Èjì Òyè
Ifá ní ó ye’kú nùn l’Órí Awo
What will avert death away from Awo?
Èjì Òyè
Ifa will avert death away from Awo.”
~Owó
Long ago, in the ancient city of Ibadan, famed for its warriors and sprawling hills, there lived a gatekeeper-warrior stationed in the outskirts of the city, in a settlement known as Lálúpọn on the way to Ìwó. His duty was clear: to watch the road, collect tolls, and guard the passage of traders and travellers entering and leaving Ibadan. Because of this important task, people called him Oníbodè Lálúpọn; the Gatekeeper of Lálúpọn. Though he was not particularly comely, Oníbodè ...