Goddess And Her Clean Stream

Lisa’s stream became very famous to visitors and the stream was very important to all the people of Odogbagede village. Adebowale the high chief of the village was afraid of offending Lisa the goddess; the high chief dare not take any important decision concerning his Community without consulting the goddess first. It was said that when the first priest for the stream was tested and installed, the goddess personally took the priest to the source of the stream, which was located in a place well hidden in the deep forest; and only the Lisa’s priest can go to that source of the stream for consultation with the goddess.

It was not a secret in Odogbagede that the high chief cannot even go to the exact spot of the source of Lisa’s stream, this made the Lisa’s priest of the stream to be highly referred and influential in the community, even more than the high chief because Lisa’s priest was the spoke person of the goddess; and the goddess was the indirect real ruler of Odogbagede Community.

The source of Lisa’s stream was a swampy spot in the deep forest where a big earthen pot was placed on the swampy floor with the mouth of the earthen pot firmly rooted on the ground, a big opening on one side of the pot was where the fresh stream was gushing out from in torrent. A small mud room was built for the source of Lisa’s stream to keep unwanted people away from the spot; a bunch of palm frond covered the entrance of the mud room, and only Lisa’s priest was permitted to enter the place for consultation with the goddess; and anyone who strayed into that spot to hunt cannot see the source of Lisa’s stream with physical eyes.

If there was any problem in the community or if Adebowale, the high chief of Odogbagede needed any instruction from the goddess, Lisa’s priest would go to the source of the stream, and enter the room alone, he will then bring answer or solution to the Leader of the Community who must remain in the community or wait for answers at the bank of the stream.

This was the main reason why Lisa’s priest was more powerful than the high chief and any other chief in that Community. Even though the people who had formed Odogbagede community came from various communities in Yoruba land, Lisa, the stream goddess considered all the inhabitants as her subdued subjects.

She demanded for a yearly special festival, and also demanded for occasional sacrifices from anyone who violated her various taboos.

The goddess made laws and decisions through her priest whom no one can challenge; Lisa, the stream goddess controlled the villagers and their leaders from generation to generation. Lisa was the indirect ruler of Odogbagede Community for many decades; and the goddess remained the same beautiful and of middle age physically for centuries. When the mermaids needed food, they transformed into fishes, and after feeding in the stream; they changed back into mermaids.

However, Lisa’s stream was the best drinking water in the whole of that local Government, very clean, and it changes with the climate; if the weather is warm, the stream’s water will be cool for a nice swimming experience, the stream changes its temperature, it could be cool or warm to suit the climate of each day.

During the time of slave trade, the slave traders came often with their soldiers to catch villagers who fell into their ambush.

They succeeded in raiding many Communities around Odogbagede, Adebowale who was seventy five years old at that time with more than one thousand and five hundred people in his village, knew that soon enough; the slave traders will raid his village.

Odogbagede had no soldiers that could protect the Community; but the village had some hunters who were not many and were not equipped enough with fire arms to protect the village. Adebowale approached Lisa’s priest, “May you live long priest of Lisa’s stream,” the high chief saluted as he entered the mud house of the priest. The priest stood up and bowed his head as a sign of respect to the high chief of the village, “You are welcome oh, my leader of the Community,” the priest responded as he offered Adebowale a seat. Even though the priest of the stream was more influential than the village head, Yoruba customs and tradition demands that the head of the Community must be respected far above any other person in that Community.

The priest was a spiritual Representative of the stream goddess, while the high chief of the community leads the people in that community.

“My leader, you should have summoned me to your palace,” the priest said. “I decided to use my coming to you as an excuse to exercise my legs,” the high chief replied. “There is a serious problem that may consume this village if we don’t act fast,” the high chief said as he looked directly at the face of the priest. “Slave traders are coming for us,” the high chief concluded, looking worried.

The priest kept quiet for a minute before saying; “I have no solution at my disposals at the moment, but I am sure the goddess will have an idea that may help us out of this mess,” the priest finally said calmly.The high chief looked at the priest straight in the eyes again, and said; “Then do all you can within your capacity, and let me know your findings as soon as you return from your consultation with the goddess tomorrow morning.”

The high chief stood up to go. “May you wake up hale and healthy in the morning my able leader,” the priest prayed, and led the high chief out of his mud house. Very early in the next day, the priest put on his white priestly robe, and with a staff of his office on his left hand, and a white calabash on his right hand, the white calabash contained some white kola nuts, and many cowries. The priest was an impressive personality to behold that morning as he walked in measured steps towards Lisa’s stream to consults with the goddess.

The priest did not return to the village until late in the afternoon. There was a royal announcement throughout the Community the previous night that no one should go to the stream that day until Lisa’s priest returns from the stream; two palace guards were placed on the only road leading to the stream to prevent the people from going to the stream until the return of the priest.

Therefore, when the priest was sighted on his way to the palace that afternoon, it was a big relief to many of the people of Odogbagede who needed water for cooking and for drinking.