ABOBAKU

"Iku npa agiliti alawo, kambelete eni ti fi awo re sogun aaiku."
- Yoruba adage


The crimson sun sinks into the western skies
A rumor escapes from the palace and flies

The inevitable descends on the throne
Silence becomes the only audible tone

The advisers now seek after advice
Who does the gods desire for sacrifice?

Baba Ifa, into the ears of the gods whispers
In a language only the gods could decipher

The Opele convenes the gods' wish as it cast down
The Seer peeping into Opon Ifa gives a knowing frown

No mortal man knows what the Ifa says
Except he who understands Orunmila's ways

The gods' lieutenant joins his ancestors in fortnight
And the gods delight I escort him on this fearful flight

As my father did, the last king, into the land of dead
Now the same ancestral heritage falls on my head

It's time I embrace my destiny with all my heart
It will be my son's turn when the Aremo departs

I remember my father's last words to me
When the gods choose you, please don't flee

Just like Kings don't die, but only sleep
Abobaku don't lie, our promises we keep

Every man lives for a reason, I suppose
But Abobaku dies to fulfill a purpose.

-Amberacious Poems (c) 2015.


"Iku npa agiliti alawo, kambelete eni ti fi awo re sogun aaiku."

Meaning: Agiliti is a resilient type of lizard of the Iguana family, whose tough skin is often used in making longevity charms. The moral of the idiom is, just as the agiliti eventually dies, so will owner of the charm. No one lives forever.

The Abobaku: (meaning one who dies with the king) in Yoruba culture is a person that is appointed upon a king’s coronation. Whoever is given that title would enjoy the same privilege with the monarch and live big just like the Oba. Once the monarch is dead, he must die too. He is expected to be buried with the king in order to easy his journey into the other realm.

Ifá: is a religion and system of divination and refers to the verses of the literary corpus known as the Odu Ifá. Orunmila is identified as the Grand Priest, as he is who revealed divinity and prophecy to the world. Baba Ifa/Babalawo's use either the divining chain known as Opele, or the sacred palm or kola nuts called Ikin, on the wooden divination tray called Opon Ifá.

Aremo: The king's eldest son and the heir to the throne.

INTERESTING...

I am not a fan of poetry but I think I love this




cc ujsizzle

hmmnn

I hope seven human head will not accompany the deadking to the grave. LOL.
Nice piece.

Beautiful cultural insight

Tell me, is this tradition of killing the Abobaku along with the deceased king still in practice today?

SunnyBlaze1:
INTERESTING...

Thanks!

mployer:

I am not a fan of poetry but I think I love this

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

joseph1832:
I hope seven human head will not accompany the deadking to the grave. LOL.

Nice piece.

Seven heads no dey dat easy to come by oo. . I don't think any head wld be required, anyway it's good you found this interesting.

UjSizzle:
Beautiful cultural insight

Tell me, is this tradition of killing the Abobaku along with the deceased king still in practice today?

Thanks! No I don't think it's still in practice. It wld b barbaric to continue such tradition.
#myownopinion

UjSizzle:
Beautiful cultural insight

Tell me, is this tradition of killing the Abobaku along with the deceased king still in practice today?

I don't think so.


They said it is an old practice.

Thumbs, nice piece
Delivered at great ease

gtim4uall:
Thumbs, nice piece
Delivered at great ease

Thanks!