Forest of a Thousand Daemons - PDF document

1 Forest of a Thousand Daemons HUNTERSAGA
Forest of a Thousand Daemons HUNTERSAGA D.O. Fagunwa Being

2 a translation ofOgboju Ode Ninu Igbo Iru
a translation ofOgboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmaleby WOLE SOYINK

3 AIllustrated by Bruce OnobrakpeyaCity Li
AIllustrated by Bruce OnobrakpeyaCity Lights Books | San Fr

4 ancisco 31 THEAUTHORMEETSAKARAOGUN My fr
ancisco 31 THEAUTHORMEETSAKARAOGUN My friends all, like the

5 sonorous proverb do we which follows i
sonorous proverb do we which follows is a veritable it is

6 I who will our masquerade dances well,
I who will our masquerade dances well, our heads swell and

7 do a twitching haphazardly, at loggerhe
do a twitching haphazardly, at loggerheads with the drums.

8 Dance my friends, in harmony, with joy
Dance my friends, in harmony, with joy and laughter, to be

9 a success, here are two things I must r
a success, here are two things I must request of you. Firs

10 tly, whenever a character in my story sp
tly, whenever a character in my story speaks in his own per

11 son, you must put yourselves in his plac
son, you must put yourselves in his place respond Wo WKe &#

12 x00660069;rsW speaker.Well, I do not wan
x00660069;rsW speaker.Well, I do not want to say too much a

13 t the start your shoulder, prepare your
t the start your shoulder, prepare yourselves for dancing,

14 that the the creatures of the forest we
that the the creatures of the forest were still asleep, th

15 ose of the backyard were feeding on the
ose of the backyard were feeding on the day’s providen

16 ce and birds were sinJinJ praises of WKe
ce and birds were sinJinJ praises of WKeir 0aker. $ beaWi&#

17 x00660069;F breeze rustled the dark leav
x00660069;F breeze rustled the dark leaves of the forest, d

18 eep dark God’s own splendour, sprea
eep dark God’s own splendour, spread its light into th

19 e world As for me I sat in my favourite
e world As for me I sat in my favourite chair, settled into

20 it with Not long after I was seated an
it with Not long after I was seated an old man came up to

21 tesy. Observing what appeared to be a de
tesy. Observing what appeared to be a desire to stay after

22 when I heard the man sigh deeply as one
when I heard the man sigh deeply as one whose mind was trou

23 bled by a heavy thought. Even as I be

bled by a heavy thought. Even as I be‘Take up your pen

24 and paper and write down the day lesW W
and paper and write down the day lesW WKe bene�

25 W of iW pass you oYer. , would noW mysel
W of iW pass you oYer. , would noW myself have come to you

26 today, but I am concerned on to you now
today, but I am concerned on to you now and you take it all

27 down diligently, even when the day com
down diligently, even when the day comes that I must meet

28 my Maker, the father was a hunter, he w
my Maker, the father was a hunter, he was also a great one

29 for medi cines and spells. He had a tho
for medi cines and spells. He had a thousand powder gourd

30 - hundred. Two hundred and sixty incubi
- hundred. Two hundred and sixty incubi lived in that ber.

31 It was the spirits who guarded the house
It was the spirits who guarded the house when he was away,

32 and no one dared enter that house when m
and no one dared enter that house when my my mother, for sh

33 e was a deep seasoned witch from the nio
e was a deep seasoned witch from the nior of them. She had

34 four children, the wife who was none at
four children, the wife who was none at all. One day my mot

35 her and another of these before the year
her and another of these before the year was out, eight of

36 my father’s children way. Thus was
my father’s children way. Thus was I left the only chi

37 ld and my mother the ‘My name is A
ld and my mother the ‘My name is Akara-Ogun, Compound