I'd like to share a little bit of this West African Sci- Fi thriller with you. Some words are taken from the Yoruba dielect. They denote titles of importance. The novel itself contains a Yoruba glossary.Off the coast of West Africa bound on the east by Cameroon, and on the Northeast by Chad, with the Niger's waters claiming her own route, while Benin bordered to her west and the Atlantic to the south. Nigeria the third largest country in Africa and one of the richest was haunted by the ghost of colonialism, which left the country splintered. After the Second World War Britain regarded her new conquest as a costly empire; more trouble then its worth. British rule spawned corruption to a new height. A fractured government of political parties fighting for power became the norm. Plagued by military coupe one after another accompanied by assassinations the country went from a civilian government to military rule. Authority abused by power obsessed generals threw the country into civil war. Tribes that had been living together for hundreds of years now drew blood from one another. Devastation was the condition of the city states after the civil war, but slowly order returned to the ravished land. Blood ceased flowing in the streets, the scars left would take a lifetime to heal, but among the powerful countries and city-states in Nigeria nestled deep in the lavishly lush rain forest resided an unimaginable immeasurable force and power. This place was considered primitive by western society's standards, but in reality this place and its occupants were far more advanced and intelligent; unmolested by western barbarism Christian missionaries, and the slave trade. For thousands of years, this place remained sacred. Foreign concepts of colonialism is non-existent, unlike the outer lands running ramped with corruption, cursed and diseased spirits brought by invaders occupying and polluting ancestral lands for centuries. Ancestral spirits angered and enraged for sins committed by descendants who had forsaken their culture for a religion that murdered and dispersed their own people rose up in rebellion from a religion that had robbed the land in the name of Christianity steeped in corruption. In the outer lands there was the exception of a few who struggled to hold on to the ancient ways. Plagued by the unquenchable thirst for western concepts and a decadent society these outer lands knew no peace. The beauty that had once veiled the land vanished. Only the holy place, the sacred place the abode of the powerful ones possessed that indescribable solitude and beauty throughout the village. It was as if the village resided on another plane of existence compared to the outer lands. Within the rain forest dwelled the unearthly immaterial un-embodied ones that populated the sacred groves surrounding the village; protecting, guarding, standing watch for over a thousand years. They were commanded and invoked by the Iyami; permitting no one entry unless it was sanctioned by the Iyami, and even then only those who had gone through the sacred rites of passage who had bled to wear the tribal marks in honor of their ancestors. There were those that the prophecy spoke of who would return to the place of the beginning.The rising sun ushered in the morning prayers and rituals. The chanting of prayers could be heard from every ile, bringing in piercing sunlight through the thick foliage. A hypnotic melody rode the gentle breeze, the morning chants were part of life in this place; the vibrations they carried rendered the entire village to be in tune with the rhythms that governed the universe. The wildlife and the villagers lived in harmony, everyone and everything knew its place within nature's structured world, the elements of wind fire water and earth were honored and respected.With the completion of Morning Prayer and rituals everyone resumed with their daily routines, many people moved about performing the task required of them with their special ability in mind, to ensure an efficient and effective quality of life within the village structure.Priestesses congregated within the groves invoking the Iyami for counsel. Priest prepared for ceremonies for the newly initiated. Secluded on the other side of the village was the ile of the "powerful one" concealed in the thick foliage possessing the characteristics of the chameleon, with an entrance concealing itself to those who were not advanced enough to enter into the sacred place of the powerful one, legends claimed the powerful one’s age was unknowable and that the powerful one was there when the elders were infants. The entrance was only revealed to the Iyalawos.Inside the ile the powerful one remained there in an altered state of consciousness. The Iyaagon, the powerful one was said be the owner of the first power, the feminine mysteries. Robed in a white cloth with the antelope skin draping her shoulder denoted her stealth in entering the many planes of existence. The alabaster dreadlocks that coiled almost to her knees appeared to be alive with consciousness and wisdom from the earth itself as they