[size=14pt]Yes, I worship Esu, but I’m not satanic[/size]
By TOPE ADEBOBOYE

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

When he mentions his last name, goose pimples promptly break out all over your body. And as he tells you his title, topping the disclosure with the name of the god that he so fervently worships, all you want to do is hurriedly do an about-face and scuttle out of his house through the nearest exit.


Chief Esuleke


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Meet Chief Kayode Idowu Esuleke, Baale Esu of Osogbo and head of all Esu and egungun worshippers in the Osun State capital.

Baale, in a Yoruba town, is the traditional ruler and head of the community.

This afternoon, the traditionalist is in a white agbada and blue cap. A green tag on which Baale Esu of Osogbo is boldly inscribed hangs on his neck.

Among Christians and Muslims alike, Esu, the god that this man so dutifully serves, is regarded as Satan, the devil, the vilest of creatures. So why would anyone proudly flaunt a title that announces him as leader of men and women who worship the devil?

But he tells you that there is no correlation between Esu and Satan. And though he’s Esu’s chief priest, Baale Esu says his wives practise both Christianity and Islam. One of them has even gone to Mecca on pilgrimage on five different occasions, he says.

“Esu is not Satan, neither is he the devil,” the elderly, dark-complexioned man immediately counters in flawless English. “Esu is a traditional deity in Yorubaland. You have people worshipping Sango, Ogun and others. Only ignorant people see Esu as Satan.”

This man is not done yet. “The perspective with which we see Esu differs entirely from the reality. Elegbara or Esulaalu Laaroye differs from Satan. Bishop Ajayi Crowther, when he was trying to translate the English version of the Bible to Yoruba, when he came to Lucifer, he didn’t know what to call him in Yoruba. This was a man who had been terribly abused by the slave masters. He had been moved around several parts of the world in slave ships. He didn’t know what was on ground here. That was why he said Lucifer is Esu.

“The Christians say Esu gave Adam and Eve fruit to eat in the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit, their eyes were opened and they became civilized. They knew that they were naked and they had to go and find some clothes to wear. So even if that story was the truth, what was wrong with it? What offence did Esu commit by helping people to become civilized? Nobody has been able to answer that question.

“I want to tell you that Esu is the police of the orisas, the deities. He’s not second to any god. The other gods respect him because of his honesty and firm decision. Once he has taken a decision, he doesn’t change it.”

You had thought that this man would be an unlettered character, but you are obviously wrong. He even informs you that he’s regularly invited to deliver papers in American and European universities. “Very soon, I will be going to the United States to deliver a paper,” he says.

One other good thing about Chief Esuleke is that he doesn’t impose his religion on his family. His wives and children, he says, are free to profess whatever faith they like.

“I have three wives,” he tells the reporter. “My first wife is a Christian, my second wife is a Christian and my third wife is a Muslim. She’s even an Alhaja. She has gone to Mecca five times.”

So why does he allow his wives to practise Islam and Christianity when he doesn’t believe in those religions “Why not?” he queries. “What has that got to do with me? I give them freedom of religion, freedom of association and freedom of constructive criticism. There are a thousand ways of making requests from your God. There are people who will put an animal down and say that is their god. And God still answers their prayers. You can never comprehend God. That is why when I see people saying they are fighting for God, I know they must be mad and in urgent need of a psychiatrist to examine their heads.”

If the king of Esu worshippers is that liberal, you wonder why he didn’t embrace Islam or Christianity like many folks in his hometown?

“I’ve read the Bible inside out,” he begins. “In 1959, I passed the Quranic exams too. So I know both books.

These people came and bastardized our brain. They took all our culture and our heritage away and gave us some books to read. Those are things that are not very peculiar to us in Africa. After I’ve gone left and right, I still stay at the centre. All this corruption, nepotism, hatred and other anti-social acts, we don’t have them in our own system. If you will be honest, you will be honest to a fault. If you are not they will throw you out. If you look around you, there are a thousand and one mosques all over the place. Churches are springing up everyday. And yet, what do you have? Assassination, armed robbery, just mention it. Go and look at the church and the mosque. Check out the names. You will never see Esuleke, Ifabunmi, Ifadayisi and so on. The names you hear in the church and mosques are the same people stealing public money. That is why I took a decision that me and my entire family will stay where there is transparency and honesty.”

Chief Esuleke has a suggestion to Nigerian leaders: if corruption and other ills ravaging the country must end, then Nigerians should stop swearing by the Bible or the Quran.

