THE WAY WE WERE

IYIEKWO

 

Alayi has many streams and springs but only one large body of water—Igwu river. Iyiekwo is a lake, worshipped and respected by the people of Umuenyere and the entire Umunnato area of the old Bende district. Isi Iyiekwo, which is located at the entrance of Umuabam compound in Amaozara village, is a shrine protected by a red ant-hill under a shade of small raffia-thatch roofing. All rituals and sacrifices to Iyiekwo are performed here. People come to Umuabam Amaozara from the three corners of Umunnato the area of Alayi, Item and Igbere—bringing offerings of gifts in exchange for blessings, cures and redemption. The village elder is the only one with the authority to accept gifts and perform the rituals. People come to Isi Iyiekwo when they are unable to conceive or when they are having problems with Ogbanje [a tormenting unpredictable demon, of unparalleled beauty]. The belief is that Isi Iyiekwo is the god of birth and fecundity.

           

Iyiekwo has many stories attached to its name. In the days when the lake was functional, its water was feared and respected. The elders used Isi Iyiekwo to cure illness, cast evil spells and castigate Ogbanje demons. There was a set of rules and guidelines relating to the use and visitation of this water. Fishing was forbidden in any part of Iyiekwo water. Any woman who gave birth to twins was forbidden from bathing or fetching water from Iyiekwo; women were also forbidden from bathing in the lake during their menstrual cycle; and children were not allowed to visit it alone without adult supervision. It was forbidden to enter the water without notifying the goddess using, the proper password and repeated salutations. It was also forbidden for any person or persons to offer or perform any type of sacrifice in or around Iyiekwo water. It was forbidden to visit Iyiekwo during owunta [the hours betwen 12 noon and 1p.m]. All offerings relating to the god of Iyiekwo must be presented to the eldest man of Umuabam compound, who is always the chief priest and the only qualified person to communicate with the god of Isi Iyiekwo and men.

           

Iyiekwo is a lake protected by huge rocks and caves to the north, and surrounded by three other streams, Okesighsigh, Otulugbo and Ndedu. Each of these streams has Nwaoma status [a sacred stream or body of water in which none of its creatures should be killed, and where fishing is forbidden.

                                                             

 

All of the creatures that live in such water are referred to as nwaoma. The literal meaning of nwaoma is “beautiful child”].  However, not all streams with nwaoma status are considered a shrine. On the north of Iyiekwo, the rock formation is so enormous that only climbing plants and weeds can grow around it. The northeastern side entrance has a cave that is so huge and dark that we were afraid to even inquire what lived in it. On the west of Iyiekwo is the continuation of the same tremendous rock extending beyond the parameters of the lake. On the south are the ngwo [raffia] and Akwu [palm] trees, with Utazi and Uziza plants covering them. Because of their location, none of these trees are harvestable. Following the lower part of this area is a sinking swamp with tall green elephant-grass and other vegetation. It has a glittery surface created by the reflection of the water. Immediately to the south is an unhealthy stream called Otulugbo, with the status of nwaoma but not a shrine. Otulugbo was always polluted with algae weeds and was not considered good for drinking. About three quarters of a mile to the East of Iyiekwo is Okesighsigh, which also has nwaoma status but is not a shrine. Okesighsigh serves three purposes: First, it is where drinking water is obtained because its water is pure (which is the actual meaning of the word okesighsigh). Drinking water is fetched from the top part of the stream. Second, the middle  part of okesighsigh is use for bathing; and the third, the lower part of the stream is use for fermenting cassava roots and the cleansing of ukwa seeds. Okesighsigh empties into a large area known as Ude [a swamp]. At this confluence, Okesighsigh, Ndedu, Otulugbo and other smaller ogele [temporary streams] form a huge pond, creating Agbiyiekwo  Amaozara.

 

The wonders of Iyiekwo are many: Watching Iyiekwo from the northeastern side (the most accessible entrance to the lake), was both pleasant and confusing. Outside the surrounding beach, white, clean, dry sands which were pushed out from the bottom of the lake extended over an area about one hundred yards long and over seven yards wide. Inside the water from the northeastern entrance, the water was so clear and calm that we could see large and oversized nwaoma, mainly mud-fish, resting motionlessly in the bottom of the water. When the water was disturbed, the fish would swim lazily away. Sometimes they would swim around our feet and follow us as we moved in the water. In return, we would go out and hunt for grasshoppers to feed them. Iyiekwo was friendly in every rudimentary interpretation of friendship.

