At Umuohi, Okija, in Ihiala local government area of Anambra State, a man called Ukata Nnanna in an interview gave a clearer picture of why the eke has come to be regarded as being so sacred and in some places is worshipped as a goddess.
"The story of eke we have here is sacred and different. But before we go on, it is good to point out that the mystery surrounding eke is greater than most of us can actually understand. Our own case is quite peculiar. In the olden days, our people used to provide shelter for strangers. This was how the issue of eke became a symbol of respect and regards here in our village", Nnanna said, grinning and shaking his head repeatedly.
"There was one certain aged widow who was said to have been driven away by her husband people. She set out on a journey, a journey she did not know where it would take her. When she got to Umuohi, Okija, she stopped and begged our people to provide a place for her to rest her feet. She was by then too tired to continue on her way.
"Our people did not only give her a place to settle down, she was also asked to remain with us. Without knowing it, our people had given shelter and hope to a woman with plenty of mysterious powers. Before the woman died she made a lot of promises to our people. In the first place she asked that her house be built by the riverside. No one knew why she made that sort of request. But then at her death she decreed that no Umuohi woman should be maltreated by her husband people. And wherever she is married to, on the first night of her arrival, a python would appear to encourage and strengthen her. To date, this situation still exists; that once an Umuohi woman is being threatened at her husband’s place, a python appears, sometimes a very big one that would frighten people out of their wits. For this reason, a lot of people are skeptical about marrying an Umuohi woman.
No comments:
Post a Comment