those dead people who had no
children, or whose children are
still too young, are “given
food”, i.e. a sacrifice, by the
Ɔba. The food has been prepared
by the Ɔba’s mother (Iyɔba
[ ˥ ˥ ˥ ]), and after the sacrifice
everybody comes to eat from
the food. The igbãniherhã [ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˩ ˥ ]
perform their feat at this ugie.
It takes place when everybody
has finished ehɔ [ ˩ ˥ ], the annual
ancestral sacrifice.
Orhua [ ˩ ˩ ] a village on the Bini-
Ɔra boundary, near the source
of the river Orhiɔʋ̃ɔ [ ˥ ˩ ˩ ].
orhue [ ˩ ˩ ] chalk found at the
river side; symbol of luck; also
symbol of the Ɔba in the
following idioms: orhue bũɽ̃ũ
[ ˩ ˩ / ˩ ] “the chalk is broken”:
the Ɔba is dead (used at the
official announcement of his
death by the Iyasɛ, three years
after the actual death; wu may
not be used); otɔ ri‿orhue
[ ˩ ˩ ˥ ˥ ˩ ] “the earth has eaten
chalk”: the Ɔba has been buried
(after three years). At every
god’s shrine there is chalk to be
found, and it is widely used for
making marks on face, chest,
and arms as a sign of luck, as
well as for “rubbing” shrines of
gods, and for drawing patterns
on every shrine before sacri-
ficing (wuo [ / ], wu-orhue [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ]).
Olokũ [ ˥ ˥ ˦ ], the god of the sea
and of wealth, is supposed to
have brought it. The Ɔba is
believed to eat chalk. Chalk
is used in sacrifices and at
burials.
orhuʋ̃unyɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ˥ ] guest; “stranger
in the house”.
