Journal of Student Research 2019

Journal of Student Research 104 and warriors. 24 He is also believed to preside over all deals and contracts, and is considered to be terrible in his revenge if a pact is broken in his name. Obaluaye (also known as Shokpona), is the god of disease who rose to significance during times of inter-tribal wars, during which many smallpox plagues broke out. The Yoruba believe that Obaluaye is also responsible for high temperatures and boils, and were once so terrified by his powers that they feared to say his name. 25 Despite the nature of his powers, however, Obaluaye is not considered an evil orisha . Oya, goddess of wind and the dead, is the personification of the Niger River. 26 She interacts closely with Shango, the god of thunder, as well as Iku, the personification of death. As the gate keeper of the afterlife, Oya is responsible for negotiating with Iku to spare human lives. For those unable to be spared, she provides safe passage into the next world and maintains ancestral connections for future generations. 27 Orunmila, also known as Ifa, is the god of divination, wisdom, knowledge, and fate, and is, according to Yoruba mythology, the founder of the Yoruba system of divination. 28 Referred to as Ifa , this system is believed to grant an individual unreserved access to the teachings of Orunmila, and provides an avenue of communication to the spiritual realm. 29 Ifa is often utilized to help an individual confront a problem or interpret dreams or other omens. 30 It has remained popular in Yoruba culture, as many Yoruba people do not make major life decisions without consulting it. 31 Folklorist and anthropologist William Boscom explains the process of Ifa: If a is a system of divination based on sixteen basic and 256 derivative figures (odu) obtained either by the manipulation of sixteen palm nuts (ikin), or by the toss of a chain (opele) of eight half seed shells. … The sixteen palm nuts are grasped in the right hand, leaving only two nuts in the left; if two nuts remain, a single mark is made on the divining tray; if one nut remains, a double mark is made. Repeating this procedure four times will give one of sixteen basic figures ... Repeating it eight times gives a pair or combination of the basic figures, i.e. one of the 256 derivative figures. 32 This process is carried out by Ifa diviners, known as babalawo . 33 Each figure has its own name and own set of verses that correspond to it. These verses come in a variety of forms, including myths, folktales, praise names, incantation, songs,

Orisha, Divination, and Death in the Yoruba Culture of West Africa

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proverbs, and even riddles. 34 Before beginning to practice divination, a babalawo must know at least four verses for each of the 256 figures, or a minimum of over a thousand verses. They must also learn the elaborate sacrifices and “medicines” which accompany each verse. 35 It takes a prospective babalawo up to 20 years to learn divining, most continue to study throughout their lives, 36 making them widely accepted as authorities on Yoruba religion. 37 When the babalawo has arrived at a figure, he or she recite its respective verses aloud at random—it is the responsibility of the client to listen through irrelevant verses until the babalawo recites one that can be applied to his or her problem. 38 The verse is then accepted as the answer to their question, which the client never openly discloses to the babalawo . The Yoruba also utilize possession and water-gazing as methods of divination, but Ifa is regarded as the most important and reliable. 39 is an unstoppable force that will eventually come for all. Those who fear death are referred to as ogberis , which translates to “ignorant folks.” 40 They believe that those who fear death do so only because it marks the end of an existence that is known and the beginning of one that is unknown. 41 Death is believed to be both natural and unnatural. Natural deaths are favorable because they provide the transitional process through which one completes his or her journey on earth. 42 The Yoruba believe that the purpose of one’s journey on earth is to deliver the message of Olorun by promoting the good of existence. 43 Once one dies, they return to Olorun to give accounts for their deeds on earth. Those who have led fulfilling lives are granted eternal life with Olorun in the afterlife while those who have failed to complete their task on earth are reborn again in order to do so. It is in this way that death is not considered to be the end of life, but rather a change in life’s form. Alternatively, an unnatural death is one that obstructs one’s life, which does not allow them to live to a fulfilled age. This includes deaths involving accident, illness, suicide, sorcery, magic and witchcraft. The deaths of old people are often considered natural, whereas deaths of children and young adults are often attributed to unnatural causes. One scholar holds that death was made for the specific purpose of recalling any person who has Death in Yoruba Culture The Yoruba hold a realistic attitude towards death, understanding that it

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

“Yoruba.”

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Ibid.

Horton, “Yoruba Religion and Myth.”

William Bascom. “The Relationship of Yoruba Folklore to Divining.” Bascom, “The Relationship of Yoruba Folklore to Divining.” Bascom, Ifa Divination : Communication between Gods and Men in West Africa. Bascom, “The Relationship of Yoruba Folklore to Divining.” Bascom, Ifa Divination : Communication between Gods and Men in West Africa.

New World Encyclopedia.

Kimberly Moore. “52 Goddesses: The Goddess and Orisha OYA.”

“Ifa.” Wikipedia.

Ibid.

William Bascom. Ifa Divination : Communication between Gods and Men in West Africa.

“Yoruba Culture.” Wikipedia.

Horton, “Yoruba Religion and Myth.”

“Yoruba Culture.”

William Bascom. Ifa Divination : Communication between Gods and Men in West Africa.

Akomolafe. “Yoruba Ontology: A Critique of the Conceptualization of Life After Death.”

Ibid.

“Yoruba Culture.”

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