SOME IMPORTANT FESTIVALS IN AYEDE TOWN, EKITI STATE
1 .
Orisa-Ojuna:
This
imole deities like that the other has its festival coming up every August. It
is usually worshipped for seven (7) days.
This
Orisa picks its own priest by one of its worshippers without former notice
being given to families of such select and the victim or anybody else should
raise no question to this random picking. The select would be taken directly to
the river.
On
the 8th day, the festival water would be fetched. All the people; in the town,
including the king and drummers will be at the Baramole (shrine) awaiting the
worshipers from the river for celebration.
On
this occasion the worshippers of Orisa-Ojuna do not go to the palace. Their
water is dawn to the “Baramole” (shrine). The king has to go to the shrine of
this deity, although he does not attend other shrines. This is because the
Orisa is not the king’s Imole.
The
worshippers usually stay at the Baramole (shrine) for twenty-one days
celebrating the festivals of Orisa-Ojuna.
The
“Ahoro” (Priest)
The
celebration of this festival comes first among the other festivals celebrated
during that month.
2.
Yeyelori Festival:
This
imole (deity) was brought to Ayede by the Iyagba people; of Kwara State. These
people settled in one way or the other at Ayede because they are traders and
while coming from their town the brought deity which is now celebrated like all
other festival in the town.
They
usually celebrated this festival in August of every year, there is no specific
date for the worshipping of this deity the worshipper studied the moon phrases
to known the date for the celebration which is normally immediately after the
celebration of OrisaOjuna.
The
celebration starts with picking of new priest who are to worship this deity
during that year’s celebration of the festival.
Yeyelori
selects its new worshippers by going through the old worshippers to intimate
the families of such chosen one about Yeyelori’s witch. If the parent that
would be worshippers agree with the gesture then such selects will be taken to
the river by a worshipper of Yeyelori.
On
the other hand, where parents refuse to give their children to Yeyelori such
‘selects’ would be mysteriously taken away by Yeyelori. The deity on such
occasions leave a palm front on the spot where the child had been picked. The
palm front will make the people realized that Yeyelori was been around. Here,
also the select were taken directly to the river.
The
new priest would spend twenty-one days with the deity inside the river on the
twenty-first day, the new priest will emerge for the river with changed a
facial appearance and will be clad in white apparel and decorated with bead
such emergence will be preceded by drum beating to herald the priest emergence
from the river.
The
‘select’ of Yeyelori for the year would have lost every memory and knowledge.
She will then taught how to speak again like a kid. The victim would be left at
the shrine (Paramole) leader of the worshippers for a whole year.
On
the 7th day after the feast, the relatives of the new select will have to
appease the deity and celebrate with the new selects. On this day, the parent
or relatives spend a lot and make supplications of fowl, pigeon, rat, dried
fish and twelve yards of white cloth.
The
appearance of the Imole (a water spirit) is also accompanied by the appearance
of a tiger like creature that follows the worshippers in their celebration from
the river through the town to the palace.
Another
important features of the festivals in the fetching of the festivals water from
the river. When the water is fetched, it is taken to either the king’s palace
or the worshipper’s shrine on a bi-annual rotation basis.
The
water will be carried to the kings palace or the shrine as may the case for
that year after the worshippers, both old and new, and other citizen of the
town have danced through the town. On occasion when the water will be taken to
the palace, the king will give the worshippers two goats, fowl. pigeon, rat and
dried fish with some amount of money.
However,
if the water was to be taken to the shrine, the worshippers will give the
carrier a fowl that would be served by the neck the mouth and the carrier would
drink the blood.
The
feasting aspect is also a feature of the festival. The sumptuous feast prepared
for the occasion must be finished at the shrine; and nobody should take any
part away from the Paramole shrine.
The
Ayede people worship Yeyelori because they believe that it prevents the
successful hatching of evil plots against children. It is also believed that is
provides children for hitherto childless parent. Such mothers in turn worship
this Imole.
3.
Yemoja Festival
This
is the last of the festivals celebrated in August. The picking of its selects
is similar to that of OrisaOjuna. The drawing of water for Yemoja festival
comes up the second day after that of OrisaYeyelori.
The
worshippers stay at the Paramole for twenty-one days after the fetching of
water. Yemoja’s shrine is directly adjacent to the palace. The worshippers will
dance to the king’s palace with the water. The king and chiefs who are waiting
for them will dance along with them to the market place. Here, a “sango”
worshipper who is celebrating with them will slaughter a dog at the Ogun shrine
at the center of the town.
These
worshippers also stay twenty-one days after the fetching of water. Yemoja takes
the exact offerings given to Yeyelori and the two years water rotation between
the king and the worshippers also operates here.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE FESTIVALS
Yeyelori
was brought from Gbede in Kwara states by IyagbasOrisa-Ojuna is a native of
Ayede and it is the king’s deity while Yemoja was brought from Ibadan. They all
pick new selects for the festivals annually except with a little difference in
the case of Yeyelori. All of them are celebrated on the eight month of August
of every year.
The
Bi-annual rotation of festival worshipping is common to all the festivals. The
festival is usually celebrated with worshipper stay at the Paramole for
twenty-one days except for Yemoja who stayed at the shrine for forty-two days.
They
are all water gods. This shows that the people of Ayede believe in water gods
of spirits, the worship of “Ogun. Sango” and other traditional gods is an
lighter scale. The people believe generally that all these deities provide
children for the people and prevent anything bed from happening to them.
It
is noteworthy that Ayede do not celebrate Ogun and Masquerade festivals which
are among other highly celebrated by a large portion of the Yorubas. But
nowadays, the Ayede celebrate Christian Festivals since they have to take the
religion but it is also noteworthy that Islam has no firm root there at all.
Apart
from the above deities which are peculiar with water, there are some other
deities which the people of Ayede worship these deities are “Esi-Oni Gogo” and
“Baba-Tigbo”.
To
start with Esi-Onigogo, this deity was formally being worshipped with human
sacrifice but it is now a pig that is to it. This pig, the Ayede believe that
it is dangerous animal since it eat crops of human being, that is why it is a
taboo to bring pig into the town. It is on the shrine of this Esi-Onogogo that
sacrifice is offered to avert wars.
Nowadays,
the deity is not worshipped anymore but it is stationed at its spot forever,
covered up with Iron steel.
DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE MATERIAL
REFERENCES
Biuobaku (2001). The History of
Yorubas, Ibadan Adewole press Ltd,
Ibadan.
Michael Crowder (1999). The
History of Nigeria, Lagos Macmillan Nigerian
Publish Ltd, Lagos.
Rev Idowu (2003) African
Traditional belief, Ademola Press Ltd, Osun.
Bamikole C. F (2007). Document,
Dubeo Press Ltd, Abeokuta.
AdedopeAdefolaran (2005). The Yorubas
Tribune, A daily times Publication,
Lagos
Dudley Billy (1999). The Yorubas
Journal, Macmillan Press Ltd, Ibadan.
Chief Law Joseph, (2004) Nigerian
Tribune, Spectrum Books Limited, Ondo.
Amaduk, (2006).The historical
development of Yorubas, Ibadan Ajewole
Press Lts, Abeokuta.
THANKS FOR READING THIS ARTICLES REMEMBER TO SHARE AND PUT YOUR OWN IDEA IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW