Reincarnation in Isokpo
By Ikechukwu Eke
By Ikechukwu Eke
In ancient Isokpo, south-east Nigeria, the people strongly believe that their kinsmen do not ultimately die, but only die to live again. So when a man dies, the people cry because they don’t know how long it will take the dead man to come back to life, or worse still, if the dead man will choose to come to Isokpo upon returning to the world – their reincarnated souls have been found in other parts of the country. Another source of worry to the people is that the dead person may choose to take a sex-swap when returning; but every dead man surely returns to the world as a newborn and goes through the normal human development cycle all over again.
Although a reincarnated man chooses a special occasion to reveal himself, he mostly takes after his old self physically. When a reincarnating female decides to come as a male, it is obvious that he was a female in his first time on earth because he carries himself like a female and does things the feminine way. One sure thing is that every reincarnated man tends to behave like his former self so that people that knew him before his death identify him even before the oracle is consulted for a confirmation.
Nnanna was born two years after his uncle’s death. His uncle, Adiya, died in his sleep after eating a meal of boiled yam and palm-oil sauce. Adiya died because he disobeyed the gods of his land by harvesting and eating yam before the god’s appointed time.
Although Nnanna possessed his uncle’s physical attributes, no one thought he was Adiya. The people felt that the gods would not grant Adiya another life due to the circumstances of his death. However, right from infancy, Nnanna violently refused every attempt to make him eat yam. He cried his eyes out whenever anybody tried to make him eat yam, whether boiled, roast or pounded. That continued until Nnanna became six years old.
Since yam was the major food of his people, Nnanna’s parents told him in strong terms that they could not continue to serve him a different meal each time they wanted to eat yam. Nnanna, however, refused to eat for a whole day because his parents made sure that the only available food was yam. Then at midnight, when his hunger for food became unbearable, Nnanna cried and cried until crying became wailing, yet his parents were obstinate. When Nnanna would not stop wailing, his parents tried to force the yam down his throat, but, again, he resisted it with every energy he could muster. While struggling to break free from his parents, Nnanna pleaded with them to release him so that he could tell them a story.
When they released him, Nnanna told his father that he was his dead brother, Adiya! He told his parents that it was yam that killed him the last time he came to the world, insisting that he could not eat yam, as doing so would surely kill him again!
As soon as Nnanna’s parents heard his revelation, they expressed shock. But after briefly recovering from their shock, they encircled him in a highly emotional embrace and wept.
In the morning, a big bowl of foo-foo was prepared for Nnanna. Shortly after eating, Nnanna ran out of his mother’s hut to the next compound.
Okenyi, Adiya’s best friend, was just courting sleep when Nnanna came to play with his son, Enyioma. As though they deliberately conspired to rob Okenyi of sleep, Nnanna and Enyioma went from playing to fighting, making it impossible for Okenyi to sleep. Out of frustration, Okenyi took his horse-whip and went to where the two friends were fighting and gave them a stroke of the whip each while he pleaded with them to allow him to sleep; but while Enyioma merely frowned at his father, Nnanna wept uncontrollably and ran to his parents.
At home, Nnanna continued to weep, ignoring his parents who desperately wanted to know why he wept. After a long time of weeping, Nnanna decided to pour out his heavy heart. He told his parents that he could not understand why Okenyi of all people – his best friend – raised his hand against him. He painfully wondered, amidst wailing, if Okenyi had forgotten that he, Adiya, was his best friend, who he dined and wined with before his death. Thus Nnanna refused every attempt to be pacified until Okenyi, who had been summoned by his unending wailing, came and begged for his forgiveness.
To be sure of Nnanna’s revelations, his parents decided to consult the Aata oracle. Aata oracle is a river of justice, which dispenses justice by sending a gigantic fish to swallow or reject the cocks presented to it. When two people disagree on anything and they consult Aata, whoever it eats his cock is right. So when Nnanna and his father got to Aata, the priest of Aata, through incantations, told the oracle to swallow the cock his visitors presented before it if Nnanna was truly a reincarnation of Adiya. For a long time, the river stood still. The cock floated peacefully. But just when Nnanna’s father was beginning to fret, the monstrous fish dashed towards the cock from its cave, sending Nnanna and his father to their heels until the priest called them back and warned them of the consequences of their action.
