In the city of
Ife, the people still tell the tale of Oduduwa, who came down from the sky and
created dry land from out of the sea. He founded Ife, the first and greatest
city, and ruled over it for many years. Orunmila, who reads the future, ruled
Benin for a time, but then returned to the sky. Without his leadership, the
people of Benin suffered, and they sent many messengers to Ife, begging Oduduwa
to come help them.
So Oduduwa
went to Benin with his son, Oranmiyan, to look after the people of Benin. After
a time, messengers from Ife came, begging that Oduduwa return and once more be
father of the city.
Oduduwa bid
farewell to his son, and returned to Ife, where he ruled for many more years.
When he felt that his life was coming to an end, he summoned Oranmiyan to him.
"I wish
you to rule over Ife," Oduduwa said. "It is the first city, and the
one nearest my heart. I would be comforted if I knew that a wise ruler, who is
of my blood, will take my place here."
Oranmiyan
agreed, and ruled Ife after his father's death. Ife was the greatest city of men,
but it was not the only city. The rulers of other lands envied the name and
fortune of Ife, and sought to conquer the city. But Oranmiyan was a valiant
warrior. The sight of him on the battlefield struck terror in the hearts of his
enemies. He had never been defeated, and Ife continued to prosper while he ruled.
But, like his
father, Oranmiyan did not live forever. When he was dying, he called the people
of Ife to him. "You are a noble people. Though I will soon be gone, you can
still live as heroes, so that the name of Ife is always spoken with awe."
The people
despaired, and begged Oranmiyan not to leave. "What shall we do without our
father?"
"I cannot
reject death," Oranmiyan told them. "But I promise never to forget
Ife. In your hour of need, I shall return." And then he turned to the old
men of Ife, and told them certain words to speak, words that would call him back
to the city.
And then
Oranmiyan walked to the marketplace, and stuck his staff in the ground. "Remember
the courage of heroes," Oranmiyan told the people. As they watched, his
staff changed into a column of stone, which still stands there today. Then
Oranmiyan stamped upon the earth, and it opened up, allowing him to descend.
Word of
Oranmiyan's passing reached other cities, and their leaders rejoiced. They
gathered great armies, and advanced upon Ife. When the people of Ife learned of
this, they went to the old men of the city in terror.
"You must
summon Oranmiyan to us," they said, "or we shall be destroyed."
The old men
went to the marketplace, and spoke the words Oranmiyan had taught them. The
earth trembled and split open, and Oranmiyan rose up, weapons in hand. He led
the people of Ife against the invaders, slaughtering those who did not flee
quickly enough. When the battle was over, Oranmiyan descended once more into the
earth. And for many years after, no one challenged the supremacy of Ife.
The people of
Ife gloried in their safety and prosperity, and held many festivals. And during
one of these festivals, when dusk came after a day of feasting and drinking palm
wine, the people thought of their savior, Oranmiyan. "Our father should be
here, and enjoy our good fortune," they said. "After all, it is
because of his protection that Ife remains a great city."
So they went
to the old men, and asked them to summon Oranmiyan. "But the city is not in
danger," the old men protested. "He asked that we only call upon him
in times of need."
"We wish
to express our gratitude," the people insisted, and eventually prevailed
upon the old men to speak the secret words. And those words meant: "Come
swiftly, Oranmiyan. Ife is in danger."
Oranmiyan
emerged once more from beneath the ground, searching for the enemy. He saw many
men in the marketplace, and fires burning behind them. In the darkness, he did
not recognize the people of Ife, and assumed that they were invaders; he thought
that the fires were burning buildings, not torches for the festival.
Oranmiyan
attacked, slaughtering the people of Ife, sending others screaming through the
streets. All night, Oranmiyan wielded his sword, and no man could stand before
him. And when the dawn came, Oranmiyan looked down at the bodies laying at his
feet, and saw the tribal scars on their cheeks. He knew then that he had
slaughtered the people of Ife. He cried out in anguish, and threw down his sword.
"I came
when called to protect the city," he wailed. "But instead I have
killed many of its people. I will fight no more." And he stamped upon the
ground, and entered the fissure which opened at his command, and descended into
the earth for the final time, never more to be seen in Ife, or anywhere above
the ground.
Oduduwa
ruled long over Ife. Orunmila, it is said, went to rule over Benin, where he
remained for some time. But after a while Orunmila tired of his life there and
returned to the sky. Affairs in Benin did not go well after Orunmila departed.
The people sent messengers to Oduduwa asking him to come and take charge of
Benin. Oduduwa was reluctant to leave Ife. He said, "If I go to Benin to
give it a father, then Ife will have no father." The people of Benin
continued to implore Oduduwa for help. At last he agreed to go to Benin. He
took his son Oranmiyan with him to that city. He took charge of Benin's
affairs, and he remained there until he heard he was much needed back in Ife.
Oduduwa named Oranmiyan as ruler of Benin, after which he returned to govern
Ife again. But Oduduwa did not live forever. When he knew he was going to die
he sent for Oranmiyan. Oranmiyan made his own son ruler over Benin and
returned to Ife, and as Oduduwa wanted him to do he became the oni, or oba, of
that city.
