BOOK REVIEW ON REVELATION OF OUR DREAMS BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN.

REVELATION OF OUR DREAMS is a book that interprets the meanings of our dreams to us. People dream everyday without knowing the meanings of their dreams. And dreams are divine messages from God to us. Dreams foretell things to come and they also warn us against impending dangers ahead. There is this school of thought that says if you don't dream dreams, you can never see visions. Dreams are proverbs from Almighty God to mankind. Some people do not remember their dreams and those who remember ought to know the meanings of them. The book is available for sale on www.amazon.com

EJI OGBE, THE HEAD OF ALL IFA CORPUSES BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

Of all the corpuses of Ifa , Eji Ogbe is seen as the head or father of them all. It is this corpus of Ifa that talks about the origin of creation and its first inhabitants. It also talks about the four elements that make up life and they are the earth, the water, the air and the fire .Ejiogbe says the mother earth gave birth to water while the water in turn gave birth to the air. The air finally gave birth to the fire. And these four elements begged the creator for  relevance in life and the creator asked them to sacrifice two squirrels , two fishes and two hens for this purpose .They did and thereafter sand was given to the world . But one day the sand begged the creator for relevance and usefulness, and the creator asked her to sacrifice two squirrels, two fishes and two hens for her wish to be

EJI-OGBE

accomplished. She did this and thereafter the first man known as Akoda (Adam) was molded and blew life into by the creator. From then on, Adam was left alone with other creatures of the creator like the trees, the birds, the rivers, the animals, the sun, the moon, the stars etc . But the first man too got tired of loneliness in the world and begged the creator for a partner that would be assisting him in the world. And the creator asked him too to sacrifice two squirrels, two fishes and two hens for this purpose which he did. After the first woman known as Aseda (Eve) was created from the right ribs of the first man Akoda (Adam). Ejiogbe further says that the first man (Adam) and the first woman (Eve) were then left all alone to themselves in the world by their creator, an idea which they did not like as time went on. So, one day, they begged their creator for childbearing and the creator asked them to sacrifice two squirrels , two fishes and two hens so that their wish could be accomplished . They did this and thereafter mated to give birth to all sorts of colored people in the world today. Be it white, red , black or indigo colored people , we are all children of Adam and Eve . From then on they have been paying home age to the first man (Adam) and the first woman (Eve). Conclusively Ejiogbe is the beginning of creation and everything in it.

DIVINATION OF IFA WITH IKIN BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

COWRIES WITH PALM OIL

COWRIES IN ENCLOSED DISH

What are Ikin? Ikin are the palm kennels used by Orunmila to divine and bring messages forth from Ifa oracle. Orunmila is the god of divination. From the very beginning before the divining chain known as OPELE was being used by ORUNMILA to divine, it was the palm kennels that were used to know the things from the past, the present and the future. While divining, a yellowish powdery substance known as IYERI OSUN is used to indicate the corpuses of IFA that will come out on a wooden tray. 

Unlike the divining chain that is owned by the Ifa priest alone, palm kennels are used to divine for all and sundry and it is allowed to be kept personally by the individuals that are divined for. Palm kennels are kept in a white dish during and after divination by their owners. Once a corpus of Ifa is indicated for somebody, that is the ODU IFA of the person for lifetime. From that moment on, whatever Ifa decrees to be done from time to time must be adhered to by the person. 

In addition to that, both positive and negative attributes of the corpuses that come out must also be followed very well by such person. The destiny of any individual is the corpuses of Ifa that come out during divination by the Ifa priest. All the necessary things are then followed and done to appease the oracle of the person by the Ifa priest. This is a special day for any person because a lot of merriment is followed by all the well-wishers around. 

While all this is going on, the palm kennels would have been kept back in the white dish with the reminder from the Ifa priest that its appeasement must not be neglected from time to time. The white dish is either taken home or is kept with the Ifa priest. 

Where are the palm kennels got from? They are got from the palm trees. And the palm oil is got from palm kennels. This is the reason why the palm oil is used during IFA divination with the palm kennels for customers or people by the Ifa priest. 

In conclusion, the corpuses of Ifa that come out during divination for any individual must be remembered by such person at all time.

