Shango And His Battleaxe, Oshe - Season 1 - Episode 3

Episode 6 years ago

Shango And His Battleaxe, Oshe - Season 1 - Episode 3

This time it was an old man, not as old and hideous as the old witch but old still; regaled in a flowing agbada robe and wore a beaded crown, sat on a boulder like a king in court; my encounter with the old woman had made me cautious as I quickly prostrated and paid homage as expected of a Yoruba youth to an elder then made to move on when he called me by my name.

“How do you know my name old one I asked’’ the old man smiled and answered in a surprisingly deep voice for an old man.

“Who does not know the infamous wayward son of Oranmiyan, the birds sang your arrival and the forest dwellers gathered their females away from your path lest you leave them without women, the stories I heard about you always portrays you as vain and rash but never foolhardy enough to throw his life away as the man I see before me.’’

“What am doing in the dark forest does not concern anybody but me’’ I snapped rudely, my temper getting the best of me, if you had a friend who was lost you would understand but I see all your age mates would have joined their ancestors by now.’’

The old man chuckled,

“The famous temper; I heard many a story about that too, so who was the lost person you seek?’’

“My friend and drummer Obembe, I replied, “he disappeared along with a number of my band a few days ago.’’

“then he is lost forever’’ the old man mused; ‘‘for anyone taken in the dark forest never saw the sun again, go back while you still can young prince for your friends has been claimed by the god of despair for now as we speak Elegbara may be drinking their blood, using their skulls as cup.’’

“Then Elegbara has taken his last meals on this earth for if he does not hand over my friends in peace I will take them in pieces’’, I raged.

“Bold words from a brave man, the old man said, Ogun the Orisha of iron and warfare said the same before he beheld the daemon deity yet fled on sight, he is an Orisha, you are just a mortal, what did you have that Ogun does not.’’