Oya is one of the socalled orishas of the dead with her sisters obba and yewa. According to the yoruba historian samuel johnson, the oriki is an attributive descriptive, one that expresses what a child is or what he or she is hoped to become. Yoruba girls are named after the circumstances in which their birth took place, or as a reflection of the wealth, they bring to their family. Oriki is cultural thing associated with the yoruba culture. In oriki orisa, the names and deeds, status and power, points of character and. Oriki is the praise poetry and invocations of the yoruba people. Your head spirit is oya the daughter of dragonblood. It is complete with oriki in english as well as yoruba with grammatical emphasis marks to ensure proper pronunciation of the yoruba language. Oriki olodumare from the names of god the praises.
Sep 05, 2015 a people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots marcus garvey. The yoruba are one of nigeria s most important ethnic groups, and mainly occupy the southwestern region of nigeria. Each household within a tribe or settlement has it own oriki. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. One of the beauties of the yoruba language is that several words would have the same exact spelling but would be pronounced differently and have different meanings. Orisa worship among the igbomina yoruba of ilaorangun. If a female, it is a term of endearment or of praise.
Oya the yoruba goddess of many things yoruba mythology. If you want to learn oya in english, you will find the translation here, along with other translations from yoruba to english. Translate oriki in english online and download now our free translator to use any time at no charge. Oya yeba iya mesa oya, run afefe iku lele bioke, ayaba gbogbo leya.
The yoruba culture was originally an oral tradition, and the majority of yoruba people are native speakers of the yoruba language. Oya exercises a special power over the egguns, because she is the mother of 9 of them. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. If a male, it is always expressive of something heroic, brave or strong. Village in america where the yoruba culture is being practiced photos a thread dedicated to orisa nla obatala. The names of god in yoruba language oruko ati oriki olorun. Apart from the twins series, other children born in yoruba land in peculiar circumstances or ways are given predestined names too. Oya s flag, skirts and cloths carry a combination of all colors except black. Ofo ase are words of power used to provoke the spirit, used in this case to stir the orisa y to action, as in to heed ones prayers. Oriki olodumare from the names of god the praises of. For followers of ifa, known as elesin ibile, prayer is a daily practice.
Names of god in yoruba language, praise names, gods names in. The names of god in yoruba language oruko ati oriki olorun heres a list of yoruba praise names for god aka oriki as well as their meanings in english. Its believed if you call a person by hisher oriki, it inspires them. A storm at sea is conceived as a battle between oya, the tempest goddess, and olokun, the. Oriki is used during individual or communal ceremonies, for individuals or the community. The most common generic names oruko amutrunwa in yoruba land are taiwo and kehinde altogether known as ibeji which are given to twins. Oriki orisha yemoja yemaya in nigeria abeokuta orisa yoruba. Praise the lord with me and praise the lord with these beautiful names english yoruba are some of the older posts you should visit. This is a example of a mojuba mojuba, we give reverence to iba, i give reverence to. Jan 17, 2014 the names of god in yoruba language oruko ati oriki olorun stay safe and healthy.
However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Apr 06, 2017 oriki orisha yemoja yemaya in nigeria abeokuta ores yoruba yemoja yoruba. No orisa helps an individual without the consent of his or her ori. It is a pluricentric language spoken principally in nigeria and benin, with communities in sierra leone, liberia, other parts of africa, the americas, and europe. Ajalaiye, ajalorun, fun mi ni ire, the winds of earth and heaven bring me good fortune. In the yoruba culture, each settlement or minor tribe has its own oriki. The number of speakers is roughly estimated at about 30 million in 2010. Egun, esu, osoosi, ogun, obatala, olokun, yemoja, aganju, oya, sango, ibeji, osun, oko, osanyin, nana baruku, orunmila, odu, ela, and much more. Praise poetry for the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The mojuba is a ancestral prayer that santerosas use to called the spirit, material and ancestral spirit into being. It is expressed through chanting or singing and is used by ifa orisha initiates as words of power in ritual and ceremony. Ori in yoruba belief is the mans personality, soul, his guardian. Due to genetic reasons, this very large tribe happens to record the highest dizygotic twinning rate in the world 4.
A relative of monkeys you are hoping and jumping from a tree branch to the other jumping helterskelter,you landed in a wretched mans place turning around his misfortunes a rare set of children that commands undue honour and respect from their parents to your stepmother. The yoruba people around the world share the belief that sango often known as xango or chango by the carribeans and the latin americans is also known as jakuta the thrower of stones or the thrower of thunderboltedun ara. Your head spirit is oya the daughter of dragonblood series. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. The names of god in yoruba language oruko ati oriki. Yoruba names of animals and pictures the yoruba blog. Sango, oya, iyemoja, osun osogbo, esulalu, orisa oko, sonpona, orisa ibeji and. The nonvernacular remains of the language in the caribbean. Ikirun agunbe omo onile obi, eleni ateeka eleni ewele, omo eru ko gbodo dere ni jinini iwofa wa ko gbodo dotonporo ibile agunbe ni ogbofa lori. Most yoruba people speak the yoruba language, which is the nigercongo language with the largest number of native speakers. She is an orisha and the mother of all orishas, having given. In this sacred story of oya, orisha oya was married to male orisha shango, the orisha of fire.
