Part 2 — Chapter 3

Chapter III THE KINGS OF OYO IGBOHO § r. Eguguoju Eguguoju having succeeded his father, became the leader of his people to Oyo ; the camp at Kusu was broken up and they carried the remains of the late King with them for state funeral at home. They encamped next at Iju Sanya, a desert place. Whilst there two large birds an Igbo and an Oyo were seen fighting, and they chased each other from the bough of the tree under which the King sat until they came down to the ground, and he ordered both to be caught and killed. This occurrence was regarded by him as a happy omen ; he therefore resolved to build a city there and to remove the seat of government to that place. From the example of the birds, he was resolved to fight to the last drop of blood in his veins any army that came against him there, never showing the " white feather." The city was accordingly built there, and was named Oyo Igboho, after the two birds, Igbo and Oyo, and there he buried the remains of his father. Nothing remarkable was recorded of this King except that he built Igboho, which became the last resting-place of four Yoruba Kings before the government was again removed to the ancient capital. Obalohun was the Basorun of this reign. § 2. Orompotq Prince Orompoto, brother of Eguguoju, and son of Ofinran succeeded to the throne. Shortly after his accession, troubles began to assail him ; he, however, proved himself to be a skilful and experienced commander, and as a statesman, he was unrivalled. In his reign Oyo regained the military fame it had lost. He was swift in action, darting upon his enemies as an eagle upon his prey, when they least expected his approach. He used all skill to conceal his movements from the enemy. His rearguard con- sisted of 1,000 foot and i,ooo horse, for each of whom he provided a broad ghaju leaf to sweep and obliterate the foot prints of his army on the march, the horsemen tying the leaves to the tails of their horses. But at the battle of Ilayi the King's army was routed although i6i he fought with unusual bravery. He lost in this battle, three Gbonkds, leaders of the van. When the first fell, he there and then created another ; he also fell, and he created a third who also fell, but whose fall converted the rout to victory under a peculiar circumstance As he fell under showers of arrows in a kneeling posture his mouth remained fixed in a state as if grinning; the Baribas observing two white rows of teeth under his helmet thought he was playing them a trick, and that he was laughing at their fruitless attempts to kill him and put his army to flight, not knowing that he was stiff dead and that the Oyos were on the point of retreating. A sort of dread overcame them for a man it was impossible to kill notwithstanding showers of arrows hanging on him ! so they retreated thinking they had lost the day, and the Oyos remaining in the field claimed the victory. Hence it was commonly said of this man " Gbonka Orogbori ti o ft ehin le ogun." (The Gbonka of the ghostly head who routed an army with his teeth). How long this King reigned is not known but he was the third buried at Igboho. Asamu was the Basgrun of this reign. § 3. AjIBOYEDE Ajiboyede succeeded to the throne. He was a most successful King but he was a tyrant. During this reign, the country was invaded by Lajomo, king of the Tapas. The King marched against him ; brave deeds were done on both sides; at last, however, the Yorubas were routed, and the King would have been slain but for a circumstance which not only saved his life, but also turned the tide of victory in his favour. When it became apparent that the battle was lost, Ajanlapa the Osi'wefa hastily exchanged dress with the King, and told him to escape for his life. He put on the King's crown and his robes, and the Tapas supposing him to be the King turned their attention chiefly on him, and showered upon him such a number of darts, that in falling his body was propped up by the shafts of the arrows. As the crown fell off his head (like Gbonka Orogbori of the preceding reign) a coward observed his teeth with the face set as if he were grinning ; thinking he was laughing at their futile efforts he con- cluded at once that they had supernatural beings opposed to them ! He was alarmed, communicated his fears to his comrades, and panic immediately spread throughout the Tapa host; and before they could be rallied, the stampede had become general, and he pursued now became the pursuers ; the Yorubas returned to the charge, and the Tapas were completely routed, and put to the sword. Lajomg their King was taken and the victory was complete. The King was so grateful for his life being saved by the devoted Osi'wefa, that he took counsel of all the Oyo nobles as to what honours he should bestow on Ajanlapa's son. He wished him to be his constant attendant, to be about him night and day, and that he should be free of any part of the palace. But such a post cannot be held by any other than a eunuch and to make him so would seem cruel and ungrateful ; but the Oyos counselled that unless he is so, he cannot enjoy the full liberty desired by the King. A painful necessity that seemed to be, but the King yielded to that advice, and he was emasculated. This