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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

NÍPA ỌMỌ YOÒBÁ




Hi there, 
I am Ọmọ Yoòbá, a 21st Century young Yorùbá man, with the mind of a 18th Century old man. 

Am a true Yoòbá boy, I love my culture. 
I love Yorùbá.

I call on you Yorùbá sons & daughters, home or away, to visit here for the Yorùbá culture.

Want to learn the Yorùbá culture? Want to know more about the Yorùbá tradition? Join me right here, on YO’BA MO’ODUA 






Báwo ni o, orúkọ mi ni Ọmọ Yoòbá. Mo sì n'ífẹ́ẹ̀ sí èdè, àṣà àti ìṣe 
ọmọ káàárọ̀-o-ò-jí i re, èyí ló mú mi tọ́pẹpẹ ètò 
YO’BA MO’ODUA lórí ẹ̀rọ ayélujára, fún gbogbo ọmọ Yorùbá láì yọ àwọn olólùfẹ́ èdèYorùbá sílẹ̀.

darapọ̀ mọ́ wa, kí ẹ kọ́ ọgbọ́n kan tàbí òmìran nínú àṣà baba wa O'òduà.

Ẹ rántí láti padà wá o. Ire o!!!

Friday, January 11, 2013

ÒGBÓJÚ ỌDẸ 2 (THE GREAT HUNTER)




During any festival dún, whether it’s the dún ÒgúnÒgún’s festival, the dún ọdẹ; hunters’ festival or when an important (pàtàkì) person in the town or any of the ọdẹ is celebrating an important event like ìsọmọlúk; child's naming, ìṣílé; house warming, ìgbéyàwó; wedding. 

The ọdẹ usually go into the bush in group to hunt for ẹran ìgbẹ́; game to be feast on at the great ceremony.

The 
olú ọdẹ; head of the hunters, if among the group ẹgbẹ́ leads the ògbójú ọdẹ into the heart of the forest igbó after all the necessary rites and rituals have been concluded.

Song of praises out of the mouths of the ọdẹs as they chant or
íkì; panegyrics to acknowledge each other’s hunting efforts over the years. The ọdẹ apa-ẹkùn; leopard hunter will be praised as a leopard hunter, while the ọdẹ apa-erin; elephant hunter, as well as other hunters will also be praised accordingly. 

The beating of the 
àgẹ̀rẹ̀; Ògún drum feels the atmosphere accompanied with shots of Dane guns in the air whenever game is hunted, they dance from the forest down to the àárín abú; village square, singing in ìjálá; hunters song to pay homage to Ògún for making them hunt games for the outing (Ògún mú owó yá). 

The music orin and dance ijó is never complete without the ẹmu; palm wine drink with food oúnj to munch (láti j).

 Ìjálá súnsún (ọdẹ song) -
" Ògún láká ayé ọṣìn imọlẹ̀,
Òlómi n'ílé f'ẹ̀jẹ̀wẹ̀,
Òláṣọ n'ílé f'imọ̀ kì mọ̀ b’ora,
Ògún aládàá méjì, ó fì ọ̀kan sán’ko, 
Ó fi ọ̀kan yẹ ọ̀nà.

Ògún onílé owó, Ògún ọlọ́na ọlà."

When an ọdẹ dies, there is a required rite done for the deceased called ìípà ọdẹ.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

ÒGBÓJÚ ỌDẸ - THE GREAT HUNTER

ỌDẸ- 
: stands for someone, something and DẸ: is to trap, therefore in simple English Ọd is 'he who traps'. 


Ọd
, the fierce man who travels in the depth of the forest at night while everyone sleeps. He calls on Òrúnmìlà; òrìsà of protection to guide himHe makes offering to Ògúnòrìsà of strength agbára, endurance, and perseverance ìfaradà to be with him in the dark of the night.


He also talks with Oossì; òrìṣà of animals so as to bring him ẹran ìgbẹ́; games. The ọdẹ usually go into the bush in group to hunt for ẹranko ìgbẹ́; game to be feast on at the great ceremony. When in group, the they sing ìjálá (song of the ọdẹ) accompanied with the bàtá drums and dance.

The book ÒGBÓJÚ ỌDẸ NÍNÚ IGBÓ IRÚNMLÈ̩ (FOREST OF A THOUSAND DAEMONS) written by D.O Fágúnwà, exposes what the ọdẹ goes through in the wild aginjù.

dẹ is important in the Yoruba set-up as he provides food; meat which he either feeds-on with his family or sells to the community. He adds to the growth ìdàgbàsókè of the economy rọ̀-ajé through his sales of animals, its hide; aw, horns ìwo, tusk eyín-erin etc

The Ògbójú Ọdẹ for his bravery ìgbójú is sometimes promoted by the Ọba: king to become one of the warriors of the Yoruba Empire. Most jagunjagun (warriors) who protects the land were once hunters.

Ọfà àti ọrún: bow, arrows, àdá: cutlass, ọ̀bẹ: knife, ìfúnpá: amulets are some of the tools of an ọdẹ used in hunting. The charms are needed to rescue themselves from the wild beasts and animals when it calls for it.

In the cold òtútú of the night alẹ́, full of beasts and demons ànjọ̀nú looking for whom to devour, the ọdẹ is in his hide out watching out for ran ìgbẹ́ to trap. He monitors the animals’ movement so as to trap it.

For memories ìrántí, most of the awọ: hides, ìwo:  horns are kept, hung in the house as decoration (ohun ọ̀ṣọ́). Hunting in ìgbẹ́: forest, is a tasking job.

And indeed, the ọdẹ is a great man. Don't you think so?