Yorùbá Heritages III—Names And Nature by Israel Ayanwuyi

YORÙBÁ HERITAGES III—NAMES AND NATURE

By Israel Ayanwuyi

"This throws a lot of insight into the dynamics and uniqueness of Yorùbá nomenclature, the values and worth attached to name.

It's well researched and it helps the Yorùbá man to understand and fall in love with his roots." - Adejuwon A. Gbalajobi

 

Many comments were received on the previous article of this writing series, Yorùbá Heritages II. All of us, at AIFMEDIA || YORÙBÁDÙNLẸ́DÈ, were so pleased to receive and know how well you understood them. Let's go further to learn from this episode tagged 'Names and Nature.'

I believe you'll tender your heart to learn, relearn and unlearn from this piece.

Protecting and defending Yorùbá Heritage is the alongside message I preach overtime. In a way that, any Yorùbá won't lose his identity from history, culture and heritage.

 

There is this Yorùbá saying,

Orúkọ ẹni ni ìjálọ ẹni.

One's name is one's reign.

One of the main heritages Yorùbá carries is NAME, where in a more complex form known as COGNOMEN. Yorùbá believe so much in this and it is widespread heritage among all their subgroups—it outstand Yorùbá from any other race in the world. Now, the culture is losing its grip because of how children of nowadays and their parents think and use them amidst other competitive culture.

 Yorùbá vie with other ideas, and it people has tendency to transform their pattern to foreign policy and superstition they know little or nothing about, which can make them lose their identity—the distinct Yorùbá culture that portrays lineage, source and how every Yorùbá was born and came into existence through cognomen and name given at birth.

The truth is Yorùbá has a precious and an independent way of life, and virtue in everything they do since time immemorial, even till now, without any religion usage in there operation. 

Cognomen [Oríkì] are group of words [or names] or a single word [or name] that reveal attributes of a person derived from a prior heroism displayed by their descendants or background.

One of those few features that differentiate peoples' background and region is tribal mark, dialect, diverse subgroup term and difference in alphabet's intonation from one region to another amongst many others. To us, all of these give individuals identity from various sources.

The culture of reciting praises—Oríkì—when a child does something worthwhile or important is losing it ground in Yorùbá. Many Yorùbá of now believe it is demonic in comparison to their present lifestyle where they've decided to lock their identity. Not entirely everything is evil, I am however encouraging us to look beyond the mere knowledge we have over them and pick diverse godly ones. 

These sequences of words are joined together in a poetic form and they are composed of Yorùbá vocabularies to trace identity. Anyone who doesn't understand deep Yorùbá and its grammatical usage can lose bearing, comprehension and facts of each phrase which even can be termed as spell or incantation.

ORÍKÌ is attributes of a person, family, lineage or town derived from a prior heroism displayed by their descendants or background, and they can be categorized into many parts.

·         ORÍKÌ ÀWỌN ÌLÚ ÌṢẸ̀ǸBÁYÉ

·         ORÍKÌ ORÍLẸ̀

·         ORÍKÌ ÌDÍLÉ

·         ORÍKÌ ÈNÌYÀN

 ORÍKÌ ORÍLẸ̀

This is majorly for a region of land for some descendants in core towns of Yorùbá, and they are immensely used for identity, showcasing history of descendants and exploit achieved by them. They are many in number throughout Yorùbá nation. For example: Arẹ̀sà, Oníkòyí, Àrágberí, Alápà, Olúgbọ́n, Òkò-ìrèsé, Òpómúléró, Ọlọ́fà, Ìjẹ̀ṣà, Ọlọ́yẹ́ Mọyin, Òmú Àrán, àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ.

 

ORÍKÌ ÀWỌN ÌLÚ ÌṢẸ̀ǸBÁYÉ

This is from town or a region of land (encompassing more than a town) settings which vary from major ancient towns to each other. For example: Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́, Ìbàdàn, Ọ̀yọ́, Èkó, Ọ̀ffà, Àkúré, Ilé-Ifè and many other ancient towns.

 

ORÍKÌ ÌLÚ ÒGBÓMỌ̀ṢỌ̀

Ògbé-órí ẹlẹ́mọ̀ṣhọ́, ọmọ afògbójà,

Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ ajílété, ìlú tí wọn ń gbé jẹkà ti wọn sí ǹ tí ún mùkọ yangan.

Ajílété ń té ni ti ogun, àyà-koko ìnàkí.

Ìlú tí wọ́n ń gbé dira kí ogun ó tó dé

Tí wọ́n ti ń máa ń ṣe ọdún ọ̀lẹ̀lẹ̀ ní oṣù kẹta ọdún

Ọmọ agbé orí ọká saworo,

Ọmọ ògbórí ẹ̀fọ̀n sá tèfè-tèfè

Ọmọ arí làká bù mu, arí làká bù sìn-ṣe,

Olódò kan òtéré, ó mìíràn ọ̀ tà-ràrà...

 

 ORÍKÌ ÌDÍLÉ

In Yorùbá land, each extended family has their own poetic praise phrases attributed to them, whenever someone who is part of the family do something worthwhile or to locate each family identity. These family names and praise can vary from one town to another. For example of few families in Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ are Oníṣẹmọ Onílù [Àwọn ni ọmọ ògìdán kùnrin], Olóólà [Àwọn ló má ń kọ ilà], Abeṣẹ̀, Alápà, Ìkólábà, Aládàá, Aludùndùn, Alubàtá àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ. 

