All the masquerades were present at Achi – Odogwu, oji-onu, Agaba, Okorosha, Udene, nwa-bekee – all, who considered themselves worthy of honor at such ‘power displaying’ competition, had assembled. They all came from far and near – Odogwu from Ibusa, Agaba from Ndegwu, Okorosha from Okija, Udene from Nembe, nwa-bekee from Okigwe, and other uncountable number of masquerades from various communities and kingdoms. All had arrived to showcase their spiritual ‘abracadabra’ and at the end, venture to win the much coveted prize which was the sacred ram. Among the competitors too, were sorcerers, wizards, witches, powerful dibias (native doctors) who did not come with any masquerades, but actually, were ‘masquerades’ in their own special rights. Achi was agog on this day with these group of people with dark and arcane arts.
Achi kingdom, the real owners of the festival boasted of the most powerful masquerades in the entire region. Several masquerades from Achi were present, but prominent among them was Peri, and his group. In fact, it was Peri and his powerful masquerade group that instituted the competition of ito-ebule. His spiritual prowess and dexterity had won him acclamation all over the regions. When he sang, his voice was angelically sonorous and the words of his music were heavily laden with in-dept proverbs. He music and masquerade was loved and respected by many.
The ito-ebule competition was instituted to add color to the new yam festival in the Achi kingdom several years ago. The festival was a celebration and thanksgiving to the god of yams at the end of every farming season. During this celebration, this ito-ebule competition was held to showcase spiritual powers and bravery. Several masquerades from several kingdoms were free to attend and contend. Any masquerade which could untie the sacred ram, no matter from which kingdom or community it came from, was allowed to take it home.
This was a very important festival in this kingdom. At this period all the sons and daughters of the kingdom were expected to return for this celebration. People from the neighboring towns and villages were not left out. All came to participate and enjoy this festival of sights, sounds and wonders.
It was a four days’ celebration. And it was on the fourth day that this ito-ebule competition was held. On this last day, the number of spectators quadrupled. All trooped out to witness this once-in-a-year’s event. They trooped out to witness the spiritual show-off from these masquerades; they trooped out to be entertained; they trooped out to witness and have what they would use to tell tales to others who did not witness the event. The fourth day was usually a grand occasion. And that fourth day had come.
Many had trouped to the Achi arena from all places. The population was teeming – they had come to be entertained. Several masquerades were present. The Agaba from Ndegwu had also arrived. It was led by the trio of Okuku, Nganga and Nkume. Several sorcerers, wizards, witches, powerful dibias were, also, present. The arena was filled by men of dark arts ready to play with fire and brimstone. It was like all the gods in the regions had descended to display for the amusement of mortal men – and truly…all the gods had arrived.
The atmosphere was tense. Excitements were very visible in the faces of all who were present. They had come, expecting to see wonders walking on two legs. The masquerades were scattered in groups all over the arena – different kinds of masquerades – all were adorned with colorful gears…gears that announced them as mmuo (spirits) …gears that would give a message about their strength and inclinations.
The arena was a bevy of beautiful patches of people with beautiful coloured attires, making and dancing beautiful music. Everywhere was music – music of different kinds. Spectators fed their senses in excess. They moved from group to group, with excitement, admiring the unique dance- steps of the dancing ones; getting awed by the magical displays of some who had come to display wonders. And listening to the beautiful voices of the singing ones. Each group of masquerades has their special music, pattern of dancing, and singing. The entertainment was great.
Prominent among the group of masquerades was Peri and his beautiful and powerful group. Their pattern of singing was one of its kind. They had gathered around Peri to hear his golden voice and to enjoy the exquisite dance-steps of his dancers. Peri had a legendary and unique voice. His singing was heavily laced with African philosophy…very entertaining.
He was the principal singer. Though he was not one of those who carried the isi-mmawu (head of the masquerade) – the ones who wore the physical gear, but he was the head and the life of the group. All the medicines and dark powers of the group reposed in his person. Legends had it that he traveled to the depth of the ocean to summon powers from the goddess of the sea. But no one could actually prove it. But from his singing, he gave his history. So, people believed it to be true.
There was, also, a special group of masquerade that was gathering more crowds. They were not dancing much. Their pattern of entertainment was unique. They were called the Ogwogoro-anya (the very big eye) masquerade. They entertain by exposing every bad person in any communities around the region. The singing was done by the masquerade itself. Through his singing, he was uttering great and deep secrets about people’s private lives. Expose the evils in the communities was his way of entertainment. People flocked around to hear hidden ‘secrets’ of men.
This group was the most feared during this festival. In his singing, the masquerade mentioned the names of all bad people in the community. He mentioned the names all who were robbers in the community and its environs. He mentioned where they stole, how they stole, when they stole and what they stole; he mentioned the names of the evil men who used witchcraft or voodoo to kill their fellow neighbors; he mentioned the names of all who were drunkards and long-throats; he mentioned the names of all who went into dead men’s widows and into other people’s wives; he mentioned the names of those who took other peoples land by force or by false pretense.
