saw only its back with the many-coloured patterns and drawings done by specially
chosen women at regular intervals. These women never saw the inside of the hut. No
woman ever did. They scrubbed and painted the outside walls under the supervision of
men. If they imagined what was inside, they kept their imagination to themselves. No
woman ever asked questions about the most powerful and the most secret cult in the
clan.
Am oyim de de de de! flew around the dark, closed hut like tongues of fire. The
ancestral spirits of the clan were abroad.
The metal gong beat continuously now and the flute, shrill and powerful, floated
on the chaos.
And then the egwugwu appeared. The women and children sent up a great shout
and took to their heels. It was instinctive. A woman fled as soon as an egwugwu came
in sight. And when, as on that day, nine of the greatest masked spirits in the clan came
out together it was a terrifying spectacle. Even Mgbafo took to her heels and had to be
restrained by her brothers.
Each of the nine egwugwu represented a village of the clan. Their leader was
called Evil Forest. Smoke poured out of his head.
The nine villages of Umuofia had grown out of the nine sons of the first father of
the clan. Evil Forest represented the village of Umueru, or the children of Eru, who was
the eldest of the nine sons.
"Umuofia kwenu!" shouted the leading egwugwu, pushing the air with his raffia
arms. The elders of the clan replied, "Yaa!"
."Umuofia kwenu!"
"Yaa!"
"Umuofia kwenu!"
"Yaa!"