SELECTED TALES: GLIMPSES INTO YORU BA CULTURE VOLUME II

‘The Genesis of O lo pe e re ’ tells the history of how the four lands and sixteen villages are combined under the rule of one o ba (king) and how Nu ga , as the only surviving son of the late baa le
(chief) of Agbe le and apparent o ba, chooses instead to lead the new band of warriors charged with protecting the new land. In the ‘The Skirmish at Ro go do ’, an o ba’s obsession with a betrothed woman leads him to break tradition and sully his reign forever.

‘My Friend and Comrade’ is a story of revenge against a Balo gun (commander) that shows that faith and friendship is stronger than malice. In the ‘The Trump Card’, two childhood friends with very different ambitions fall in love with the same woman. In the end, true love, honesty and purity win over avarice, lust and vanity. ‘What’s in a Name?’ explains the importance of names not only on the child itself but in culture and family.

‘A Mother’s Dilemma’ tells the story of triplets separated at birth who are caught in a foster father’s plot to wed one of the sisters. In ‘The Power of Love’, the beautiful Salima succumbs to loneliness and gluttony. Only love can save her from her ever-expanding waistline. In ‘Ku sa: A Tale of the Three Ks’, a retired customs officer moves in next door to the smuggler he has always failed to fully uncover.

‘Always Remember, Together We Stand’ tells the story of an ailing father and much younger wife and their unconventional request for the son to give the wife something the husband can no longer provide. In ‘The Riddle of the Inheritance’, when a son continually runs from his home and father, it’s not until after his father’s death that he realises his destiny is there all along. The ‘Sequel to Usi ’ tells of the Yoru ba gods’ second coming to earth to introduce the leaders of the sixteen communities to the ways of E du ma re (Creator of the Heavens and Earth).

‘Much More Than Footprints’ begins as the story of a lonely funeral but in the end proves that we all can have a mark on someone’s life. In ‘Every Dark Cloud Has a Silver Lining’, a childhood fight leads to a lifelong friendship that teaches that everyone should be valued despite their station in life. ‘Farouk’ is the story of a blind beggar who is neither blind nor a true beggar.

‘But for the Office Pushpins’ shows that ingenuity and perseverance are the keys to success. ‘His Own Greatest Enemy’ not only recounts the devastation of traditional culture and tribal language by foreign oppressors but also highlights the importance of instilling honourable leadership within the new regime.