The ceremonial sword is an important symbol of power and authority. High ranking individuals wear the udamalore, (a small, ornate ceremonial sword), during festivals to distinguish themselves as someone of importance. At Ilesha, (central Yorubaland), the chief strikes the blade of his sword on the earth three times when he greets Ogun, god of iron. Swords are not only emblems of wealth, but also of the power latent within the metal itself to cause either destruction, or to be used for protection. Just as an individual possessing power, either earthly or spiritual, may use the weapon for aggressive or passive purposes depending upon his judgment and wisdom.
A large lizard-like creature dominates the center of the blade. Its body is a very long rectangle curving into a tail, composed of a checkerboard pattern with tiny circles in the center of the squares suggesting scales. The head is a triangle from which sprout an inverted V-shape crowned by three concentric circles piled on top of the 'peaks', and one circle attached to each tip. The tail narrows sharply, nearly touching the bottom design of a horizontal zig-zag configuration alternating with semi-circles. The pattern then suddenly reduces in size to finely incised horizontal panels of a checkerboard arrangement, one with tiny circles in the center of the squares. This blade is also decorated on the reverse with a complex design that bears some elements of a lizard in a highly abstract fashion. The tip of the blade comes to a sharp point, while the lower right section near the hilt is serrated.