Oral Poetry from Africa
Kambili is the name of the hero of an epic Mandinka poem of the Wasulu hunters of Mali (see Kambili the Hunter for an earlier segment of the poem and further background).
Ah! Namu-sayers!
At this time, kolas had been sent out for a wife for Kambili.
And what was Kambili’s first wife’s name?
Her name was said, Kumba…
The following Iremoje was part of the dirges chanted at the funeral of a deceased hunter, Ogunjinmi, whose name means “the god Ogun blesses or favours me”.
Ogunjinmi, you have caught your father’s dog.
A needle that falls into a pit is lost forever…
The following poem is part of the dirges chanted at the funeral of a deceased hunter, Pa Ogundele, by Atoyebi at Agunpopo, Oyo in 1975. Pa Ogundele was a member of the hunters society, the Asipade, (see The Asipade) for whom magical charms are an essential tool for capturing animals and surviving in the forest. However, whilst these charms are highly prized ultimately no magic can defeat death.
Ajuwon Akanbi,
Hunter, I thought you had egba magic…
Iremoje are a Yorùbá corpus of poetic chants sung at the funerals of dead hunters. The activities of hunting and warfare fall under the providence of the Yorùbá god Ògún, and thus Iremoje also emphasise the virtues and talents associated with this Òrìṣà.
Ogun, Chief Lakaaye
Chief Osin Mole…
