THE STORY OF ỌMỌLOKÙN
(PART THREE)
That night, under the glow of the full moon, Aroni conducted ancient rituals, calling upon the spirits of fertility and destiny. Mọ́wùnmí stood beside him, her heart pounding with a mix of hope and fear. As the rituals reached their peak, a gust of wind swept through the sacred grove, sending shivers down their spines.
As Mọ́wùnmí performs the ritual to have her own child, Aroni the herbalist tied her hands sideways to two trees. Then an eerie spirit descended and entered Mọ́wùnmí.
As the eerie spirit descended and entered Mọ́wùnmí, a shiver ran down her spine, and her senses heightened. She could feel the presence of ancient powers swirling around her, whispering secrets of the earth and sky. Aroni, the herbalist, chanted incantations in a language long forgotten by most, invoking the spirits of fertility and life.
Months passed, and Mọ́wùnmí’s belly swelled with life, a testament to the success of the ritual. She gave birth to a child named Ọmọlokùn.
Ọmọlokùn grew to be a spoiled child whose demand must be met or she dies. When she started making outrageous demand, her mother knew she is dealing with spirit child that may eventually kill her.
Ọmọlokùn’s demands grew increasingly unreasonable as she entered her kindergarten years, causing distress and fear among her family and community. Her mother, Mọ́wùnmí, realized the gravity of the situation and sought advice from Aroni and spiritual leaders. Unfortunately, she was told nothing can be done about it.
Another mysterious thing about the girl is that no harm seems able to touch her. While growing up, a giant tree fell on her, thunder struck her, she dived into river without knowledge of how to swim, yet she did not die in all these calamities.
Ọmọlokùn grew into a beautiful and curious young girl. She would often ask for exotic things like fruits from distant lands, exotic fish or meat and egg of ostrich. Ọmọlokùn usually makes her request in a song form and this is how it goes:
Call: Ìyá, ìyá n ó f’ẹja bọ̀’run àjìjà mi
Ìyá, ìyá n ó f’ẹran bọ̀’run àjìjà mi
Ọmọ losùn ọmọnidẹ, ọmọ níí sìnsìn fún ni sìn
Response: Ọmọ losùn, ọmọnidẹ
Call: Ọmọ lẹ̀ṣọ́ ayé,
Response: Ọmọ losùn, ọmọnidẹ
Mọ́wùnmí happily obliged, wanting nothing but the best for her daughter.
To be continued.
Note:
The story is part of Yorùbá folklore fed into, and reconstructed by AI engine CHATGPT.
