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Friday, January 24, 2014

ÌGBÀGBọ́-ASÁN; SUPERSTITION

The elders will say "bí kò bá ní ìdí, obìrin kìí jẹ́ kúmólú" (if not for a reason, a woman will not be called kúmólú; Ikú-mú-olú - she will be in charge when all men olú are dead). Also, they often say bí a ṣe ń ṣe nílẹ̀ẹ wa, èèwọ ibòmíràn; that is to say, how we do it here, differs from how they do it elsewhere.

Àwá ń dọ̀bálẹ̀ lọ́kùrin - we do prostrate as men, obìrin á sì kúnlẹ̀ fágbà; while women kneel to greet elders. Because we know the value placed on respect for the elderly, we don't shake hands with an elder (torí a mọ ilà tí ìkíni tò n bíbọ̀wọ̀ fún ẹní juni lọ, a kìí bọwọ́ àgbà.

One proverb says that " ọmọdé tó bá mọwọ́ wẹ̀, á bágbà jẹun", a child that (knows how to wash his hands) respects the elder will dine with it. 

So why am i saying all this? It is because of the word "superstition" called  ìgbàgbọ́-asán in Yorùbá. Kí ló ń jẹ́superstition?  Is there an element of truth in it?



From the above screenshot, superstition arises from a religious point of view; Àwòrán òkè yìí sọ bí ọ̀rọ̀ náà ti ṣẹ̀ wá.

Ìbéèrè mi ni, ṣé òótọ̀ ni pé ìgbàgbọ́-asán ni àwọn ọ̀rọ̀ ti à mọ̀ sí ìgbàgbọ́-asán? My question here is, are all belief called superstition actually superstitions?  Which is why i started with the statement "bí kò bá ní ìdí, obìrin kìí jẹ́ kúmólú" which means that there is a reason behind everything, those primitive belief which are now regarded ìgbàgbọ́-asán all have an element of reality in them.

Ẹ jọ̀wó ẹ̀yin ọ̀jọ̀gbọ́n ẹ bá wa dá síi, ṣé tòótọ́ ni pé #superstition láwọn ìṣe wa kọ̀ọ̀kan? Please my wise one, contribute to this, is it true that these believes are actually superstition?

Fún àpẹẹrẹ, kí ló mú àwọn àgbà Yorùbá ṣè'kìlọ̀ pé kẹ́nikẹ́ni má sú ìfé ń'nú òòrùn pé èyí ń fa ìgbóná, tàbí súùfé lálẹ́ bí kò bá ní'dí bí kò bá ṣẹlẹ̀ rí. (for instance, what made our elders warn that no one should whistle in the hot sun or else measles will infest the person's household, or whistle at night if such had never happened before).

Bọ́mọdé ò bátàn, á bá àrọ́bá baba Ìtàn 
(the child that met no story will meet analysis which is the father of story)


Don't you know that various Yorùbá events later became stories, proverbs - Ẹ ò mọ̀ pé onírúurú ìṣẹ̀lẹ̀ kan tì kejì ló ń dìtàn, di òwe. Maybe you do not know that the proverb "ṣe bí o ti mọ ẹlẹ́wà Ṣàpọ́n " is a statement by a beans seller in  Ṣàpọ́n a suburb of #‎Abeokuta in Ogun State Nigeria which is a proverb used till date.

You might also have heard the saying "orí ẹ pé bíi ti bàba Àlájọ #‎Somolu when the elders talk. It is a saying that originated from the wonderful acumen of a thrift collector; alájọ tó mọṣẹ́ ẹ̀ bíi ẹní mọlà ọwọ́, kò gbé'wé, ó sì mọ iye owó àjọ olúkúlùkù. Kò sì gbé àjọ Táyé fún Akẹ́yìndé rí. He, baba Àlájọ Ṣómólú never use a book to record his customers savings, yet he never gives someones else another persons contribution.

Ìtànjẹ ni, fáwọn òyìnbó láti sọ fún wa pe òtúbàntẹ́ láwọn nǹkan wọ̀nyí, torípé wọ́n mọ ihun wọ́n ń ṣe, àwa ló pàpà wá bájà, ọgbọ́n àti ta àṣà ti wọ́n fún wa ni gbogbo ẹ - it is a deceit for the English to call our believes are superstitious, as this now affects us, now we are engulfed in western cultures.

All is just an attempt for us to let go our realness, so we speak English, and forego our language regarded as vernacular - Ẹ wòó, akitiyan èèbó láti polongo èdèe rẹ̀ ló mú wa máa fọ̀'èbó, ká máa pe èdèe ti wa ni #‎Vernacular.

Àwọn ìṣe wa wo lo mọ̀ tí wọ́n kà sí #Superstition? Ẹ dá sọ́rọ̀ yìí - know of any of our belief regarded as 
ìgbàgbọ́-asán? 


Check out www.yobamoodua.org for more on Yorùbá education and information.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Kọ́jọ́dá; Yorùbá New Year

In January, we wished friends, loved-ones a happy prosperous new year after the end of the Gregorian calender. 


GREGORIAN CALENDER

But do you know that Yorùbá has its indigenous calender? Even a Yorùbá new year, have you ever heard that?

