Small time now, this woman with the tribal marks may also join in the attack on Isese, (her culture, custom & tradition) because probably she's now a Deaconess or a Pastor Mrs of her church or she's Iya Adinni, Iya Suna in her mosque. IGNORANCE!
Tribal mark is a major physical point of family, native, town and tribal identity apart from its beautiful ornamental purposes.
When I was still in the sinful world many years back, I once dated a charming lady with beautiful tribal marks. She's from the popular Alaafin Adeyemi royal house. You don't need to be told, when you meet anyone from Adeyemi nuclear or extended royal family house you will know immediately because of their unique tribal marks, identity and obvious resemblance.
The significance of the princess's tribal mark didn't really occur to me until when I took her and her friends to a local food and palmwine joint to relax. The moment we stepped into the food arena, the elderly food seller, all of a sudden as if automated, started chanting the family eulogy of the late Alaafin Adeyemi for the lady. "Kabiyesi oo Alaafin. Iku Baba Yeye, Omo Iku ti Iku ko gbodo pa, Omo Arun ti Arun ko gbodo se. Baba wa nko la fin oo?". It was a sensational scene and quite amusing. As a culture preservation activist I could relate immediately.
After the elderly woman took our order for food choice, surprising she served the princess first instead of me, the sugar daddy (or was I a sugar uncle then?) and the paymaster. Then the proud Egba man in me protested jokingly to the elderly Oyo woman. After all, Egba warriors led by the great Lisabi Agbongbo Akala chased away the invading bandits of Alaafin from Abeokuta soil. A victory song was dedicated to that historical victory led by Lisabi the father of Egba people: "Oyo nsalo, duro de mi nwo Sokoto, Oyo nsalo.." (Oyo soldiers are fleeing, wait for me let me put on my trouser) as the Oyo bandits fled back to their homeland without their regular loot "Isakole" collected.
I jokingly protested to the woman that she ought to have served me first before my lady and her friends, as a man, the paymaster and a proud Egba man whose ancestors chased away Oyo bandits from Abeokuta.
She pleaded with me for understanding but maintained that Alaafin would not be on seat and she would serve Alake of Egbaland first. We all laughed it off. The arena in Ibadan temporarily turned into a forum for culture and custom debate as other customers contributed their opinions and experiences with emphasis on the significance of tribal mark in Yoruba tradition as an expression of our culture and tradition, (Isese). I truly learned a lot from them. Isese is not just about religion but a totality of our ways of life from ancestral period ably expressed in our culture, custom and tradition.
“If you know your history, then you would know where you coming from, then you wouldn’t have to ask me, who the heck do I think I am.”
— Bob Marley.
Adeola Soetan