© Olalekan Oduntan 2014.

YAMS , NOT ONLY FOODS FOR HUMANS BUT DEITIES BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

MRS LATEEFAT AKINPELU

 

Yams have been the foods for both humans and deities from time immemorial and they are either boiled and eaten with palm oil or pounded and eaten with soup. Sometimes yams are roasted and eaten with palm oil or fried stew. According to Mrs Lateefat Akinpelu, a yam seller of note for so many years said that yams have many different species and they are gotten from different parts of the country. The first specie of yam is called 'Paper' by the Hausa people and another one is called the

BENUE YAM

Benue yam from the Gara people of Nigeria. Another specie of yam is Abuja yam which is also from the Hausa people from the Northern part of the country while another one is called Efuru and it is from the Yoruba people who are from the south west of Nigeria. Mrs Lateefat Akinpelu said that unlike the farmers from south western part of Nigeria whose farming skill is no longer on the high side anymore owing to white collar job, the northern farmers are farming all the time and they are the food basket of the nation. She said that if not for the northern farmers today, yams production would have gone into total extinction because our young farmers down here in the south have left

ABUJA YAM

farming for white collar jobs in the urban areas. Tubers of yams are very expensive depending on the sizes that one’s money can afford. Like i said at the beginning, yam is not only eaten by human beings  because it is also used to appease deity like Ogun (the god of iron) during its festive period. The Ogun devotees do not joke with the importance of yam during their festivity because they can either make it as pounded yam or have it roasted to appease their deity. The Efuru yam belongs to the people in the south west and it is going into the extinction right now as a

YORUBA YAM

result of neglect from our farmers who do not get enough back up (financial assistance) from the government in their chosen profession. This is the reason why all the yams being consumed by the people  in the south west today are brought by the farmers from the northern part of the country, a development that is not very good. Mrs Lateefat Akinpelu urged the government to assist our farmers who are in the yam business to give them incentives for farming so that yam production will not be a thing of the past. She also begged the government to assist the yam sellers association in the market to give them opportunity to receive loans so that they can also

PAPER YAM

continue to be in their yam business. As one of the sayings of our elders say, if hunger is eliminated from the problems of the poor, the poverty is vanished! Let us encourage our youths who are out schools to go into farming business. And this is only achievable through support in terms of loans from our local, state and federal government by making farming to be an attractive business to all and sundry. After all, we all can not be working in the offices! Thank you!!

Copyrights: © Olalekan Oduntan 2014

APPEASEMENT OF OUR HEADS IN YORUBA LAND BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

PRIEST LUKUMON ADESANYA

In Yoruba tradition, there is a deity that is always appeased almost on daily basis and that deity is called Ori (the Head). It is believed that the head is the bringer of both good luck and bad luck. And whatever someone will become in life, it is the head that would sanction it to be accomplished. Once upon a time, some people visited Orunmila at his shrine. Their mission was to know whether God existed or not. And they wanted Orunmila to show them where God was.

THE APPEASED HEAD

 Orunmila divined and told them that the birds cannot fly without their heads, that the fishes sleep and wake up in the seas with their heads, that the animals sleep and wake up in the jungle with their heads, that the man that sleeps at night and hears the cock crow in the morning before waking up is said to be woken up by God. Orunmila said that the head of man is his God. Man cannot exist without his head likewise some other species of God. Our heads must be appeased at all times to pave ways for us in all our undertakings. The corpus of Ifa responsible for appeasing the head is ODI MEJI. Before appeasing the head, an Ifa priest is consulted to know the appropriate step and things to use. Most of the time catfish or guinea fowl is killed for the appeasement with other things like water, kolanut and schnapps.

ODI MEJI

And everything is always conducted by the Ifa priest. The night that the head is appeased is always special for whom it is done as all the problems will be a thing of the past. 

