[History] Gizard - The ERUE Migration

By Modlin Odu

More than two Centuries ago, three early migrants; Nsadop, Udé and Buebushwo from the spread of generations of children of Adam and Eve came to inhabit the Central part of Bokyi land with their wives.The land is surrounded by thick virgin Forests and sky high mountains. At the base of the mountain, is a large hectre of leveled ground from which each one of the three migrants took what is enough for his family to build huts and cultivate farm produce for consumption.There was trust, love, peace and unity among them. They were strong and hard working. The land was also benevolent to them, friendly to their labour and they prospered. Their wives brought forth children both sons and daughters, healthy and good looking.

They worked hard on their farmlands and had great harvests in all seasons. Grateful to divinity for such blessings, they agreed to yearly offer sacrifice of thanksgiving to a deity "Olom bolo" which they carved for themselves. The trio could hear and speak to this deity with assurance of prosperity and good health all for an annual sacrifice. They offered Otse Ekwé (fowl's gizard), a symbol of oneness and prosperity. Every year, the brothers take turn in providing the fowl from which "Otse Ekwè" is gotten and whoever partakes in eating the it, records progress and good tidings. It is the exclusive right of the head of the three families sown to this cult. Everyman takes his share with palm wine,  prays for bountiful harvest, more children and good health. Years past, the sacrifice and brotherhood continued. Nsadop, Udè and Buebushwo now have empires of their own, they had grown grey and weak with age, taught up to initiates of their fouth generation, the significance and expectations of the Otse Ekwè ritual and one by one, the three men were conquered by the weaknesses of being mortal. Their descendants continued to intermarry and produce children who in turn grew up got themselves wives from either of the three families and had more and more children.

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Nsadop, Udé and Buebushwo grew into clans named after their fore fathers. Nsadop had more sons. The Otse Ekwé sacrifice at this point had its cult of 9 oldest men alive, 3 from each clan. As inherent in every man, the seed of greed sprang up the mind's soil and germinated unnoticed within the Nsadop initiates.

One faithful year, as it approached the period of the sacrifice of Otse Ekwé, one of the participants of Nsadop approached his brothers and asked them this,
"If a sacrifice made by the three clans attracts tremendous blessings, how much more will that which is made by one be? We have more hands to work and more mouths to feed. It is time to use our tongues to count our teeth". Reluctantly, the two Nsadop elders agreed and decided to perform the sacrifice alone. They went ahead to perform the sacrifice ahead of the usual day, they secretly caught the sacrificial Ekwé from the unlocked cage of Udè, slit it and offered sacrifice to "Olom Bolo" and ate the Otse Ekwé alone, knowing the implications it will have on the other non participating clans.The day came for the ritual and Udé and Buebushwo discovered that Nsadop had done the sacrifice. They were taken aback, confused, scared and sad about it's cinsequenses. That year, Udé and Buebushwo had a terrible harvest, sickness and death was in the increase but worst was the case of Udé, that is when they realized the Ekwé was taken from among their fold.Nsadop  had three times their usual bountiful harvest and were happy. They feasted and boasted about their uncommon favour. To pacify Udé and Buebushwo, those three Nsadop elders brought a little from their multitude which is actually plenty for the two clans that lost so much. Apologized remorsefully and promised never to repeat it again. They received it with gratitude, ate together, drank, went into their women, merried and lived peacefully again. Into the second quarter of that tragic year, Udé and Buebushwo were already dependent on Nsadop who still had enough harvest and more to spare. Pride stepped in and some of Nsadop's sons started to ridicule Udé and Buebushwo, subjecting them to inhumane treatments in exchange for food items, defiled their daughters, spit on their sons and these went on till that year ended. As days draw nearer for another sacrifice, hopes were anew for prosperity. Udé and Buebushwo desperately anticipated the event, they sleep with wishfulness that the night may not be too long and worked vigorously by day, wishing the day would not deprive the rooster of its duties.

Again, haven tasted the overwhelming blessings of the previous year's harvest, the three Nsadop chiefs unanimously agreed to do a repetition of the previous sacrifice in anticipation of maybe an octagonian times harvest. This time, they took Ekwé from the unsuspecting Buebushwo fold, offered the sacrifice and ate again, the Otse Ekwé alone. The other two clans prepared for the ritual and the much awaited day finally came only for them to be pinched by the reality of another betrayal. From the last experience which they were yet to recover from, they knew what the coming year would be. Their hope had been crushed and their trust shattered again. So, they decided to leave the region which their ancestors had discovered, developed, lived and prospered. The secrecy in the Otsé Ekwé ritual remains till date, a mystery revealed only to the worthy.

Udé and Buebushwo members of the Otse Ekwé brotherhood gathered their clans together and told them that a great injustice had been done to them twice, a third time will wipe out their entire clan so, the need for them to move out. They couldn't expose the actual injustice because of its secrecy which they are expected to guide to death. It's revelation can cause chaos and great war even now. Together with the small, dying, sick, pregnant, the old and every man with his family and properties, the two aggrieved clans marched in oblivion to a world that maybe the end or beginning of a new world. Whichever way, they're set to find out. They were resolute to go and so, the faced the hills and pray to be consumed by it rather than become slaves to their equals. The elders of Nsadop who betrayed them had told their own people a false story, claiming the aggrieved clans are envious of their bountiful blessings and those who were already proud among them, joined the elders to mock the two clans as they struggled their way to commence the journey either to the top or to their destruction and extinction. The two clans marched on for days aplenty to count. Some died, some were born in the bush, some gave up and returned back to bear whatever fate awaits them but many were not deterred. The six initiates all died in the bush more from heartbreak than from age. They however transferred wisdom and secrecy of this story to the next nearest generation to theirs and warned that the ritual be discontinued. At most dawn, the Nsadop people  hear news in stone cold bewilderment about the progress of the two clans and daily, they realize there was more to the story than what their three initiates consumed by greed had told them but they(3 elders) had also died. Young inquisitive ones may need to find out the truth from the Nsadop perspective. But, I hold on to mine anyway.

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A journey of many deaths, starvation, regrets, uncertainties finally saw its light, the thunderous roar of victory from the hill top cracked the walls of the abode of Nsadop, the threes bowed compelled by the wind in salute, admiration and adulation of the uncommon victory of these two resolute clans and together, the people roared beating their chest with pride, facing the direction of Nsadop and said "èruè" (We climbed), VICTORY.

Renewed by victory and hope, they continued in their journey, they walked in a scattered line, they decreased and increased in number with time, adopted both positive and negative customs and traditions, made friends with other people of Bokyi who had also made their way from the world down there to settle. They kept wandering in search of virgin lands to settle, they passed through Boje and the interlands. Together Buebusho and Udé came to be called "èrué". Udé remained behind the hills linking to Boje and Buebusho continued their journey. It is believed from word of mouth theories of the migration that esobashwe, one of the sons of Buebushwo didn't join in the migration from Nsadop so, before now, they were not regarded as core Erue. The eldest man in Buebushwo clan had gone ahead of the train to scout for lands, he came across a flat grass land, and saw that it was good for the people and so, they went and settled there till date.

Ndebenchang, Esekwe, Esobashue, Okubuchi, Bunyia, Bekpor, Bankpor, Kabyeshu, Katchuan, Buetie, Kakwagom, Nkanyia and Kakubok in no particular order, are proud descendants of Udé and Buebushwo. Our strength and greatness lies within the experiences and Unity our ancestors shared.

To be Continued....

Facts gathered, fictionalised and written by Modlin Odu