SELECTING WARRIORS

The 11 clans of Afugiri provided 3 brave warriors making the total warriors selected to be 33 in number. Before you could be selected as a warrior, you must have passed the tests every warrior must pass. 

The first test is the test of courage, where you’ll be taken to the bush with your eyes tied and left to pass the night alone. You’ll be given a gong so that if by any time of the night you lost courage, you’ll strike the gong and the men would come out and remove the cloth tied on your eyes but you’ll never be considered as a warrior until you could pass the night alone with your eyes covered. Each of the 33 warriors knows what it is to walk in darkness. Before they became warriors, they spent a night in the bush with their eyes covered with clothes, their ability not to hit the gong at the sound of strange movements in the bush which they couldn’t see but only left their imagination to interpret whatsoever the movement may be made them qualify as being brave.

The second test is that of endurance, before you become a warrior, you’ll be flogged by other stronger warriors 100 strokes. You will have the right to call it to quit if you can’t endure the pain anymore. But if you can endure the 100 lashes, you’ll be qualified to be a warrior. Each of the 33 warriors was flogged 100 strokes and they didn’t flinch. Those who didn’t complete the strokes will not qualify to be full-fledging warriors until they could complete the 100 strokes.

The third test is the test of strength where each person who wants to be a warrior would be made to carry a heavy log of wood up and down the mountains. In this test, you are allowed to keep trying till the day you successfully carry the log of wood up and down the mountain without resting. Every warrior had shown themselves to be worthy to be warriors by completing this task. 

The prospects were also trained to live on meager food and little water; they’ll stay for weeks on little food and water before they could qualify to be a warrior. If you can’t endure hunger and taste, you can’t be an Afugiri warrior.

When anyone passes through these tests, they’ll be celebrated by all and sundry especially members of the family where such person came from in the village. 

Out of that 33 warriors selected from the 11 clans of Afugiri, one warrior passed all his tests and training at the first trial, his name is Dike and he is the chief of warriors.

His father was also a chief of a warrior during his time, though he died in battle, he was fondly remembered for his bravery.

Every little child in the entirety of Afugiri can tell you the story of Dike’s father valiancy, every year during the Afugiri annual festivals, the stories of past warriors who fought for the safety of the Afugiri people are told, these make surviving members of these warriors who gave their lives or lost any part of their body during any of the battles very proud of their fathers, brothers, son, uncles or friends depending on how the warrior is related to them

Dike will be the one that’ll lead the rest of the warriors on this expedition to get the magic bean. It was an easy choice because of his brutal look, height, extraordinary strength, and because of the ease with which he passed through the warrior’s tests.

It is a thing of great pride to go through the test and come out successful as an Afugiri warrior, it is what every wife desires their husbands to be and every mother their son. Warriors are respected and celebrated in the land of Afugiri.

So a special soup is made called Ofe-Achara na Egusi, this soup is eaten with Akpu or Eba. The warriors will come to Ama (the clan play/meeting ground) to perform warrior’s dance to some of the traditional warrior’s songs. This warrior’s dance is meant to officially teach the warriors the songs and dance steps of Afugiri warriors even though most of them learned these songs and dancing steps as kids.

 The ceremony is meant to be an official learning ground organized every time a new set of warriors are initiated and this happens after every 3 years.

These songs and dances are songs that prepare these warriors for battle and stir their spirit in the time of action. It was the songs they were singing as the rest of the villagers were seeing them off to the forbidden forest to get the Magic Bean.

Any time you hear the warriors singing these songs, know that they are battle-ready. It is believed the warrior god of the land of Afugiri possesses them to give them unusual strength for battle whenever they are singing these songs. Some of these songs are hummed; ‘out (the freshest palm front) will be put on their mouth as they hum and vibrate their bodies while standing still.

Most of the children know these songs and often sing them in the hope of being a warrior when they grow up.

There are stories of warriors who helped the people of Afugiri defend their lands from invaders who wanted to forcefully drive the people of Afugiri out of their ancestral lands. The stories of these warriors who were valiant in resisting the invaders are shared during moonlights when everyone comes to the Ama (Village playground), not only during the annual Afugiri festivals.

Mothers shared with pride the valiance of their sons and wives of their husbands who were warriors at the time of the invaders. These stories inspire the younger generation to desire to be warriors even though there are fewer invaders as they used to be in the time of their fathers.

For the special task of finding the magic beans, the warriors were also taught to resist the lust of their flesh and warned about their appetites and being unnecessarily kind to needy appearing strangers that they may see on their way to the forbidden forest.

Beautiful maidens were brought before them and these maidens were asked to strip naked before them, till they could control the lust of their flesh. 

Some of the warriors struggled to control their private from rising but as they kept learning they learned. 

The oracle told them that if they must survive the journey they’ve been chosen to embark on that they’ll need to be able to control the lust of their flesh. It’s the most disciplined that stands the greatest chance of returning, not the strongest, or bravest but the most disciplined the Oracle reiterated to them.

It’s common knowledge amongst the villagers that not all of the warriors will return because of how precarious the expedition is and how undisciplined some of the warriors are known to be. These made the families of these warriors worried as they prayed to the various gods they revere most and made sacrifices so that their son would be amongst those who will return.

The spokesman for the elder’s council addressed the warriors before they began their journey, ‘save your king, save Afugiri and make your family and the clans you represent proudly’ 

The representative of the Onowus (kingmakers) also addressed them, said ‘if any of you didn’t return, it won’t be because you aren’t strong enough, or brave enough, but because you aren’t disciplined enough to follow the instructions from the elders and the Oracle or because you forget to obey the instructions. Remind yourself what you ought to do in each eventuality before such events happen. Don’t be too emotional, be brave when you need to, run where you need to, never isolate yourself from the group, and never return here without the magic bean’

‘Respect the rules of every strand of land you enter as you journey to the forbidden forest. Don’t disrespect the creatures you’ll be encountering as you make this journey. Don’t steal from them, don’t trespass. And if it’s not necessary don’t engage them in a fight. Make your passage as peaceful as possible’ Dike’s mother, the spokeswoman for the mothers of Afugiri said.

The wives of the warriors embraced their husbands one more time and begged them to remember that they have families awaiting their return.

As they were about to finally pathway and began their journey, Obiokwu rushed and joined them, making them 34.

Obiokwu had failed in all the tests of being selected as a warrior, they even make fun of him, calling him weakling but he was so determined to be amongst the warriors.

He had approached Dike to allow him to join them since his village didn’t select him but he declined to say that he is too weak. Obiokwu had promised to do his best for the group yet they would allow him and he would give up either.

He was amongst the throng of people who were bidding the warriors farewell and as they cross the boundary, he quickly ran and joined them.

When they tried to drive him back, the Oracle saw a vision in a flash.

He spoke to Dike to allow him because the gods have selected him also to be among them the oracle said.

The rest of the warriors reluctantly agreed but they treated him with disrespect, some even gave him their luggage to bear.

When Dike wanted to relay the instructions to him, he said that he already knows because he was present every time the elders or oracle was giving them instructions and directions.

Dike asked him few questions and he answered perfectly as they journeyed towards the evil forest.