OGUN, THE DEITY WITH THE BRASS CUTLASS BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

CHIEF SHAKIRU OLUGBEMI OGUNLADE

Ogun is the deity referred to as the god of iron. After the world was created by Olodumare (the Almighty God), some part of the world was filled with water while some other part was bushy. Olodumare started looking for a deity that would be sent to clear the bush for other deities that He was sending to the

OGUN SHRINE

world. Ogun (the god of iron) agreed to clear the bush with his brass cutlass. Thereafter, deities like Orunmila (the Oracle) and Esu (the god of war) were sent to join Ogun (the god of iron) in the world. The three deities met each other at the cross roads and from there they formed a tripod. Ogun is a powerful deity that clears the ways for those who do not neglect to do his bidding. He is a deity known as the path clearer and he rules the motorists, the bricklayers, the butchers and carpenters. People doing any work relating to iron are advised to appease Ogun because the iron is his symbol. The devotees of Ogun are mainly hunters because Ogun himself used to be a good hunter while alive.

OGUNDA MEJI

He was very good in using his gun to kill animals while hunting. Ogun enjoyed drinking palm wine during his lifetime which is one the items of things used to appease him today. Other things used to appease Ogun are roasted yam, roasted corn, dog, a cockrel and schnapps. Some Ogun devotees are good chanters and they are like the hunters who are very good in using oral tradition to appease and praise Ogun.

SACRIFICIAL DOG

Ogun onijan ole, ejemu to nj'Oluwanran,

Ogun O.... A.... aori, aose,

Akala funfun eyin osa,

Ogun abelepon fa riyeriye,

Elepon nke, Ogun nfa a,

Oko mi o ma ma lepon o o o!

Ijarayin ori o! Ogun ye e e e!!

Ijaranyin ori o! Ogun ye e e!!

Ogun a gbe wa o!!

Aseee!!!

Copyrights: © Olalekan Oduntan 2014

THE BATA DRUMMER BOY BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

THE BATA DRUMMER BOY

Bata drums are known as providing music for deities like Sango (the god of thunder and lightning) and Eegun (the Masqueradessince!e Bata music is very unique and rhythmic. The drums comprising of Omele meta, Eejin, Omele ako, Omele abo and Isaaju. 

All these drums have their different functions in the Bata ensemble. Omele meta is the pivot of the music as it provides basic and constant rhythm on which other drums rest. Next in the line of Bata ensemble is the Eejin drum which is the base drum that goes with the Omele meta. These two drums establish their different and unique rhythms very well before the remaining drums join them. 

The next is Omele Ako which is another rhythm drum that joins in the accompaniment. All these three drums get to relate with one another rhythmically very well before the master of the Bata drum called the Isaaju meaning the leader join in the melodious interaction. At this juncture, the player of the leading Bata drum will start rendering proverbs in between the rhythms of the sound. 

The sound of the lead Bata drum is so noticeable as it dominates and stands out. The player drums with all his energy to put his message across. The Bata music is very ferocious and full of messages of wisdom and proverbs. The dancers of the music too must be agile and strong because it is not the music for the Lilly livered. 

Testimony of this is when the Masquerade festival or the Sango festival is held and Bata drummers are present to grace the occasion. All the Sango devotees will engage themselves in the ferocious dance of Bata music. Likewise the Eegungun devotees too, it is the ferociousness of Bata music that is their way. 

Sango (the god of thunder and lightning) and Eegungun (the Masquerade) as deities enjoy music from the Bata drums from the time immemorial and it has been their music ever since Unfortunately in the world today, Bata drums are used as musical instrument in some other religious musical groups without giving credits to these two deities. 

In conclusion, my point is that our culture and tradition speak volume of who we are as a people. We should be able to identify with them at all times. 

© Olalekan Oduntan 2014

MY ENCOUNTER WITH BAALE OF SHOMOLU BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

CHIEF SALIU AKANNI OLUNDEGUN
BAALE OF SHOMOLU 1

I recently paid a visit to the palace of Baale of Shomolu One, Chief Prince Saliu Akanni Jimoh Olundegun and got him talking on some interesting things about Yoruba tradition and culture. During our discussion, I discovered that the man is not only brilliant but he also holds the Yoruba tradition and culture in high esteem. The Baale explained that it is not a small role that appeasement plays in cleansing our land.

