Different Ceremonies
Importance of ceremonies in Yoruba Culture
Illustrations of Yoruba Ceremonies: Naming; Wedding and Funeral
Importance of ceremonies in Yoruba Culture
Different rites of passage among the Yoruba people are ceremoniously marked and it often involves the participation of the extended family as well as the larger community. Whether in the form of ceremonial revelry or somber observances, the numerous ceremonies are part of the Yoruba culture. Many of these have become altered over time but the core value of celebrating the different rites of passage in the life of an individual and the community remains intact. Some of these ceremonies include, but not limited to, isomoloruko ‘naming ceremony,’ iwuye ‘chieftaincy ceremony,’ igbeyawo ‘marriage ceremony,’ isinku ‘funeral ceremony,’ isile ‘house-warming ceremony,’ ijade oku ‘remembrance of departed souls,’ and many more. We will briefly consider aspects of three of these ceremonies namely naming, wedding and burial ceremonies.
Illustrations of Yoruba Ceremonies: Naming; Wedding and Funeral
Naming ceremony: Naming a child is a serious business in Yoruba land. Its importance cannot be overemphasized. This is because of their belief that any name given to a child will ultimately affect him/her throughout the entire life. This, then, accounts for the adage in Yoruba which says that Oruko a maa roni; Àpeje a sì maa ronìyan meaning that a person’s name directs his actions and behaviors. Therefore they tend to give names that will bring prosperity and goodness to the child. After a child is born, the oracle is consulted to know the future of the child. This will enable the parents know and monitor the child’s career, marriage partner, travel, vocation and job, and any other plan. The naming ceremony usually takes place after the 9th day if it’s a boy and if it’s a girl it is 7th day. For a set of twins, it is usually on the 8th day. However, with the advent and influence of Christianity and Islamic religions, naming ceremonies now take place on the 8th day. It is usually early in the morning with a lot people in attendance. These include the parents of the child, grand parents, relations, neighbors, friends and well-wishers. During the ceremony, the ancestral spirits are invoked for blessings. The items used include; native gin and colanuts (used to invoke ancestral blessing for the child); salt and honey (which symbolize sweetness of life); bitter cola (which symbolizes long life); alligator pepper (which symbolizes countless number of children); cool water in a bowl. Each of those present at the occasion will carry the baby and then gives a name to it after putting money in a bowl of water. A child can have as many names as those presents at the ceremony depending on their perception of the circumstances that surround its birth.
However, the child has at least three different names which will guide the child through life. The first is either an amutorunwa name (name brought from heaven) or an abiso name (name given at birth). Secondly, there is the oriki (praise name) which expresses what the child is or is hoped to become. Thirdly, the child has his/her orile which is a name indicative of the child’s kinship group’s name. The choice of a name depends on many factors such as time of day, a specific day, or a special circumstance relating to the child, parents, extended family, or the whole community which attends the child’s birth. Hence, the Yoruba proverb that says ile laa wo ka to so omo loruko (the condition of the home determines a child’s name).The amutorunwa is applied to all children born under like circumstances. The most important of these is that of twin (ibeji) birth. The name of the first born of twins will always be Taiwo (To-aye-wo ‘has the first taste of the world’). The second born will be Kehende (‘he who lags behind’). Children born immediately after twins, female or male, are named Idowu. Then we have Alaba. After Alaba we then have the child called Oni (today) which from its birth cries incessantly day and night. After Oni the next child will always be named Ola (tomorrow) and the next will be Otunla (‘day after tomorrow) .We also have names such as Ajayi ‘a baby born face downward’. Dada ‘a baby born with curly hair’, Oke ‘a baby born with an unbroken umbilical cord.’ Ige ‘a baby that comes out with its legs first.’ Ilori a baby conceived without previous menstruation. Also babies born on special occasions are given special names. Some of these include: Abiodun or Bodunde ‘a child born during any festival’. Children born after the demise of the grandparents are called Babatunde or Tunde (the father has returned) if they are male, and if they are female they are called Yewande, Yetunde, Iyabode, Yeside ( all meaning ‘the mother has returned’).