Example of Àyàn tàbí Àwọn Onílù (Family where they play diverse kind of Yorùbá drums):

 

Àyàn àgalú ọmọ a kí ni má sí fìlà

A mú ni wọ ọjà àìdérí

Atọ́bọ tótá, Àyàn àgalú

A múni ròdò tẹ́nìkan ò dé rí

Òrìṣà tó ní ti Àyàn àgalú báwo,

Igbe ẹkún sísun ni wọ́n ń ṣe lójúbọ wọn

Àyàn àgalú onílù a fi bàtá sọ ṣán,

Àyàn Àgalú, jẹ́ kí ọ̀rọ̀ mi ọ́ yàn o.

 

ORÍKÌ ÈNÌYÀN

These are names given to individ

Yorùbá has the culture of giving new born baby christening on different day count. Female on 7th day of birth, Male on 9th day, and twins is 8th day of birth. But in this modern-days, we give new born baby (whether his or her) name on the 8th day of birth whether twins,

CATEGORIES OF REASONS FOR BIRTH NAME

1. ORÚKỌ ÀMÚTỌ̀RUNWÁ (Literally means names brought from heaven): Àìná, Ọ̀kẹ́, Ìgè, Ìyábọ̀, Abídèmí, Dàda, Táyé, Kéhìndé, Ìdówú, Ìdọ̀gbé, Òní, Ọ̀la, Òjó, Olúgbódi, abbl.

NOTE: (á). A child who cries restlessly in the morning and night is Òní (because they do say Òní lòní ń jẹ́ ẹni abẹ̀lọ́wẹ̀).

The child born after Òní into the same family is Ọ̀la and the one after Ọ̀la is Ọ̀tunla.

(b). Àlàbá and Ìdọ̀gbé are after Ìdówú, where Àlàbá is for female and Ìdọ̀gbé is for male.

(d). Táyé and Kéhìndé are for twins.

 

2. ORÚKỌ TI ÌDÍLÉ (Name given because of the kind of family and their work): Ògúnwálé, Jẹ́káyinfá, Awódélé, Orògbilé, Ọ̀jẹ́níyì, Àyánkọ́lá, Oláwálé, Adéòtí, Ọdẹ́wálé, Ọlákúnlé, Olólàdé, Abọ́yadé, Adégoróyè, Aláàdé, Àjàká, Balógun, Ajagungbadé, Ológúnde, Akínwùmí, abbl

 

3. ORÚKỌ ÀBÍṢỌ (Name given to a child on earth that reflects their birth season): Abódúnrìn, Ábíọ́dún, Ayọ̀dèjì, Rèmílẹ́kún, Adébísí, Àyànbùnmi, Tèmiladé, Sàngòsakin, Ọdẹbùnmi, Ọládipúpò, Àrinọlá, Bọ́lájókòó abbl

 On some rare occasions, the family most especially from the mother's side do tell the name to be given like when they are having a frequent loss of child before, and the new child birthed may be given Ikú-dáì-ísí, Málọmọ́, Ìgbékọ̀yí, Kòkúmọ́, Bámijókòó, abbl

 4. ORÍKÌ (Short given name that usually illustrate what the child will be in future): Àkàndé, Àdùfé, Àlábí, Àjàgbé Àbẹ̀ẹ̀fé, Àlàdé, Àkànmú, Àkàngbé, Ìsọ̀lá, Àbẹ̀ní, Àyọkà, Àjàní, abbl

But this kind of name is not mostly called without adding the child's descendants name as suffix.

For example: Àkàndé òdí ọmọ Arèsà, Àjàní Ẹkùn ọmọ a ṣe wọ mójú le koko, Ìsọ̀lá Ọ̀gán ọmọ Olúpo, abbl.

In Yorùbá nation, another set of factor that determines a child's name is family, religion, family history, work, and days of week in the olden time.

 

For example:

Sunday ¦ Ọjọ́ Àìkú —Abọ́ṣèdé, Abíọ́ṣẹ̀, àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ.

 

Monday ¦ Ọjọ́ Ajé— Ajébámidélé, Ajédèmí, Ajébòmí, Ajédèmí, Ajéwọ̀lé, Agbájé, àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ.

 

Tuesday ¦ Ọjọ́ Ìṣẹ́gun—Adéṣégun, Oyèṣégun, Ìbíṣégun àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ.

 

Wednesday ¦ Ọjọ́'rú tó tún jẹ́ ọjọ́ ọ̀sẹ̀ ifá—Ọ̀ṣẹ̀ọlá, Abílọ́ṣẹ̀, Ọjọ́ọ̀ṣẹ̀, Ọ̀ṣẹ̀adé àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ.

 

Friday ¦ Ọjọ́ Ẹtì—Ẹtìmẹ́yìn, Ẹtìlọ̀la àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ.

 

Saturday ¦ Ọjọ́ Àbámẹ́ta—Àbáyọ̀mí, Àbánikánńdá, àti bẹ́ẹ̀ bẹ́ẹ̀ lọ.

 

I have a keen interest in all of these and I want you to trace yours back. It's sweet to make use of these names. Being a Yorùbá is such a thing to be proud of in eternity. Don't forget your source. Embrace Yorùbá godly heritages. Remember that, what goes around comes around.

 Igbó birimù-birimù, òkùnkùn birimù-birimù, ènìyàn tó bá mọ̀ ṣe òkùnkùn kó má dá òṣùpá lóró (Whoever knows how darkness feel shouldn't hurt the moon when it take charge in the night). 

Bear the Yorùbá name anywhere around the world, anytime of the day or night and by your act, conduct and lifestyle, protect the dignity, honour and culture of our nation as Yorùbá.

Preserving our godly heritages is our concern.

AIFMEDIA || YÒRÙBÁDÙNL'ÉDÈ

© Copyright, Israel Ayanwuyi, 2018

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