According to Folklores passed down The Amadosu and Odumu/Adumo are not specifically a particular snake but snakes, like a family tree of ancestors. And they're said to have powers beyond the physical Realm. They're like a bridge between the Spiritual and Physical world, and was considered Sacred animals. These snakes were mostly found and seen near the river side of the communities in Ekpetiama Kingdom, and these animals somehow have the intellect to understand the intentions of humans and doesn't harm them when in contact with the people but it's actually the Python snakes to be specific.
In Ijaw They're known as Oru/Oru's Which is a word for Ancestors or Spiritual guides, Amadosu Is an Oru/Deity in Ekpetiama Kingdom That was onced worshipped by the Ijaw people of Ekpetiama Clan before the Dawn of Christianity. It is mentioned along with Odumu or Adumu, Asaien, Binikurukuru Dirimo-Owei, Agburuku and Oso-Owei. All these Deities are ranking deities that governs around the Ekpetiama Kingdom But Amadosu is Considered the Highest Ranking of them all.
Many years ago the people of Ekpetiama Clan worshipped these gods and offered offerings to these Deities in Shrines built for these spiritual beings to respect and honour them. Odumu or Adumu is said to be a snake including Amadosu and Binikurukuru
PRACTICES AND BELIEFS.
There isn't really much information of how these deities we're consulted or any forms of Practices and Beliefs done by the Ekpetiama people. But they're said to come from the waters and are said to grant good health, protection and good fortune like the famous Mami Water and yes these snakes are Mami Waters as well and called the Pere-Asaien
SHAPES, FORMS AND DESCRIPTIONS THE DEITIES.
According to the stories told they come in different colours. Sometimes as a fully Black coloured python sometimes as Black and White coloured python like in a form of the lack of Melanin in a certain part of Thier body, And maybe sometimes as a usual Python colour and also as a rare rainbowed coloured. These snakes are a Bridge between the Spiritual and Physical world so the ancestors of Ekpetiama takes these reptiles has a host to represent through these pythons as a physical form to communicate with the living.
They're said to come from the waters so are considered Mami Waters, Oso-Owei, rumoured to be a Dwarf god. Legend says Oso-wei is actually a Demi-god because he is said to be a Dwarf human with powers beyond the human capabilities. And he is said to be a Craftsman that helps people in need, but does it secretly. Doesn't live among humans but inside the bushes and if encountered and wins him in a fight any wish you demand will be granted to you.
There is another folklore of Oso-Owei in the community of Akaibiri which he was said to be betrayed and then layed a curse on the people of Akaibiri not to be tall and the rumours seems to be true because in all of Ekpetiama Clan The people of Akaibiri aren't usually tall but mostly short people in the community.
THE DISBELIEFS AND DECLINE OF WORSHIPPERS AND FOLLOWERS.
The Worships and Disbelief of Amadosu and Odumu/Adumu with the few other dieties began to decline when the rise and preaching of Christianity started spreading rapidly, thesame era and timeline it was going on all around Africa reshaping the belief systems and practices of the ancestral worships, slowly people started letting go of those beliefs and only rumours of these names as of now.
CONSEQUENCES OF REFUSAL TO CONTINUE PRACTICES.
There are few consequences that takes place if refusal to continue with the ancestral worship. It is said that Grandfathers/Great-grandfathers or Grandmother's/Great-grandmothers has made a clearance that their children will continue with these practices when they're deceased but since the rise of the Foreign Christian Religion and that lineage of practise wasn't continued families seem to have difficulties, Mental issues and sometimes handicapped disabilities from birth.
But it is unsure if it's a punishment of the Ancestors/Deities or if it's a broken riff between the Ancestral Plane of the house of those families. Even Though there are still people who do those practices but mostly hidden because of the judgemental words from others. Because in Africa today an ancestral practice is considered Demonic.
Written by Dimie Joseph.
Photo Drawn and modified by Dimie Joseph.
