Elite cavalry of the Kanem-Bornu Empire, 19th century, Lake Chad region

The Kanem-Bornu Empire was one of the longest lasting Empires in African History, beginning in the 8th century with the establishment of the Kanem Empire. It was first ruled by the Duguwa Dynasty, then from the 11th century by the Sayfawa dynasty who established a capital at Njimi in Chad. Due to internal instability and external threats, the capital was moved to Ngazargamu, in Bornu, north-eastern Nigeria, in the 15th century, from which point it became known as the Bornu Empire. It reached new heights under some of its most illustrious rulers, known as Mai's, such as Mai Idris Alooma, who introduced fire arms for the first time in substantial numbers to "the central Sudan" (the region around Lake Chad), in the 16th century via his Ottoman allies. Weakened by the Fulani Jihads of the 19th century, the Bornu Empire was finally brought to its knees by the Sudanese warlord, Rabih az-Zubayr, in 1893.

At it's height, the empire encompassed parts of Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger and Libya, controlled trans-Saharan trade routes, built large walled cities and became a centre of Islamic learning and manuscript production. They introduced architectural innovations such as the use of fired bricks in elite structures and they also developed one of the strongest cavalries in Subsaharan African history, equipped with long lances and quilted cotton armors for horse and rider, with the riders often wearing steel cuirasses underneath their thick protective garments.

THE ABYSSINIAN PEOPLE

The Abyssinian people are also one of the strongest warrior tribes in Africa. They are politically and culturally a dominated group in Ethiopia and Eritrea. They are the lingua franca of both countries. 

Their military history dates back to the Axum period where they conquered and colonized the southern Arabians. They are a powerful mountainous people and with their perfect terrain, they were able to resist most invasions successfully and have a long history of their successful warfare skills.

COMING TO AMERICA—Abu Bakar—1310 AD—The Fula, Hausa, & Tuareg

Mansa Musa reported that for the first voyage, "Abu Bakar equipped 2000 ships filled with men and the same number equipped with gold, water and provisions, enough to last them for years, they departed and a long time passed before anyone came back. Then one shop returned and we asked the Captain what news they brought”.

The captain replied to Mansa Musa, 'Yes, O Sultan, we traveled for a long time until there appeared in the open sea a river with a powerful current, the other ships went on ahead, but when they reached that place, they did not return and no more was seen of them”.

“As for me, I went about at once and did not enter the river”.

“Abu Bakar left me (Mansa Musa) to deputize for him and embarked on the Atlantic Ocean with his men. That was the last we saw of him and all those who were with him. And so, I became king in my own right”.

Around 1310 A.D. thousands of Manding speakers arrived in the Americas from ancient Mali…

Ibn Fadlullah al-Umari, in his encyclopedia "Masalik al Absar", said the mariners from Mali during the reign of Abubakari made transatlantic voyages...

Al-Umari, obtained his information from Mansa Musa, who was handed the kingship of Mali by Abubakari when he set out to colonize the Americas…

The expeditionary force of Mansa and Abubakari, must have been immense, because the average boat on the Niger, in the 1500's A.D., could carry 80 men…

“At the mouth of River Real [the Bonny River]…there is a very large village, consisting of about 2,000 souls. Much salt is made here, and in this country are to be found the largest canoes, made of a single trunk, that are known in the whole of Ethiopia of Guinea; some are so large that they hold 80 men. they travel distances of a hundred leagues and more down the river” — Pacheo Pereira 

SOURCE; (Ghana Social Science Journal Volumes 3-4; 1976)

This means that anywhere between 25,000 to 80,000 men may have sailed from Mali along with Abubakari…

“For a long time we have known from the writings of our ancestors that neither I [Montezuma], nor any of those who dwell in this land, are natives of it, but foreigners who came from very distant parts; and likewise we know that a chieftain, of whom they were all vassals, brought our people to this region. And he returned to his native land and after many years came again, by which time all those who had remained were married to native women and had built villages and raised children".

— Montezuma 

SOURCE; (Hernán Cortes, “Letters From Mexico”)

The Aztec leader, Montezuma, explained that his understanding of the ORIGIN of the Aztec was as a people who arrived on the EASTERN shore of Mexico ABOARD SHIPS that had left a land from across the ocean...

The Aztecs named their first colony Mali-nalco...

In Old Mali there is one village called Mali-koma...

The name "Mali" was used with suffixes by Africans to name cities...

We have, in an independent history, the account of those ships leaving Mali at the time the "Aztec" arrived on the EASTERN shore of Mexico...

The writings of Sahagun say the Aztec did not come from the North or Northwest into Mexico…

Sahagun wrote that they arrived by ships coming from the direction of the rising sun (East) and that they landed on the Gulf Coast of Mexico at Panutla (Panuco).

“The first settlers of New Spain countless years ago, coming in ships from the sea, disembarked at Pantutla [Panuco]”.

SOURCE; (John Thomas Short, ‘The North Americans of Antiquity, Their Origin, Migrations, and Type of Civilization Considered’; 1879).

“The apartments are small, low, and in the Moorish style”.

“Each of these chiefs has at the entrance of his house, but outside of it, a large court-yard, and in some there are two and three and four very high buildings, with steps leading up to them, and they are very well built; and in them they have their mosques and prayer places”.

“These houses and mosques, wherever they exist, are the largest and best built in the town, and they keep them very well adorned, decorated with feather-work and well-woven stuffs, and with all manner of ornaments”.

“Every day, before they undertake any work, they burn incense in the said mosques, and sometimes they sacrifice their own persons, some cutting their tongues and others their ears, and some hacking the body with knives; and they offer up to their idols all the blood which flows, sprinkling it on all sides of those mosques”.

“Your Majesties may rest assured that, according to the size of the land, which to us seems very considerable, and the many mosques which they have, there is no year, as far as we have until now discovered and seen, when they do not kill and sacrifice in this manner some three or four thousand souls”.

“The next morning, the citizens came out to receive me on the road, with many trumpets, and also many priests from their mosques, clothed in their vestments, and chanting in the fashion they are accustomed to do in the said mosques”.

“In all of them, there are very good edifices, of houses and towers, especially the residences of the lords and chief persons, and the mosques or oratories, where they keep their idols”.

“They approached in two processions near the walls of the street, which is very broad, and straight, and beautiful, and very uniform from one end to the other, being about two thirds of a league long, and having, on both sides, very large houses, both dwelling places, and mosques”.

“There are in it, Sire, very wonderful houses, and mosques, and very large, and well built, oratories; it has also extensive market places.”

“This great city contains many mosques, or houses for idols, very beautiful edifices situated in the different precincts of it”.

“Amongst these mosques, there is one principal one, and no human tongue is able to describe its greatness and details, because it is so large that within its circuit, which is surrounded by a high wall, a village of five hundred houses could easily be built”.

“This city of Izzucan may have some three or four thousand households, and its streets and markets are well laid out. It has one hundred mosques and strong oratories with their towers, all of which we burnt”.

SOURCE; (Fernando Cortes : his five letters of relation to the Emperor Charles V)

Copied Knowledge of Self II

HISTORY

Ethiopians trained lions to capture the soldiers of the enemy and fought side by side with cheetahs, bees, which enabled them to win all the wars of colonization against them and to be the only country in the world to have never been colonized.

At the battle of Adwa Ethiopian warriors skilled in sword fighting called Shotel destroyed the invading Italian soldiers in hand to hand combat.

The Battle of Adwa was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Ethiopian forces defeated the Italian invading force on Sunday 1 March 1896, near the town of Adwa. The decisive victory thwarted the campaign of the Kingdom of Italy to expand its colonial empire in the Horn of Africa.

The Ethiopians surrounded the Italians for two weeks and, upon Empress Tayitu's advice, cut off the fort's water supply. The Italian commander agreed to surrender if they would be allowed to leave with their firearms. Menelik agreed that they could leave the garrison.

