KAMBUZI

 

“Pain is ecstasy.”

 

“These marks I wear are my armour;

Grandfather Eshu has shown us the path;

There is nothing truly mine that can be taken from me.

My secrets are my own and the only way to know what lies within is to walk my path of lashes.”

 

Elsira notes:

 “The quiet, peaceful Kambuzi are the most mysterious of the sidhe karui. They believe the path to understanding the Gra is through ecstatic ritual, usually involving flagellation. Their covens are extremely insular and outsiders (even other sidhe) are rarely invited to partake in their rituals. Kambuzi are born into their karu and stay in their karu; initiates born into other karui are accepted into the Kambuzi only in the most extraordinary circumstances. Little is know about the Kambuzi and their traditions, but they are easy to spot: large (even for sidhe), with blue-black skin and haunting blue eyes, their flesh covered with the ritual scarring they wear as badges of honor.”

--Brisingamen archives no. 98543345

 

“A messenger and mediator between gods and men, and the deity of disharmony, Eshu, is the trickster and mischief maker in Yoruba lore. A rich mythology surrounds the contradictory character of Eshu, who is both lovable and dangerous, personifying that which cnnot be explained. Eshu's attributesinclude a long, curved headdress, sometimes with a face at the tip, a flute, medicine gourds, and strands of cowry shells. Eshu staffs are carried by his devotees in festivals and dances.”

--Penny Nii Collection

 

“’In a widely publicized event on 23 October 2001, Nigerian Soldiers identified as troops from the 23rd Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army based in Yola, Adamawa State, invaded 4 Tiv villages using tanks, armoured personnel carriers and rocket propelled grenade launchers and killing more than 500 unarmed innocent civilians.’ This news item is incomplete. The march to the sea continued on, and with every step, these foolish humans moved us all closer to extinction.”

--Sir Edmund Margary, in an address to the Brisingamen Elders, November 2001.