PRAYERST O ESUANDP AP AL EGBA: T HE CL ASSI CALT RADI T I ON Se pt e mb mb er2 8,2 01 0a t5 : 5 4a m
Or i k i ( Yo r ubapr ai s epoe t r y )andpr a y er st oEs uf r o mI l l aOr an guni nYor uba l an d
Onc eaweek ,i . e.e ver yfif t hda y ,t heel der l ys eni orpr i es t es sofEs hu,t heEl emos o( Es hupr i es t es s oft hefir s tr ank ) ,r ubst hefl oorofEs hu' ss hr i newi t hy un yun,agr as swhi c hhast hemedi c i nal effec t o fs t o pp i n gb l e ed i n g( Ab r a ha m1 95 8: 6 90 ) .Sh er e mo mo v e she rh ea dwr a pa ndk ne el sb ef o r et h e s hr i ne,s i ngi ng: " Es h u,Ih on ory o ub ec a us eofy o urp owe r . Es h u,y o ua r et h er o adma ma k er . Come mewi t hki ndnesst ome meandt omy my f ami l y ,whos er v ey ouwi t hgi f t s . Es hu,y ouar et hepr e sentgi v er . Makeme mer i chandt hemo mot her ofgoodc hi l dr en. Nev eral l owy ourc hi l dr enmi s f or t une. Come mewi t hyourgor geousappear ance, y ous onofc owr i es . "
Wo menf me ear i ngba r r en ne ssc ome,p et i t i oni ngEs hu ' she l pi nha v i ngac hi l d .Andwhe nt he ygi v ebi r t h, t he ywi l l r et ur nwi t ht hes ac r i fi ces pr omi s ed,andof t enc ont i nuet opar t i c i pat ei nt heweek l yr i t e.
Lat ei nt heaf t er noon,ont hes i x t hdayoft hef es t i v al ,t heEs hufi gur ei scar r i edt ot hek i ng' sma mar k et ( oj aoba)ont heheadoft het hi r dr ank i ngEs hupr i es t es s,t heAr ugba( bowl c ar r i er ) .Shei spr ec eded b yt h ehi g he r r a nk i n gp r i e st e ss e s,t h eEl e mo mo soa ndt h eEl eb i ,a ndf o l l o wedb yb at ad r u mmer mm san d ot hermemb mber soft hecomp mpound,whosi ng: " Peop l eo ft hemar k e t ,c l eart hewa y! Wear ec o mi mi n gt h r o ug ht h ema r k e tg a t e . MyLo r di sc o mi mi n gt ot h ema r k e t . Myh us ban d,Iha v ear r i v e d. Lar o ye( Es hu) ,Iha vear r i v ed. Bar a y e,Bar a y e,Ba r a y e! " Lar o y eap pe ar sl i k eagr a cef u lc r o wn. Eshu,donotdecei veandhar m me;
dec ei v ean ot h er .
L at o pa( Es h u) ,b l e s sme .Es h u,b l e s sme . Ba r a ,b l e s sme .Es h u,b l e s sme . " Al l r ev er enc et oy ou,Lat opa. Al l r ev er enc et oy ou,Bar a. Lar oy ecomes.Eshucomes. Al l r ev er enc et oy ou,Lal upon. Al l r ev er enc et oy ou,Bar a. " Wear egl adt hatEs hu' sf es t i v al has c ome. Eshu,donothar m me. Eshu,donothar m me. "
Al t hought hef es t i v al r i t ual sofot heror i s haal s oi nc l udeapr oc es si ont ot hemar k etpl ac e,t her ei sa s pec i al as soc i at i onofEs huwi t ht hemar k et .Someofhi sor i k ir ef ert ot hi sas soc i at i on: " Es h uq ui c k l yma k eshi ms e l fma s t e r oft hemar k e tpl a ce. Hebu y swi t ho utp ay i n g. Hec au se sno t hi n gt obebo ug hto rs ol d att hemar k etunt i l ni ght f al l . " ( Ve r ge r1 9 57: 1 17 8 ) Att h eOj ec l o t hma r k e ti nI badan,nobuy i n gors el l i ngc anbegi nu nt i l pal m oi l hasbe enp our e do v er t hee shuoj a( mar k ets hr i ne )b yt hep r i es t e ss esandel der soft hemar k e t .Amon gt hef ourmar k e t sof I l a,onl yt hel ar gec ent r al dai l ymar k ethasanes huoj awhi c hr ec ei v espal m oi l oc cas i onal l york ol a nuto ffer i ngsf r omv ar i ou swomensel l e r soft hemar k e tpl ac e. Suc hoff er i ngsappeart obes ol el yper s onalpe t i t i onsf orEs hu' sai dandpl ac enor es t r i c t i onsont he t r adi ngac t i v i t i esoft hemar k e tg ene r al l y . Thec owr i e swi t hwhi c hEs hudanc ewandsandv es t ment s ar edec or at edal s oc on v eyEs hu' sas s oc i at i onwi t ht hemar k e t ,f orc owr i e swer emone yi npr ec ol oni al Yor ubal and.