slightly raised and fell in rhythm with every breath she inhaled and exhaled. The chair she sat upon carved from a massive elephant skull emphasized her awesome power. Surrounding the chair were numerous gourds and artifax carved from the trees that grew up into the ile over the years. Many leopard skins lined the crystallized floor from the intense fire rituals over the years. Hanging from the wall was a variety of dried herbs and roots. Clay pots occupied space on the floor between candles that burned with an unearthly flame that gave off a purple glow. The Iyaagon's divining tray hovered in the center of the ile. Numerous shrines populated the interior of the ile as well. Some shrines were water shrines that maintained themselves from a stream that coursed through the ile from what appeared to be a ceiling descending down at times creating a curtain of water that revealed images while the Iyaagon divined bringing messages from the spirit world. Other shrines were comprised of fire that burned continuously. Off to the other side of the ile was a clay pot that rumbled with lightning flashing from it. Next to it was a pot of storms, miniature cyclones often formed around it. Here the Iyaagon re-energized herself from an abnormal and difficult transition ritual she had performed. It had been difficult work putting that particular spirit to rest; whose ancestors had been waiting for the newly transitioned spirit that had shamed and angered the ancestors. Many came from the out lands calling upon the Iyami to grant them entrance to the sacred place and protect them from the unearthly ones who diligently guarded the groves surrounding the village. The Iyaagon remained in an altered state of consciousness until the soft rustling of distant footsteps announced their arrival."Au-go," called the soft voice of Akosuwa, patiently waiting for the reply of the powerful one and the entrance of the ile to reveal itself to her. Suddenly an entrance was opened to Akosuwa."Alafia," greeted Akosuwa the village's Iyalawo as she entered silver locks coursing down her back over the red and black cloth that wrapped around her shoulder across her slender frame reaching down to her feet. Coweri shells and elekees hung heavily down the front of her, as she approached the powerful one she felt the incontestable electrical vibration from the Iyaagon that told Akosuwa the Iyaagon was fully rejuvenated. The two women touched opposite shoulders together in acknowledging one another status of power and position, and then seated themselves at opposite sides of the divining tray that rose to the level of the Iyakan’s mid-section."You have rested well and that is good.""Yes considering all that is going on in the outer lands that are becoming more and more infested with osgbo from the invaders occupying the ancestral lands for so long, even with the demolishing of the slave castles and pits osgbo still drenches the soil, so much blood spilled, so many restless angry spirits roaming the outer lands especially in Badagary the place is ramped with violence, the blood in the streets just feeds the anger. The slave pits have been filled with blood from over the centuries. Transition rituals are becoming a challenge. This last one, a young woman from the coastal lands fought me to keep from leaving this world. She knew her ancestors were waiting for her and were not pleased; very angry they are. She had disrespected the Loas by throwing them into the ocean because the Christian missionaries told her that the customs and traditions that her ancestors had practiced for over a thousands of years was sinful and there would be no place in the kingdom of heaven. Many families have been destroyed by the invader’s concept of what they call religion. For thousands of years many tribes lived among one another in harmony practicing the ancient ways; land was sacred, until invaders came with foreign ideas of dividing people and land with this thing they called Christianity; a house of worship they called it. They took from the Aiye and did not give thanks; they took from the rivers and streams and did not give thanks. They did not allow the tribes to live on the same land. In some places the land became barren, so the invaders moved on to the places that were fruitful until there was nothing left and moved on again. The tribes grew weak, so these places of worship were built, but they only fed those tribes who worshipped as the invaders did; taking without giving. Soon the spirit of hate was birthed from hunger and resentment because now the tribes that had forsaken the ancient ways and taken on their ways of the invaders casting down their brothers and sisters. Not only did the invaders take our food from the land but soon they began to take the tribes that did not forsake the ancient ways of the ancestors. This thing; this house of worship this church they stole the tribes. They built slave dungeons and pits. They made them less then animals and sent them across Olokun. A long time this osogbo has been here. It was her sister who pleaded with me to perform the funeral rites and transformation ceremony. There are still those in the outer lands living the ancient ways so they journey here to see me. The Iyami allows them to come and protects them so that the unearthly ones do not take them, but there are those who would journey here with selfish reasons, that is when the unearthly ones take them to the place of shame, the Iyami turns their back," the powerful one said."Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done for those who are lost and who do not wish to be found. The slave dungeons that line our western shores are many. There are outer lands with as many as fifty or more slave dungeons built by the Christians. These dungeons and pits go as far as the land of the Zulu. The dead living among the outer lands are dangerous; no knowledge of themselves makes it easy to have faith in a thing that have killed and stolen the tribes of long ago. There was much blood that had been spilled and as a result your responsibilities to the ancestors become more difficult," Akosuwa said feeling weighted from her words, even her elekees seemed to have taken on the weight from her and the Iyaagons’ words."Yes I know, and I still think of all of those places, and the many that have died and do not know that they are dead and still scream in the night. Many of my own people have gone into those places of abomination; some as priest and some that were captured when the tribes warred with one another over the trinkets the invaders would bring; foolish these chiefs were; listening to the Christian missionaries, telling them of a land of milk and honey across the sea. Those same chiefs found themselves shackled next to those same prisoners of war. There were many chiefs that became entangled in the invaders lies. Their milk and honey was here until “they” came, “the Iyaagon said, as the lines on her almost ancient face filled with tears. "I remember as if I were there, it was whispered to me on the wind from many centuries ago. Even now it still haunts the wind,” Akosuwa said rising up from the leopard skin, pacing the floor momentarily while the Iyaagon patiently waited for her to return.“So many of our people have been stolen and sent to strange and foreign lands as slaves and much worst, as a result of greed and hatred, but there are some who have found their way back to their homeland. They struggle to find their way among the confusion within the outer lands, but along the way they are guided by those who still embrace the ancient ways," Akosuwa said with wisdom beyond her years of the physical plane she resided on. The powerful one returned and seated herself before Akosuwa and said," for the past seven moons I have been sensing a seer's spirit searching.""Has this spirit been the victim of violence in the outer lands like so many others?""No.""Has disease ravished its body?""I sense no sickness.""Is this spirit aware that it is in the spirit world?"“This spirit is acting on is own leading its physical body instead, it is acting as what is known as “the spirits quest” without the person even aware of what is happening to them. It is very rare, I have only heard of it twice in my life time, once in Gberefu and once in Ajegunle. This spirit is from the other side of the earth across the great water," the Iyaagon said gazing into the open space as though she was seeing something beyond the physical.“This one is special. I can feel it across the great water," the Iyaagon said.Puzzlement had mounted in Akosuwa's face. "I’m surprised this seer did not come to you in the dreamtime.""Oh but they have tried many times. Over the years the outer lands have built a barrier, not in the physical sense but one built of human torment. It is the embodiment of all human suffering for centuries within the dungeon walls and blood filled pits. These barriers come in the form of murderous nightmares, which recreate the deaths and murders of all of those who have passed through such abominations. Their horrible deaths are recreated over and over again in startling images almost to the point of physical manifestation at the new moon. Any unfortunate soul who is out when the foul stench of the dungeons rides the wind will know all the horrors of Badagary. To a new spirit just making their way dragging around the physical body these manifestations can be quite terrifying," the Iyaagon said surveying her collection of ewe."I see you have had herbs gathered for you from the mangroves." Akosuwa said following her powerful gaze."Yes the herbs from the mangroves if properly prepared make a powerful beacon for pure spirits in search of guidance. Akosuwa ready Ogun for a four legged the moon is nearing. I have much need for a pure spirit," the Iyaagon said, as her and Akosuwa sat enjoying the aroma of the burning herbs in the fire shrine of Shango. Spirals of smoke rose up into the ceiling making its way through the roof and into the afternoon sky advancing towards the first layer of the atmosphere to guide the searching spirit to its destination.
You need to be a member of Blacksciencefictionsociety to add comments!
Replies