Читать книгу Igbo History Hebrew Exiles of Eri - Omabala Aguleri - Страница 10

The interesting story about Eri deserves comments. Most ceremonies, rituals and customs of the present Igbo race are based on this folktale on Eri, the founding father of the Igbo race. A few examples are pointers to this fact:

1)Before any Eze is installed in Igboland he must be given the Odudu Eze or Ofo. Ofo represents a staff of authority. The Odudu Eze is a royal scepter depending on whether the recipient is a traditional ruler or a community leader. Also, a community which had obtained the Ofo could pas it to any other sister community provided that due authority had been obtained to do so.

(a)Agulu, who was the first-born of Eri and the subsequent ruler of Eri kingdom after the death of Eri, received the Odudu Eze before taking office.

(b)Before any Eze Nri is installed, the King and his retinue come to Aguleri where they make sacrifices in the temples of Eri Kingdom before collecting the Odudu Eze. Nri rigidly observes this injunction because Nri is one of the few kings in Igboland who derived their authority from religion and close relationship with Aguleri.

2)In this era, local vernacular is used to indicate an event that happened as far back as a thousand years and more.

(a)Ube-Eri means long time ago; a time going back to the era of Eri. Mgbe-Kilidim means during the era of Kilidim; Eri-Oge means long time ago. You now know why these words are used. Eri and Kilidim existed at the dawn of Igbo history during the metal age.

(b)IDA is a word used to denote a far-off place. IDA is in Igalaland in Kogi State. Aguleri people often traveled to Ida which was a five day journey by canoe along the Anambra River. The fact that Ida is now an Igbo word used to denote a far distance shows a longstanding relationship with the Igala people.

3)Eri never had an empire of the size and status of Oyo, Benin, Sokoto Kanem Bornu and Igala empires. These empires were founded with the sword. EriKingdom was founded without the sword; without a war. The vast land area occupied by the Igbo of Nigeria were peacefully established and acquired. No village of any town can honestly claim to be aborigines of that town. This proves that Igboland was an uninhabited open country.

4)Just like the Aguleri folktale cited. Igbo mythology also believes that Eri came from the sky. We all know that no man born of human can emerge from the sky. Eri and his companions must have migrated to Igala from upland. They might have looked strange going by their dressings. Such legendary and mythical stories are told today.

5)Eebu language spoken by Eri must have Hebrew language. Eebu must have been the gradual corruption by folklore of the name Hebrew. Languages are dynamic. For instance, Aguleri dialect spoken today changed from that spoken a hundred years ago.

6)In accordance with very broad groupings in Aguleri age grade system, the middle-aged men from the ages of twenty-six to thirty-five are called Umu-Okolobia. The word Obia means a stranger, in Igbo language. This name must have been given in reference to the middle aged strangers that migrated to Igala along with Eri.

Most of the facts in the folklore appeared real and have kept us wondering if the story is a mere tale or a true story in Aguleri oral tradition which enables generations to retain the history of Eri and his migration. We urge our anthropologists to carry out more research on the background of this and other such lore’s in Aguleri tradition.