Post by yakubu on Nov 23, 2005 13:03:04 GMT -5
A Child No More
I am Yakubu, son of the Shombe, member of the Clan Shumaza, aspirant of the Lion’s Mane warrior society, and I am a man. Before today I was a boy at my family’s fire, a simple herder of cattle, free of the burdens of adulthood. My spear and knife are my own. I have fallen in battle and I do not fear death. If I live and die bravely I will join my ancestors. Their orisha guide my steps and spear. So long as I follow the Oryx faithfully, I will not be led astray. With the Oryx’ help, I freed the Blue Lion whose tail I bear. My boyhood companions are now men as well. We have fought together and will fight again to protect the Clan. I own what I carry. The rest is the clan’s. Our discovery of the evil Mlata tree and the subsequent movement of an entire village illustrates the simple fact of our lives: home is wherever we lay our heads and our possessions are only those which we can easily carry.
Though the Oryx leads us far from our homelands, I follow, knowing that I will not be lead astray. My story begins, and with the blessing of my ancestors, ends on the open savannah. On grasslands, my family moves from kraal to kraal, mud hut to mud hut, grazing land to grazing land. We are protected at night by a stout boma, strength of arms, and the courage of our warriors. As a boy I knew nothing of the responsibility I would one day bear as one of the protectors of my clan. Over time I would be entrusted with the care of our cattle, our chief source of wealth. Never alone, I was with other boys tending the herd. I have the most in common with Hualib but SombUnto and Ole tUbi are allies of a similar age. The Mbanta Rumako and Komasa are strange to me but wanderers like us. They have bled for the Clan and are welcome at my fire.
To become named men we were called before Muzuno and the Clan elders. Fumo called forth an apparition who spoke of a journey lead by the Oryx. We were charged by Muzuno to bring back the tail of the blue lion. For three days we traveled. We killed a strange and evil Mchawi named Ngoloko and without hesitation I freed the spirit-possessed blue lion, imprisoned by the wizard. It gave me its tail which was preserved by an ointment which Komasa had carried. I carry the tail wrapped around my waist and over my shoulder. We had a brief time to celebrate our achievement because our raid on Ngoloko uncovered Mlata plant seeds which the Kosan Mchawi had invented. It wasn’t until we counseled with Mganga Msiba that their nature became clear. Our kraal had become cursed by a nearby people-eating tree which could create plant warriors and possess the unprepared. Even master hunter Nuboli and his scouts could not keep the tree at bay. His scouts had fallen and Niboli reported that the Mlata tree was much more dangerous than had been imagined. Already it had plant warriors and a boma wall. The Shumaza traveled for weeks until we found a suitable new kraal. Working together in ritual combat, we claimed the new kraal over the Moro Clan of Shombe who had recently been driven away from their last kraal by Entare. After winning the kraal, the Clan oracle predicted that we would soon be leaving. Apparently Bedaga the Trickster, the Orisha of Doorways and Roads, is interested in us.
True to Komasu’s reading, it would not be long before we would follow the Oryx through a magical circle of rocks to a strange, strange land.
I am Yakubu, son of the Shombe, member of the Clan Shumaza, aspirant of the Lion’s Mane warrior society, and I am a man. Before today I was a boy at my family’s fire, a simple herder of cattle, free of the burdens of adulthood. My spear and knife are my own. I have fallen in battle and I do not fear death. If I live and die bravely I will join my ancestors. Their orisha guide my steps and spear. So long as I follow the Oryx faithfully, I will not be led astray. With the Oryx’ help, I freed the Blue Lion whose tail I bear. My boyhood companions are now men as well. We have fought together and will fight again to protect the Clan. I own what I carry. The rest is the clan’s. Our discovery of the evil Mlata tree and the subsequent movement of an entire village illustrates the simple fact of our lives: home is wherever we lay our heads and our possessions are only those which we can easily carry.
Though the Oryx leads us far from our homelands, I follow, knowing that I will not be lead astray. My story begins, and with the blessing of my ancestors, ends on the open savannah. On grasslands, my family moves from kraal to kraal, mud hut to mud hut, grazing land to grazing land. We are protected at night by a stout boma, strength of arms, and the courage of our warriors. As a boy I knew nothing of the responsibility I would one day bear as one of the protectors of my clan. Over time I would be entrusted with the care of our cattle, our chief source of wealth. Never alone, I was with other boys tending the herd. I have the most in common with Hualib but SombUnto and Ole tUbi are allies of a similar age. The Mbanta Rumako and Komasa are strange to me but wanderers like us. They have bled for the Clan and are welcome at my fire.
To become named men we were called before Muzuno and the Clan elders. Fumo called forth an apparition who spoke of a journey lead by the Oryx. We were charged by Muzuno to bring back the tail of the blue lion. For three days we traveled. We killed a strange and evil Mchawi named Ngoloko and without hesitation I freed the spirit-possessed blue lion, imprisoned by the wizard. It gave me its tail which was preserved by an ointment which Komasa had carried. I carry the tail wrapped around my waist and over my shoulder. We had a brief time to celebrate our achievement because our raid on Ngoloko uncovered Mlata plant seeds which the Kosan Mchawi had invented. It wasn’t until we counseled with Mganga Msiba that their nature became clear. Our kraal had become cursed by a nearby people-eating tree which could create plant warriors and possess the unprepared. Even master hunter Nuboli and his scouts could not keep the tree at bay. His scouts had fallen and Niboli reported that the Mlata tree was much more dangerous than had been imagined. Already it had plant warriors and a boma wall. The Shumaza traveled for weeks until we found a suitable new kraal. Working together in ritual combat, we claimed the new kraal over the Moro Clan of Shombe who had recently been driven away from their last kraal by Entare. After winning the kraal, the Clan oracle predicted that we would soon be leaving. Apparently Bedaga the Trickster, the Orisha of Doorways and Roads, is interested in us.
True to Komasu’s reading, it would not be long before we would follow the Oryx through a magical circle of rocks to a strange, strange land.