Names are also given depending on the divinities the parents worshiped. Some of these include Ogun, Oya, Sango, Ifa, Esu or even the vocation of the parents such as hunters (Odejide, Odetayo etc.), drummers (Ayanyemi, Ayanwale),Names can also depend on the nature of chieftaincy titles of the parents. We also another category of names called Abiku (Born-to die).These are group of names which parents give those children that die shortly after they are born. They are later born into the same family as many times as they wish from the spirit world. Some of these include Kokumo (this child will not die again), Kosoko (there is no more hoe to dig a grave), Àmbelorun-(we are appealing to god (to spare his life)
Wedding Ceremony: A boy is considered ripe for marriage when he is about thirty years and a girl, when she’s about twenty five years. It is an aberration to remain single for life. Even when a man is known to be impotent, he gets married just to save his face and that of his immediate families. Marriage is a family affair- between the two families of both the boy and the girl. There are about six stages involved in the marriage ceremony. These are time for searching, Ifa consultation, releasing the voice, (isihun) engagement, idana, and the wedding proper. Time for searching involve the period when both the groom-to-be search for potential wife. There are usually common meeting points for the two of them. These places include evening market square, along the farm, or where they both fetch water. After the boy is satisfied the he has seen a beautiful girl, he informs his father. His father will then inform the eldest member of the family. When they are sure that there is no blood relationship between the two, they then meet with the family of the bride-to-be. The two families then select a go-between (Alarena).It is the duty of the Alarena to perform a background check on the family of the bride-to-be. This is to avoid marrying someone with some serious physical or mental disorder such as lunacy, epilepsy, leprosy, or extreme albinism. The Alarena will also watch the conduct of the girl over time. When she is satisfied with the conduct of the girl, the family of the boy now consults the ifa oracle .The aim is to know what the future portends for the two people involved. If the consultation yields a positive result, then they move to the next stage, if not then they discontinue with the marriage. The releasing of the voice (Isihun) is when the girl gives her consent in the marriage. The date is now set for the Itoro (engagement).On the appointed day, a few elders from the boy’s family gets to the girl’s house as early as five am in the morning unannounced. This is to formally solicit for the parent of the girl’s consent in marriage. The girl’s parent will then told the delegates that they are not the only one involve in given out the girl. This is because marriage involves every member of the extended family and no one must be left uninformed. Before the delegation leaves, a date is set for Idana .On the appointed day, the two families meet in bride-to-be’s residence. This is when the dowry (owo ori), and other items that have significance in the life of the family to be are presented to the girl’s family. Some of the items include choice kola-nuts, some alligator pepper, bitter-kola certain number of yam tubers, palm oil, salt, fine wrapper of good quality, and other things. In most cases, the dowry is returned to the parents of the boy with the assertion that they do not sell their daughter. After much eating and drinking, the two families set a date for the actual wedding. On the wedding day, there are so many festivities in both the parents’ houses. The two families separately bring together and friends and well-wishers. There is so much to eat and drink on this day. The two families display the various uniforms (aso-ebi) which they have sown. Both the bride and the groom’s families flaunt their affluence with the type of people in attendance, the type of musician(s) invited, and duration of the parties. In the night, the bride goes before the male elders of the family to obtain blessing. The eldest of them starts the prayer asking the ancestors to protect her. He also admonishes her to be of good conduct in her new abode. All other male and later female members take their turn to pray for her and advise her. After these prayers, she then turns to her mother for prayer and blessing in form of bride’s song of departure (ekun iyawo).The bride is then taken to the groom’s house by some men, accompany by some of the wife’s friends and a younger cousin, niece or nephew who is known as omo iyawo. After all formalities, at the entrance of the house, the bride is admitted into the household and finally handed over to the eldest wife in the family for mentoring.
Greater importance is attached to virginity of the girl among the Yoruba. The girl must be found to be virgo intacta. If the reverse is the case on her first night, then she faces a thorough beating the following day so as to confess the culprit. But if she’s found to be a virgin, then the groom’s family will send some gifts to her house the following day.
Burial Ceremonies: Burial ceremonies are as important as the other two ceremonies mentioned above. It is the belief of the Yoruba that adequate and befitting burial must be given to the dead. However, it is only the older people that are given these types of befitting burials. There are many types of burials in the land. The type of burial to be given depends, to a large extent, on the type of death, the age, or the position of the dead in the society. The type of death include drowning, falling off from the trees (in most cases palm trees), accidental shooting by a fellow hunter, chiefs and kings, hunch backs, teenagers, etc. For the teenagers, the death is regarded as something sorrowful, and something that should not be prayed for, therefore, there’s no wining and dinning. The corpse is buried by those younger than it. However, for those that are old, adequate arrangements are made, just like the naming and marriage ceremonies, to celebrate it. Traditionally, the dead are buried within the three days of their death. However, with the advent of Christianity and modernity, corpses now stay in the mortuary for as long as the relations want. Prior to this contemporary period, the Yoruba do not bury their dead in the graveyard or burial ground, but in their houses. Infants and teenagers are, however, buried in the bush. Ground is dug within the courtyard, either within the room of the dead or in the balcony. It is usually six feet long, the corpse is put in the coffin and buried there. Funeral rites are conducted as appropriate on either the third day or the seventh day. But the whole burial ceremony is concluded on the fortieth day. During the final burial ceremony, all the children and the extended family members invite friends, neighbors and well-wisher to the ceremony and there’s considerable feasting. Musician(s) are invited to play either for a short period or for the entire night. Uniforms (aso-ebi) are worn during the celebration. In the course of the funeral rites, all the male in-laws have very important roles to play. They are expected to dig the grave of their father-in-laws. They are also expected to produce a goat each for the rites.