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.