What is Etsi Bome, Bometsila or Bometsitsi in Eʋe ?

The Eʋes believe that every man on earth (Kodzogbe) came from an abode of souls called Bome. There is a mother of souls who resides in Bome and creates souls using clay. Eʋes believe that mother of Bome is called Bomenɔ.

Eʋes also believe that while in Bome, the souls are not knowledgeable and they lack destiny and wisdom. They are not aware of their being. Bomenɔ donates these souls to couples during sexual intercourse and conception. Bomenɔ clothes these souls with destiny and knowledge capacity before giving them away for conception through which they come to Kodzogbe as human (ame). While at Kodzogbe, these souls donated by Bomenɔ are expected to be knowledgeable, wise and to be destiny possessive.

For Eʋes, anything short of the knowledge expected of a person is suggestive that part of his or her ability to act knowledgeably is left in Bome where he or she resided without knowledge.

Bometsila, therefore, means a person who is not wise or not knowledgeable. He or she is foolish, stupid or insane. Eʋes may also refer to the person as Tsukunɔ, aɖaʋatɔ etc. The Tɔŋu Eʋes may simply say the person is Bometsie, meaning part of him or her is left in Bome so he or she cannot reason well as a true human who is wise and knowledgeable.

Bometsila = foolish person

Bometsitsi = foolishness

Bometsinya = foolish talk or foolish matter or foolish assertion.

Eʋes also believe that after a person dies, his soul (dzɔgbese or dzɔgbe) and his luck (aklama) follow him to Tsyieƒe or Aʋlime or Yɔme where he or she resides forever in the form of knowledgeable soul.

Summarily, therefore, Eʋes believe that human beings move from Bome through Kodzogbe to Aʋlime. Bome and Kodzogbe are temporary abodes but Aʋlime is an eternal or permanent abode of the soul.

Perhaps it was in consonant with this that William Shakespeare said, "Everything that lives must die, passing through nature (Kodzogbe) to eternity (Aʋlime). Hope you enjoyed reading.

Asante Sana

Author: Philip Afeti Korto
Email Address: [email protected]