THE BAALE AND OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

Particularly during this year on going masquerade's festival, a lot of money has been spent to appease the land against diseases and sicknesses. He said whenever they want to hold festivals like Oro, Igunnuko, Jigbo, Ifa, Ogun, Egungun e.t.c. people are asked to make their monetary contributions towards the task and the response is always very good. And this is the way the above mentioned festivals are funded any time the Oracle divines that they should appease any of them. The Baale said his chiefs will then form themselves into a planning committee headed by his right handed chief in order to make things go on smoothly during the entire festive period .Aside from making provision for eating and drinking, the issue of security is not taking lightly too. 

For any appeasement to go on successfully without hitches does not only require money but lot of cooperation and assistance from his chiefs. Prince Saliu Akanni Jimoh Olundegun is the tenth Baale of Shomolu one. He was enthroned after his predecessor Chief Ishola Akinpelu Irunmu Ekun passed on. Chief Akinpelu was the nineth Baale while the father of the current Baale on the throne was the eighth Baale. Chief Saliu Jimoh Akanni 

BAALE'S PALACE

Olundegun said that his reign has been enjoying a lot peace both from his subject and lieutenants. Although once in a while, there may be misunderstandings either from his subject or his chiefs, but God Almighty is always giving him wisdom and knowledge to resolve them. He said that it was high time that the government took the bull by the horn to support our culture and tradition because this are the only gifts we have to show people in the western world and with them we would laurels for our great nation. 

Government should be assisting the traditional religion practitioners with money to appease Egungun, Oro Cult, Ifa, Igunnuko e.t.c. to cleanse our land for us. With this, we would have a nation free of negativity and backwardness. The Baale is indeed surrounded with good people and adored by all his chiefs. He is married with children and grandchildren. 

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SACRIFICES BETWEEN DEITIES AND HUMANS BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

OSA MEJI

ln the Yoruba traditional religion, the deities are highly respected by humans and they are offered sacrifices to proffer solutions to their numerous problems at any particular point in time. Before giving sacrifice to any deity, Ifa is consulted to divine and find out the appropriate things to do. The troubled victim is the one to make the move for the divination. Osa meji is the corpus of Ifa that appears during divination. Meaning the witches are aggrieved and needed to be appeased by the victim. It is the belief of the Yoruba people that when anyone is being disturbed by the witches, nothing will work out well for the person. Such person will be troubled with sleeplessness and restlessness of some sort. Such a person could even be getting leaner and leaner every day. The next step is to appease the witches with what they demand through the oracle.

SACRIFICE FOR THE WITCHES

Witches are appeased at night by the Ifa priest on behalf of the victim or sometimes the victim's presence is required during the appeasement. Sacrifices are offered and carried at night. Some people will ask the question, who are the witches? Witches are the emissary of Olodumare (The Almighty God) and they are being used by Olodumare to appreciate and acknowledge His authority and existence over human beings. Witches are the police of the world and whoever they arrest must beg to be released. And the release of such a person is appeasement through Ifa priest. 

Olodumare dominates the heaven while the witches dominate the mother earth. One important thing that must be noted at this juncture is that the witches are very powerful and their network is universal. It is believed that if a person is being dealt by witches in Nigeria and such a person runs to Benin Republic for safety, the punishment of the person continues right there. But as soon as the witches are appeased with the offerings which they must have accepted over the night, their victims are hereby pardoned and set free. 

All will now be well for the victims who will praise the Ifa (the oracle). But Ifa priest in turn will praise the Olodumare (the Almighty God ). In conclusion, there are good and bad witches in the world. And this is the story for another day! 

REMINISCENCE OF THE TRAVELING MASQUERADES' GROUP BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

 AMULUDUN  MASQUERADE

A Masquerade

A very long time ago, long in the days of my forefathers, there used to be this masquerade called Amuludun meaning the one that enlivens the village. This masquerade was a magician known throughout the village and beyond. The art of magic was his discipline even though he was a good dancer too. Whenever or wherever Amuludun was performing, the crowd would gather around him to see his magic and dance. And he was a good performer. While performing the art of his magic, good drumming would be going on by the talking drummers and he would be chanting and singing simultaneously. Amuludun would trill the audience by transforming himself to all sorts of animals and transformed back to the real masquerade that he was in the end. 

