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Elesin
The "mother of the market." She has a close and friendly relationship with Elesin and, along with the praise-singer, acts as Elesin's moral compass and a conscience of sorts. She wants to please him and is happy to do so by helping the other market women dress him in fine cloth, but she's also the only one to question him when he asks to take a young woman as his wife in the hours before his death. With this, Iyaloja shows that she has a vested interest in making sure that Elesin follows protocol and doesn't ruin things by changing the plan, as she warns him several times that he should make sure he doesn't leave a curse behind by having sex with his new bride. At this point, Iyaloja seems to not have much power, given that she feels she cannot deny Elesin his bride even though she thinks the marriage isn't a good idea. After Elesin fails to die, however, Iyaloja comes into her full power. She berates Elesin for knocking the world off its course and upending the cosmic order by failing to die. Iyaloja makes it very clear that women will have to bear the burden of Elesin's mistake by having the market women carry Olunde's body to Elesin's cell so he can see how the consequences of his actions. She speaks often in Yoruba proverbs, which allows her to force Elesin to connect with his culture and his religion by interpreting them. After Elesin dies, Iyaloja blames Pilkings for killing Elesin and creating an environment in which Elesin failed—and where a disaster like Olunde’s suicide could happen. However, Iyaloja also shows that she recognizes the importance of looking forward, not backward, when she tells the bride to think of her unborn child, not of the living or the dead.
Iyaloja Quotes in Death and the King’s Horseman
The Death and the King’s Horseman quotes below are all either spoken by Iyaloja or refer to Iyaloja. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 3
Quotes
Amusa: The chief who call himself Elesin Oba.
Woman: You ignorant man. It is not he who calls himself Elesin Oba, it is his blood that says it. As it called out to his father before him and will to his son after him. And that is in spite of everything your white man can do.
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- One might even say, difficult?
- Indeed one might be tempted to say, difficult.
- But you do manage to cope?
- Yes indeed I do. I have a rather faithful ox called Amusa.
- He's loyal?
- Absolutely.
- Lay down his life for you what?
- Without a moment's thought.
- Had one like that once. Trust him with my life.
- Mostly of course they are liars.
- Never known a native to tell the truth.
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Then tell him to leave this market. This is the home of our mothers. We don't want the eater of white left-overs at the feast their hands have prepared.
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Our marriage is not yet wholly fulfilled. When earth and passage wed, the consummation is complete only when there are grains of earth on the eyelids of passage. Stay by me till then. My faithful drummers, do me your last service. This is where I have chosen to do my leave-taking, in this heart of life, this hive which contains the swarm of the world in its small compass. This is where I have known love and laughter away from the palace.
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Act 5
Quotes
It is when the alien hand pollutes the source of will, when a stranger force of violence shatters the mind's calm resolution, this is when a man is made to commit the awful treachery of relief, commit in his thought the unspeakable blasphemy of seeing the hand of the gods in this alien rupture of his world. I know it was this thought that killed me, sapped my powers and turned me into an infant in the hands of unnamable strangers.
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Elesin: Go to the gates, ghostly one. Whatever you find there, bring it to me.
Iyaloja: Not yet. It drags behind me on the slow, weary feet of women. Slow as it is, Elesin, it has long overtaken you. It rides ahead of your laggard will.
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No child, it is what you brought to be, you who play with strangers' lives, who even usurp the vestments of our dead, yet believe that the stain of death will not cling to you. The gods demanded only the old expired plantain but you cut down the sap-laden shoot to feed your pride. There is your board, filled to overflowing. Feast on it.
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Iyaloja Quotes in Death and the King’s Horseman
The Death and the King’s Horseman quotes below are all either spoken by Iyaloja or refer to Iyaloja. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 3
Quotes
Amusa: The chief who call himself Elesin Oba.
Woman: You ignorant man. It is not he who calls himself Elesin Oba, it is his blood that says it. As it called out to his father before him and will to his son after him. And that is in spite of everything your white man can do.
Related Characters:
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
- One might even say, difficult?
- Indeed one might be tempted to say, difficult.
- But you do manage to cope?
- Yes indeed I do. I have a rather faithful ox called Amusa.
- He's loyal?
- Absolutely.
- Lay down his life for you what?
- Without a moment's thought.
- Had one like that once. Trust him with my life.
- Mostly of course they are liars.
- Never known a native to tell the truth.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Then tell him to leave this market. This is the home of our mothers. We don't want the eater of white left-overs at the feast their hands have prepared.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Our marriage is not yet wholly fulfilled. When earth and passage wed, the consummation is complete only when there are grains of earth on the eyelids of passage. Stay by me till then. My faithful drummers, do me your last service. This is where I have chosen to do my leave-taking, in this heart of life, this hive which contains the swarm of the world in its small compass. This is where I have known love and laughter away from the palace.
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Act 5
Quotes
It is when the alien hand pollutes the source of will, when a stranger force of violence shatters the mind's calm resolution, this is when a man is made to commit the awful treachery of relief, commit in his thought the unspeakable blasphemy of seeing the hand of the gods in this alien rupture of his world. I know it was this thought that killed me, sapped my powers and turned me into an infant in the hands of unnamable strangers.
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Elesin: Go to the gates, ghostly one. Whatever you find there, bring it to me.
Iyaloja: Not yet. It drags behind me on the slow, weary feet of women. Slow as it is, Elesin, it has long overtaken you. It rides ahead of your laggard will.
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No child, it is what you brought to be, you who play with strangers' lives, who even usurp the vestments of our dead, yet believe that the stain of death will not cling to you. The gods demanded only the old expired plantain but you cut down the sap-laden shoot to feed your pride. There is your board, filled to overflowing. Feast on it.
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