Religious Adventure: A Leaf From Yoruba Culture II

Religious Adventure: A Leaf From Yoruba Culture II
© Israel Ayanwuyi, 2019 

In the world where diverse religion had taken every corners and a particular thought of serving God crossed every minds, yet Yorùbá has been distinct from the ages in their traditional culture and practices. For the purpose of this piece, I shall succinctly sieve out how religious practices or lifestyle has been encroached illicitly with what Yoruba founding fathers meant by traditions, customs or culture.

In the next episode of this series, I will further talk about how Yorùbá came into existence in written words and start to promote Christianity and thereafter contributed to Yorùbá being popular and acceptable language amongst other Africa languages. If you've not read the first episode from this series, then you might befoul the idea behind this move.


In truth, Yoruba refers tradition to be culture and acts which are valuable in exact way our forefathers use to do from the genesis.
How do our forefathers perform traditions? In the ancient time, no one whatsoever—old or young—is ordained to alter the trend of tradition/custom in ure.


Those who embrace tradition in toto are the traditional worshippers, whereas the concept of Yorùbá tradition/custom is not restricted to them. It is rather a commodity expected to be promoted as an heritage for individual who's born in Yorùbá land. It is not until a man set off to worship a god or an idol before a tradition/custom can be observed.

For example, Yorùbá has custom pertaining pregnancy, birth control, childbirth, and naming in which 8 days was adopted aftermath. Yorùbá has tradition of seeking, introduction, engagement and many more pertaining marriage. Also, Yorùbá has pattern they follow in dressing, haircut and body beautification.

To talk of festival, for example, Òsogbo has been celebrating Ọ̀sun Òsogbo fall when it is rainy season and the fall is heavy since inception but it has been left to Ọ̀sun worshipper and it has been modified for Ọ̀sun follower only after Òsogbo people negligence.

Whatsoever a group of people from origin concluded to be doing continually in a specific pattern is tradition/custom.
Therefore, it is not only an idol festival we can term to be tradition.

Nigerian celebrates independence day yearly as a tradition/custom. It is a bequest initiated by our fathers for a reason.

Some towns celebrate new yam festival as their own tradition.
Easter is a tradition for believers as an instruction laid since ages; Eld-kabir is a pattern in Islam as a traditional festival because it started from the start of their religion.

For this reason, it is our duty to promote and support Yorùbá goodly heritages because it ours.

Ọmọ tó gbàgbé ilé sọ àpò ìyá kọ́ ni Yorùbá ma ń wí— A child who forget his culture and traditions hang a pouch of shame to his source.

#YorùbáDùnlÉdè #YorubaHeritages #AIFMEDIA

Preserving our godly heritage as Yorùbá is my major concern. Next time, if I am graced, I will be coming your way with more explanation of how things evolved to be stronger for Yorùbá in their religion adventures.