The cry of Gbuurunwaa” (Kpa Gbugurunwaa”)

The cry of Gbuurunwaa” (Kpa Gbugurunwaa”) In the modern world, we often view laws as flexible or subject to personal circumstances. However, in the ancient Ogoni social system, the law was an absolute, sacred entity. One of the most haunting stories from the oral traditions collected by Dr. Sonpie Kpone-Tonwe is the legend of the Deeko Prohibition; a tale that illustrates the agonizing choice between family love and national duty. 1. The Decree of the Seas During a period of intense maritime conflict with the neighboring Andoni (Pya Bono) groups, the Ogoni leadership established a strict military and spiritual decree: No citizen was allowed to go to the sea for fishing or gathering on "Deeko" days. This wasn't just a suggestion; it was a "Law" intended to protect the people from being ambushed by enemy war canoes. To break this law was to invite spiritual doom and jeopardize the safety of the entire community. 2. Gbugurunwaa: The Woman Who Broke the Law As the story goes, a woman named Gbugurunwaa believed she could slip away unnoticed to collect shellfish. Driven by hunger or perhaps overconfidence, she ignored the prohibition and headed to the creeks. Predictably, the enemy was lying in wait. Gbugurunwaa was captured and dragged toward an enemy vessel. As she was being led away, she cried out in terror, her voice echoing through the mangroves. - The cry of Gbuurunwaa” (Kpa Gbugurunwaa”) 3. The Son’s Impossible Choice Her son was nearby, perched high atop a palm tree tapping wine. He heard his mother’s screams and saw the kidnappers. In any other circumstance, he would have descended and fought to the death to save her. But when he realized his mother had been captured because she had willfully broken the Deeko Law, his heart hardened. Instead of rushing to her aid, he shouted down from the tree: "Hold her tight! She has broken the law of the land!" 4. The Philosophy of "Law Above Blood" To a modern reader, the son’s actions seem cold, even monstrous. But in the ancient Ogoni context, he was hailed as a man of supreme integrity. The documents explain that the Ogoni believed that if the law was compromised for one person, the entire "fence" of protection around the nation would collapse. By refusing to save his mother, the son affirmed that the survival of the Seven Multitudes (Ereba Edo Khana) was more important than any individual life. Why It Matters Today The story of Gbugurunwaa and her son is a "charter myth", a story told to every generation to emphasize that nobody is above the law. It reflects a society that valued collective discipline and the sanctity of communal decrees above all else. It is a stark reminder of the "hard justice" that allowed the Ogoni to survive centuries of external threats. Note: Deeko was the fifth day of the five-day Ogoni week. It was the principal market day. Men left their normal places of work to be home on Deeko day, much like modern Saturdays or Sundays. The implication of the law was that there would not be men around to offer the protection since they would be home on Deeko to visit the markets, see friends, or just to relax.