Aláàfin: Irúnmölé

Chapter 5

ADEDAYO

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       Magic filled the air as we marched to the square. The Egungun brought their best today as they performed tricks with their various Ashes. Particularly the black one in front of me, "Danafojura", using his Sango Ashe, he decorates his dancing steps with fire sprouting from his hands. He was famous for his flame tricks, either close range mini fireworks or he created images and mini forms of creatures with fire. This prowess was a testament to how powerful he was, because for a scale of his coverage when it comes to the flame wielding he does, he had to have a high amount of skill and Ashe.

        With him in front of the entourage of masquerades that escort me from front, decorating the air with flame graphics, i marched forward with the people behind me. It is tradition that when one marches to the shrine to claim his Ashe from the Orishas, he should be prayed for by his loved ones, family and friends as it seemed like a way of getting their attention as it is said that " If many are gathered, the Orishas will be there". And since i was to be king of the land, I was heaped by prayers by almost everyone in the capital.

         Entering the square, in the centre stood Olabode the vice chief priest, turns out the old man didn't show........ probably forgot it was his future king's bloody coronation. As i marched forward before the shrine built for my sake as the city's head shrine couldn't take it's people and visitors from other lands all at once. With the shrine at the center of the square, few wooden canopies were made at edges of the square to accommodate certain chieftains due to their status with common people all over without shade but without borders as they were in a festive mood. With people following me from behind, leaving to join the crowd with my uncle and "his" going to the shade reserved for OYO-ILE dignitaries, i noticed the important people under the shades. 

      The Oba of Ilorin.......Afonja in his white lawani and gold&black robes, Adedotun...Alake of Abéòkúta with two blue headed wood doves on both sides of his shoulder wearing his blue & black cap and agbada, Olubadan of Ibadanland...Ogundipe in his blue and white agbada with Fìlà on his head, a representative of the Ooni of ILE-IFE as well was alongside them as he's immobile right now and also other rulers of minor states in OYO stood at the shade reserved for rulers of state.

            I then approached the shrine with Olabode waiting for me with a crooked smile on his face. He was quite tall, dark skinned, braided hair with a red hair tie for a short ponytail at the end with quite the big forehead, black circles also surrounded his eyes and he also had a pot belly. In his red dansaki imprinted with cowries and shorts, he stood before the shallow pit dug at the center of the shrine. The shrine was set up at the center of the square with a long white cloth placed and stretched on two wooden platforms. Before it were the altars of the Orishas arranged by their worship day and marks with altars of Orishas sharing the same worship day & Ashe marks being paired together. 

        With the altars carrying their idols, one white cock is placed in front of each altar as well as a calabash filled with white powder and two flame torches at their opposite sides as olabode stood in front of them.

Maneuvering my way around the pit, sighting the Red Sand already placed at its side, i headed towards olabode with guards at which i'm just noticing, arranging themselves in a file at the end of the shrine. I came before him with him gazing down on me with a weird look, almost like he's not happy to see me. He then spreads his hands and shouts 

" PEOPLE OF OYO-ILE AND ALL OVER OYO, THE WAIT IS OVER!"

The people respond with loud shouts and Gangàn sounds.