" Es hus l epti nt h ehous eBu tt h eh ou sewa st o os mal l f orh i m. Es husl e pto nt h ev e r a nd ah Bu tt h ev e r a nd ahwa st o os ma l l f orh i m.
Es hus l ep ti nanut Atl as thec oul ds t r et c hhi ms el f . Es h uwa l k e dt h r o ug hagr o un dn utf a r m. Thet uf tofhi shai rwasj us tv i s i bl e. I fi thadnotbeenf orhi shuges i z e, Hewoul dno tha v ebeenv i s i bl eatal l . Ha v i n gt h r o wnas t o ney es t e r d ay , Hek i l l sabi r dt oday .
L y i ngdown,hi sheadhi t st her o of . St a nd i ngu p,h ec an no tl oo k i nt ot hecook i ngpot . Es hut ur nsr i ghti nt owr ong, wr ongi nt or i ght . " ( Bei e r1959: 15) " Het ur nsqui c kl yandwal k squi c kl y . Whenhei sangr y , hehi t sas t oneunt i l i tbl eeds . " ( Ve r ge r1 95 7: 1 17 )
" Es huf ough to nI wat ast r ee t l i k eahu nd r e dme n. Myf a t h erc o me swi t hhi sc l u b. Eas hui sawi c k edchi l d wh oh asi n he r i t e das wo r d . " Es h us wi n gsac l u b asanI f apr i es tadi v i ni ngc hai n. Es huc ar r i e sc l u bsonhi she ad l i k ebal esofc ot t on. Eshu,donotdecei veandhar m me; dec ei v ean ot h er . ( TheEl e bi ) " Es h u,c o nf u se ro fme n Th eo wne ro ft wen t ys l a v es i ssac r i fi ci ng, Sot h atEs h uma yn o tc o n f u s ehi m. " Es h uc o n f u s e dt h eh ea do ft h eQu ee nAn ds h es t a r t e dt ogona k ed .
Th enEs h ub ea th ert oma k eh erc r y . " ( Bei e r1959: 15)
I ts ho ul dno wb ea pp ar e ntwh yt hes en i o rme mb er so ft h eOg bo ni s oc i e t ya r enol o ng era san xi o us a bo utEs h ua st h e yo nc ewe r e .Th e yh a v ep as s e dt h r o ug ht h et i meo fEs h u .Th ei ra geh a smo v e d t h em b ey o ndhi sap pa r e ntc ap r i c e.Th et h umbEs husu c k si sno w" h i d de n"i nt h ec l e nc h edfi s to ft he me mber s hi ps i gn.Thei rs ec r e tt r ans c end st heal t er n at i on sa ndr e v er s al sofEs hu' st i meand wo r l d .Th eyha v ek no wnEs hui nh i spo we ra same ss en ge r .Hi ss ec r e ti st h ei rs e cr e t .Kno wi n gt h e my s t er yt hati sEs hu mar k st heendoft i me,t heendofal t er nat i on,t heendofdi s cont i nui t i es ,t heendoft heor i s ha' s t hr eat eni n gmi s c hi e vo us l i b i d i na lp owe r .Nol on ge rd ot h eyha v et oma k es ac r i fi c et oEs hu ,f o rt h eyha v ec omet ok no wh i ma s " t hegi f tgi v er , "" t hec hi l dofc owr i es , "t hegi f tandweal t hofas e. "I ti si nt hi sc ont ex tt hatwec an per h apsdi s c er nt hemean i ngo fa nor i k if orEs huc i t edb yt hed osSant os :" Fat herwhoga v eb i r t ht o Ogboni I scal l edb yal l BabaJ ak i l a.
Thu s,e ac hwe ekt h eEl e mo so ,s en i o rp r i e s t e s so fEs hu , p r a y s : " Es h u,Ih on ory o ub ec a us eofy o urp owe r . Es h u,y o ua r et h er o adma k er . Co mewi t hk i n dn es st omean dt omyf a mi l y whos er v ey ouwi t hgi f t s " .
f r o m " Es uEl egb ar a : t heYo r ubaT r i c k st e rGod by JohnPember t on Af r i c anAr t s ,Vol .9,No.1( Oc t . ,1975) ,pp.2027+6670+9092
ht t p: / / www. j s t or . or g/ s t abl e/ 3334976
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