Every evil that happened in the land during the year were exposed on this day by this masquerade. This was the reason most people flocked to hear his singing. He could expose any secret. Even if the persons whose names were mentioned were present, they could do nothing to the masquerade or to the group. You could not charge them before any local court. Nor could one summon them before any shrine. Even if one recognized the voice of the one who was wearing the masquerade, you could not prove it.
An interesting part of this was that, even if you heard the name of one who stole your goat, you cannot do anything to him. If you hear the name of one who killed your relative, you could not equally do anything to the person. You would not do anything with the information. It was the tradition.
As the names of these evil men were mentioned, the crowd cheered and booed. And as they sang and exposed secrets, people continued to throw in monies into the circle as a sign of gratitude to them for exposing evil. It was believed that this group used spiritual means to know all evil men, what they did, when they did it and how they did it. This was also one of the reasons that many people flocked to this festival…and this group normally came on the last day. This group was from Achi. It was believed that this mode of exposing evil in the land, helped to establish sanity and decorum. No one would want to hear his name mentioned at the festival. It was a shame to the person and to his or her family.
While Ogwogoro-anya was singing and mentioning the names of evil doers, other masquerades were applying their trade at other places. Some were making good music and giving exotic and spectacular dance steps. There were others, too, who were neither singing nor dancing, but were busy ‘wowing’ the spectators with their magics and spells. There were plenty of masquerades and sorcerers like that at this arena. All competing to outdo each other in wonders.
Idemili, one of the sorcerers known for display of wonders at this festival, was busy performing his own near the bush. Idemili had his own dance group too. They sang and danced while he performed true wonders to the cheering of spectators. As his music group made their music for him, he would literally walk up the palm tree as one would walk up the staircase of a storey building.
With his powers, he seemed to defy all laws of gravity. While he climbed the palm tree, his music group and praise singers stood at the foot of the tree singing his praises as some move around the tree, making incantations and invocations. The sight was spectacular. People shouted and some held their breath at this unexplainable performance. When he had reached the top of the palm tree, he balanced himself at the tip and began to dance to the melody made below, by his men. All who wanted to appreciate the performance, threw their monies at the foot of the palm tree…and many did. It was a sight to behold.
Many other such exhibitions were going on all around the arena. And any one that caught any person’s attention would draw him or her closer. Agaba masquerade from Ndegwu was also another admired group. It attracted much spectators. The group had learnt some special tunes and dance-steps for this competition. It was taught them by the priestess of Boroki. And it appeared that their music and dancing appealed to much crowd. Many were busy dancing to the tune.
The group was singing of the beauty of life, of pleasure and so on. Their dance steps were very exciting. The crowd was cheering and dancing with them. Some were throwing in some monies by way of appreciation even as Agaba and the dancers sang and danced. Okuku, Nganga and Nkume felt so proud as they displayed. Seeking Boroki’s help for this competition was not in vain. They knew also that her help would be handy later, when the time for the real completion would come – and it wouldn’t be long – the sun would soon go down and the ito-ebule would begin.
Meanwhile at the farthest corner of the arena was a little Ora tree. To this tree was tied a big ram. Most spectacular about this was the type of thread with which the ram was tied to the ora tree. It was tied with a hair thread – yes – a hair thread. How? By the means of dark powers…that’s how. By who? By Peri, the leader of the masquerade from Achi.
The sun had finally gone down, and the different masquerades had performed their songs and dances. Others had performed their magical antics. The witches, sorcerers, wizards and dibias had performed their crafts and enjoyed the accolades. They had, also, gathered much money from entertained and satisfied spectators. It was now time for the ito-ebule, – time to show who was the male among the tortoises.
Those who only came to entertain the crowd and make some money were beginning to go home or join the spectators in cheering the competitors. Those who came to showcase their new songs and dance steps, but were not ready to compete nor watch, were still making music and entertaining those who are still interested in their songs. Those who were afraid to witness the antics of the competitors at the ito-ebule axis were also watching the dancing masquerades. Some of them believed that it was not safe to approach the vicinity of the competition if one was not spiritually fortified. And according to stories told in the past, there may be traces of truth in them.
There had been stories of those who, after witnessing such competition, went home and did not wake up the following day. It was believed that while the competition was going on, maybe, a stray charm thrown at a masquerade as it approached to collect the ebule, by another masquerade may have missed the target and struck an uninitiated spectator. This was a very dangerous situation.