ILU AJẸ (TOWN OF WITCHES)

There is a small town on your way to Oyo, just behind Fiditi, it's called Ilu Ajẹ. Literally, it translates to "Town of Witches".

In the late 80s,  there used to be a sign board in Fiditi that pointed to the path to the village, the signboard had the inscription :

"WAY TO ILU AJẸ, HOME OF SCIENCE!".

Lots of people used to fear indigenes of Ilu Ajẹ because it was said that every man in Ilu Ajẹ is born of a witch, and every woman in ilu Ajẹ is a witch!.

It was said some people visited Ilu Ajẹ to find out why a whole village would be populated by witches.

What they said:

Because the Baale (village head) is dead and no replacement has been chosen yet, we met with the chiefs who told us the history of the town.

The father of the current Alaafin, i.e Alaafin Adeyemi II was said to have many siblings when he was young. One of his siblings got missing!

A king's son got missing ke? Infact, scrap it, Alaafin of Oyo in those days was not a king, he was an Emperor! No, a deity!

When the son of such an entity gets missing, of course it's a very big trouble in the whole empire!

Hunters were commisioned to look for the son. Every nook and corner of Oyo town was searched. Every crevice was checked, all hilltops were visited, yet the Alaafin's son couldn't be found.

Like the shepherd who had 99 sheep but was despondent about the lone missing sheep, the father was heart broken about his missing son. 

Herbalists were consulted,  from Oyo to Ife. Sorcerers were recruited from Egbado to Ilaje,  yet no one could help find the missing son. Kabiyesi was sad, Olori was pained, the whole empire was gloomy.

One evening, three months later, as the king and chiefs were in the open court deliberating on the issue, a Babalawo strolled into the palace court with his apo ifa (oracle bag),  everyone looked at him in askance, "Baba,  what do you want, why are you here, who do you want to see?  Can't you see we are in the middle of a serious issue?" the chiefs asked him.

"Kabiyesi o", the herbalist greeted the king. "I am a babalawo from a remote and secluded part of the outskirts of town, i have come to help you with your missing son".

", the chiefs laughed. "Babalawos from 'saner climes' have tried and failed,  oniṣeguns with Harvard degrees have attempted and fumbled, who do you think you are? Please get out!". 

Kabiyesi was just looking at him in a non-interested way. Not to treat the baba in a rude manner,  Kabiyesi asked him to go ahead, but he should make it snappy.

Iwaju ọpọn o gbo

Eyin ọpọn o gbo

Olumu Ọtun, olukanran Osi

Aarin ọpọn Ita ọrun.....

TRANSLATION:

Hear o north of the universe

Listen o south of the universe 

Hear o wise ones of the east

Listen o knowledgeable ones of the west .....

The Babalawo made his divination and told the king thus...  "Kabiyesi, you need not stress yourself. In 7 days time, when the sun is directly over the head, and man stands upon his own shadow, get 5 chiefs to sit under the shea butter tree at the eastern border of the town. They should be dressed in white, and they should continuously clap their hands rythmically in unison, On the 201st clap,  the king's son would have reached them and he would ask for water".

It was clear, the Babalawo was MAD!

But one tries everything to find a lost son.  so, though the recommendations of the babalawo was crazy, the Alaafin still carried them out.

Behold, on the 201st clap,  the king's son came to them.

When the son was brought to the king and the events narrated, Alaafin Adeyemi the first was said to have asked "iru babalawo adifaṣẹ bi ajẹ wo ni babalawo un?". What sort of herbalist who makes divinitions that comes through like a witch's proclamation is this? Where does he live?  The people answered that he lived by a forest patch at the outskirts of Oyo. The  king asked that he should be visited.

For a long time, when people want to describe the area where the herbalist lived,  they would say ilu adifaṣẹ bi ajẹ. Over time,  people just started shortening it to Ilu Ajẹ, they omitted the "adifaṣẹ". Thus the name Ilu Ajẹ was birthed.

Today, Ilu Ajẹ has no electricity and has no pipe born water. Given what their forbears did for the royal stool in oyo, they shouldn't be forgotten.

Odù Ifá and ASCII Codes - What is the uniqueness of 256? Coincidence?

My previous post shows how to map Odù Ifá signature to binary digits and from binary digits to decimal.

Since we humans mostly write in words (letters, emails, text messages etc), how do we convert these numbers to alphabetic characters?

In the early days of computing, computers could only crunch numbers. When people got fed up with just crunching numbers, they started looking for ways of representing alphabetic chraracters with numbers.

In 1960 the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) character encoding standard was developed by the Americans to map the English alphabetic characters to numbers. The current ASCII standards map all the printable and non-printable characters on your keyboard to numbers (since computers only understand "1" and "0"). This is where it gets interesting... The ASCII uses 256 binary digits just like Odu Ifa! Probably the Americans got their inspiration from Ọ̀rúnmìlà... Who knows?

What this mean is that every Odù Ifá sign maps to every key on your keyboard and more!

See the attached graphic for ASCII codes that map decimals to symbols. 

Below are few examples (Note: Odù are read from right to left)... (Symbol == Decimal == Binary == Odù Ifá).

Lowercase characters: 

a == 97 == 01100001 == Ògúndá-Èdí

b == 98 == 01100010 == Ìrẹtẹ̀-Èdi

c == 99 == 01100011 == Ìrosùn-Èdí

d == 100 == 01100100 == Òtúra-Èdí

e == 101 == 01100101 == Ọ̀sẹ́-Èdí

Uppercase characters: 

A == 65 == 01000001 == Ògúndá-Òtúra

B == 66 == 01000010 == Ìrẹtẹ̀-Òtúra

C == 67 == 01000011 == Ìrosùn-Òtúra

D == 68 == 01000100 == Òtúrá Méjì

E == 69 == 01000101 == Ọ̀sẹ́-Òtúra

Numerals:

0 == 48 == 00110000 == Ogbè-Ìrosùn

1 == 49 == 00110001 == Ògúndá-Ìrosùn

2 == 50 == 00110010 == Ìrẹtẹ̀-Ìrosùn

3 == 51 == 00110011 == Ìrosùn Méjì

4 == 52 == 00110100 == Òtúra-Ìrosùn

5 == 53 == 00110101 == Ọ̀sẹ́-Ìrosùn

For all the ASCII codes (decimal, octal, hexadecimal, binary and symbol) see: http://www.ascii-code.com

WHAT IS IFA? - A lecture by Prof Odeyemi

With due respect to the practitioners of "African Religion", I wish to state that, until now, writers and even thinkers have tended to overlook a fundamentally important aspect of the religion, that is, the existence of a strand which threads and knits together all aspects of the universal religious world view, culture and tradition. It is Ifa.

All books which have been written on this very sacred aspect of our lives as Africans (and there are several books, written by both Africans and non-Africans) merely treat Ifa as if it were a collection of verses, parables anecdotes and even parodies! Even educated Africans perceive Ifa merely as literature material for the attainment of doctorate degrees and professorial status (Awolalu, Mbiti, Idowu among others) and for sale in schools and colleges for material gain.

According to Professor Wole Soyinka (a Yoruba and the first Black Nobel Laureate) in response to an interview with Ulli Beer (Tempo, 6th Nov. 1997 p.8).

"It is a very curious phenomenon that Yoruba scholars are reluctant to come to terms with Yoruba (lfa) religion. The worst part of it is that those fellows who speak about "false consciousness" ... are all totally preconditioned. Even when they are trying to 'be objective about 'African religion' in general, they are totally incapable of relating to it. They say it is a contemporary world. What use is Traditional Religion today? ... and I feel tempted to say to them What use is a system of beliefs like Islam or Christianity in the contemporary world?

And they cannot see that they have totally failed to make the leap: to take Yoruba (Ifa) religion on the same level as any system of belief in the world; that they are committing a serious scholarship lapse. In other words they are totally brainwashed by what I call these "elaborate structures superstition" - Islam and Christianity particularly. They have accepted these as absolute facts of life which cannot be questioned.