circumstance accounts for the great honours attached to that office to this day, vide p. 59. The Osi'wefa is always the first as well as the last in the King's bed chamber. If the King is ill, he takes his place on state occasions, putting on his robes and the crown ; in war, he often appears as the King's deputy, invested with all the paraphernalia of royalty, including the state umbrellas, the kakaki trumpet, etc. Thus Ajanlapa by sacrificing his life converted what would have been a crushing defeat into a triumphant victory, and so saved his country from humiliation, and purchased royal honours for his family and for his official successors for ever. To mark this victory as well as his long reigp, Ajiboyede celebrated the Bebe festival. The Bebe is akin to a jubilee or golden age of a king's reign. There have been but few such in the history of the Yorubas. It lasts for 3 years, and during this period liberty of speech and action is granted to everyone, high and low, rich and poor through- out the kingdom, without any fear of being accused of sedition or treason. No riot or fighting is to be heard of anywhere, all provocations must be suppressed while the Bebe lasts, for no one is to be prosecuted during that period. All is peace. The King's Ilaris are rarely seen about on duty at this time, and when met, ne«d not command that worship and deference usually accorded them. No toll or tribute is paid. Everyone appears in his holiday dress. Country folks go to Oyo to enjoy themselves without fear. Festivities mark the occasion. Provincial and feudatory kings and princes, and those of adjacent countries pay visits to Oyo to offer congratulations ; presents are given and received in a lavish manner. The corridors and courtyards of the palace, and all the trees in the King's market used to be decorated with hangings of cloth of various hues, native and foreign make, as with bunting. One deplorable act, however, is a blot on theBeb§ celebration; it is always accompanied with human sacrifices offered to the memory of all preceding Kings from Oduduwa downwards ; two to each, and their blood mingled with those of animals slaughtered without number is poured out, for the King and his courtiers are required to have a religious dance upon it; and this part of the ceremony is regarded as the highest act of worship, and of thanksgiving. The Bebe is sometimes termed the Iht or funeral rites, as if intended to mark the close of a long reign, from the fact that the few Kings who celebrated it died a short time after. The three years festivities of the Bgbe being over, the Ba§orun celebrates a minor form of festival termed the Owara, and this lasts three months. A short time after these festivitives were over, the King lost by death his first-born son, Osemolu to his inexpressible grief. All the Oyo nobles who came to sympathize with him were by his orders put to death, alleging that their feigned condolence was but a mock sympathy, for since he was fasting from grief, their hands smelt of food recently partaken. An insurrection against him was quite ripe when a Moslem priest from the Tapa country called " Baba-kewu " sent his son " Baba-Yigi " to remonstrate with him for his unjust and cruel acts in avenging his son's death on innocent people, when his son had died a natural death. " This," said he, " is a sin against God who took away the life of your son." The King pondered seriously over this message, and became convinced of his tyranny. He convened an assembly of the Oyo citizens, and publicly asked their pardon for his unjust acts. He was making preparations for removing the seat of govern- ment back to Oyo when he died. This is the fourth and last King buried at Igboho. The Ba§grun of this reign was Ibat^. § 4. Abipa or " Oba M'oro " (the ghost catcher) Prince Abipa succeeded to the throne, being the fourth and last King who reigned at Gboho. His first effort was to carry out the last wishes of his father, viz., to remove the seat of government back to the ancient capital. The Nobles however, and those born at Gboho were strongly opposed to the removal, but could not prevent or dissuade the King from carrying out his purpose ; they therefore had recourse to a stratagem by which they hoped to thwart his purpose. When they knew that the King was about to send to inspect the old sites, and to propitiate the gods as a preliminary to re- occupation, emissaries were secretly despatched by them to precede the King's messengers. The Bagorun sent a hunchback, the Alapini an albino, the Asipa a leper, the Samu a prognathi, the Laguna a dwarf, the Akiniku a cripple. All these emissaries are considered in this country as unnatural beings, suffering the vengeance of the gods, hence they are termed " Eni Orisa " (the belongings of the gods). They are usually kept as priests and priestesses to Obatala and other gods, especially the albinoes, dwarfs, and hunchbacks. As the King's messengers were about to offer the sacrifices at the place appointed, these counterfeit apparitions who, according to instructions had posted themselves on the hill Ajaka, at the foot of which the palace was built, by a preconcerted plan suddenly began to shout " Ko si aye, ko si aye " (no room, no room). At night they roamed