ÒGBÓJÚ ỌDẸ 2 (THE GREAT HUNTER)

During any festival ọdún, whether it’s the ọdún Ògún; Ògún’s festival, the ọdún ọdẹ; hunters’ festival or when an important (pàtàkì) person in the town or any of the ọdẹ is celebrating an important event like ìsọmọlúkọ; 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 oríkì; 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 abúlé; 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 oúnjẹ to munch (láti jẹ).

 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 ìṣípà ọdẹ.