Ozidi is a
folk hero
A folk hero or national hero is a type of hero – real, fictional or mythological – with their name, personality and deeds embedded in the popular consciousness of a people, mentioned frequently in folk songs, folk tales and other folklore; an ...
among the
Ijo of
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, and the subject of
The Ozidi Saga The Ozidi Saga is a choreographed folklore epic performed as part of the oral history of the Ijaw of the Niger River Delta.
It is traditionally performed as a periodic festival honoring the folk hero Ozidi. The performance dramatizes key episodes ...
.
A Series Of Excerpts From The Oral Records Of The Ijo People
{{Cquote, Ozidi vomits his sword and battle outfit out of himself before each battle. He leads his musician-assistants, his grandmother, and the animals and objects that he regurgitates. His grandmother coaches him to many victories, but Ozidi goes too far and kills his uncle and an innocent woman and her newborn son. The
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
King comes to take Ozidi in punishment, but Ozidi's mother insists that her son was only being afflicted by
Yaws
Yaws is a tropical infection of the skin, bones, and joints caused by the spirochete bacterium ''Treponema pallidum pertenue''. The disease begins with a round, hard swelling of the skin, in diameter. The center may break open and form an ulce ...
, a mild childhood disease that Ozidi had never contracted. Somehow the Smallpox King was confused and he retreated. Upon recovery, Ozidi gave up his battle sword for good.
References
*Miller, Eric (1998)
Roleplaying in an African Storytelling Event.
Nigerian culture