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, both earthly and spiritual, may use the weapon for aggressive or passive purposes depending upon his judgment and wisdom.
A wavy, slightly incised line is set against a band of a double line with diagonal incising. This decoration hugs tightly to the inner edge leaving the rest of the blade free, with the exception of the vertical line of the tip which contains a zig-zag pattern forming a series of triangles having vertical lines as decoration. The hilt design is a series of very narrow vertical bands comprising zig-zags, four series of tiny dots and a twisted rope-like band.