Blood Men
THE ORDER OF BLOOD
After some days of sailing the Cross River, Enun arrived Calabar. He brought out his belongings from the boat. It was about 9.00 pm. He walked into the town of ancient Calabar carrying his belongings osupposedly clothes. As he walked closer into the town, he heared noise of people in the bush. He went closer and discovered that some slaves were about to be sacrificed. The slaves were five in number. Their arms are tied while ten armed men surround the slaves. Enun is about to leave when he hear of the slaves crying:
"Of what essence is my birth that I was born a slave."
One of the armed men raised up his matchet and was about to behead the one who spoke but someone held his hand too strong that he couldn't move it. It was Enun. They all turn towards him. They inquire of his reason for preventing them from carrying out their duty, and he inquires why they chose to destroy what they couldn't create. After a little exchange of words, they fight. Enun proves to be more powerful than fifty men. After a little while trying to fight him and realizing that they couldn't, they ranaway. Enun untied the slaves and they too ran out of the scene for fear that their masters will send more people after them. Enun followed them.
At the place where they encamped, Enun inquired from the slaves of their offence. They told that slaves had to be sacrificed to render services in the next world to a prominent person at his death. The houses concerned displayed their wealth by the number of slaves they sacrificed. With this information, Enun formed an order. The Order of the Blood Men. He made the slaves to have blood covenant to protect each other from the oppression of the elite Ekpe Order. The efficacy of these was evident as thunder stroke and there was lightning. That very day, they all went all and made several protests at different places where the sacrifices were to be carried out. Before they got to some places the sacrifce was already done. Nineteen was were saved that day.
KING OF TAMESIS MEETS ANANSA
At the river palace of Anansa, maidens sang songs in efik praising the queen that sat on the throne. An attendant went to inform the queen Anansa that she had a visitor. She ordered for him to be let in. Shortly after, the river god walked in, the king of Tamesis, god of the great river of Thames. His attendants bowed but he didn't. He rather took her right hand and kissed it. She woke up from her throne and they both took a walk around the palace. The king of Tamesis began to woo Anansa, and talks of his intention of marrying her. But she told him that she hadn't yet thought of marrying. After trying to talk her towards marrying him, the king of Tamesis got angry when she told him that she hadn't seen the qualities she looks for in a man in him. He threaten to visit her in his rage soon.
ENUN SCARES A LEOPARD
Enun was stirring at the river when he observed that somnething was walking towards him fom behind. He turned and behold, it was a leopard. The courages Enun refused to act afraid. He rather spread his arms to make himself look big and brave and he made lots of noise. The beast, after a while, left him. Enun also was about to leave when he met a maiden who was either scared or timnid. It appeared as if she had seen Enun scare away the leopard. She bowed her head. Enun asked her to raise up her head so he can see her face, but she refused. He insisted and proceeded to raise her head with his hands. Seeing her face, he confessed to her that she was the fairest creature he had ever seen.
"You are the fairest creature I have ever seen." Enun said. "You must be a marmaid."
"Why is it that men always think of beautiful women being marmaid?" She said. "Can't daughters of men be pretty?"
"Yours surpasses the landmark for the daughters of men."
"Now let's talk about you. Are you a god?"
"Why did you ask such a question?"
"I saw you scare away the leopard"
"It's just a simple trick. Stand still and don't act afraid. Make yourself look big and brave, but don't make direct eye contact, because, they'll view this as a challenge."
"What if it is a lion."
"You can do the same thing safe for the fact that this time, you have to make direct eye contact to show it how brave you are."
"What about buffalos?"
"They move in herds of severall thousands therefore, it's wise to get a head start and climb a tree. There are times which you have to run. And if it is a gorrilla, then yiou have to crouch down and face the ground. You don't have to fight back all the times, that's how life is."
"Thank you, but I will have to leave now." She started moving away after saying this.
"What's your name?"
"I don't tell my name to strangers." She said this while still walking away.
"Then I will call you Onne. It means beauty." He said this loudly inorder for her to hear for she had gone a little far away.
A GOD THAT WAS A MAN
Enun finds himself inside a river palace. While scanning around the palace, he fsaw maiden afar-off. She beckoned on him to follow her. He followed her towards a very big door which opened as soon as she walked towards it. She she entered inside the big palace. As Enun walked to the door post, he looks inside and there he found sitted on the throne, the same maiden he had seen earlier by the river side. He was surprised and dump. Then suddenly, he was awaken by a blood man. It was all a dream.
"King Archibong is death." The blood man told him. This meant that they should be ready for another protest
Enun stood up giant-like. He moved immediately to the river. He finds the maiden standing there alone, stirring at the waters. He stood there dumbfolded. When she faced him, he was afraid so he bowed. He tried to speak but his mouth was shivering.
"You... are..."
"Yes I am, but you are a god too" She said.
"Me? No, am... just a mortal" He said still bowing.
"When men die they become spirit, but great men become gods."
"But I'm still living."
"That's why you can't manifest fully. But sure, you can command nature. If you command things rather than wish, they will obey." Hearing this, he rose up his head. "You can command it in your spirit without even speaking a word." She continued. When she said this, a mighty tree fell behind her.
"Is this happenning in real life?"
"Yes, you are not dreaming. Your time is short on earth, you will soon be translated to the world of gods."
"Does that mean I will soon die."
"Gods don't die, there are translated." When she said this, several tress fall at the same time.
"You shouldn't continue with that, there are better things you should be doing with your powers now. I'll take my leave now," She said as she bowed, "God of equality."
"Is that who I am?" He asked. She disappeared before he even finished speaking.
"Wow," He said, a with some pride, "God of equality."
THE TRANSLATION
Enun and the blood men went out to protest against the killing of slaves. King Archibong just died so they knew several slaves will be killed to accompany the king to the great beyond, as they believed, inorder to perform services for him while there. Arriving at the compound, they discovered that the white men who came to trade in slaves in calabar as well as the colonial authority had already taken sides with the elite Ekpe Order and therefore, had given out riffles to them. The blood men had to retreat when they found guards everywhere with riffles. But Enun came forward and shouted at a very loud tone to the surprise of even the blood:
"Your weapons can't harm me. No human can because I am Enun, the god of equality."
When he spoke this a great thunder stroke and there was darkness for a very brief moment.
"A god?" the blood men asked among themselves.
"He is no god," announced an annonymous voice, "kill him."
The guards starting shooting towards him but to their surprise, the bullets didn't cause any harm on him. He ran towards them and they ran away, this made the blood men to become courageous again and they followed after the retreating guards. They fought and disarmed their opponents but when it seemed as if they have gained victory, Enun ran into a small path. Three blood men noticed and followed him. He reached at a point where he thought no one was around and stopped. He was holding the left side of his abdomen. When he removed his hands, they were filled with blood. He had been shot in the protest.
"But she said I won't die." He said to himself. Then suddenly he noticed that people were following him from behind.
"Stop there or die." He said to the men behind him.
"We are your men." One of the men said.
"Blood men." Another added.
"My time to be translated into the land of gods has come." Enun said. "You are blessed to be present here. Now promise that you shall tell no one about what you shall see here. Touch the ground and swear."
They all touched the ground and said randomly, "I swear." When they said this, Enun fell to the ground, he was already very weak. They ran to him and held him.
"Burry me when I die and let no one know about it." He said to them.
After he had spoken this, there was lightening and sound of a great thunder. And darkness filled the place. When the light came back, his eyes were closed. He was death.
The blood men that were with him buried him but they told the other blood men that he took them to a place and told them that he will be translated. Urging them to remain strong. Then suddenly, they saw lightenning and thunder, and darkness filled the place. And by the time the light returned, he had been translated. Although they no longer had Enun with them they believed he was with them in spirit. They made a shrine at the spot where he was buried. The men that saw him die said that that was the point where he was translated. They never made any protest without praying to him for protection. He lived as a man, a great man, and died a god.
The blood men made many other protests and succeeded in bringing an end to the killing of slaves in Calabar.
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