They lack the comparative sense of being able to see Yoruba (lfa) religion as just another system - superstition, belief, world view, cosmogony or whatever. You have to do it on the same level with any other system. Once you do that, many questions which have been asked become totally redundant because they have not been asked about other religions. But when our scholars come up against their own religion, their faculty of comparison completely disappears!".

So, rather than take that giant leap of faith (so to speak!), Yoruba (and African) "scholars" on African religion are too timid to accept their very Africanness as an inexorable fact. The liquid of TRUTH (IFA) being too bitter and unsavoury to swallow, they thus become hardened alcoholics of illogically and unabashed peevishness.

For instance, if Olodumare is God in Yoruba belief, with attributes which are universal, non-tribal, and non-partial, with no chosen race, with fundamental laws which have universal and pan-ontological applicability, why run away from such an Almighty Megaforce and cling to a sectional Jewish Deity who abandoned his own creation and chose a small desert race as his "chosen people"?

This unfortunate oversight and crass self-abnegation has led to the absence of a Holy Book and instead, a proliferation of magazines, pamphlets, treatises, commercial books and so on. Yet, although such proliferation serves to keep Ifa perpetually on the table of universal religious discourse,

Ifa is not merely a collection of verses, proverbs, parables and anecdotes. Ifa is God's sacred message to mankind. It is the embodiment of the totality of human existence. It is. As Orunmila (BA) told us in Ejiogbe 1:36, the basis for understanding the beginning and end of all things:

Orunmila ni hunhun un un

Ifa mo ni ki lo se o ti o nkun si Bara Elesin Oyan?

Orunmila ki lo se o ti o nkun si Bara Adagba Ojomu?

lfa ki lo se o ti o nkun si Baara Agbonnin!igun,

Okinkin tii j'eyin erin o fon?

O l'oro lo po ninu oun

Oun o r'eni t'a a M a so ni

Ogun ni oun nko?

Meebi ore ni wa?

Orunmila ni t'oran ore ko

Eni to mo iwaju oro to meyin oro loun o ri

Ogun loun moo, 0 mooti

Gbogbo okookanlenu /runmole l'awon moo

Won mooti

Won ni Orunmila, iwo nko?

Orunmila ni oun o mo iwaju oro at'eyin oro

O ni Ifa lo mo iwaju oro to meyin oro

Ifa, Olodumare,

Atenilegelege, fori sapeji!

Through Ifa is revealed the Great Mysteries of life. Only Ifa explains the reasons for the existence of life, living, death, sickness, success, failure, poverty, wealth, life before birth and life after death. Only IFA reveals the spiritual basis for reincarnative experience; why no living thing, having sucked from the, breasts of mother Nature, will fail to taste the bitter truth of death (Ogbe Tomopon, 27:6), Why ORI is more important than religion, why we all chart different courses during our sojourn on planet Earth, and why sacrifice is pivotal to the lives of men of all races and all religions (Okanran-Osa, 130:12).

Only Ifa tells it exactly as it is. In short, only Ifa guides the life of man from cradle to grave! Although, as a result of close association through the several millennia, Orunmila has been regarded as being synonymous with Ifa (the two names are actually frequently interchanged in the Sacred Verses) this, in realitv is not so. Ifa as the embodiment of Olodumare is the ultimate level of esoteric consciousness, a level attained only by Orunmila. Presumably anyone can reach that level, but so far, it is not achievable by mere mortals. According to Osa Meji 10:18, we all live a live of perpetual struggle (to reach the level of Ifa).

Orunmila is not Ifa just as for instance, OGUN is not Iron, Mohammed is not the Quoran, Moses is not the Bible, Orunmila is the harbinger and interpreter of the Divine Message of Olodumare. That message is Ifa. Clearly, Orunmila hears and understands the message, but he is different and detached from it. Orunmila, as the Deputy of Olodumare in all things pertaining to omniscience, wisdom and spiritual salvation knows the secrets of man's being He was with Olodumare is the beginning and knows how creation was begun and completed.

He is endowed with the extraordinary wisdom and foreknowledge, an attribute, which allows Him to perceive the beginning and end of all things. He is present when each individual is created and when each individual's Destiny is sealed. Thus, Orunmila can predict what will come to pass and prescribe remedies to effect or avert eventualities. Ifa, as the Divine Message is the Word, which was with Olodumare in the beginning. The Word is Olodumare, in as much as the Word (Ifa) cannot be divorced from its owner (Olodumare).

In the many aspects which comprise human existence on earth, Yorubas and other Africans consult Ifa in order to know the wishes of Olodumare. Ifa, throughout the history of Yorubas over the past several millennia, has always been an essential part of life. The real key to the life of the Yorubas lies in Ifa. It forms the foundation of the all-governing principle of life for them.

Before a betrothal, before a marriage, before a child is born, at the birth of the child, at successive stages in one's life, before an Oba is enthroned, before a chief is installed, before anyone is appointed to civic office, before a war is prosecuted, before a journey is made, in times of crises, in times of sickness, at any and all times, Ifa is consulted for guidance and assurance.

Because Orunmila is the Great Interpreter of Ifa and Witness to Destiny, both He and Ifa are held by Yorubas of whatever religious persuasion with awe, respect and reverence. Even the Catholic Priest respect Ifa and now quotes freely from the Sacred Verses. So does the Anglican Bishop and the Muslim Scholar. Orunmila himself seeks guidance from Olodumare through Ifa. Ifa is not a message for Yorubas alone.

It is the Divine Message of Olodumare to mankind and for all those who seek to receive it. Ifa's universal relevance lies in the fact that, when an individual from any race, colour or creed approaches an Ifa Priest for a personal message, Ifa may reveal a message national, continental or even global importance. For instance, the message may be a warning of an approaching war, famine, or pestilence, although the message - seeker may be concerned only about marriage! As a result of the spread of Ifa over the millennia, it has assumed different names in different countries and among different races.

Thus, it is called Ifa among the Edos of Nigeria, Fa among the Fon of Republic of Benin. Eva BY Nupes, Ifa in Cuba, USA, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Surinarm and Haiti, Afa by the Ewe of Togo, Ephod by Jews, Geomancy by Europeans and Malagasy, as well as Ramal or Hati by Arabs. Ifa is also widespread in Africa... It is practiced among the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria, the Kamuku and Gwari of Northern Nigeria, the Igbirra in South Central Nigeria like Jukun of Eastern Nigeria, and all the tribes in the region around the Cross Rivers. Among the Siwah people in the Sahara, Ifa is known as "Derb el'raml" or "Derb el fu" It is also widely practiced in Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Sierra Leone as well as in Liberia. The Napoleon Book of Fate is based entirely on Ifa. The Jewish Kabbala is based on Ifa. Indeed since Ifa is coexistent with Olodumare, the actual title of Ifa is Ifa Olodumare. Others call Him Orisa Agbaye (Lord of the Universe), Olorun (Owner of Heaven), Oodua (creator of Character and Destiny).

Orunmila, in order to make access to the retrieval of the Divine Message (Ifa) easy, devised the computer compatible binary coding system, thousands of years before the emergence of computer consciousness in so-called modern man! So, Ifa is preserved in binary coded format and is output Parable - Format.

Ifa is coded within 256 Odus or Corpus, each Odu representing an esoteric pigeonhole, itself divisible into 256 sub-holes. Within each of the 256 Odus, there are 1,680 Sacred Verses all presented in Parable - Format. Thus, the body of Ifa consists of 430,080 messages for mankind.

That is why one cf Orunmila's appellations is "Oluwa mi, amoomotan" (My Lord, unfathomable!) This compendium constitutes the AKASHA, kept by Olodumare (the Omnipotent God), from which revelations are made to man throughout the entire length and breadth of the universe. These revelations are made through the medium of selected individuals called “Orisa”, "Prophets", "Messengers", "Apostles", "Saviours", "Avatars", “Messiahs" etc.

Ifa does therefore represent the Greatest Unwritten Holy Book on Earth, a perennial fountain of esoteric knowledge from which all Orisas, Prophets, Messengers, Messiahs, Apostles past, present and future sip and which message they spread at different times in human history to diverse peoples in their respective habitats. The Holy Quran puts it very clearly in Suratul AI Nahl (The Bee) Chapter 16:36

"Among every nation, we raise a Messenger with the message: serve God and eschew the Devil".

It is from this theme that the "Law of the Prophets" was formulated. Ifa is thus the source of the keynote to all Religions on Earth. To this aspect, we shall return later.

THE EIGHT ESSENCES OF IFA:

A thorough study of the ramifications of Ifa shows that it comprises eight basic essences, listed as follows:

(i)  The Spiritual Essence: This relates to the place of man (as a spirit) in the cosmos, the powers of matter and all aspects of ontological evolution and development.

(ii) The Religious Essence: This relates to faith, catechism and Ifagelism (Preaching).

(iii)  The Divine Essence: This relates to the methods of Divination and accessing of esoteric information; the mechanics of Divination and the systematics of Divine Message collection, processing and interpretation.

(iv)  The Worship and Sacrificial Essence: This relates to the basis and meaning of worship and sacrifice.

(v)  The Medicinal Essence: This deals with both magical and materialist medicine.

 (vi)  The Historical Essence: This deals with the history of all creation, including the creation of materialist, non-materialist and spirit worlds.

(vii) The Scientific Essence: This deals with the power of observation, axiomatic, astronomy, cosmology, cognitive and pre-cognitive experience, astral science, physical and biological sciences, logic, philosophy mathematics, statistics and computer science.

(viii) The Cultural Essence: This relates to rites, rituals, politics, socio-economics, language dress and normative value systems.

As it is obvious, these eight essences of Ifa are also in the main, coincident with the human essences, of planet earth and the non-human essences in the entire universe. It is also clear that Religion, Worship and Sacrifice are but few aspects of what constitutes the Divine Message known as Ifa. It constitutes what is also known as the Great Mystery System. Thus, while Ifa Religion represents the transcendental and Evangelical (Ifagelical) dimension of Ifa worldview, Worship and Sacrifice epitomize the corrective and restorative facets of that worldview.

TH𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐘

Igbara-Oke, Ondo State born  Prof Sophie Oluwole (originally from Edo state), was the first woman to earn a doctorate in Philosophy in Nigeria.

She studied History, Geography, and Philosophy at UNILAG after which she was employed as an Assistant Lecturer in 1972.  She earned her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan.

She taught African Philosophy at UNILAG and focused on the Yoruba school of philosophical thought that discussed the cultural and religious beliefs of Yoruba land. She retired from the Department of History of the university 18 years ago.

She produced several books on philosophy including Ifa and Orunmila which aimed at correcting the Western philosophies on Africans.

The late philosopher; popularly called Mamalawo (female native doctor) was recognized for her activism for women in philosophy and education.

Prof Oluwole died in her home in Ibafo, Ogun State. She was 83.

The Return of Emperor Tewodros’ Locks of Hair

Emperor Tewodros was the son of a provincial chief who rose to power to become Nəguśä Nägäśt or King of Kings thus ending a chaotic period in Ethiopian history known as “Zämänä Mäsafənt” (the era of princes).

However while peace was established between the different Ethiopian ethnic groups there were still threats from Islamic Turks threatening to occupy parts of Ethiopia. Emperor Tewodros assumed that the Christian West would to come to his aid and made an appeal by  letter to Queen Victoria of England saying, ‘…when I told the Turks to relinquish the soil of my fathers, they refused, and so, by the power of God, here I am about to struggle against them.’

However, to his utter bewilderment, the queen refused to help. The emperor could not understand how a Christian nation like England could refuse to come to his aid.

Out of fury Tewodros jailed the British consul and other foreigners, however his response led Britain to see Ethiopia as a “risk without profit”. In 1868 under the command of Sir Robert Napier 64,000 people (including 12,000 fighting men) were sent from Britain to invade Ethiopia, it was the largest military offensive by the British Empire in Africa. Emperor Tewodros’ fortress was captured and he chose to die rather than be taken.

The British then proceeded to loot Magdala they left with more than 500 ancient manuscripts, 2 gold crowns, crosses and chalices in gold, silver and copper, religious icons, royal and ecclesiastic vestments, shields and arms. They took so much wealth that they needed 15 elephants and 200 mules to cart it away.

They also kidnapped the emperor’s 7 year old son, Prince Alemayehu who was later said to be a ‘favourite’ of the British queen. Prince Alemayehu died aged 18 of pleurisy and was buried at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle at the request of Victoria.

In 1959 locks of Tewodros’ hair was given to the National Army Museum by the family of the artist who had painted the emperor on his deathbed, one of the locks was framed with a letter and the emperor’s seal.

In 2018, a national outcry erupted in Ethiopia over the display of the tresses in an exhibition by the National Army Museum on the 1868 British invasion to what was then called Abyssinia.

The Ethiopian government successfully negotiated the return of Emperor Tewodros’ hair.. The Ethiopian embassy in London stated that “For Ethiopians everywhere, as the locks of hair represent the remains of one of the country’s most revered and beloved leaders, a display of jubilant euphoria is to be expected when it is returned to its rightful home in Ethiopia.”

The West has caricatured Emperor Tewodros in a negative way to justify the British looting of precious artefacts as ‘war trophies’ but modern research and the Ethiopian documentation of that horrific event are setting the record straight. 

No other leader has influenced popular culture in Ethiopia as Tewodros did. He is a treasure trove for songwriters, playwrights and poets. Once Abbe Gubegna, a prolific writer said, ‘Tewodros will continue to sparkle like a jewel in the heart of many generations.’ 

The dramatic nature of his life, his rise from an ordinary background and his ambitions of transforming Ethiopia into a modern state has led many to be fascinated by his life and action. He is viewed as a true leader who authored his immortality by refusing to surrender to British forces and taking his own life instead.

Ethiopia lodged a formal request in 2008 at various British institutions for the return of the Magdala treasures worth millions of dollars but the British continue to resist. However Yonas Desta, director-general of Ethiopia's Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, said the country would continue to seek to reclaim heritage taken decades, even centuries, ago.

Empire of Ancient Ghana

African History Did not begin by Slavery.

The Empire of Ghana was located in Western Africa in what is today the countries of Mauritania, Senegal, and Mali. The region lies just south of the Sahara Desert and is mostly savanna grasslands. Major rivers in the region such as the Gambia River, Senegal River, and the Niger River served as the means of transportation and trade.

The capital city of Ancient Ghana was Koumbi Saleh. This is where the King of Ghana lived in his royal palace. Archeologists estimate that up to 20,000 people lived in and around the capital city.

Note: The Ancient Ghana Empire, has nothing to do with modern Ghana. It is located 400 miles North West of modern Ghana, in northern Senegal, Southern Mauritania and southern mall.

Ruins of Kumbi Saleh, the ancient capital of the Ghana Empire.

HISTORY

The Kingdom of Mutapa spread across Southern Africa, from the Limpopo and Zambezi Rivers to the Indian Ocean. It encompassed what is now Lesotho, South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. 

The kingdom of Zimbabwe fell into decline in the early 15th century. Some historians say the region was starving. Others say that the kingdom’s warrior prince, Nyatsimba Mutota, left the landlocked region in search of salt, a priceless commodity at that time.

The prince is said to have found salt among a tribe of elephant hunters near the Zambezi River about 300 kilometers to the north. He took control of the region, which included some gold deposits. He took over most of the Zambezi River Valley, establishing the Empire of Mutapa, also known as Monomotapa, and established his capital at Zvongombe.

Historian David Chanaiwa says the empire was somewhat informal and depended on the “charisma, well-being and political wisdom” of its ruler. Mutota ruled his empire with a light touch, avoiding meddling in the lives of his subjects. 

The kingdom had no known historian, so little information about it is available. But Portuguese travelers gave accounts of the capital, describing it as being built mostly from clay, wood and thatch. The capital was surrounded by a wooden stockade that was so big, it took about an hour to walk around it. Inside the stockade were three buildings. One was where the prince held court. Another housed his wives and advisors — about 3,000 people in all. The third building housed his pages and bodyguards, who had been recruited from among the young single men throughout the kingdom. Those young men were groomed to later serve as bureaucrats and Soldiers.

Mutota’s son Mwened Matope inherited the kingdom and began expanding it by a series of military campaigns. At its peak, his kingdom included the entire Zambezi River Valley. What are now Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and part of Mozambique stretching to the Indian Ocean were part of the empire. Matope took the title mwenemutapa, which means “lord of the plundered lands.” His regal attire included a finely crafted ivory-handled hoe as part of his belt that symbolized peace through the ability to draw wealth from the earth. Matope made it clear to his people that he was a divine king, the “God of the Sun.”

Matope expanded his riches through taxation and long-distance trade. He established markets along the Zambezi River. He almost undoubtedly conducted commerce across the Indian Ocean, probably trading with China and India.

It was a fairly short-lived kingdom. By the mid-1500s, it began to decline politically, militarily and culturally. Its central government became weak and fragmented, and provincial governors took more power. The leaders of one province broke away from the kingdom completely. The Portuguese, who had long been a presence in the region, overran the kingdom and appointed their own choice as ruler.

By the time the Portuguese killed the last ruler of the Mutapa in battle in 1917, the kingdom was a mere fraction of its former glory.

It is believed that a warrior prince from the Kingdom of Zimbabwe established the Kingdom of Mutapa.  Trade with India was vibrant at the height of the Kingdom of Mutapa.

HISTORY

For most of its history, the Kushite Empire stretched from the beginning of the Hapi (Nile) in Uganda to Aswan.  The Kushites are the most influential civilization in history, having invented complex government over large territories, writing, pyramids, stone columns, the arch, and the world's first university.  Many of these things we attribute to Kemet, but they originated first in Kush according to Herodotus, the father of Greek history.  

However, Kush's influence was not only thru Kemet, but also spread throughout most of Africa.  There is not a corner of Africa that was not ventured to by the Kushites.  From the rainforests BaTwa in Central Africa to the Nok of West Africa, Kush was always intertwined. The Kushites also were the most ancient organized maritime civilization, having settled many cities along the coast of East Africa to Mozambique.  

The Kushites also dominated Red Sea trade and the Arabian Sea.  From Suakin and Adulis in Kush, they ventured to Yemen, Oman, the Indus Valley, and Tamil Nadu.  In fact, the syllabic scripts of India are descended from Kushites from Adulis who brought the Ethiopic syllabic script to them.

Kushite stone ruins at Napata date to over 36,000 years ago. It is the oldest city in the world alongside Meroe.  By 12,000 years ago, Kushite civilization spanned the length of the Nile, during the reign of the legendary Osiru (Ausar, Osiris) whose just deeds made him a model for the godman.

The city of Jericho which Europeans claim is the oldest city in the world at 11,000 years old, was simply a late Kushite-Kemetic outpost for gathering wood from the Levant because Kemet lacked ample forestry.  Kush would later initiate the development of civilization in Sumeria and Elam.

La Sirène - the Queen of the Ocean or the Goddess of the sea

La Sirène is a beautiful, long-haired mermaid. She  is the wife of Lord Agwe. She owns a beautiful palace beneath the seas and is a Lwa of wealth. She owns all the riches of the seas. All those pearls, sunken treasure ships, coral, are just a few of the treasures she owns. La Sirène is sometimes referred to as Mambo La Sirène.

She can often be seen sitting on the edge of a large rock, in the sea, combing her long beautiful black hair and looking at herself in the mirror. In fact, La Sirène is the ruler of vanity, as she herself loves to look at herself. She is a very beautiful mermaid, a siren. She rules over the musical arts too. La Sirène is very enchanting and can sometimes lure people into the depths of her waters.

Her favorite colors are shades of blue and green and intermingled colors of the sea, like teal or aquamarine. Other traditions suggest her colors are pink and white.

La Sirène is found in the stories of the people of DRC and Haiti.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐔 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐁𝐎 𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐉𝐄𝐁𝐔 𝐎𝐃𝐄, 𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄, 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀 🇳🇬

The burial place of the legendary and biblical Queen of Sheba, locally known among Yoruba people as Bilikisu Sungbo, has turned a place of worship and tourism in Nigeria. Millions of people visit annually from different parts of the world to share the mystery surrounding Bilikisu Sungbo grave-turned-shrine located in Oke-Eri, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. 

The historical queen, Bilikisu Sungbo, was said to have traveled all the way from Ethiopia down to Ijebu-Ode where she died and was buried. The natives of Ijebu-Ode hold strong and popular claims about the identity of the controversial Bilikisu Sungbo. They claimed that she was the Queen of Sheba mentioned in the bible to have visited the wise king Solomon at height of his powers. They also claimed that Bilikisu Sungbo was the Quranic Queen Baliqs of Ethopia (from which the name Bilikisu was derived) who visited king Sulaiman. Another source has it that Bilikisu Sungbo was a wealthy woman and the leader of a group of women potters who traveled to far away places. Also, she was believed to possess supernatural powers with which she dug ditches around villages in Ijebu-Ode.

The tradition of the Ijebu people forbid women and dogs to visit the spot where Bilikisu Sungbo was buried. At the shrine, there is a small open ground with no grass growing on it. This place is said to be the place where the ancient queen was washed before being buried, and because of her supernatural powers, no plant or grass can ever grow on the spot.

In 1995, Bilikisu Sungbo’s shrine was added to the cultural category of UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Bilikisu Sungbo ‘grave-shrine’ will forever remain a pride of Ijebu-Ode people.

THE ODU IFA

There are 256 Odù Ifá. The first are the 16 Meji, or Oju Odù. The next 240 Odù Ifá are combinations of the first 16.

The Odù Ifá are patterns of binary code, opened and closed nodules, which represent all of the energies contained in Igba Iwa, The Calabash of Existence, or the Universe.

These are the universal energies that give birth to all given circumstances and situations, all the blessings and misfortunes of the universe are contained within them. They hold the key to all the blessings and all the misfortunes of life and death. The Odù themselves are the oracles of the Yorùbá divination systems of Ifá, Obi, and Merindinlogun.

It is through the knowledge of these energies, called Odù Ifá, that Babalawo and Iyanifa are able to work with individuals to achieve the greatest potential of their destiny. It is through these Odù Ifá that priests and priestesses of Orisha can help people to repair their Orí’s and better themselves.

The Odù Ifá are like blueprints to all the energies possible in the universe. Each has verses of esoteric knowledge associated with it along with medicines, rituals, and sacrifices that accompany each of the 256 Odù.

Ase!

When the Zulu People of South Africa 🇿🇦 defeated the British 🇬🇧

—A THREAD—

In 1879, the British army invaded the independent & previously friendly Zulu kingdom, which had been founded by the formidable Nguni warrior Shaka Zulu in 1818. Shaka had been the first proper king in South Africa, in that he managed to unite almost 800 Eastern Nguni–Bantu clans under his rule, displacing the rest.

He was also the first to establish a proper army, which he divided into regiments called impis armed with assegais and iklwas – the former a traditional long-poled spear to use from a distance, the latter a remodelled short-poled version which was lethal in hand-to-hand combat.

Leading the British troops was Lord Chelmsford, a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath who had already fought in Crimea, India and South Africa, winning skirmishes with Xhosa chieftains which no doubt influenced his low opinion of the Zulus.

He commanded 4,700 highly-trained soldiers equipped with the latest Martini-Henry rifles, assisted by armed colonial volunteers and many field guns of the Royal Artillery. He attacked the kingdom on three fronts, expecting an easy victory and national fame.

Facing him on the vast, baking-hot plain at Isandlwana was a Zulu army of 350,000 warriors wielding deadly spears and an assortment of ancient muzzle-loading firearms, divided into 34 regiments of which 18 were made of married men, and 16 of unmarried ones.

News of the attacking force reached the Zulu court while it was getting ready to host the annual First Fruit Festival, attended by all the regiments, smaller chiefs and the best isangomas of the land –who immediately started making protective amulets and invigorating potions.

What was supposed to be a harvest celebration turned into a three-day pre-war ceremony, at the end of which all warriors were sprinkled with protective medicines and sent to the border. When the Zulus first appeared in the distance Lord Chelmsford divided his force to meet them, leaving over 1500 men in the main camp under Isandlwana hill. It was this reserve force that the Zulus attacked, leaving Chelmsford’s main regiment stranded miles away and unable to help.

The Zulu plan was simple, but efficient, developed over hundreds of years while hunting large herds of game. It was called the “horns of the bull”, with the horns made of fast-moving younger regiments whose primary job was to encircle the enemy leaving the killing to the more seasoned warriors who would bear the brunt of a frontal attack.

The tactic was most successful if the two horns completed the encirclement of the enemy before the main body of warriors had been seen, and in this battle they not only encircled the British position but also the hill of Isandlwana itself.

The battle raged for less than an hour, at the end of which all but 100 British men had been killed – & that’s because they ran away before the Zulus attacked.

It was the worst defeat ever suffered by British troops at the hands of indigenous people equipped with vastly inferior military technology. It was also the greatest victory the Zulus were ever going to achieve.

History of MODAKEKE Ilé Ife Osun

Modakeke is a town near Ilé Ifẹ̀ in Osun State, South-West Nigeria, with nearly 500,000 inhabitants who are predominantly farmers and warriors. The town is about 45 kilometres from Osogbo, capital of Osun State and 90 kilometres from Ibadan in Oyo a state. Modakeke came into existence in 1945 after the fall of the Oyo Empire, below is a brief history of Modakeke town.

The whole of Yorubaland was thrown into chaos and confusion after the Oyo Empire fell to the Fulanis in 1835. The inhabitants of Oyo ran for safety and therefore were dispersed across Yorubaland, some founding new settlements and others, joining existing settlements like Ile-Ife. A group of Oyo refugees settled in Ile-Ife to begin a new life which unknowing to them will later birth the town called Modakeke.

On getting to Ile-Ife, they have already lost all their possessions and then took up menial jobs in the town. They also got recruited in the Ife army and it was through their bravery that Ife had its territory extended to Alakowe, its present boundary with Ilesa. They started growing and producing different types of food crops on farmlands given to them by their Ife people.

The then reigning Ooni of Ife, Oba Akinmoyero, received the Oyo refugees well and later gave them an expanse of land to live. The name Modakeke was adopted after consultation with the oracle which directed them to go to Ebu-Alako near Oke-Owu where they met a swarm of Ako (Stork) birds. The name was derived from the cries of the storks (Mo-da-ke-ke-ke-ke). This is also the origin of the appellation Akoraye (the stork has a place) and since the founding of Modakeke, eighteen traditional heads known as ‘Ogunsua’ had ruled the town.

THE TRUTH ABOUT IFÁ

1. IFÁ - A Divine, Coded, Scriptural knowledge with Chapters and Verses known as Odùs. It is a guidance for mankind to take him through life and it talks about every single subject under the sun; the things that have happened thousands of years ago and those things which will happen tomorrow.

EVERYTHING is mentioned in the IFÁ corpus including Medicine, Religion, Philosophy, Art, Mysticism, Mathematics etc.

The Odùs of IFÁ come in multiples of 16 and enquiries to its revelations obtain by an arithmetic combination of binary outputs.

It is the voice of Olódùmarè, the SUPREME and PROFOUNDLY UNSEARCHABLE GOD ALMIGHTY.

It has NEVER been known to fail.

It is ALWAYS CORRECT.

2. AWO -  It is a body of knowledge which is kept secret to those to whom the knowledge is revealed.

It is also  a CULT because it is opened to only a few people who are initiated into it and who keep a measure of secrecy about it.

It is kept secret because our ancestors in their wisdom thought it best to keep this knowledge within a small loop as the best way to preserve it.

Thinking about it today, they were right as on all counts.

The people within this loop, those who are privileged to share in this knowledge are called "AWO".

AWO thus describes a BODY of knowledge, a CULT of people and the PEOPLE with such knowledge who belong to that cult.

3. ALÁWO/ONÍFÁ - They are DEVOTEES who WORSHIP in accordance with the traditional ways of our ancestors.

They are not necessarily or automatically members of AWO or have such knowledge of it.

They are a congregation, the ones you now call adherents of African Traditional Religions [ ATR ]

They sit in worship and listen to the Priests.

In the course of that worship and also with age,  the congregation grow in knowledge, wisdom and spirit, and gradually they can move up to assume responsibilities of Elders, or Priesthood if they so desired or were chosen.

3. BABALAWO - It is from the word BABA and  ALÁWO.

Bàbá is FATHER/ELDER.

Aláwo is a DEVOTEE.

It simply means a member of the congregation who has grown in knowledge, wisdom and spirituality of IFÁ.

He is not necessarily an old man but the wisdom grows with age.

A young man of 21years old can be gifted with such knowledge through quick learning and therefore become an Elder even over men who are older than his father.

BABALÁWO is a PRIEST OF IFÁ.

He is NORMALLY supposed or expected to have learnt all the matters of  IFÁ corpus.

He knows all the ODÙS [Chapters and Verses] of IFÁ and he has committed everything to memory.

It takes a very long time to achieve this and he is constantly learning.

He is DEDICATED to IFÁ and normally isn't expected to be engaged in any other job but strictly IFÁ worship.

He is always there to consult IFÁ for people who needs guidance and he assists them with understanding the messages from IFÁ.

The Babaláwos are not interested in earthly vanities, always contented and are very often poor in material things.

But they were never hungry. They just couldn't be bothered about MONEY. They live on the little FREE- WILL gifts from people of the community.

4. That is the way things were in the time of sanity. It was so in the time of our ancestors. It was so even in our time, not too long ago. It is a very orderly system.

Babaláwos are not the evil men who go about to destroy people as so often depicted in your attrocious Nollywood home videos.

Babaláwo is the one depicted in Tunde Kelani's Thunderbolt, acted by Chief Adebayo Faleti.

They are a people who simply belief and have faith in and dedicated to a different order of knowledge.

Babaláwos DON'T evengelise.

They DON'T come to invite you to learn wisdom or know about their system of beliefs.

It is infact a TABOO for a Babaláwo to call a man who had visited for consultations the day before and asking him "How far?"

5. But the world has turned upside down now.

We have learnt new things.

Babaláwos have been watching Televangelists on TV preaching PROSPERITY.

The people have been glued to Mount Zion films of Mike Bamiloye and their minds twisted, they are brainwashed to see Babaláwos as great evil men, his films are designed for you see where the Babaláwos are depicted as dirty, lousy and wicked souls who will rot in hell.

We now have men who managed to steal a few Odùs from somewhere and he will go about acting as Babaláwos, mesmerizing ignorant and desperate people with oratory of Yoruba poetry.

We now have quacks in the system.

Babaláwos now do SIGNBOARDS TO ADVERTISE!!!!

Babaláwos now want to be rich. Many of them concentrate on the sections of IFÁ which deal with mysticism and voodooism and they use the knowledge to do magical things.

They use it to do rituals for MONEY.

Babaláwos now live in Mansions and spend their lives thinking of making more money.

Their business with IFÁ is just for them to make money.

Many Babaláwos have now become like Pastorpreneurs and Uztaz confusing and deceiving people, using the ancient wisdom and knowledge of our ancestors under cover of Christian bible and Muslim Qur'an.

The same Bible and Qu'ran were themselves plagiarized from the IFÁ corpus.

IT IS A FACT.

You can argue that with your Pastors and Imams.

It is now you will understand why our ancestors were so reluctant to share THAT KNOWLEDGE in the first place.

They knew that it may become difficult to regulate people and the negative use that they could deploy the knowledge.

It is the reason our Elders had A CULT TO  PROTECT THAT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE.

Now, the few Elders we have left are very scared to share more knowledge with our generation; one by one they are departing with so much of that knowledge without leaving it behind or transferring it to the next generation.

We don't know yet that we have been ATTACKED in Yoruba land.

There is a serious problem!

© Adedamola Adetayo (15 Jun 2023)

Odù Ọ̀wọ́nrín Ọjọ́ Ọ̀sẹ̀ / Ọ̀wọ́nrín Ìká

Looking at the Odù, "Ọ̀wọ́nrín Ọjọ́ Ọ̀sẹ̀ / Ọ̀wọ́nrín Ìká", cast for today's Ọ̀sẹ̀ Ifá, what else can I say if not the importance of Ọ̀sẹ̀ Ifá. In addition, it is incontestable that Ifá is the owner of all days. Just listen:-

Ọ̀rúnmìlà ló l'òní

Ifá ló l'ọ̀la

Ọ̀rúnmìlà ló l'ọ̀tunla pẹ̀lú

Ifá ló ni ọjọ́ mẹ́rẹ̀ẹ̀rin Òòṣà dáyé

Adífá fún Ọjọ́sẹ̀ tí ńṣe ọmọ bíbí inú Àgbọnmìrègún 

Ifá t'óobá ṣe mí tí mo fi l'ájé

Èmi yóó mọ pè ó l'Ọ́jọ́sẹ̀ tèmi

Ifá t'oóbá ṣe mí tí mo fi l'áya/l'ọ́kọ

Èmi yóó mọ pè ọ́ l'Ọ́jọ́sẹ̀ tèmi

Ifá t'óobá ṣe mí tí mo fi bímọ 

Èmi yóó mọ pè ọ́ l'Ọ́jọ́sẹ̀ tèmi 

Ifá t'óobá ṣe mí tí mo fi kọ́lé 

Èmi yóó mọ pè ọ́ l'Ọ́jọ́sẹ̀ tèmi 

Ifá t'óobá ṣe mí tí mo fi níregbogbo 

Èmi yóó mọ pè ọ́ l'Ọ́jọ́sẹ̀ tèmi 

Ọ̀rúnmìlà òní l'Ọjọ́ Ọ̀sẹ̀....

Orunmila is the owner of today 

Ifa is the owner of tomorrow 

Ifa owns the day after tomorrow in addition 

Ifa is owner of the four days of Òòṣà's creation 

Cast divination for Ọjọ́sẹ̀ ( Ifa veneration Day), child of Àgbọnmìrègún 

Ifa, if you endow me with money 

I shall be calling you my own Ọjọ́sẹ̀ (Ifa veneration day)

Ifa, if you endow me with a good wife/husband 

I shall be calling you my own Ọjọ́sẹ̀ 

Ifa, if you endow me with good children 

I shall be calling you my own Ọjọ́sẹ̀ 

Ifa, if you endow me with a befitting house

I shall be calling you my own Ọjọ́sẹ̀ 

Ifa, if you endow me with all good things of life 

I shall be calling you my own Ọjọ́sẹ̀ 

Ọ̀rúnmìlà, TODAY IS ỌJỌ́ Ọ̀SẸ̀ (IFA VENERATION DAY).

Stay blessed.

From Araba of Oworosoki Land

AWORI PEOPLE: A BRIEF HISTORY AND BELIEF OF THE ORIGINAL INDIGENES OF LAGOS

When Oduduwa was old and blind, his children were called together and ordered to go and found their own kingdoms and each was given a royal symbol. During this period, Ile-Ife was hit by a prolonged drought which lasted for many years, causing faming and diseases. Finally Agirilogbon, a babalawo of Oke-Itase in Ile-Ife, counseled emigration.

According to tradition, the children went northwards and southwards. Those who went south eastwards finally settled at Ado, Owo and Benin. In addition, some of the migrants had a change of rulers in their new homes. The date of this emigration is still a subject of academic controversy. However, it is clear that it was not later than 11th century A.D. It is also difficult to know how many kingdoms resulted from this exercise. As new kingdoms grew out of the old ones, descent from Oduduwa became the test of legitimacy among the old new kingdoms.

From this period of Oduduwa, migrations out of Ile-Ife became a permanent feature of the kingdom, Migrations also took place during the reign of Ooni Luwo who was a female ruler. Luwo was considered a disciplinarian and her rulership did not go down well with the people which led to migration. Also, the success of Lajamisan, a rich Ife bead trader to the Ooniship created political crisis which was some migrations. In addition, the deposition of Ogboru, a descendant of Lajamisan, who was barnish to Ife Odan for reigning too long but more probably for cruelty, led to emigration. Migrations southwards continued till the end of 19th century. These early southward migrant were the founders of Ife-Awori settlements in Lagos state.

Early migrations to the region of Lagos were political and economic in nature. For instance, Ogunfunminire the founder of Isheri and most other migrants from Ile-Ife were farmers. It was in the course of hunting expedition that some of them finally journeyed to Lagos. But the fact that some of the migrants were not alone but in groups, suggests political organizations which could be explained in terms of inland internal political crisis and population pressure. Before migrating to Isheri, Ogunfunminire consulted Ifa oracle which counseled migration.

One of the traditions suggests that Ogunfunminir and his friend Adeyemi Onikoyi left their homes on a hunting expedition and overstayed, thereby absenting themselves from the funeral of their father. Their relation thinking them dead, put their junior brother on the throne and this annoyed the two powerful princes, when they arrived. However, they were afraid of the great damage they might cause if they decided to fight, hence Olofin took the calabash which was willed to him by his late father. The tradition continued that he followed the movement of the ritual pot placed on water until it sank and they settled in the region.

The Awori are a tribe of the Yoruba people speaking a distinct dialect of the Yoruba language. Olofin and his followers left the palace of King Oduduwa in Ile-Ife and migrated southward along a river. Oduduwa had given Olofin a mud plate and instructed him to place it on the water and follow it until it sank into the river. The plate is said to have stopped at various locations and finally sank at Idumota in the present day Lagos State in Nigeria. As they were to settle wherever it sank, the people were filled with joy when this finally happened. The name AWORI, which translates as "The plate sank", became the name by which the clan is known till today.

Several days after leaving Ile-Ife, the plate suddenly stopped near Olokemeji near present day Abeokuta. After seventeen days, it began moving again, only to stop at Oke-Ata for another seventeen days. At the end of seventeen days, the plate began moving again, only to stop again on the southern outskirts of present day Abeokuta, where it stayed for another seventeen days. At this location, some of Olofin's followers decided to remain, led by a man named Osho Aro-bi-ologbo-egan.

The plate continued downriver, stopping again at Isheri, where it remained for a much longer period of time. Olofin began instructing his followers to begin setting up a permanent settlement, but after 289 days (17 x 17) the plate began moving again. Olofin and a few followers followed the plate, while the rest of the group stayed behind. After two days the plate stopped briefly at Iddo in Lagos. At Idumota in central Lagos, it whirled around in the water and sank to the bottom. When Olofin returned to his group at Iddo, they are said to have asked him where the plate was. He answered "Awo Ti Ri" meaning "The plate has sunk". This is how the name Awori is said to have come into being.

Odù Ifá Ogbè Atẹ̀

Looking at the Odù, Ogbè Atẹ̀, cast for today's Ọ̀sẹ̀ Ifá, I can boldly say as follows:-

Nígbàtí àwọn aláwọ̀ funfun ńgbá Ifá mú 

Kíni ẹ̀yin aláwọ̀ dúdú ńṣe?

When the whites are embracing Ifá

What are Adúláwọ̀ (blacks) waiting for?