The yorubas in disapora in the spirituality of latin america however associate twins with saints cosmas and damian in yoruba spirituality and culture, twins are believed to be magical and are granted. Oriki is an important and cultural, but unwritten oral genre of yoruba literature that is usually used in praise singing. Over time, changes do occur as the benefits of prayer, the spoken word, bring harmony. Oya is the orisha of the niger river, formerly called oya, by its 9 tributaries. Ojo and aina this is a child born with the umbilical cord twisted round hisher neck. Oriki varies in length depending on lineage and the clan of the individual and the past ancestors.
Just as you know that the yoruba nation is a civilized nation and has varieties in every part of its culture and tradition,so is the oriki. Sacred stories of the orishas journey of a 21st century. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Egun are the spirits of departed ancestors, whether related by blood or by religious lineage. Egun is the collective representation of the ancestors. As we walk upon the earth our feet press against the bones of the ancestors on whose shoulders we stand. Oct 22, 2014 oriki is the praise poetry and invocations of the yoruba people. Awo falokun fatunmbi has compiled over 140 oriki in this comprehensive volume. The number of speakers of yoruba is estimated between 30 and 40 million. The yoruba of southwestern nigeria, dahomey, and togoland number 1012 million. Jul 19, 2015 it is complete with oriki in english as well as yoruba with grammatical emphasis marks to ensure proper pronunciation of the yoruba language. Oriki oya praising the spirit of the wind ajalaiye, ajalorun, fun mi ni ire, the winds of earth and heaven bring me good fortune, iba yansan. Oriki orisha yemoja yemaya in nigeria abeokuta ores yoruba yemoja yoruba.
Oriki yoruba praise poetry ekimogun descendant united. It is also within the frameworks of womanhood and motherhood, that the worth of ones ancestry is determined. Oriki, women and the proliferation and merging of ori. Jan 17, 2014 the names of god in yoruba language oruko ati oriki olorun. Phrases and daily expressions have a very important role in yoruba. Our ori is what is translated as the head, or higher self. Yoruba names are classified into five categories oruko amutorunwa or destiny names, oruko abiso or acquired names, oruko oriki or panegyrics, oruko abiku, and oruko inagije or alias. The word oriki can be translated as panegyric which is a form of praise poetry.
The first born of the twins is called taiwo, a shortened form of toaiyewo taste the world while the last born of the twins is called kehinde which literally means the last to come. I hope you will find the writing style fluid and juicy. Compare this to the orthographies of nigerian languages. Before i share the oriki aje, heres a little about aje. Yoruba publishing manual a semiprofessional guide leading you through common problems with publishing orisha literature in yoruba language. He had three wives, namely queen oshun, queen oba, and queen oya. Apr 20, 2015 it is complete with oriki in english as well as yoruba with grammatical emphasis marks to ensure proper pronunciation of the yoruba language. Published by the national language centre, edited by ayo bamgbose, federal ministry of education, lagos, 1983. If a male, it is always expressive of something heroic, brave or. The twins are known as ibeji in the yoruba language.
It is an epistemological study into the yoruba beliefs and perceptions about animals that have existed and still exist in the areas they inhabit. Ibeji is the name of an orisha god who represents a pair of twins in the yoruba religion of the yoruba people of nigeria. Once youre done with the yoruba phrases, you might want to check the rest of our yoruba lessons here. The name usually carries a praise poetry with it which is used to inspire the bearer. Like most indigenous cultures of the world, africans believe that those who go before us make us what. Oriki varies and it is based on each family lineage and ancestral clan,which talks about the bravery act and the pedigree of their ancestors. An elemental goddess air, fire water she incorporates all of them into her. Oriki, yoruba eulogy yoruba culture, oriki yoruba, oriki ijebu, oriki oyo, oriki egba, oriki eko, eko akete, asa yoruba. Additionally, yoruba motherhood and womanhood are identities of strength, independence and givers of life.
Yoruba oriki names and meaning oriki is a group of names yoruba people give to their children for symbolic reasons. Pauls college, monrovia, liberia a recent article on prayer in the traditional religion of the yoruba people of west africa quotes with approval the complaint made by shorter in 1975 that insufficient attention has been given to the prayers of african traditional religion generally. Prayer focuses and harmonizes one with their place in the universe, gods realm and prepares one to receive blessings. Yoruba language and culture is quite enduring and deep, evidence by the fact that close to two hundred years after slavery the culture and language survives in some parts of the americas. The yoruba prayer of praise the order of praises or their number should remain constant. View oriki and yoruba art research papers on academia. When one understands their place in the universe along with all the irunmole, it is only natural or with a little practice, to give thanks for everything one has, no matter how small. Ilori this is a child born during the absence of menstruation. There is no doubt that in any culture or civilization, language is basic, and wherever you find a similar language being spoken, there is no doubt that there must be some historical connection.
Honoring ones ancestors can be viewed in simple or in complex, metaphysical terms, which we will examine here. We often call our ancestors by the name, egun, which in yoruba language means bones. Yoruba is classified within the edekiri languages, which together with the isolate igala, form the yoruboid group of languages within what we now have as west africa. Allowance is made for the addition of new oriki in response to changing circumstances, as evidenced by the incorporation of oriki. The yoruba people have very rich cultural oral literature, oriki is on of them.
In the yoruba praiseworship oriki, osogbos development and expansion was. If this kind of child is male, he is named ojo, and if. Animals in the traditional worldview of the yoruba ajibade george olusola abstract this is a contribution to an ongoing debate on animal ethics. In 1977 a lady came from brazil performed the sango ritual ceremony almost exactly to the letter as is still being practised in western nigeria till today.
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