Masquerade Chiefs & Olalekan Oduntan

And the crowd would not only be applauding, they would be giving out money too in appreciation. After finishing a performance in his village, he and his drummers would move on to the neighboring villages to perform again. And this is what they would be doing for a period of six months or more touring and performing within the villages that were far and near. 

After the tour, Amuludun and his crew would come back home with their proceeds to plan ahead for another tour. Meaning, he would learn a new set of magic, new songs and chants, drumming and dances against the next tour. This is where the travelling

Chief of  Masquerades & Olalekan Oduntan

theatre groups emanated from in those days. They all copied what the travelling masquerades like Amuludun were doing to make their business successful. But unfortunately today, some of the practitioners in the movie and theatre industry do not know this brief history. Where am I going? Our culture and tradition should be flaunted at all time to show that we are a people with lineage and direction. 

Preservation and documentation of our ancestral tradition and culture will give our children yet unborn the history and information that they so deserve. No nation becomes great when its cultural norms and values are confronted with extinction. Even though, Amuludun was a masquerade but it is our history and it is where we are coming from.  Let us learn something from there to be able to set our cultural values and goals right so that our children and children's children will learn from our history.

If we do not where you are culturally coming from, we can never know where we are going as a people. The story of Amuludun should be an eye opener for us a people.

© Olalekan Oduntan 2014.

THE FUN AND GLAMOUR BEHIND MASQUERADES' FESTIVAL BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

Chief Babatunde Ishola Lasisi Omitowo
 [Otun Baale Orile Shomolu]

Eegun Adakeja

Masquerades are regarded as the beings from heaven and their presence does not only cleanse the land, it also banishes the evil spirits from taking over the entire community which they visit. The masquerade is a deity and a certain time of the year is set aside for its arrival and celebration. Masqueraders are known to be the ones welcoming the masquerades from heaven to the world and they are also behind giving them a good hosting as well as a successful departure. But before the arrival of

masquerades, a lot of preparation must have been put in place concerning eating and drinking because of the invited people who will join in the celebration. People normally come from far and near to attend the festival. Ifa priests are consulted and the instructions from the divination are followed and adhered to strictly. On the celebration's day the masqueraders and the acolytes are ready to escort their different masquerades out.

Other Eegun's

And these masquerades are already given names by which they are identified. Seeing the masquerades displaying is an interesting sight to behold and it is always filled with glamour and aesthetics. Some masquerades are good dancers and their clothes are very colorful. One important thing which the masquerade is good at is visiting people in their homes and praying for them. And people give out their money willingly to appreciate them. Masquerade is appeased with kolanut, Schnapps, a cockerel, bean cake and pap. And women are barred from entering the shrine of the masquerades.

© Olalekan Oduntan 2014.

OLUBINKIN, THE DEITY OF HERBS, WRITTEN AND TRANSLATED BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN

 Miss Toyin Serifat Gbadamosi [HEALER & HERBS SELLER]

Herbalism is an art of applying roots, backs and leaves of trees to cure all sorts of diseases and ailments. And this art has been the ancestral heritage of Yoruba people for ages. Before civilization from the west, Yoruba people were curing their diseases and

Different powdery herbs in plastics.

ailments effectively with roots, backs and leaves from different trees. The deity of herbs is called OLUBIKIN and he was the first to use leaves to make medicine for mankind. History has it that Orunmila had been hearing about some wonderful things that Olubikin was doing with leaves. Likewise, Olubikin too, hearing about the adventure of Orunmila on IFA. So they decided to meet and exchange their different knowledge and at this point occultism and herbalism merged. Olubikin learned IFA from Orunmila while Orunmila in turn learned the art of medicine making from Olubikin. This brief history is the origin of medicine making all over the world today. There are so many ailments and diseases that orthodox medicine has failed in proffering solutions to but which alternative medicines are travailing in today. Herbs seller like my guest Miss Toyin Serifat Gbadamosi has been in the business for the past

