YORUBYTE: VALENTINE – THE AFRICAN WHO DIED FOR LOVE
It would be Valentine's in a few days, it is the celebration of love they say. Whenever sacrificial love is being talked about, they make it seem like Africans do not have the capacity to pay the ultimate price for love. They talk about how Jack died for the girl in Titanic, they talk about how Romeo died for Juliet, they talk about how St. Valentine died for a babe. You want to know the truth, they are all LIES! The Love story in Titanic was fabricated, Romeo was just a product of Shakespeare's imagination, and there was no St. Valentine death anywhere. Please confirm for yourself.
The Oyo empire was a very big empire in West Africa back in the days, it was situated largely in the country called Nigeria today. it formed one of the four major empires of Africa. To rise to become the king of the Oyo empire, a group of people called Oyo mesi (kingmakers) have to give their blessings. It so happened that at one time, the head of those King makers was a man named Gaa, his chieftancy title was "Bashorun", so he was called Bashorun Gaa!
Ha! Gaa was wicked! he was feared! Just the mention of his name made quite a lot of people develop weak knees. You think the biblical Pharoah was wicked? compared to Gaa, Pharoah was an angel. Bashorun Gaa personally installed 4 kings and killed them, just to show his might. When Bashorun Gaa installed Labisi as king, the man didn't even finish his installation rites before Gaa caused his death. Just 17 days into the initiation rites and the poor dude was dead.
He appointed the next king immediately, Alaafin Oduboye. After Oduboye became king, Gaa demanded that the king prostrate to him. Just because Oduboye refused, saying it's never done, Gaa killed him just 130 days after he ascended the throne!
Pronto, Another prince, Alaafin Agboluaje was made king by Gaa again. Alaafin Agboluaje tried to obey Gaa but the "Bebe" celebration caused a rift between them, and guess what? Yes, you guessed correctly, Gaa killed him! (The Bebe is a story for another day).
Next, Gaa installed Agboluaje's brother, Alaafin Majeogbe promptly. Within 90 days, you know what happened? Yeah, you are catching on real fast, Majeogbe was killed. 4 kings within a spate of one and a half years! Gaa was a terror.
Look, you won't understand the impunity Gaa wielded in Oyo with his sons. Let me give you an example; Gaa's son forced an "alabaru" (a commercial load carrier) to carry a luggage far heavier than the guy could carry. He walked behind the alabaru amusing himself with the guy's suffering. He remarked in jest that the man's neck had become so thick that he doubted if a sword could cut through. He pulled out his sword to confirm it. Peu! he cut the "Alabaru's" head, just like that! Ni'lu to l'oba, to ni'joye. No one dared touch him, cos he was Bashorun Gaa's son.
Another Son of Bashorun Gaa shot dead a farmer making ridges in the farmer's own land. When he was asked why he killed the farmer, Gaa's son replied, "the bastard was disfiguring Oyo land by making horns on it". Ridges! .... Horns! Not even the king could do anything about it because he was Gaa's son. Now you have a LITTLE understanding of who i am talking about.
Bashorun Gaa had a mortar in his house that if he sits atop, he is said to turn into a mighty elephant that can destroy 400 battalions of soldiers at once. uhn-uhn, Gaa was not a man to toy with.
So, after Alaafin Majeogbe was killed and a young prince of about 25 years was again appointed by Bashorun Gaa as king, the young king, Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu, as we say in this part, really borrowed himself brain o. Infact, by that time, no one wanted to be Alaafin anymore. but kingship was forced on Adegoolu. To preserve his life, the Alaafin Adegoolu used to go to Bashorun Gaa's house EVERY morning to prostrate for him. We are talking about the greatest king in the whole of Yoruba kingdom fa! The only king who has the title of DEATH!. Iku baba yeye, alase ikeji orisa (Death the father, Death the mother, second in command to the gods). When the King prostrates to a chief, who else dares look the chief in the face? None, save for a man who has love burning in his breast.
Alaafin Adegoolu had a daughter called Agboin. just to please Bashorun Gaa, Alaafin Adegoolu made up his mind to give the girl out to Gaa in marriage. So, every morning when the king comes back to the palace from his prostrating session with Bashorun Gaa, Alaafin Adegoolu would send his daughter, Agboin to Gaa's house to give him some kolanuts on her way to the market. Agboin obeyed her parents by taking the kola nuts to Gaa but she always complained to her mother that she was not interested in Gaa as she already had someone she loved. on one of such days when she was complaining to her mother, the queen asked her who this boy was that she was always talking about?
Agboin, the princess of the Alaafin opened her buccal cavity and uttered an odoriferous stench, she said she was in love with the son of a common peasant, his name was Akinkunmi. "Akinkun-what?! What does that even mean?" asked the mother. Akin, in yoruba language, actually means courage. Akinkunmi is a name that translates to "I am filled with courage". The queen gave Agboin a lecture i want all ladies reading this to pay attention to. "listen my daughter, any Akin (courage) that does not have an Ola (wealth) in it, is a useless Akin. if you must fall in love with an Akin, he should be an AkinOLA, AkinbobOLA, AkindunmOLA, e.t.c. Any other kind of Akin is a useless Akin". Yet, Agboin loved her peasant Akinkunmi so. Thank God i am FemOLA, so i am worthy of a princess. #TongueOut#
As i was saying jare...,
So, it came to a time that Bashorun Gaa decided to make a charm to increase his wealth. The herbalist told Gaa that the blood of a deer would be required for the sacrifice. in yoruba language, a deer is called AgbonRin. the next morning when the king's daughter came to deliver the kolanut, Bashorun Gaa detained her and gave her to the herbalist to use for the wealth charm. "My Lord", said the herbalist, "this is a human being, what we need is AgbonRin (a Deer) for the sacrifice. Gaa retorted and said "this is Agboin, i order you to use it, there is no difference between AgboRin and Agboin save for an alphabet". Thus, the princess was pounded alive until she became pulp and blood could be extracted from her.
When Alaafin Adegoolu heard what had happened, he was devastated. He shed tears, hot tears but there was nothing he could do, he dared not confront Bashorun Gaa. Otio. Gaa ke? Rara. If Shea-Butter (ori) ever dares the sun, the ointment is attempting a ruinous transformation of state from solid to liquid. Alaafin Adegoolu, despite being angry reminded himself that "shoe get size, and Okrika get quality". The Alaafin sought for help. He dressed up as a woman and went to look for the Aare-Ona-Kakanfo (War Generalisimo) of the yoruba race. The Aare-ona-Kakanfo at the time was Aare Oyabi, he was resident in Ajase.
For three days after the killing of Agboin had gone viral (yes ke, it went viral ni now), Akinkunmi could not sleep. he was boiling in anger. he was furious that his love was killed just like that and no one could do anything about it. On the fourth day, while the king went to Aare Oyabi, Akinkunmi couldn't stand the pain any longer, in anger, he barged into the house of Bashorun Gaa early in the morning of the fourth day.
"Where is that big fool called Gaa?" Akinkunmi shouted as he entered Gaa's house. Sacriledge! "Egbin o n yoro". One of Bashorun Gaa's slaves, Gbagi, came out to meet Akinkunmi and said to him, "You this son of a peasant, what is it that makes you so garrulous without a fear of consequences, are you aware of where you are?" Akinkunmi responded with a classic statement that has never been forgotten ever since. He said, "I may be the son of a peasant but what i am is a SON to my father, no matter the wealth you display, what you are is a SLAVE to Gaa. Just call me that old fool named Gaa and let him come explain to me why he had to kill my Agboin".
"Who the hell is that?" Bashorun Gaa himself asked as he came into the outer room to meet the two young lads. "Oh", retorted Gbagi the slave, "The dog that goes into the lion's den would earn itself a bath of blood". "its okay", said Akinkunmi, "However, the lion itself would have some stains of blood on its skin". At this, Akinkunmi rushed at Gaa and took out an ounde (charmed belt) which he swiped at Gaa. The great Bashorun Gaa became paralysed! Gaa realised that truly, the one who sneers at the kudeti river, calling it an inconsequential flash flood, is usually drowned in that river. An inconsequential Akinkunmi struck a debilitating blow to the mighty Gaa!. At that point, Gbagi struck down Akinkunmi with a sword and Akinkunmi died on the spot. He died for his love Agboin, even when he knew Agboin may never be allowed to marry him. Akinkunmi sacrificed his all, just for his love.
It is said that by the time the Aare-ona-kakanfo Oyabi entered the city of oyo with his warriors against Bashorun Gaa, Gaa couldnt get to his mortar quick enough to get into it to turn into an elephant. this was why Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu was able to conquer Gaa. if Gaa was not paralysed, he would have gotten to his mortar. if he had gotten to his mortar, even the Aare-ona-kakanfo might have been toast.
All of Gaa's children were killed. To ensure Gaa does not have any family lineage at all, the Alaafin ordered the killing of all his grand children too, even the toddlers. And finally, any pregnant woman carrying Gaa's blood was disemboweled, before Gaa himself was killed.
Due to this event, an adage was coined in yoruba land that is being used uptill today. it goes thus :
"Bi o l'aya osika, bi o ri iku Gaa, o yio so otito". if you have the heart of a cruel man, take note of Gaa's death and be true.
Happy Valentine in advance.
- Till Next week Friday
follow Olufemi on twitter: @ffadairo
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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD "OBA"
The word OBA is definitely a yoruba word. it is a generic word that signifies superiority. OBA is derived from something that towers above some other things (nkan to gaba le nkan mi). since time immemorial, yorubas have refered to kings as Obas that's why there is an adage saying Oba ba lori oun gbogbo (The king towers above all else).
The OBA of Benin is OUR royal father, it is a taboo to OPENLY say OUR royal father is wrong. it wasn't the king that said OBA is not a yoruba word, so we can correct the chief with all due respect.
OBA KHA TO KPEE EEE ....... ISE!
Bashorun Gaa
ReplyDeleteNow I know better