about the hill, hooting and cooing with lighted torches in hand, and they were taken for the spirits of the hill refusing them readmission to Oyq. This report was very distressing to the King, and he was at a loss what to do. The Ologbo or Arokin (chief cymbalist) shrewdly suspecting the real facts of the case advised his master to send hunters to investigate the truth of the matter. B6ni, Igi^ubu, Alegbktk, Lgkd, Gbandan^and Olomo were the six famous hunters sent. They armed themselves with weapons and with charms to meet any contingency for self-defence. When these hunters discovered that they were human beings they came upon them, and one of them took his aim and would have shot one of the deformed beings, had he not cried out and begged for his life. They were all taken alive and brought before the King ; and being questioned they were obliged to betray their masters who were at this time ignorant of what had taken place. The King adopted a most characteristic way of administering to his Nobles a silent rebuke which told. At the weekly meeting of the King and the noblemen for the Jakuta sacrifices (which occur every 5 days) after the usual pro- ceedings and religious ceremonies of the day were over, and they retired into the banqueting hall for refreshment as was their wont, the King on this occasion sent to each of the noblemen a calabash full of beer by the hands of his own emissary the " apparition " of Oyo ! The Basgrun saw with ineffable surprise his hunchback whom he thought was playing the ghost at distant Oyo emerging from the King's inner apartment with a calabash full of beer for him, the Alapini his albino, and so with all the others, each one being waited upon by his own emissary ! Instantly a deep silence pervaded the room and the rest of the time was passed in an ominous stillness. The King and his Nobles parted with- out a word being spoken on the subject. The noblemen, however, showed their resentment by poisoning the Ologbo the King's adviser; but he, in order to show his love and esteem for the deceased, ordered for him a semi-state funeral, and had his body wrapped in ass's skin to be taken to Oyo for interment. From this incident. King Abipa was nick-named Oba M'gro (the King who caught ghosts). Another nickname given to the King that had connection with this event was derived from his head slave Bisa, a Bariba, who was his favourite, and one time had great influence with his master. The King found out that Bisa was an accomplice with the Nobles in thwarting his designs. His Majesty now adopted a characteristic method of administering him a very sharp rebuke which he never forgot. He one day called Bisa, and told him that the Eleduwe (the king of his native country) was dead, and that the Baribas have sent to him to pay the ransom of Bisa, who has been elected to the vacant throne. "Now Bisa, will you go?" "Yes, your Majesty " replied Bisa, " and your majesty may be sure of this, that when I ascend the throne, the Bariba country to its utmost limits will be free and open to all Yorubas." The King then rejoined " Why do you wish to go to your country and yet you were trying to prevent me going to my birthplace and ancestral home ? Therefore, yoti shall not go." Bisa begged hard, but his master remained resolute, hence he was nicknamed " Ogbolu Akohun, Akohun Bisa jale" Ogbolu the Refuser who totally refused Bisa's entreaties. From this time Bisa lost all influence with the King. The design of removing the seat of Government to Oyo was now carried out, and Oyo from that time was known as Oyo O^Q ie- Qyq of the ghosts.* Those famous hunters remained three years with the King in the capital as his guests, until he was perfectly settled. When they were about to return home, the King in order to do them honour, sent a special messenger with them as his representative, and lest this servant of his should prove a source of expense to them, he was allowed the privilege of receiving tolls for his liveli- hood. He became really the new Governor of the town with the title of Onibode (receiver of customs). Hence that title is bestowed on the chief ruler of Gboho to this day. The remaining act of this King was the consolidation of his ^ Oyo is also sometimes called Oyo Egboro from the name of the prince from whom Sango seized it. kingdom. He buried charms in several places in the city that it might never be destroyed by war. When his " medicine men " asked for a new born babe to be used as an ingredient in the composition of the charm, it happened that one of his wives had just then been confined ; this being reported to him, he ordered the new born babe to be brought in its blood as it was, and he handed it over to the men to be pulverized and used for their purpose. This act is to this day highly com- mended by the people, and the King accounted a great public benefactor who so loved his country, that he sacrificed his son for the welfare of his people. OYo was never destroyed by war after this event, but all the same, when the hour of retribution came, the blood of the innocents was avenged, for she suffered the fate of all cities destroyed by war. She was deserted, and thus she is in ruins unto this day. Ibate continued as the Basorun of this reign also.