Nnanna and his father watched as the fish did what seemed like another round of incantations, turned to the side of its cave before quickly turning to the cock again. Then it opened its mouth and gulped the cock! Nnanna’s father went home rejoicing that his dead brother had come back to life!
Although a reincarnated man chooses a special occasion to reveal himself, he mostly takes after his old self physically. When a reincarnating female decides to come as a male, it is obvious that he was a female in his first time on earth because he carries himself like a female and does things the feminine way. One sure thing is that every reincarnated man tends to behave like his former self so that people that knew him before his death identify him even before the oracle is consulted for a confirmation.
Nnanna was born two years after his uncle’s death. His uncle, Adiya, died in his sleep after eating a meal of boiled yam and palm-oil sauce. Adiya died because he disobeyed the gods of his land by harvesting and eating yam before the god’s appointed time.
Although Nnanna possessed his uncle’s physical attributes, no one thought he was Adiya. The people felt that the gods would not grant Adiya another life due to the circumstances of his death. However, right from infancy, Nnanna violently refused every attempt to make him eat yam. He cried his eyes out whenever anybody tried to make him eat yam, whether boiled, roast or pounded. That continued until Nnanna became six years old.
Since yam was the major food of his people, Nnanna’s parents told him in strong terms that they could not continue to serve him a different meal each time they wanted to eat yam. Nnanna, however, refused to eat for a whole day because his parents made sure that the only available food was yam. Then at midnight, when his hunger for food became unbearable, Nnanna cried and cried until crying became wailing, yet his parents were obstinate. When Nnanna would not stop wailing, his parents tried to force the yam down his throat, but, again, he resisted it with every energy he could muster. While struggling to break free from his parents, Nnanna pleaded with them to release him so that he could tell them a story.
When they released him, Nnanna told his father that he was his dead brother, Adiya! He told his parents that it was yam that killed him the last time he came to the world, insisting that he could not eat yam, as doing so would surely kill him again!
As soon as Nnanna’s parents heard his revelation, they expressed shock. But after briefly recovering from their shock, they encircled him in a highly emotional embrace and wept.
In the morning, a big bowl of foo-foo was prepared for Nnanna. Shortly after eating, Nnanna ran out of his mother’s hut to the next compound.
Okenyi, Adiya’s best friend, was just courting sleep when Nnanna came to play with his son, Enyioma. As though they deliberately conspired to rob Okenyi of sleep, Nnanna and Enyioma went from playing to fighting, making it impossible for Okenyi to sleep. Out of frustration, Okenyi took his horse-whip and went to where the two friends were fighting and gave them a stroke of the whip each while he pleaded with them to allow him to sleep; but while Enyioma merely frowned at his father, Nnanna wept uncontrollably and ran to his parents.
At home, Nnanna continued to weep, ignoring his parents who desperately wanted to know why he wept. After a long time of weeping, Nnanna decided to pour out his heavy heart. He told his parents that he could not understand why Okenyi of all people – his best friend – raised his hand against him. He painfully wondered, amidst wailing, if Okenyi had forgotten that he, Adiya, was his best friend, who he dined and wined with before his death. Thus Nnanna refused every attempt to be pacified until Okenyi, who had been summoned by his unending wailing, came and begged for his forgiveness.
To be sure of Nnanna’s revelations, his parents decided to consult the Aata oracle. Aata oracle is a river of justice, which dispenses justice by sending a gigantic fish to swallow or reject the cocks presented to it. When two people disagree on anything and they consult Aata, whoever it eats his cock is right. So when Nnanna and his father got to Aata, the priest of Aata, through incantations, told the oracle to swallow the cock his visitors presented before it if Nnanna was truly a reincarnation of Adiya. For a long time, the river stood still. The cock floated peacefully. But just when Nnanna’s father was beginning to fret, the monstrous fish dashed towards the cock from its cave, sending Nnanna and his father to their heels until the priest called them back and warned them of the consequences of their action.
Nnanna and his father watched as the fish did what seemed like another round of incantations, turned to the side of its cave before quickly turning to the cock again. Then it opened its mouth and gulped the cock! Nnanna’s father went home rejoicing that his dead brother had come back to life!
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