Beads of Ifa

twelve years. And she has been assisting people to cure a lot of ailments and diseases. Diseases like low sperm count, diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases, barrenness, infertility in men etc. are easy to cure for her. In fact people come from far and near to patronize her. According to her, she normally refers her clients to first of all do the proper diagnosis of their ailments or diseases as the case may be at the hospital before applying the traditional cure on them. And many of such clients become healed or cured of their different diseases and ailments after going back to the hospital to check. Miss Toyin Gbadamosi said government should stop seeing the practitioners of alternative medicine as the clogs in the wheel of the progress of the health sector. She said ever since realizing that treating people of their ailments and diseases with herbs is her calling, there has been no looking back because orthodox

Different leaves from trees

Powdery substances from herbs

Live electric fish

treatment is very expensive in comparison to alternative medicine. She even went further to say that the traditional medicine is cheap and affordable. And the government should allow it to partner side by side with the orthodox treatment. A lot of people are suffering from one ailment or the other today because they do not have money for cure or treatment. But with the assistance and affordability of the herbs, this problem will be a thing of the past. There is a school of thought that says a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. Miss Toyin Serifat Gbadamosi says that she enjoys healing people and this is an art that she learned from her grandmother many years ago.

All Rights Reserved Copyrights: © 2014

DRUMS: THE INSTRUMENTS FOR ALL PURPOSES.

OTUNBA AYANWALE LUKUMONU

Drums are seen and said to be the bringers of happiness or sadness. It all depends on the mood and perspective from which the drum message comes whether during celebration time or sorrowful period. The deity of drums is called Agalu and he is one of two hundred and one (201) deities like Egungun (The Masquerades), Orisa Oko (The Twins), Aje (The Witches) etc. In Yoruba land, Yoruba people are situated in the Western part of Nigeria, Agalu or deity of drums is appeased just like other deities by the drummers known as Ayan to clear their ways and open up business deals for them. 

The significance of Agalu to other deities is that he is in charge of the entertainment. Just like Orunmila divines to know the sacrifices meant for each of the deities, Agalu provides music while appeasement is going on. So, spiritually speaking, there is a strong musical connection between Agalu and other deities. The story has it that once upon a time there was a man

MR NOFIO THE DRUMMER
 FROM AJASHE BENIN REPUBLIC

called Agalu who was very powerful and nice to all. And anywhere there was an event, his contributions were always on point. This made everyone in the community to like him because of his way of enlivening any event. After a while the man called Agalu died and they buried him in the bush. The tree that grew on the spot he was buried was used to make the first drum. While making the talking drums, the Omo tree is used to carve the frame while the antelope skin is used to make the strings (Osan) that make the drums to produce different sounds. White skin made from goat is used in covering the two faces or one face of the drum. Drum making is hereditary or learned through apprenticeship and the art of drum making demands a lot of patience from the makers. Drum 

making business booms today because young men and old are participating in the art. The ensemble of Yoruba talking drums is four in number, and they are as follows: Gudugudu, Iya Ilu or Gangan, Kerikeri and Kannango. Gudugudu is the first drum because it is holding the rhythm and it is the pivot on which three other drums rest. Gangan or Iya Ilu makes the loudest of noise and it is used in talking while playing. It is even used in talking proverbs. The next

THE ART OF DRUM MAKING

in line is Kerikeri which is another drum accompanying while the next to that is called Kannango which accompanies like Kerikeri. These four are the ensemble of drums that can be used to perform at any event anywhere. And the sound is very rhythmic and unique. In the olden days, drum was used as a medium of communication between the king and the people. It was used to announce the death of someone, to pass the messages across to the people, to know the where about of someone, to appease the deities etc. 

And the impact of drums is still felt in our lives today because nobody can do without them. The deity of drums or Agalu is appeased with Gudugudu drum put down as his shrine while the appeaser gives Kolanut, Alligator-pepper, Schnapps, Bean-cake and a cockerel as offerings to pave ways for him. The significance of drums cannot be overemphasized because it replaces sadness with joy, dullness with life and hatred with love.

In conclusion, drums provide joy and happiness in social events like naming ceremony, coronation, house warming, chieftaincy titles etc. And it equally renders services to events like burials, rituals, appeasement of deities etc. So, whichever way we look at it, drums are the instruments of all purposes. Thank you!!!

 

Copyrights: © 2014

TRANSLATED AND WRITTEN BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN.