THE TALES OF WOMAN OF VIRTUE MOREMI (A Nigeria Folklores) @Sankofa Contest

The folktale feature the braveness on the women side. She shows the sign of bravery making it noticed that not only the men are brave but also the women by saving the village from invaders....

There lived a woman called Moremi, she lived in a small village she got married to a King and later became a princess. She gave birth to only one male child.
Moreover was not just a princess but was a very beautiful young woman who was a true patriot and also brave, for quite a long time, her village has been disturbed by some particular strangers who are always coming into the village during the nightfall and they mostly do away with the villagers. The village was not at rest.

Moremi decided to use all her means and power to help her village freed from the menace of the strangers. She makes up her mind in rendering to offer any sacrifice or by giving up her dearest position and possession to achieve her goals.
So she consulted the oracle and the oracle told her to seek help from the river goddess who lived in a nearby river in the village. She begged the river goddess to help her in saving her people from this strangers, in the process she promised the river goddess that she would give anything the goddess ask in return if she could conquer the strangers, defeat them and restore the dignity of her village.

After some days, she started the plan on the par of scheme of how she will rescue the villagers.
In part of her scheme, Moremi allowed herself to be captured by the strangers. She was locked up, but due to the strangers King likeness towards her all because of her beauty, the king instructed them not to torture or touch her, she should be taken care of.
Then the king decided to take Moremi has his queen and she agreed in order for he familiarizing herself with the secrets of the king that make the strangers to be always able to invade their village and capture them.
The King was so famish in love, and he told Moremi all their secret. After founding out of all the secret, Moremi planned on her escape back to the village. She then revealed it to the people and king of her village.

She has learnt the strangers were all human and not spirits of the underworld because anytime they invade their village they are always covered with mask and skirt of raffia.
She then instruct the river army of her village to hold a fire light torch and set the strangers skirt of raffia ablaze anytime they invade. Her plan works and the village was set free from the strangers invasion.

After defeating the invaders, Moremi decided to visit the river goddess to thank her and also to ask her of what the goddess want. On getting to the river, the goddess greeted Moremi and tell her about what she wishes in exchange, she asked for Moremi only daughter as exchange. After Moremi heard about the request of the river goddess, she became helpless and unhappy because the goddess want her only child.
Moremi was horrified on the request of the river goddess and begged but the goddess was relentless to all plead and reasoning. Moremi was forced to consent because she has no choice and she sacrificed the son.
The news got to around all around the village, the men and women, young and old, children wept seeing the sad event.
moremi cried and cried over the dead body of her sacrificed son, singing and lamenting, the villager promise to be her sons and daughter forever to make up for her loss.

Not quite long after the villagers has depart, the dead son regain consciousness making a rope of grass, he climbed up to heaven where he said to have ever since been with the gods and immortal heroes of the Yoruba land.
The son became immortalized and he became eternal sources of songs, folktales and legend who commensurate his mother great sacrifice to the village.

Conclusively

Moremi story was very popular and great sacrifice to the Yoruba’s (Nigerians) and since that day she was remembered due to her heroic courage and they celebrate her.
She was then immortalized in the Yoruba language opera as “Moremi Ajasoro”. She since then remains the greatest heroine for the Yoruba land (Nigerians).