“If you are really serious about fighting corruption and other crimes, you have to swear by Ogun, Esu or Sango. These three gods are not forgiving. If you swear by Osun, Osun is a woman. She is forgiving. But if you swear by Esu now, the day you steal one kobo from the office, Esu will strike almost immediately. If you swear by Sango and you steal, as soon as you see lightning in the sky, you become terrified. If you swear by Ogun, once you see a car coming your way, you become jittery. The day you start swearing like that, corruption will end immediately.

“When people swear, what they should say is, if I steal or I kill, God should punish me. Instead, they will even say, so help me God. You want God to help you commit crime? That is the problem. Let people start swearing by Ogun, Esu and Sango. I tell you, corruption will soon be over in the country.”

He cites a ready example. In the mid 1990s, Chief Esuleke says he was a councillor in Osogbo Local Government. At the swearing-in, he refused to take the Bible or the Quran. “I asked them to bring a blade or something. I delayed the event for about two hours. I told them that nobody would remove one kobo from the office. And that happened. Nobody stole anything from the local government. Just try it. Corruption will be a thing of the past in Nigeria.”


http://odili.net/news/source/2010/jun/16/511.html

contradictory, u worship esu yet u are not satanic. what is esu? what is satan?

^^^^ Esu is not satan. The character of satan does not exist in the yoruba mythology. Esu is a completely different mythological character to the middle eastern satan. The error came through the attempt at syncretization of the imported foreign judeo-christian mythology with the yoruba mythology.

Free online education for you, jesus.

^^
dont mind them, the mumus have been brainwashed with foreign religious ideologies.

Esu is Esu not satan.

jesus.:

contradictory, u worship esu yet u are not satanic. what is esu? what is satan?

Did you even read the article or are you just in denial?

Aloy+Emeka:


[size=14pt]Yes, I worship Esu, but I’m not satanic[/size]
By TOPE ADEBOBOYE

Wednesday, June 16, 2010


[img width=300 height=300]http://odili.net/news/source/2010/jun/16/sun/q.gif[/img]

If you look around you, there are a thousand and one mosques all over the place. Churches are springing up everyday.

And yet, what do you have? Assassination, armed robbery, just mention it. Go and look at the church and the mosque.

Check out the names. You will never see Esuleke, Ifabunmi, Ifadayisi and so on.

The names you hear in the church and mosques are the same people stealing public money.

That is why I took a decision that me and my entire family will stay where there is transparency and honesty.”

Chief Esuleke has a suggestion to Nigerian leaders:

if corruption and other ills ravaging the country must end, then Nigerians should stop swearing by the Bible or the Quran.

“If you are really serious about fighting corruption and other crimes, you have to swear by Ogun, Esu or Sango.

These three gods are not forgiving. If you swear by Osun, Osun is a woman. She is forgiving.

But if you swear by Esu now, the day you steal one kobo from the office, Esu will strike almost immediately.

If you swear by Sango and you steal, as soon as you see lightning in the sky, you become terrified.

If you swear by Ogun, once you see a car coming your way, you become jittery.

The day you start swearing like that, corruption will end immediately.

“When people swear, what they should say is, if I steal or I kill, God should punish me.

Instead, they will even say, so help me God. You want God to help you commit crime?

That is the problem. Let people start swearing by Ogun, Esu and Sango. I tell you, corruption will soon be over in the country.”

He cites a ready example. In the mid 1990s, Chief Esuleke says he was a councillor in Osogbo Local Government.

At the swearing-in, he refused to take the Bible or the Quran.

“I asked them to bring a blade or something. I delayed the event for about two hours.

I told them that nobody would remove one kobo from the office.

And that happened. Nobody stole anything from the local government. Just try it. Corruption will be a thing of the past in Nigeria.”


http://odili.net/news/source/2010/jun/16/511.html
 

@^^^

This chief is a comedian and hilarious

so in essence he feels God has turned soft, eh?

Lol! The man is very right. Jesus is a softie and that is why nigerians cling to him. The blood of jesus is the cloth of amour that protects naija crooks from consequences of their misdeeds. If the swearing were to be in the name of Sango, na lightning bolt Olukoso go shove up their sheithole if they ever dare to steal public money.

[size=8pt][size=8pt][size=8pt][size=8pt][size=8pt]people have a right to cling to any religion that they so desire, but if this gut is telling me that esu is not satan,then wht is satan's name in our native yoruba tonguehe's clearly deluded[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size]

kehneah:

people have a right to cling to any religion that they so desire, but if this gut is telling me that esu is not satan,then wht is satan's name in our native yoruba tonguehe's clearly deluded

No, he is not deluded. You are the one needing some education. Satan does not exist in yoruba mythology, so we do not need to call him anything. The error of translation was made by Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther when he translated the satan character to esu.

Jenwitemi:

No, he is not deluded. You are the one needing some education. Satan does not exist in yoruba mythology, so we do not need to call him anything. The error of translation was made by Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther when he translated the satan character to esu.

please, its like telling me God does not exist in yoruba mythology,im sure in 'yoruba mythology,there's good and evil,and if God typifies good,then wht typifies evil

kehneah:

please, its like telling me God does not exist in Yoruba mythology,im sure in 'yoruba mythology,there's good and evil,and if God typifies good,then wht typifies evil

Ignorance typifies evil in the Yoruba mythology. If you are really interested in Yoruba mythology, then get yourself some books and read. If you can make the effort to read a foreign mythological book, you might as well exert the same effort in reading some african books of mythology too.

Jenwitemi:

Ignorance typifies evil in the Yoruba mythology. If you are really interested in Yoruba mythology, then get yourself some books and read. If you can make the effort to read a foreign mythological book, you might as well exert the same effort in reading some african books of mythology too.

wow!!!!!!!!!!this is really interesting, ignorance typifies evil,i fink i'l have to ask my grandmother, lol,these yoruba people will neva cease to amaze me.i hear u[

So what is satan in Yoruba if not Esu?

Aloy+Emeka:

So what is satan in Yoruba if not Esu?

Mofo, in yoruba mythology we do not have any black magical being who carries a fork, has a tail and rebelled against a white bearded man called jehovah.

Esu is Esu and the term existed even before the christian myth arrived our shores.

If you are dying to give satan a name why not use ''Sat`ani'' the way we translated bread a totally new concept as ''buredi''.

Esu=satani
A pure yoruba will either say satani or esu

toba:

Esu=satani

Not. Esu is Esu. Esu is not Satan. Esu is part of the Yoruba pantheon of gods, while Satan belongs to the Mesopotamian mythology. Esu is one of the most important and definitely the hardest working deity of the most high God in the yoruba cosmology/mythology, meaning that there is no "enmity" between the most high God and Esu in yoruba mythology.

Just look at all these christianheads trying to pollute the proud Yoruba mythology. They pollute other folks mythologies wherever they go. Disgraceful.

~

U want to start with your seldom nonsense.
moslems will say asutani,christian would say satani in yoruba. They both mean esu.
I hope another sensible yoruba person comes substantiate this

Jenwitemi:

Not. Esu is Esu. Esu is not Satan. Esu is part of the Yoruba pantheon of gods, while Satan belongs to the Mesopotamian mythology. Esu is one of the most important and definitely the hardest working deity of the most high God in the yoruba mythology, meaning that there is no "enmity" between the most high God and Esu in yoruba mythology.

Just look at all these christianheads trying to pollute the proud Yoruba mythology. They pollute other folks mythologies wherever they go. Disgraceful.

toba:

U want to start with your seldom nonsense.
moslems will say asutani,christian would say satani in yoruba. They both mean esu.

No, they don't. We already told you where that error cam from, BISHOP SAMUEL AJAYI CROWTHER'S TRANSLATION. An error of translation that came about through his appalling ignorance of the Yoruba mythology.

toba:

I hope another sensible yoruba person comes substantiate this

No sensible yoruba person who is versed in yoruba mythology will substantiate the nonsense that you and your folks are trying to sell. Except that "sensible" yoruba person is a christianhead like you.

Jenwitemi:

No, they don't. We already told you where that error cam from, BISHOP SAMUEL AJAYI CROWTHER'S TRANSLATION. An error of translation that came about through his appalling ignorance of the Yoruba mythology.
No sensible yoruba person who is versed in yoruba mythology will substantiate the nonsense that you and your folks are trying to sell. Except that "sensible" yoruba person is a christianhead like you.

U are still talking nonsense. I see that ur problem is actually with christianity,due to ur negative obsession. Go ask any muslim if esu isnt asutani(satan). Then u may equip ur little understanding.

Some links to educate the uneducated;
The demonisation of Esu, http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/ArtsandCulture/5438798-147/story.csp

Demystifying Esu, the trickster, http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/12354/1/Demystifying-Esu-the-trickster/Page1.html

OLODUMARE: GOD IN YORUBA BELIEF AND THE THEISTIC PROBLEM OF EVIL. http://web.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v2/v2i1a1.htm

Esu/Elegbara, http://www.destee.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58963&page=2

toba:

U are still talking nonsense. I see that your problem is actually with christianity,due to your negative obsession.

Well, it takes one to know one, since christians are obsessed with demonising everything in their part. They've been doing that for centuries with other cultures. The height of shamelessness.

toba:

Go ask any muslim if esu isnt asutani(satan). Then u may equip your little understanding.