My people, Ifá has captured the world. 

I am not surprised when Ifá says in  Ogbè Atẹ̀ as follows :-

Ajé ire làá pè l'ówó 

Ìmọ̀ràn ìlẹ̀kẹ̀ làá pè l'ókùn

Àgbàdo gbọ́fá àgbàdo ò gbọ́fá 

Kò jẹ́ f'ìrùkẹ̀rẹ̀ s'ọ́wọ́ ọmọ ẹlòmíì 

Tó bá jí á fi lé ọmọ rẹ̀ téteté kiri oko 

Adífá fún Ọ̀kànlénírínwó Irúnmọlẹ̀ 

Tí wọ́n ń lọ rèé ṣ'ọkọ Ayé rèé 

Adífá fun Ọ̀rúnmìlà tí ń lọ rèé ṣ'ọkọ Ayé rèé 

Ọ̀rúnmìlà nìkan ní ń bẹ lẹ́yìn tí ńṣẹbọ

Èé e èyí àrà 

Ifá ńgbayé lọ ọ̀gbẹ̀rì ò mọ̀ 

TRANSLATION:

Good fortune is money 

Combination of beads is treasure 

Whether the corn is knowledgeable in Ifa or not

Horse tail will never be handed over to another child

But given to the biological child

Cast divination for 401 divinities

When attempting to marry Ayé rèé (the mother Earth)

Cast divination for Ọ̀rúnmìlà also planning to marry Ayé rèé (the mother Earth)

Only Ọ̀rúnmìlà complied with the injunction of sacrifice 

Oh, this is wonderful, Ifa captures the world,  the ignoramus is surprised.

Stay blessed.

From Araba of Oworosoki Land

61 LAGOS TOWNS AND THEIR FOUNDERS

1. Isheri Olofin - Olofin Ogunfunminire and his retinue from Ife before moving on to Ebute Metta and Iddo

2. Iddo Island - Olofin Ogunfunminire (See above)

3. Lagos Island/Eko - Aromire, son of Ogunfunminire. Iduganran was the site of a pepper farm (Ereko or Oko).

4. Iru/Victoria island - Oniru Origefon traditionally part of the idejo land owning children of Ogunfunminire

5. Ikate/Elegushi - Elegushi Kusenla (Another member of the idejo class)

6. Otto/Mainland - Pawu ogboja oloto

7. Ijora/Orile Iganmu - Kueji/Isikoko ojora

8. Ajiran - Ojomu Ejo/Mogisho, brother to Olofin Ogunfunminire

9. Ikoyi - Onikoyi Adeyemi/Efunluyi

10. Ebute Lekki (Ileke) -  Lootu son of Labolo, grandson of Oba Alara of Epe.

11. Ibeju - Abeju Agbeduwa originally from ife through the coastal Ijebu area

12. Ajah - Olumegbon/Ogunsemo/Ojupon

13. Otto Awori - Aregi Ope, Iworu Oloja and Odofin, all part of the original Awori stream from Ife.

14. Ojo - Esugbemi/Erelu/Osu

15. Iba - Àyoká Oniba ekun

16. Mushin - Oduabore/Aileru

17. Isolo - Akinbaye/Alagbeji

18. Ejigbo - Fadu onimewon/Olojan

19. Ikotun - Ategbo Olukotun

20. Egbe - Kudaki/Akeja

21. Oshodi/isolo - Olusi onigbesa/Agedegudu

22. Ijegun - Ajibade Agbojojoye

23. Igando - Eseba onimaba/oko osi/Eshidana

24. Eleko - Sobokunren

25. Akesan - Ominuye/Aina òdofin

26. Ogba (Ikeja) - Owoeni Asade/Madarikan

27. Ogudu - Amosu from Ile ife

28. Ikeja - Amore/Ikudehinbu

29. Aguda/Surulere - Gboin /Odunburé

30. Itiré - Òtá Onitire

31. Ilasa - Àbere ijé

32. Onigbongbo - Ikunyasun Àwusefa 

33. Irewe - Edinni/Ojube/Oluwen

34. Ikosi-Kosofe - Aina ejo from Isheri

35. Idimu - Eletu Apataiko (Isa Aperindeja Olugoké)

36. Ilara-Epe - Tunse/Sabolujo/Alara Adejuwon

37. Ibonwon - Soginná from Ijebu

38. Ketu (kosofe) - Balogun oyero from Ketu-Ile

39. Ojokoro - Oniojugbelé Adeitan from Ota

40. Ikaare - Ikeja Ajija

41. Orile Agege - Efunmikan

42. Obele odan (Surulere) - Alago asalu

43. Ikorodu - Oga from Epe Sagamu

44. Epe - Uraka from Ife joined by Isein & Modu of Omu. they settled under a Popoka tree, that site became Poka township. Alaro (a woman) later joined. Then Ramope, Ogunmude and Oloja Shagbafara joined from Ijebu ode.

45. Odo Ayandelu - Ayandelu from Ile ife

46. Agbowa - Olayeni Otutubiosun son of Owa Otutubiosun who was Awujale, and grandson of Lafogido of Ife.

47. Igbogbo - Oshinbokunren

48. Meiran - Oroja from Ota

49. Imota - Ranodu from Ijebu

50. Owode Apa badagy - Oganogbodo-Akereyaso/Asese Alapa

51. Ajido - Aholu sagbe from Allada

52. Oworoshoki - Ajumogijo

53. Iworo/Imeke - Ajagunosin/Adejori isejoye

54. Badagy - Egun people from Popo, Allada, Wida and Weme who fled the wars of the Dahomey conquest of the coastal kingdoms of Allada and Igelefe (Ouidah) to come settle of Apa lands to their east.

55. Ejinrin - Loofi Ogunmude founded Ejinrin around 1619

56. Eputu Lekki - Ogunfayo

57. Orimedu Ibeju/Lekki - Ladejobi left Ife to Okegun then crossed the Lekki Lagoon.

58. Akodo - Oyemade Ogidigan

59. Offin - Liyangu of Ife.

60. Ibonwon - Soginna from Ijebu ode.

61. Ijede - Ajede

DO THIS MIXTURE REGULARLY FOR INSTANT RESULT FOR PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM STROKE

Many people are suffering from Stroke, some are suffering from partial stroke while some Suffers the main stroke, if you have a person who is currently suffering from Stroke, whether partial stroke or Main stroke, kindly do this and thank me after a while. Information is knowledge, let's not neglect this because you never know how you can save lives with this.

I don't know if anyone at all has ever heard of this, but trust me, this works hundred percent If you are willing to abide by the prescription which I am going to tell you below. If anyone close to you has ever suffered Stroke, you will understand what it means to search for solution to make them get well again and return to their normal health.

The essence of information is to pass it on to those who would also use it to help those who are in need, after using this and it works for you, I beg you, don't withhold the information, share it to those who would also need it and you can also share this post so that it will reach to a good number of people, who would appreciate God for such information.

Get snails, those big snails, wash them very well with clean water, then break the snail gently and don't waste the water that come out from the snails while breaking them. Gather the water from the snails together in a ragolis container and do this.

This is how to collect water from snails:

Soak the snails in water to get them drawned, then pick each snail and break the pointed end of the snail and water will be coming out of it, the water is not slining one but brownish in colour.

The quantity of the water gathered from the snail will be dependent on the number of snail you have. After gathering the water together in a ragolis container, get a tin peak milk, open it then pour all the peak milk inside Ragolis container where you have the water from the snail and do this afterwards.

After you have mixed both the snail water and the Tin peak milk together inside the ragolis container, shake it very well and follow the prescription below, this prescription should be followed Accordingly for a better result.

PRESCRIPTION:

Three teaspoon in the morning.

Three teaspoon in the afternoon.

Three teaspoon in the Night.

Continue this for like one week, week, your testimony will shake your neighborhood, please, I'm begging you, the only good thing you will do for me for letting this information out to you is by helping others too, so that they will also benefit from this.