A dictionary defines tradition as “the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way. Tradition is part of the culture of a people and it affect the way the live, interact marry and bury their dead. And tradition, they, died hard; people find it very difficult to abandon their tradition even if they are confronted with new facts and technology in the modern day.

The Orogun people are good a example of a people who are clinging to their old way of life; they believe that Iguana has extra-ordinary powers. They worship it and, forbid any indigene from eating it, no matter the situation. They believe that the iguana saved them during communal wars with other tribes, and also saves them from any kind of danger in present time.

Orogun kingdom is one of the numerous kingdoms that make up the Urhobo nation spread across Delta, Bayelsa and other states in Nigeria. Orogun kingdom is in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State with a population of over 50,000 people. For some time now people still wonder why the Orogun people still worship the Iguana. Other people think the Orogun people are wasting what they could have used for food in the name of worshipping iguana.
It was the questions raised by some persons in the state and beyond on why the Orogun people still worship the Iguana despite the increase in churches and mosque across the country, that
prompted Daily Independent to visit the palace of the Okpara-Uku, Ovie of Orogun kingdom, to know why the people worship iguana in the modern world.

Secretary to HRH Efeurhobo Eyefia I, Okpara-Uku of Orogun Kingdom, Prince Orogun Wanogho, who spoke on behalf of the monarch said, “Orogun is made up of five quarters, namely; Umusu, Unukpo, Imodje, Ogwa and Emonu. We have sacred animals in Orogun kingdom, namely iguana, dog and tiger. They are sacred animals.

“These animals, you see, we adore them from time immemorial, most especially the iguana. The iguana, right from time immemorial, any son or daughter of Orogun Kingdom does not eat iguana, dog and tiger because Orogun as a male who got married to a woman called Orhiara and Orhiara was one of the female children of Owhowha.
Continuing, he said, “One day, Orhiara went to the farm and during work at the farm, she was tasty and went to fetch water and she saw a group of iguana at the place of water, climbing each other up and down. And she was amazed and went back home to report to her husband about what she saw. The husband, Orogun said, followed her to the scene to see for himself, adding that a voice came from the iguana that the animal you see is a sacred animal and this place you see should be a shrine. That is why our shrine is at that site till date. We call the shrine Erosefe or Orhiara shrine.

However, Chief Christopher Okpowe, the Osibi of Orogun kingdom, while explaining the benefits of worshipping the iguana said, “the man called Orogun was a warrior and at a time when he was being chased at the battlefield by his enemies, he got to a river and there was no way to cross. It was there the gods of the land came up through the iguana. The iguanas formed a bridge across the river and Orogun children started walking on top of the iguanas until they all finally crossed. When the enemies got to the river, the iguanas disentangled, so the enemies could not cross to chase the Orogun children any longer.

“Since that time till date we don’t eat iguana, if you do, your skin will be like that of iguana, unless you go and appease the gods, even if you go to the best hospital in the world, it will not work. You must surely die. The dog serves like an errand boy to us, the moment it senses any danger, it will pass the information to us. This is the story of centuries ago. The tiger or lion is also sacred to us. Any Orogun indigene that eats these animals without appeasing the gods must surely die.
“The benefits of forbidding the iguana in the modern life are enormous. The communication between us and the shrine called Erosefe is the iguana because when it appeared, the Erosefe itself decorated itself with the iguana. Apart from the war aspect, if an Orogun man is travelling, if anything bad wants to happen, the iguana will appear. If you are driving and because we forbid it, once you see it, you have to wait for some few minutes, the iguana will again walk past the road you are travelling on, and that signifies that there is danger ahead. It will make the person to be more careful.

He added, “Even if an Orogun man sees the iguana on his way to a party, he has to wait for a while before proceeding because there is danger ahead.
“Similarly, our sons and daughters in Diaspora, if danger is about coming to them, the iguana will come around them. Like one of our sons who was travelling to Lybia and was trying to cross the desert, and the Gadafi people were killing those ahead of them. It was the iguana that saved him by blocking the way. So while others were going, the iguana refused to give him way to pass. He tried seven times but the iguana insisted on blocking his way and he decided to wait but surprisingly, he slept off and he had a dream that he should return to Nigeria.  On his way back, the news of his colleagues that were killed came to him and he realised immediately that it was the Erosefe that came to his rescue.

Okpowe added, “The Erosefe itself is not a man-made image, it appears on its own. If both of us go there now, you won’t see anything, it is just the ordinary ground you will see but when they are doing the festival, he will be happy and the flat ground will rise like a mountain. That is the symbol that made us to respect it. If it were man-made, it could have gone out of the community long ago but it is godsend because there is no other priest apart from the Ukomo who takes care of the deity at the palace. This deity at the palaceare like night watchmen. They are called in Kwale language “indichie”, indichies are the watch-nights over all the sons and daughters.

“If you see a married Orogun woman flirting, the “indichies” will hold her or her child and she will confess. It is a form of force that is making the people to obey the commandments of God. If an Orogun man decides to steal what belongs to another Orogun man, the “indichies” will hold him. Then if you consult a native doctor for the purpose of killing your own brother, the “indichies” will also hold you. Your legs will be swell or your face could be turned to one side. If you confess here at the palace, the gods will be appeased and you will get well.
“It is a form of godsend deity to remind us of the ten commandments of God. It makes people here not to plan evil against their neighbours. “The “Ukomo” serves the “Erosefe” and “indichie”, and the person must hail from Emonu community paternally and the mother must hail from Umusu quarter in Orogun town before he can be qualified to be “Ukomo”.

On why the iguana is not widely seen as it used to be in past, Chief Okpowe had this to say, “ They migrate from quarter to quarter; like this quarter that owns the “Erosefe”, there is no time you will not see it. It is just like somebody who is schooling, during holidays you go to your parental home. Occasionally they migrate because they all come from Umusu. The “indichie” is also in all the other four quarters but there is a particular one here that belongs to the most senior which is called “indichie-uku”, it is the overall. It is only here in the palace that you have that one. That is why we also have “Okpara-Uku” here. Anything “Uku” is the senior. Umusu is the most senior and that is where the “Erosefe” appeared.
“If you go to the position of the “Erosefe” now there is a tiger there but if we go there now it won’t talk to us but in case of war or persons trying to take part in it, it will react. The tiger too, if there are some persons who have committed grievous offence in the community, the tiger will go to the compound of such persons to slaughter a goat. And it will take the heart and leave it at the doorstep of the person. It uses it to send signal to people who are bad to stop doing bad,” he added.
He said the people respect it is against evil, “if you do evil, you will not last long, it is only those with good heart that last long in Orogun.
He said the reward of not doing evil is Okpara-Uku, which king of Orogun kingdom gives to such persons.
“That is why everyone in Orogun is trying to do away with evil to enable them attain the position of Okpara-uku, the most senior man in Orogun kingdom. Your hands must be clean to get to that position. If not for the “Erosefe”, the crises that could have erupted here could have been more than the one of Kokori and others. Here, dog does not eat dog, if you kill a son of the soil, your generations will be wiped out forever. If you offend someone here, it will be settled amicably without rancour,” he said.

Source: http://dailyindependentnig.com/2014/03/why-orogun-people-still-worship-iguana-dog-tiger/

The day I saw a video of my female friend who traveled home throwing food to this animal god made me run for my life..

Urhobo I hail una oo...

menix:
The day I saw a video of my female friend who traveled home throwing food to this animal god made me run for my life..

Urhobo I hail una oo...

Strange as it is, that's people's culture!

It is real! I have witnessed the penalty defaulters pay for killing, eating or even stepping on the water used in cooking the animal.


Respect to those who still value our traditions!

JigsawKillah:
It is real! I have witnessed the penalty defaulters pay for killing, eating or even step on the water used in cooking the animal.


Respect to those who still value our traditions!

Just like how some Nigerian communities worship pythons.

One man's meat is another man's gods

Rapmoney:
Just like how some Nigerian communities worship pythons.

like some in the East. Some communities in Delta still do too.


If this hits FP, you'll see some ignorant ones speaking against it!

JigsawKillah:



like some in the East. Some communities in Delta still do too.


If this hits FP, you'll see some ignorant ones speaking against it!

I know for sure! African cultures always seem strange to people of this generation! Especially, the youths!!!

Oyind17:
One man's meat is another man's gods

Don't tell me you would eat this creature if it is prepared!

Lalasticlala, Bigfrancis21, Fulaman198, odumchi...

Rapmoney:
I know for sure! African cultures always seem strange to people of this generation! Especially, the youths!!!

why won't they? Their parents already made mistakes allowing themselves become slaves to the whiteman!

Rapmoney:
Don't tell me you would eat this creature if it is prepared!

Lalasticlala, Bigfrancis21, Fulaman198, odumchi...

JigsawKillah:



why won't they? Their parents already made mistakes allowing themselves become slaves to the whiteman!

Same way many young Nigerians can't even speak their language or know the slightest thing about their culture! The Western culture is being promoted while relegating the African culture to the background!

Seen

End time Iguanas

Am I the only one sick of this idiot above me? dude ur Fvcking spamming yo!.....to the thread yo fvck that bull sshit and get the damn iguana in d moda fvcking pot menh. Cuz over here in planetmars u either eat or get eaten menh

see mammy water

No P, sebi we weh no come from urhobo fit eat Iguana?

There is an artwork Totem of sacred iguana of orogun in Uniben's Ekenwan campus which i believe is an msc thesis

Have to say much respect to the orogun people for upholding their culture and tradition..especially in a time like this when people do away with theirs in favor of a foreign culture all in the name of civilisation...

.

interesting!

Interesting

that one Na thier own case. briefcase for DAT mata

190theclown:
Iguna wen sweet anyhow
Iguna wen i buy 1K5 for Abuja road during my NYSC Days more than 8years ago
The thing sweet anyhow, Nor be small roasting that day
The meat Jell anyhow
Na to enter urohobo land go begin hunt am
No time

hahahahaha c dis guy