That error also has it source in the same false Crowther translation that somehow crossed over to the muslims in the yorubaland. Remember that the christians got hold of the yorubas before islam did.

Im happy that u have admitted ur obsession with christianity. Since islam is introduced into the subject now u had little to say about islam,proving ur challenge is actually with the former. What an obsession from the deist

Jenwitemi:

Well, it takes one to know one, since christians are obsessed with demonising everything in their part. They've been doing that for centuries. The height of shamelessness.
That error also has it source in the same false Crowther translation that somehow crossed over to the muslims in the yorubaland. Remember that the christians got hold of the yorubas before islam did.

mr teacher u ve got a huge task in trying to correct ur so called 'error'. Start&lets see how far u will go

In Ifa Ogunda-Wori says:

Ogunda lawo Alagba
Iwori lawo Alupese
Ogun ta l'agba lu'pese si
Ogun ti kuro logun an y'oja
Ogun ti di ogun Oba
Adifa fun Omokunrin dudu orita
Eyi ti an peni Esu odara
E ba ya duro eki Esu
Eni to  ba ki Esu
Esu ni tun ti oluware se
Eba duro eki Esu


Ela Boru Ela Boye Ela Bosise

toba:
Im happy that u have admitted your obsession with christianity.

That sure makes your day, does it not? If christianity stops sticking itself into other cultures' matters and stop polluting them, it will fade into obscurity which it deserves.

toba:

u ve got a huge task in trying to correct your so called 'error'. Start&lets see how far u will go

It has already started and it will go on for as long as it takes to correct the error.

And this idea that the creator God has an enemy is such a childish idea that one should just show the kind of understanding one shows to a confused child to the christian/islamic religion. No wonder these two religions(especially christianity) are called, baby religions. How can the creator of the universe, who is supposed to be omnipotent/science/benevolent/present have an enemy? Only lesser beings have enmity amongst themselves through their own ignorance.

That the yoruba mythology does not have such a concept only goes to show the maturity of the Yoruba mythology. The study of the yoruba pantheon of gods shows a vastly greater maturity of the tradition, than that of the two henotheistic religions, especially christianity.

Jenwitemi:

That sure makes your day, does it not? If christianity stops sticking itself into other cultures' matters and stop polluting them, it will fade into obscurity which it deserves.

Yes i said that u have no point to make other than challenge christianity.This u just displayed above. Just shows how shallow minded u are.
for christianity to fade into obscurity will only happen in ur imagination. If the religion survived till now shows the popularity among people. If we are to to a poll in NL on beliefs&faith,christianity will get a recognition before ur deism no? The latter will go into obscurity in place of christianity

^^^^ I already made my point long ago, and christianity is not even a religion worth challenging, because it ain't got anything worth to challenge. It is like asking a university professor to challenge a kindergarten pupil. Sheer waste of time.

Jenwitemi:

^^^^ I already made my point long ago, and christianity is not even a religion worth challenging, because it ain't got anything worth to challenge. It is like asking a university professor to challenge a kindergarten pupil. Sheer waste of time.

Thats ur personal opinion that might not be 'objective ' and 'generalized'
We 'll leave it at that.

Since you guys have established Esu, what good has he done for Yorubas?. How come Igbos call satan EKWENSU?. Can't you guys see the similarity in ESU and EKWENSU?

Aloy+Emeka:

Since you guys have established Esu, what good has he done for Yorubas?. How come Igbos call satan EKWENSU?. Can't you guys see the similarity in ESU and EKWENSU?

What sort of dumb questions are these? What good has Esu done for Yorubas? What good has foreign deities done for yorubas, or the entire Nigeria as a nation for that matter? Are we living, as Nigerians, in a nation that can be compared with Utopia or paradise? What has imported religions like christianity and islam done for us, apart from making us hate each other and go as far as kill each other? And that is just a tiny part of the negativities we have inherited from these imported religions.

So because the igbos call satan, ekwensu, should mean that the yorubas should do the same, and that should make Esu and Ekwensu similar? Are igbos and yorubas the same folk? Where is your thinking faculty, mr. aloy emeka?

Aloy+Emeka:

Since you guys have established Esu, what good has he done for Yorubas?. How come Igbos call satan EKWENSU?. Can't you guys see the similarity in ESU and EKWENSU?

Emeka i can see the similarity&agree with u 100%
a yoruba muslim will say asutani=esu, the yb christian will say satani=esu.
I prayed a prayer today 'olorun yami ya esu' i.e God should separate me from esu/satan.
As a yoruba man, i dont see any good esu have done for me&my generation.As long as God lives i will never have any pact with esu/satan