Mélèki (I cannot welcome him)

 


MÉLÈKI

is an Ijebu name with 3 synllables ME-LE-KI (Mélèki). A sentence actually, yoruba will write it as 

Mi ò lè Ki. (I can't greet him(her)). 

My great grand father was an Àbíkú (stillbirth: post natal death) that eventually stayed!

So I heard from my father who must have heard from his father who was a son to the man MELEKI that;

He was given birth to a number of times and he kept dieing until this time, his parents (my great grand parents) weren't sure if he would live, so they named him mi o le Ki (I can't welcome him to the world). 

Well, he lived.(I am a proud descendant: Timileyin of the house MELEKI).


The issue of Abiku may have spiritual causes as they are known to come back with marks given them in their previous lives.

It may also have biological and medical causes like syphilis, severe infection, malnutrition, sickle cell (genotype). 

*The interesting truth is, there are possibilities that what was inferred to as the spiritual cause could be medical all along (like genotype). Remember medicine was in its dark age in Nigeria back then! 

INFO

Intrauterine fatal death (death after 28 weeks of conception) 

Still birth (birth of a lifeless baby) 

Miscarriage/abortion (death before 28 weeks of conception) 

Death after birth on or before naming (8day)... 

*The Yoruba traditional society calls all these cases ÀBÍKÚ! 

So they are given such names like; Kashimawo, Banjoko, Orukotan, Kokumo, Durojaye, Durotimi among many others. 

All pointing to the uncertainty and myopia that fills the parents' hearts. They are not sure the child will stay this time or die... Well, they stay eventually, that's why I can mention names today! 


I suggest with this piece that a more positive approach should be employed towards the nomenclature of children in cases like this. 

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