"The mark defines me, I tried to stay but I was sent back never to return again. Now I have to live the destined years in the world I don't wish to stay. I am Kokumo, the abiku."
Good morning everyone,
I bring to you my recent art piece with the title "Kokumo". Its a drawing that talks about "Abiku"(Still birth) in my culture.
Abiku is known to be a spiritual child that comes to his/her parent and keep dying and reborn again. When he/she reaches a particular age or stage in life he/she dies going to meet his/her spiritual mates.
Over the years, series of names are being given to such child like Kokumo which is the title of my drawing and it means (Not dying again). Other names are Malomo(Don't go again), Kosoko (No more hoe to dig ground to bury you), Bantale (Stay with me till the night), Durojaiye(wait and enjoy the world)etc. Most of these names are given to the child to pacify him/her to stay.
Another remedy done to make the child stay is to give him/her visible tribal marks. This is believed that when he dies and his/her spiritual mates sees the mark they will send him/her back never to return again. The mark is like a stain on the child. So when the child is reborn again, the mark will be found on the exact place it was placed on his/her previous life.
I know much about them because I heard lot of stories about it from my grandmother and even her best friend is an Abiku. Her name is "Bantale" and her mother gave birth eighth times before she eventually stayed.
This piece is available on @Nftshowroom with just two editions left to be bought. You can check it out here https://nftshowroom.com/glogurl/gallery/glogurl_scribble-art_kokumo.
Special thanks to @stellabelle,
@xx1off and
@enn36_ for buying the first three editions.