By
this time there were numerous kingdoms scattered across the earth, and war had
come among humans. Because Ife was the first of all cities and because it was
great.in the minds of men it was envied everywhere. For this reason the obas
of other places sought to vanquish Ife and diminish its reputation. But just
as Ife's name was great, so was the name of Oranmiyan. For he was fierce and
valorous in war. Whenever the enemy came to attack, Oranmiyan led Ife's
warriors into battle. Wherever the heat of the battle was, that was where
Oranmiyan was to be seen. Warrior heroes of many other cities came face to
face with Oranmiyan in the fields and were slain. The sunlight flashing from
Oranmiyan's long sword struck terror into the hearts of those who sought to
destroy Ife. Oranmiyan was the first on the battlefield and the lastito leave,
and his path could be seen by the corpses left behind by his weapons. The
heroes of those times were numerous, but Oranmiyan was the greatest of them
all, and while he lived Ife could not be subdued.
But
Oranmiyan grew older. A time came when he knew that death would take him. He
called the people together. He said: "Soon I must go. When I am no longer
here, continue to live as heroes. Do not let our s make Ife small in the minds
of men. Continue to be courageous so that Ife will go on living."
The
people said to him: "Oranmiyan, you are the father of Ife. Reject death
and remain here with us."
He
answered: "No, it is not possible. Nevertheless I will not forget Ife. If
great trouble comes to the city call me. I will give the old men the words to
say, and when these words are spoken I will come back to help you."
He
called the elders of Ife together and gave them the words. Then he went to the
marketplace, all of the people of Ife following him. He arrived there. He
struck his staff into the earth. It stood upright in. the center of things.
Oranmiyan said: "This is my mark. It will stand here forever to remind
you of the courage of heroes." The staff turned into a shaft of stone
which the people named Opa Oranmiyan, Oranmiyan's Staff.
Then
the warrior hero Oranmiyan stamped his foot on the ground. The earth opened.
He descended into the earth and it closed behind him. This was how Oranmiyan
departed from his people.
Word
reached far-off places that Oranmiyan.no longer lived. The oba of a distant
city said: "Well, now, he is gone and Ife is defenseless. It is time to
bring Ife to its knees."
He
gathered a Force of warriors and sent them to destroy Ife. When the people of
Ife saw the enemy approaching they went to the old men to whom Oranmiyan had
given the secret words, saying, "Send for Oranmiyan quickly or Ife will
die." The old men went to the marketplace and called Oranmiyan for help.
There was a thunderous noise and the earth shook. The ground opened and
Oranmiyan came out, his weapons in his hands. He led the warriors of Ife into
battle. When the enemy saw Oranmiyan's weapons flashing in the sunlight terror
overcame them. Those who were not killed turned and fled. The warriors of Ife
pursued them until at last no living enemy was visible. Then they returned to
the city. Oranmiyan stamped his foot on the ground of the marketplace. The
earth opened. He descended. The earth closed over his head.
After
that for many years Ife was not molested. People in other places said,
"Ife remains great because although Oranmiyan is dead he, is not truly
dead."
There
was a festival in Ife. There was drumming, dancing and singing. People feasted
and drank much palm wine. Many of them became drunk. Darkness came. The
festival went on. Someone said, "Oranmiyan should be here to dance and
sing with us." Others said, "Yes, let us bring him out to lead us in
our enjoyment." They went to the marketplace where Oranmiyan's staff was
standing. They called on Oranmiyan to come out of the ground and join the
festivities, but he did not appear. Someone said, "He will not come
unless the secret words are spoken, the words that only the old men
know." So they went through the city and found some of the elders to whom
the words had been entrusted. They brought the old men to the marketplace and
asked them to do what was necessary to bring Oranmiyan out of the ground.
The
old men protested, saying: "No, it is not a good thing to molest
Oranmiyan because of a festival. Let him rest. He should be called on only in
times of great need. Those were his instructions."
But
the people persisted, saying, "Do what is necessary, old men, for we want
Oranmiyan to lead us in the dancing and singing."
The
old men continued to protest. Yet at last they said the words: "Come
swiftly, Oranmiyan. Ife is in danger."
The
ground thundered and opened. Oranmiyan emerged, his weapons in his hands, his
face fierce with the courage of a warrior. Because it was dark Oranmiyan could
not distinguish one person from another. He believed that the men in the
marketplace were the enemy who had come to destroy Ife. He began fighting,
thrusting with his spear and slashing with his sword. He struck at anything
that moved, killing many men of Ife. The city was in turmoil. People ran in
every direction, Oranmiyan pursuing. The killing went on.
The
dawn came. Light fell on the city. Now Oranmiyan could clearly see the corpses
lying on the ground. He saw the tribal scars on the cheeks of the dead, and he
knew then that he had been slaughtering his own people. Grief overcame him. He
threw his weapons down. He said: "I was asked to come quickly because Ife
was in danger. Therefore I came, and in the darkness of night I killed many of
the people of Ife. Because of this terrible deed I will not fight again. I
will never again come to Ife."
He
stamped on the earth. The earth trembled and opened. Oranmiyan went down, and
the earth closed behind him. Never after that was he seen in Ife.
His
staff, in the form of a shaft of stone, still stands at that place, reminding
people of the great warrior hero who once ruled over Ife, and of the slaughter
that occurred because he was asked to help when the city was not really in
danger.