That's right, we have our new year; dún tuntun,  distinct  from the Gregorian or Christian (onígbàgbó) and the Muslim (ìmàle) Hijra new year.

For your information, the Yorùbá  calender is called Kọ́jọ́dá. Traditionally, every 3rd day in June; Òkúdù is the entrance of a Yorùbá  new year. Approximately, year 2014 on the Yorùbá Kọ́jọ́dá will be dún 10056. Kọ́jọ́dá means may the day be foreseen. 


2008 KỌ́JỌ́DÁ BY REMI-NIYI ALARAN


Our ancestors - irúnmlẹ̀ have used the traditional Kọ́jọ́dá to foresee dates ọjọ́, festivals àjọ̀dún  and ceremonies ayy in time past (ayé àti)

Gradual lost - (ì)pàdán ní pele ní pele of 'our forefathers' baba ńlá wa heritage stems from the increase, varied European òyìnbó efforts ìyànjú, policies - ètò to make Africa forget gbàgbé our root (àṣà ìbílẹ̀ wa).


We know that the world over - a mọ̀ pé kárí ayé, the moon; òùpá serve ni as a means knowing time; aago in the olden days láyé ijọ́hun, and the sun oòrn was the day time ojú ọjọ́ while the moon is night alẹ́. This was how the days were divided into day-night. 



As the western culture is been imbibed by my people, our Kọ́jọ́dá was replaced, let to die for the Gregorian calender dates - ìṣe òyìnbó tó rinlẹ̀ ló mú kí a máa lo ìlànà ọjọ́ọ Gregorian dípòo tiwa n tiwa.

GREGORIAN CALENDER GOT TO AFRICA; EGYPT IN 1875 (COURTESY TONDERING.DK )

Four days make up a week in the Yorùbá calender (Kọ́jọ́dá) - Ọjọ́ mẹ́rin ni ọ̀sẹ̀ kan nílẹ̀ Yoòbá. Each day (ọjọ́ kànànkan is dedicated to a honour a deity or another (sì jẹ́ ọjọ́ ìbọ̀rìṣà kan), this correlates with modern day days of the week.

Deity (òrìṣà) of each Yorùbá day

  • First day of the week - Ọjọ́ kìníníọ̀sẹ̀ 

- Dedicated to honour Ọbàtálá (ọjọ́ ìbọ Ọbàtálá; Sọ̀pànná; Ìyáàmi; Egúngún)

  • Second day of the week - Ọjọ́ kejìọ̀sẹ̀

- A day for Ọ̀rúnmìlà: Èṣu; Ifá; Ọ̀ṣun (ọjọ́ fún Ọ̀rúnmìlà: Èṣu; Ifá; Ọ̀ṣun)

  • Third day of the week - Ọjọ́ kẹta ọ̀sẹ̀  

- Day reserved for Ògún; Oṣoosì (ọjọ́ òrìṣà  Ògún; Oṣoosì)

  • Fouth day of the week - Ọjọ́ kẹrin ọ̀sẹ̀  

- Dedicated to honour Ṣàǹgó; and wife Ọya (ọjọ́ fún òòṣà Ṣàǹgó, Ọya) 


The above shows which òòṣà is worshiped daily. Also, from January to December the 12 months have dedicated òrìṣà  festivals.  Later, the Kọ́jọ́dá had to be adjusted to synchronize with the modern calender with seven days (ọjọ́ méje), five working days - ọjọ́ òwò ṣíṣe márún, two weekends - ọjọ́ ìsinmi méjì.

Sundayọjọ́ Àìkú/ọjọ́-ọ̀sẹ̀/àko-ọjọ́ (day of immortality/first day of the week).
Mondayọjọ́ Ajé (day of profit, interest. Day Ajé came to ayé)
Tuesday ọjọ́ Ìṣẹ́gun (day of victory)
Wednesday ọjọ́ rírú (day of sacrifice)
Thursday ọjọ́ rúbọ;ọjọ́bọ (day of new creation, new dawn)
Friday  ọjọ́ Ẹtì  (day of deadlock)
Saturday ► ọjọ́ Àbámẹ́ta (day of three motions/suggestions)

Having said earlier - bí mo e s níàájú, we have ọjọ́ méje a week but the Yorùbá Kọ́jọ́dá has four - mẹ́rin. We have 91 weeks (ọ̀sẹ̀ àádọ́run-lé-mẹ́ta) on the Kọ́jọ́dá and 52 weeks (ọ̀sẹ̀ àádọ́taléméjì  on the western calender.


From these analysis - pẹ̀lú àlàyé yìí, the Yorùbá new year ọdún tuntun commences bẹ̀rẹ̀ ní June 3rd to end June 2nd of another year i.e June 3, 2014 to June 2, 2015 (ọjọ́ kẹ́ta oṣù Òkúdù sí ọjọ́ kejì oṣù Òkúdù ọdún tó ń bọ̀).

May i use this moment to wish you a happy Yorùbá new year - mo kíi yín kú ọdún tuntun.

Watch this video on YOUTUBE.


Check out www.yobamoodua.org for more on Yorùbá education and information.