During the competition, masquerades took turns to approach the sacred ebule (ram) where it was tied to an Ora tree. It was always a very difficult journey – moving from his original position to where the ram was tied. This movement was considered difficult and dangerous because, as the masquerade approached the ram, other opposing masquerades would be throwing charms at him to prevent him from reaching the target. This was actually where the competition was – in defying opposing forces. As charms were thrown at an advancing masquerade, he himself will also be contending vigorously by ‘striking off’ the charms thrown at him. Sometimes, a masquerade would approach with another member who was a custodian of the group’s charms – one who held the ‘ite–ogwu’ (pot of charms). In this instance, it was the person with the ite-ogwu who does the battle while the masquerade approached the ram.
But it was not always easy. In fact, rarely did one find any masquerades who was successful in approaching the ram and untying it without a great risk to his life. In recent times, it had been only Peri who had been successful in achieving this feat. However, there had been few masquerades, strong dibias, witches and wizards in recorded history, who were successful in untying the ram. Some, it was unfortunately reported, have died after few months due to much charms thrown at them as they performed this feat. This competition was not for the lily-livered.
On this very day, another harvest season, most masquerades and strong medicine people had gathered again for another mortal combat in the midst of cheering spectators. They had been taking turns to attempt to approach the ram. It was now time for Odogwu masquerade to take his chance. His group were making their music while their leader, Okobo, who doubled as their possessor of charms walked and danced along Odogwu. As they approached, other masquerades were making invocations and throwing charms at them to stop them. The duo persevered. As they threw the charms, Okobo continued to fan them away with his spiritual fan. while this was going on, the crowd cheered. The closer they approached, the louder the cheers and the heavier the charms thrown at them. When Odogwu and Okobo were midway to the ram, Peri clapped his hands from their position and a lightning struck. Odogwu masquerade and Okobo, the possessor of charms could not move again. The crowd cheered even louder.
It was at this moment, that all the dark secrets they ever learnt would be needed. Okobo started to move round Odogwu, making frantic invocations to their deity to release Odogwu from where he was pinned down to a spot. As they fought, other groups were busy throwing more charms at them to prevent them. When they could not proceed further, they turned backwards as a sign of throwing in the towel. The crowd continued to cheer. The music got louder. They must give way for another group to try.
It was now time for the Agaba from Ndegwu to take his chance. The sound of their music began to rent the air. They started to sing and praise their deity, to come to their help. The appointed time had come. According to their instruction, they must be singing and dancing until the lightning struck across the skies. If the lightening does not strike, they were not to take a step. So they continued to sing the praise of Boroki their deity, calling her many beautiful names. Suddenly, there was a flash of lightening across the skies. And with the lightening, a little girl of about six years appeared in their midst and started dancing with them.
The group knew what just happened. They were now so much emboldened. Their singing became stronger. As they sang, it began to rain. And as soon as it began to rain, the little girl stepped forward, followed by the masquerade. They were dancing towards the ram tied to the Ora tree with a hair-thread. The crowd started to shout and cheered the more. They were surprised at seeing such a girl taking the lead in such a deadly competition as this. Though, they never saw her when she appeared, but they knew that such a girl was not an ordinary girl. They never knew that she was actually a deity…a deity who can appear as an old lady or a little girl. Today she came with the innocence of youth…knowing that such contest required ‘purity’.
As the girl danced forward, the Agaba followed behind…then the other opposing masquerades intensified the firing of their charms at them. The ‘little’ girl continued to dance forward, followed by Agaba. A wonder was happening here now. The ‘little’ girl’s appearance brought rain. But it was not raining everywhere. It was a mystery rain. Where the Agaba and the ‘little girl’ were, the rain was not falling. Where their group were singing and dancing and praising the deity, it was not raining, either. Even where the spectators were standing, it was also not raining. But it was heavily raining on other competing masquerades. This marveled everyone. But Peri knew what happened. He was familiar with powers of the sea. He was a strong initiate. So, he raised his hands and a cloud formed like an umbrella over his men so that the rain did not touch them while it fell on all other masquerades.
Meanwhile the ‘little girl’ and the Agaba continued to dance towards the ram. They had now crossed the center and were very close to the ram. Then Peri made an invocation and clapped his hands again and there was a lightning but the lightening could not pin the ‘little’ girl at a spot. Rather she turned and looked towards the direction of Peri and smiled – she was ‘lightning’ herself. She then turned again towards the ram, still dancing while Agaba followed… she pointed at the ram and immediately, the lightning flashed three times. At the third flash of the lightning, a sound of thunder was heard and, by itself, the ram leaped and cut the thread and, like something possessed, began to dance towards the little girl…the crowd went into frenzy. They had not seen it like this in the history of ito-ebule in Achi. And for the first time a new masquerade who was not reckoned as powerful had untied the sacred ram. The noise of the crowd was deafening…a new winner has emerged. The ram must reach Ndegwu.
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Excerpts from “The Rogue Deity” Published on Amazon June 20, 2023.