this one the husband hunters still abuse the moment for their own selfish ambitions. Ṣeyi could sympathise with her to a point, a few years back when she was the only child in the royal family, she could marry any man and still be queen the moment Ọpadọtun was born her position as the next queen of Ilu-inọ village faded into a non-existent dream. Therefore, the only way to retain her present status in the royal family is to marry a well-known chief as his first wife and no other. Ṣodipọ is the only one within the age range and rank to help her achieve this goal, so flirting with the heir of the Alaramide tribe is her only option. As for Ṣodipọ, the princess is simply a number in his long list of lovers.

The Akọgun stood before all the warriors and said

"The moment you take the oath you become a Warrior of Oduduwa

Ẹṣọ ki I gba Ọfa lẹyin

A fi bi o ba gbọgbẹ ni waju gangan

An Ẹṣọ must never be shot in the back

His wounds must always be right in front

We are going to give you the coronate, which symbolises your office as a warrior of Oduduwa; you must never run from your enemies.

Alakoro ki isa Ogun

One who wears a coronet must never flee in battle

Now it is time to take your oath,

Remember your oath because it is for life,

The moment you break your oath is the moment you die,

Your oath is not only to yourself but to Oduduwa as well,

As you take your oath, you are making a covenant with the gods,

From this day forth you are warriors,"

The Gongon of the palace sounded, speaking the musical Yoruba language that only a few can comprehend, igniting Ṣeyi's spirit with the desire to meet a warrior of talking drum. Then the Ifa priest walked in holding a pot filled with emerald flames and it produced sweet-smelling fumes that filled the entire palace with a sweet-smelling fragrance.

"Prepare yourselves," he pronounced in a commanding tone

Then the Akọgun took a step forward and commanded the candidates the recite the words after him…

"I _____your name__________ swear

To protect those who are innocent

To help those who are helpless

To defend those who are defenceless

To protect the heritage of Oduduwa

The father of the whole of Yoruba land

To obey the Baṣọrun of Ọyọ

To fight in wars and never to flee

To fight for slaves and to set every bound man free

To exorcise those who are demon-possessed

To purify all that is impure

To cleanse the land of the evil that dwells within

To honour the sacrifice of all the past heroes of this land

To protect the people even if it means our lives

To undo the deeds of the wicked

To be wild in nature yet, gentle in spirit

To be righteous in wrath yet hated by evil

Until the day that God calls me home to heavens"

"May Olodumare seal your words in his light," the Ifa priest pronounced

"Aṣe" all the warriors replied

"Now...." The Ifa priest continued, but suddenly found it shocking to realise that what he had once assumed to be a pot filled with green fire and sweet smelling smoke has now become a calabash of mouth-watering pounded yam "heeee!" The Ifa priest exclaimed

Everyone was confused by the strange turn of events, trying to make sense of how a pot of fire can suddenly become a calabash filled with food. Everyone except Ṣeyi, Akin and Kenny who were trying their very best not to laugh out loud, who is responsible for ruining this entire ceremony, the Ifa priest wondered. The Balogun had a notion about who is responsible, but decided to hold her peace, now is not the time for her to lose her cool.

"It's under the Kings throne," the Akọgun declared after a brief chant

The moment the pot was retrieved from beneath the Ọba's chair, everyone found it easy to deduce what happened before they came into the palace for the oath. The Ọba was slamming small balls of pounded yam down his throat right before they came in and instead of sending for the palace guards to take the food away, the king decided to hide it under his chair. The Balogun deduced that Ṣeyi must have noticed this and in a quest for humour switched it with the Ifa priest's pot.

"I'm hungry," Lekan said in a casual tone, and that worsened the situation. Everyone laughed, unable to contain the humour any longer. The Ifa priest continued with the oath since the ceremony had already reached its final stages and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Maybe because the Balogun gave Oluṣeyi a sharp warning gaze or because all the new warriors, including Ṣeyi had started to feel the weight of the new incision tell on their bodies and now they are in dire need of rest. Whatever the reason the Oath ceremony was over in a few minutes and all the new Ẹṣọs were dismissed.