Thursday, December 14, 2006

Ode Remo


Visiting an "Old Friend" in Ode Remo

Yoruba hunters are an "interesting" bunch. The only time I have seen them in the village has been during the early, early morning hours when I accompanied Araba Adesanya's daughter to get water from the communal well about an hours walk from Ogunti Compound.

The Hunters...you can see one coming a mile away, and they carry themselves as if they would just as soon tear your head off as say 'Good Morning'. On the last trip we were fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with them under almost normal conditions on the outskirts of town. It was a night that none of us will ever forget.

"Gba mi, gba mi" ko yeegun
"Ibi ogun le mi de ree" ko yode
"Gba mi, gba mi" ko yoosa
"Ibi eran le mi de ree" ko yode

It is a paradox for Ancestral Masqueraders to call for help from human beings
For a Hunter to say "This is how far War drove me" is unbefitting
It is a paradox for a Deity to call for help from a human being
For a Hunter to say "This is how far the Prey drove me" is unbefitting

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You always look like such a tourist. I guess thats better than your terrorist look.

guro jeff davidson said...

FYI I was wearing a "Detroit Roots" t-shirt on purpose. I like to represent mi barrio, homes!

Anonymous said...

Do you by any chance have more pictures of your Ode-remo trip? Weldone on your trip... can you say a little more about your experience there as well(in Ode remo)
:)

guro jeff davidson said...

I have an entire CD of pictures from the trip. What would you like to see? What would you like to know more about?

guro jeff davidson said...

Also check this post:

http://balisongplayer.blogspot.com/2005/07/travels-in-west-africa.html

Anonymous said...

Aburu Aboye Abosise 'Fakorede,

greeting from me and JOKOTOPE BABALAWO. hope my mail reach you till now.

Odabo,
Tolu