Iṣẹ́ l'oògùn ìṣẹ́, a phrase (gbólóhùn)
carrying (to gbé) the weight of hardworking and diligence by the Yorùbá gene. I decided to use the Yorùbá gene to differentiate my
people from other Africans. Yoòbá works are tagged "iṣẹ́ abínibí" - work born with, showing that
the trade of a family ẹbí is automatically inherited, passed on from generation to
generation; iṣẹ́ àjogúnbá.
Work (iṣẹ́) is important (pọn dàndàn),
anyone without a job is an outcast. It is a shame (ojútì) that my people still complain of
"unemployment" - àìníṣẹ́ when there are numerous - ọ̀pọ̀ works iṣẹ́ the Yorùbá engage in to earn
money for a living.
A breakdown of iṣẹ́
l'oògùn ìṣẹ́. Iṣẹ́ is a work, job, duty, shores,
profession, business, trade, skills, and responsibility et cetera àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ.
Oògùn connotes antidote; medicine; charms; remedy and more. Ìṣẹ́; means poverty, penury. With this dissection, the proverb iṣẹ́ l'oògùn ìṣẹ́, "work is the antidote of poverty" shows the pedestal at
which the Yorùbá gene put work.
Before, the
advent of white collar jobs, Yorùbá make a living from their "handiwork" - iṣẹ́ ọwọ́ learnt from the home ilé,
passed down from father/mother to children - láti ìran dé ìran.
"iṣẹ́ ọmọ àṣejẹ, òwò ọmọ àṣelà"
To feed, one must have a work; business to be successful in life.
Iṣẹ́ ọmọ àṣejẹ, òwò ọmọ àṣelà foretells
the future of a hardworking person, it means that whosoever sacrifices his/her time
and take work serious will in the long run be a success. Ọjọ́ a
bá gùn,
kọ́ là ń kan ọ̀run;
the day we get tall, is not the day we touch the sky, having
wealth; ọrọ̀, is a gradual process not sudden.
Ní báyìí, ẹjẹ́ ká mú iṣẹ́ t'ònìí ṣe, irú iṣẹ́ wo l'àwọn Yorùbá ń ṣe? - Now, let's get down to today's
business, what are the works where you will find the Yorùbá gene?
Ení; first is iṣẹ́ oúnjẹ - work of food production, the most important of all.
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1. Farming (iṣẹ́ àgbẹ̀) - farmers are set of hardworking men, women; the food
providers. A maxim goes "bí ebi
bá kúrò nínú ìṣẹ́, ìṣẹ́ bùṣe", meaning; if hunger is out of poverty, the effect of
penury is lessened. A different adage says "okun inú la
fi ń gbé ti ìta" - it is the inner strength that activate the
external strength. The essence of food in man's life is acknowledged by my
people, making them take food production serious. Subsistence farming was the
in-thing, every home has as many farms has possible, cultivated to feed, carter
and sustain the family. Farmers have specialty, many grow ọ̀fadà; Yorùbá rice, àgbàdo; corn, erèé; beans (ọ̀tílí, awújẹ), àsálà; walnuts, obì; kola nuts (orógbó; bitter kola), ewébẹ̀; vegetables, ata; pepper. Some sow (fúrúgbìn) palm; ọ̀pẹ, groundnut; ẹ̀pà, others plant ọ̀sán òronbó; orange, iṣu; yam
(efùrù, ọ̀paragá, kókò, èsúrú, òdùnkún) , cassava; ẹ̀gẹ́/pákí/gbàgudá and many other regular staple foods.
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- Fishing (iṣẹ́ apẹja) - fishes swim in shroud they are found undersea in species,(lẹ́gbẹ́lẹ́gbẹ́ ni ẹja ń wẹ̀ nínú ibú, ẹ̀yaẹ̀ya la sì ń rí wọn), but only the fishermen pa-ẹja-pa-ẹja (one who kills/hunt fish) can tell where. Apẹja knows fishing skills on the water, some use ìgèrè (fishing basket), àwọ̀n (net), ìkọ́ (hook). With their tactics and ìrírí experience, the pẹjapẹja provides (pèsè) fish as food for the entire land.
3. Hunting (iṣẹ́ ọdẹ ) - the ọdẹ is a strong man, because he is expected to be fierce and fearless. "Gbà mí, gbà mí!", 'ò yẹ eégún, "ẹran ń lé mí bọ̀!" kò yẹ ọdẹ - "save me, save me!", does not befit a masquerader; an animal is chasing me!" does not befit a hunter. What makes a strong hunter; ògbójú ọdẹ?
Bí àgbẹ̀, apẹja, ọdẹ bá gbé oúnjẹ wọ ìlú tán, àwọn alágbàtà, alápatà á gbà á láti tà á - The crops harvested by the farmers, fish from the fishers and animals from the hunters are sold to retailers.
B'ọ́dẹ bá pa ẹran tán, alápatà á bù ú láàjàn.
When food crops get to the village abúlé, town, city; ìlú other
people buys it and resell; tun tà to their
customer; aláàbárà.
- Olóúnjẹ (oní oúnjẹ) food
sellers, either raw or cooked. From groundnut fryers/sellers - ẹlẹ́pà,
to ọlọ́jọ̀jọ̀ (water
yam fritters), olákàrà/alákàrà (bean
fritters), oní dúndún (fried
yam seller), aláta (pepper
seller), etc
- Alápatà (oní àpa
tà) are
butchers/one who kills, chop & sells animals like elephant; erin, lion; kìnìhún, antelope; eegbin, èsuró ... , crocodile; ọ̀nì etc
- Ẹlẹ́ja
(oní ẹja) fish
sellers
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| Kókóró |
Snacks is ìpápánu in Yorùbá, ìpápánu includes ọ̀jọ̀jọ̀ (made
from water yam), bàbádúdú (local
sugar confectionery made of coconut and sugar), kókóró, mọ́sà, àádùn/àdídùn (made from corn), róbó (made
from blended melon mixed with salt & pepper) , kúlínkúlín (from groundnut), gúgúrú (pop corn) àti ẹ̀pà (groundnut).
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| Dòdò-ìkirè |
Another snacks is ìpékeré (fried plantain chips), dòdò-ìkirè (peppered
fried plantain chips) and more.
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| Róbó |
Akọ̀pẹ; palm-wine tapper is another job where you find my people. The tapper climbs the palm with his ìgbá rope, cut the tree stem open to get ẹmu; palmwine.
These are not the only iṣẹ́ abínibí involving food,
there are many iṣẹ́ àjogúnbá,
it will be nice if you can add more. Kò bá dára bí o
bá fi èyí tí ò sí níbẹ̀ síi,
torí ó kù ó kù nìbọn ń ró.
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