Can someone share with me some of the aspects of traditional Yoruba religion?

I have always been impressed how Yoruba religion is practiced in the Diaspora such as in Brazil, Cuba and even in Mexico. Quite impressive that the enslaved Yorubas were able to keep their religion and culture in the New World.

There is a reference to something about a being who carries prayers to the Almighty, the return of this being, and something that sounds like a divine trinity. It also sheds some light on the origin of certain practices like agriculture, the importance of "ori", and how the orishas used to be people like us. I do wonder whether or not the practitioners engage in hagiolatry. But one thing is certain, there is the belief in the existence of the Father of all that is. A tree of life is also mentioned, as are references to the number of years since creation (over 10,200 if I remember correctly). It also stresses the importance attached to the meaning of the word "eniyan" - the chosen ones.

As for me, I had and still have many questions so I bought a book, Odun Ifa (Ifa Festival) by Dr Abosede Emmanuel (a Catholic if I remember correctly), to study on my own. Unlike many people who call themselves Christians and Muslims and bash others without reasoning, I decided not to allow them shape my understanding of the Yoruba religion and throw away the baby with the bath water, but determined to use and ignite that spark of truth that my Creator deposited within me to reason. There's a set of books which I recommend and want to get myself, Ifism by C. Osamaro Ibie. I think there are nine volumes. I am curious about the origin of male circumcision and child naming why they are done on the eight day.

there is a thread that addresses this

amor4ce:

There is a reference to something about a being who carries prayers to the Almighty, the return of this being, and something that sounds like a divine trinity. It also sheds some light on the origin of certain practices like agriculture, the importance of "ori", and how the orishas used to be people like us. I do wonder whether or not the practitioners engage in hagiolatry. But one thing is certain, there is the belief in the existence of the Father of all that is. A tree of life is also mentioned, as are references to the number of years since creation (over 10,200 if I remember correctly). It also stresses the importance attached to the meaning of the word "eniyan" - the chosen ones.

As for me, I had and still have many questions so I bought a book, Odun Ifa (Ifa Festival) by Dr Abosede Emmanuel (a Catholic if I remember correctly), to study on my own. Unlike many people who call themselves Christians and Muslims and bash others without reasoning, I decided not to allow them shape my understanding of the Yoruba religion and throw away the baby with the bath water, but determined to use and ignite that spark of truth that my Creator deposited within me to reason. There's a set of books which I recommend and want to get myself, Ifism by C. Osamaro Ibie. I think there are nine volumes. I am curious about the origin of male circumcision and child naming why they are done on the eight day.

Interesting post.

nothing jewish there, calm down @ poster or is it amorce.

I'd have flooded this thread with the infos that I learned, but the poster has his ulterior motives.

There's a reason why this thread has been left blank sha.

^^^

Ulterior motives?

No. . . I wish to hear the secret of success in how Yorubas have been able to keep their traditional religion not only in Nigeria, but in the Diaspora. You even have non-Yorubas following the faith, which is amazing.

I once met a cuban chick who recently turned to African religion practiced by Yoruba-Brazillians. I thought she was crazy tho, never heard of those religions in my life. She kept insisting they were practiced by Nigerian Yorubas. . . . this girl keeps arguing with a Yoruba woman for more than 30 mins.

Anywaz, why don't you check the eHRAF files online. It will help you better.

I'll brb with some infos. . .

Traditional Yoruba religion is very complex. . . . I'm not sure I can cover this subject even by the next 10 years, but I'll try.

I believe the Non-Yorubas (not just Nigerian-Yorubas) are mainly impressed with Yoruba traditional religion because of its superstitious belief and its will to maintain balance between good and evil in the hemisphere. B

Humans, when they desire for something, they want their desires fulfilled without waiting. TYR followers believe that what is desired could be easily/QUICKLY attained through Yoruba religion. Yoruba religion consists of dieties, each having it's own different power. If a woman could not conceive, all she needed to do was make sacrifice and a godly child will be granted to her. Like other religion, faith and belief is required, but these deities could be seen by the human eyes (sculpted animation from woods).

I may not be correct, but each Yoruba town has it's own God. I know that Ekiti people are obsessed with IFA. That's why you see frequent Ekiti names like Fayemi, Fayose (IFAyemi, IFAyose etc). Osun state has its own "Yeye Osun".

1. IFA is the Divine Message of Olodumare (Almighty) to mankind.

2. IFA is the word of Olodumare.

3. IFA transcends all the cultures and traditions of all things - man, animals, plants, rocks, water, wind and fire.

4. IFA explains the basis for the existence of all things past, present and future.

5. IFA prescribes the spiritual/physical solutions to all problems.

6. IFA is the first, oldest and truest religion of mankind.

7. Orunmila, harbinger of the divine message of Olodumare (IFA) is thus the first and truest guardian of universal secrets of existence.

8. Orunmila, in all things spiritual and esoteric is the deputy of Olodumare.

9. All Orisa worship and veneration are acceptable, provided they are subservient to the worship of Olodumare as outlined by IFA religion.

10. No guidelines or signposts to salvation can lead to the path of divine truth except that outlined by Orunmila.

The same way Westerns are in love with the Greek mythology, Yoruba's religion is almost the same. Very mythical.

I'll brb with more info. . .

Thank you!

More please. . .

Ifa, also known as Orunmila and Agbonniregun, is the God of Divination and a close friend of Eshu (Satan, Satan in Yoruba's religion is not necessarily a "bad" guy. He's also a god) . He is often spoken of as a scribe or clerk because he “wrote” for the other deities and he taught the [i]babalawo [/i]to “write” the figures of Ifa on their divining trays. He is also described as a learned man or scholar because of all the knowledge and wisdom in the Ifa verses, and as the interpreter between the gods and humans. Olorun (God) gave him the power to speak for the gods and communicate with human beings through divination. When the God of Thunder or the God of Whiteness or any other deity wishes a special sacrifice, he can send a message to the human beings on earth through Ifa.

Olorun, who is also known as Olodumare, is the Sky God and has been synchronized with the Christian God and the Muslim Allah. He created  all other deities, and, like Nyame among the Ashanti and other West African “high gods,” he stands above and beyond them. Unlike other deities he has no special worshipers or cult; prayers are addressed to him, but no sacrifices are offered directly to him, and he has no shrines. Nevertheless he is neither so remote nor unconcerned that he does not intervene in affairs on earth, and most of the sacrifices prescribed by the babalawo are taken to Olorun by Eshu, after having been placed at one of Eshu's many shrines. As the deity who assigns and controls the individual destinies of mankind, olorun  can be considered as the God of Destiny.


As you can see, Yoruba religion is closely similar to the Christian religion.

There are a number of other river gods and goddesses (Oba, Yewa, Ondo, and Aro), of whom the most important is Oshun. The Oshun River rises in Ekiti in the east and flows past the city of Oshogbo where her principal shrine, attended by a virgin and decorated with figures cast in brass, is located. Her principal symbols are river-worn stones, and small brass rods which distinguish her from other river deities. Her shrines also include pots of water from which her worshipers may drink, and sixteen cowries which they use in divination.

Oshun is the owner of brass, and her worshipers wear brass bracelets as their insignia and dance holding a brass fan or a brass sword. She fights by causing dysentery, stomach ache, and menopause. Her principal taboos are guinea corn, guinea corn beer, and snails. Her foods include a thin soup made of wild lettuce, yam porridge, bean porridge ,several other bean dishes, and honey. Her favorite drink is maize beer.

Oshun is the Yoruba Venus, renowned for her beauty and for her meticulous care of her appearance. tall, light skinned, and with beautiful breasts, she is described as bathing several times a day, primping before a mirror, and wearing brass bracelets from the wrist to the elbow. Her hair was long and straight until Yemoja, who is black-skinned, stole it from her while Oshun was busy at her indigo dye-pots. Oshun cast her sixteen cowries and learned that Yemoja was the chief, but she was unable to recover her hair. So she added grass, cloth, and indigo dye to what little hair she had left and made a top-knot, which is like the false hairpiece worn by her priests at Oshogbo.

For each of the hundreds of deities there are appropriate songs, dances, rhythms, musical instruments, taboos, praise names, insignia, shrine carvings and other paraphernalia, leaves, sacrificial foods, and symbols through which they are fed. The Yoruba are explicit that it is not these material symbols which are being worshiped, but rather the deities that they represent. The myths recount the relationships between the deities, their fights and love affairs, the specific towns from which they are believed to have come, and the places where they became gods when they “went into the ground,” “rose into the sky,” “became a river,” or “turned into stone.”

Over fifty deities are identified with specific hills, there is a series of river gods and goddesses, and other deities manifest themselves as winds, snakes, or insects. Many others, however, like Odua, Orishala, Ifa, and Eshu, are not “nature gods.” The deities are often described as having distinctive roles and individual personalities, or as “owning” certain materials such as brass or iron. All can punish those who offend or neglect them by causing illness and misfortune, and some have special ways of “fighting” with people. The priests of some deities are called upon to perform the atonement for anyone who dies in a special way, whether or not he was a worshiper, so that a similar death will not recur in his family.

Except for Olorun, the deities have their own initiation rites, atonements which are performed before a worshiper is buried, and annual festivals which last a week or so. At these festivals the worshipers gather to sing and dance, feast and drink, offer sacrifices, and pray that they may live to perform the festival again next year. All the deities can give children, so it is misleading to speak of individual gods or goddesses of fertility. All can aid their worshippers by giving them good health and prosperity, and by helping them to achieve their destinies and live out their allotted spans of life on earth.

EzeUche wants to know the yoruba culture well before He proposes to Ileke Idi. .

the exact discuussion is going on on an older thread

EzeUche:

Can someone share with me some of the aspects of traditional Yoruba religion?

I have always been impressed how Yoruba religion is practiced in the Diaspora such as in Brazil, Cuba and even in Mexico. Quite impressive that the enslaved Yorubas were able to keep their religion and culture in the New World.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-48078.0.html

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-4427.0.html

@Ileke-Idi, well done!

http://www.wandeabimbola.com/ <-- unofficial ambassador of Ifa Religion to the rest of the World, there are many of them though. You can contact him.

I wish you well in your quest to learn more, may the Orisas guide you. Ifa does not hate

^^^ Thanks for the contact info. The man looks like you, are you related? Count explain your strong affinity to IFA.

^^ look like me ke?

Have you seen me before? No he does not, not at all

Yes, we are related through the Irunmoles

Keep on posting people. I need more information.

What is the secret to the success?

Kilode?!:

^^ look like me ke?

Have you seen me before? No he does not, not at all

Yes, we are related through the Irunmoles

Then je ka ri e nau. Abi ki lo n ba e l'eru?


More info coming.

EzeUche:

Keep on posting people. I need more information.

What is the secret to the success?

I hope you realized that you just asked an extremely important question. I will be as brief as I can with my answer. hopefully someone more knowledgeable will give you some deeper answers.

I recommended a book to Moremi Ileke-Idi a few months ago, It's a collection of essays on the Globalization of Yoruba Orisa Religion. I will extract a quote from one of the contributors as an answer to your simple but important question;

"The accomodative spirit of the Yoruba gods remain the eternal bequest to a world that is riven by the spirit of intolerance, of xenophobia and suspicion. . . It reflects the beauty of the religion which is itself as much as anything responsible for it's appeal and hence it's spread". "It is a tradition that is capable of nothing less than the promotion of peace and unity of humankind"  -Soyinka

My thoughts: The Yoruba religious culture, it's diversity, The pantheon of gods, and the well laid out hierarchy also helps. The accommodative spirit mentioned by Soyinka and other scholars can be easily witnessed in the great relationship that exists between the various religions on Yoruba soil. Islam, Christianity, Ifa e.t.c

Personally, I think the world has a lot to learn from the Yorubas when it comes to religious tolerance. Yoruba-land is one of those few places on earth where Islam and Christianity co-exists peacefully, share equally and are practiced among brothers. Why? maybe because deep down, our allegiance lies with Olodumare and the Irunmoles and they don't hate, rather, they easily stoop to conquer.

Ask the catholic slavers in South America how Ifa quietly replaced their catholic saints with Yoruba Orisas, before they knew what hit them, it was too late.

Ileke-IdI:

Then je ka ri e nau. Abi ki lo n ba e l'eru?

More info coming.

Moremi, Se o fe si aso loju eegun ni? ~You want to unmask the masquerade~

Kilode?!:

Moremi, Se o fe si aso loju eegun ni? ~You want to unmask the masquerade~ 

Beeni o! Nkan ti mo fe se ni yen.

.

benefit of the doubt =assume everyone is intelligent until they open their mouth and disabuse your mind completely .

The roman catholic tradition is very similar to the Yoruba tradition.
In each town, in the towns church be have a Saints, who is the guardian of the town.
We do processions according the church calendar.
We do our carnival with masks and dance.
Our Saints have spacial powers.
Even in my tradion, our children's name can have a powerfull meaning.
I am from a caltic - roman catholic back ground.
My husband is Yoruba.
When we meet he was very surprised to discover, I did understand his way of living so well.

Kilode,  I like your response to the op question .   

Why do many adherents of the Yoruba traditional religion insist on worshipping the orisha instead on the One who created the heaven and the earth and all their inhabitants despite acknowledging that they were once people like ourselves

?

Worship and prayers are a daily regimen.  There is a saying that "we should not go to the well too frequently".  The lesson is that in watering the garden, washing the car, bathing the dog. . . . . we might run the well dry and be without water when we most need it for sanitary, food, drink and so on.

This practice of approaching GOD through auxiliary powers is not limited to Yoruba religion alone.  The presence of GOD, when we knock at his door, should not be reduced to a routine demand. 

For this reason, the Jews will pray and call upon the attributes of Him; and the Christians also will pray and call on His attributes; and so likewise the Muslims.  The Jews have what they call 77 names of GOD that is very potent for praying.  Catholics do too and even use the rosary to do repetitions of the attributes.  Muslims have 99 names that they use likewise.  There are also other attributes of lesser counts - 11, 33 and so on.

These attributes are personalized - The Beloved, The Praiseworthy, The Gracious, The Beneficient. . . .

For the adherents of Orisha worship:

Aren't the Orisha saints rather than attributes?
Isn't worship of the orisha like telling the Everlasting Father that HIS arm is shortened? Note that the Word of God is the Arm of the Everlasting Father.
If they lived close to the arctic circle, would they have called the northern lights (aka aurora borealis) a deity and goddess as well?

Everywhere you look, there is face of GOD! 

There are two things I'd like to say here. 

First, Esu is not devil or a malevolent energy.  I have wondered and tried in many ways to uncover how Esu became the devil.  Of all the energies or forces or archetype a human soul need to keep close to his/her bosom, in sleep or in waking moments, Esu is one of them.  Oyibo put a cover over our eyes and we continue to wear the veil. It is time we shed the veil and re-establish ESU's reverence the way our forefathers revered him. He is not devil, he is not anti-GOD, he is of-GOD!  I wonder if Esu is Jesus, the way Imanuel (another name for Jesus) is Iman. 

Second, worshipping northern stars in the Arctic will be spiritual practice.  If we tell them not to worship the face and way GOD is revealing Himself to them and instead to face GOD revelation in Middle East then that should be called 'religion".  It is not a conflict to practice both spirituality and religion if in both the presence of GOD is affirmed.  I can be a Muslim and read the Bible and practice IFA also.  There is nothing in IFA that denies the oneness of GOD, in fact IFA reveals GOD and the cosmic purpose far better than most other religions do.

By northern lights I was making a comparison with the so-called Osumare goddess.

Also, is the devil same as Olosi? If Esu is concerned with choices and the devil is associated with temptations, it wouldn't be hard to see why Esu has been portrayed as the devil.

Romans 3:2