 

All the fishes and reptiles that lived in it were friendly and we reciprocated by feeding them with grasshoppers and palm fruits. They were tame as any domesticated reptile could be. To the best of my knowledge, no one was ever drowned in Iyiekwo. Its water snakes and pythons, large mud-fish, electric-fish, and all the creatures that lived in it never harmed us, even when we touched or offended them. Instead, they would simply swim away from us. In the middle of the lake the sunlight sliced through palm branches falling in strips across the surface of the water. In the northwestern part of this lake the water is green, which makes it scary and difficult to predict the dept of the water around the walls of its rocks and caves. The rock face rises from the water level over forty-five feet high on the northwestern side. It was here that mami-wata [mermaid], atuma [large mud-fish], eke [python] and egugu [the goddess of the rainbow] lived. No person has ever dared to swim up to this point.

 

From the villages, the path leading to Iyiekwo is dirt track and so narrow in some part, that it is impossible for two people to pass one another. But our tradition mandates that he who is returning from the farm, stream or just returning home, has the right of way over he who is approaching from the opposite direction. We would never quarrel, or curse one another over the right of way. As children, we would climb the embankment of the pathway, simply step aside into the curbs, or would walk back to where the path is wider and allow whoever is returning home an exit. For about half a mile to the lake, the road is hilly and surrounded by rocks. The last trees to be seen before entering the domain of Iyiekwo caves are three huge Ugbagha trees that are adjacent to the wall of rocks. Immediately after is the gaping gigantic rock that eclipses an individual from both sides. Inside this darkened alley, on the right side, is a narrow cave. This scary cave leads to the northwest of Iyiekwo. On top of this cave are the overgrown Okazi and Utazi plants which no one dares harvest because of the danger of falling from the cliff into the lake.

 

To exit this tunnel, one is required to alert the Iyiekwo goddess of his presence before proceeding into the lake. The rule is to beat a pot or any instrument against the walls of the cave, thus creating a noise which because of the serenity of this area, can be heard from afar. The password is a full call and response, which must be shouted three times before proceeding: Ote mkumkum, Ote jiri eku agbaru ola [she who cooks in super abundance, she who supplies beyond the needs, that even with a golden soup spoon none could scoop all that she cooks]. When we hears the thundering sounds from the water, the response is Oooh... From the point of this announcement to the body of Iyiekwo water is approximately forty poles or two hundred and twenty yards. The serenity of this area is occasionally only disturbed by squirrels competing for food on top of the palm trees. We were told by the elders that we must shout the password three times for our own protection. It was said by the elders that Iyiekwo’s goddess is Mami-wata. She is the mother of fertility and all the creatures that live in her water. They say that she is gentle, powerful and lively. It was said that the water of Iyiekwo was shallow, calm and clear and that the deep part of it is considered mysterious, wild and dangerous. The elders instructed us not to harm, kill or eat anything that crawls, swims, moves, or climbs within her confine.  We were made to understand that all the creatures are her children. We were also told not to approach the water until we hear roars echoing from the lake. The elders explained that the roars are a signal of her departure to make room for our use of the water. Furthermore, we were told that the snakes found in the water of Iyiekwo guard its goddess, and would not harm us as long as we gave the goddess of Iyiekwo due respect.

           

As we approached the lake we would hear separate loud splashes. We observed on its beautiful dry sands three prints resembling that of stool-legs and some other markings which appeared to have been hurriedly made and which always leads into the water. The markings were at times more than two yards wide. On the far northwest of the lake, the water bubbles and ripples. At times there were loud sounds coming from this part of the lake, but on the northeastern part of the lake where we were standing, the water was clear and calm. These were the signs that the elders warned us to expect because they signal the departure of mami-wata and her guards to make room for our use of the lake.

           

In the old days Iyiekwo was cleaned once a year, usually during the period of Ikwa uzo [the festival of road clearing—an event just before the commemoration of New Yam festival]. It was stipulated that all able men in Umuenyere and Amaozara must participate in the cleaning of Iyiekwo water and its surroundings. This activity was usually done during the morning hours from 8am and the job had to be completed before noon. The work was to clean fallen dead foliage which had settled on the bottom of the shallow part of the lake.  During this period there were lots of human activities in and around the lake.

 

All the creatures that live in Iyiekwo would return to Isi Iyiekwo in Umuabam compound at Amaozara village, which is nearly three-quarter mile away from the location of Iyiekwo lake. People at Umuabam compound have testified to hearing loud sounds and commotion under the red-ant-hill, and the splashing of water in the Isi Iyiekwo shrine.