By
Anthony Ogene
*The Mahogany Tree
OGRIKI: Known as the door because it sees outside and inside of the town / village. To found a place to dwell you must plant the Ogriki tree first, at the center. Every spirit in that area will then move to live with the Ogriki and, under it people will be communicating with different types of spirits.
Having sex in the bush where there’s no Ogriki tree or where we cannot hear the cock crow is considered an abomination.
One location where you can find the Ogriki tree is at the Ekpan shrine.
ULOHO: It is Believed to be the most respected tree in the land. Traditional believers do take food to Uloho, dress it with white or red cloth and worship it. Uloho always stand taller than other trees wherever you find them.
You can see the Uloho tree in the bush or in places like Udogu Okpe opposite the King’s palace at Orerokpe in Delta State.
The Uloho tree can never be cut down; even if you succeed, the root will spring up again and continue to grow and become Uloho tree again.
To cut down Uloho you must make some sacrifices.
AKALAMUDO: This is another mysterious tree, it does not share its leaves at the end or beginning of the year. Its leaves remain the same year in year out. The Akalamudo produces fruits that burst out with flies flying out of them until they die seven days later.
To cut down the Akalamudo, you need to perform some sacrifices.
AKPOBISI/AKPOBRISI: It is believed to be the most dangerous tree in the forest. The more it grows the more it kills other trees. Akpobisi is known as the spirit filled tree, it serves as home to another spirit the Urhobo of South-South Nigeria, call Aziza. It can be spelled forward and backward and still give you the same word-Aziza.
Other parts of Urhobo call it Oklobogbowo because it has only one leg and one hand, but in the form of a human being, moving around with the power of the wind. Under the Akpobisi tree, you will not see dried leafs and it looks like someone sweeps it every morning.
Only native doctors with diabolical powers can have access or contact with Akpobisi. But innocent people can have contact with it unknowingly.
ICHAKPA: It looks like a tree and a shrub in form of a dwarf. It remains so without growing and it never dies unless it is uprooted. The Ichakpa serves as a boundary between owners of lands.
A 50 year old Ichakpa tree does not grow taller than a human. It serves as first aid. When someone sustains an injury, you pluck the leaf, touch the wound with the water that flows out of it, and the blood will clot immediately.
MAHOGANY: The Mahogany is best known for roofing of houses. It can last for over 100 years without breaking. The Mahogany contains bitter oil for the treatment of pneumonia, cough and other cold related ailments.
THE BUSH MANGO TREE: This tree produces fruits called Owe in Urhobo language. It serves two purposes-it can be eaten and the seed is dried, to get the ogbono we use for preparing draw soup popularly known as ogbono soup.
The Bush Mango tree is known as the only fruit tree that is not allowed to be plucked. Fruits of the bush mango tree, can only be picked when they fall to the ground. It is a traditional and superstitious belief of the Urhobo people not to pluck the owe.
THE CASSAVA TREE /STICK: The Cassava tree/stick is mysterious but in a friendly way. We plant it as a stick and uproot as tubers. Cassava tubers can be cooked as portage, roasted, turned to garri, akpu, starch, fufu, tapioca etc.
The Cassava plant
Scholars have alleged that it was brought to us by the Portuguese in 1516 and it was first planted in Urhobo land before spreading to other parts of Nigeria
Today, garri remains one of the best consumed food in the Niger Delta area and it also remains a first aid in emergency treatment of hunger when blended together with sugar and kukuli.
*Edited by Anthony Oboghene Ororho, a seasoned journalist and educator.
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