The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African | Page 4

named Essaka. The distance of this province
from the capital of Benin and the sea coast must be very considerable;
for I had never heard of white men or Europeans, nor of the sea: and
our subjection to the king of Benin was little more than nominal; for
every transaction of the government, as far as my slender observation
extended, was conducted by the chiefs or elders of the place. The
manners and government of a people who have little commerce with
other countries are generally very simple; and the history of what
passes in one family or village may serve as a specimen of a nation. My
father was one of those elders or chiefs I have spoken of, and was

styled Embrenche; a term, as I remember, importing the highest
distinction, and signifying in our language a mark of grandeur. This
mark is conferred on the person entitled to it, by cutting the skin across
at the top of the forehead, and drawing it down to the eye-brows; and
while it is in this situation applying a warm hand, and rubbing it until it
shrinks up into a thick weal across the lower part of the forehead. Most
of the judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long born it:
I had seen it conferred on one of my brothers, and I was also destined
to receive it by my parents. Those Embrence, or chief men, decided
disputes and punished crimes; for which purpose they always
assembled together. The proceedings were generally short; and in most
cases the law of retaliation prevailed. I remember a man was brought
before my father, and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and,
although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to
make recompense by a man or woman slave. Adultery, however, was
sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I
believe is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa[A]: so
sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous
are they of the fidelity of their wives. Of this I recollect an instance:--a
woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and delivered over,
as the custom was, to her husband to be punished. Accordingly he
determined to put her to death: but it being found, just before her
execution, that she had an infant at her breast; and no woman being
prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was spared on account
of the child. The men, however, do not preserve the same constancy to
their wives, which they expect from them; for they indulge in a
plurality, though seldom in more than two. Their mode of marriage is
thus:--both parties are usually betrothed when young by their parents,
(though I have known the males to betroth themselves). On this
occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom stand up in
the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the purpose, while
he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his wife, and that no
other person is to pay any addresses to her. This is also immediately
proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride retires from the assembly.
Some time after she is brought home to her husband, and then another
feast is made, to which the relations of both parties are invited: her
parents then deliver her to the bridegroom, accompanied with a number

of blessings, and at the same time they tie round her waist a cotton
string of the thickness of a goose-quill, which none but married women
are permitted to wear: she is now considered as completely his wife;
and at this time the dowry is given to the new married pair, which
generally consists of portions of land, slaves, and cattle, household
goods, and implements of husbandry. These are offered by the friends
of both parties; besides which the parents of the bridegroom present
gifts to those of the bride, whose property she is looked upon before
marriage; but after it she is esteemed the sole property of her husband.
The ceremony being now ended the festival begins, which is celebrated
with bonefires, and loud acclamations of joy, accompanied with music
and dancing.
We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets. Thus every
great event, such as a triumphant return from battle, or other cause of
public rejoicing is celebrated in public dances, which are accompanied
with songs and music suited to the occasion. The assembly is separated
into four divisions, which dance either apart or in succession, and each
with a character peculiar to itself. The first division contains the
married men, who in their dances frequently exhibit feats of arms, and
the representation of a