Yorùbá ka ọmọ si ọlá àti iyì ti yio tọ́jú ìyá àti bàbá lọ́jọ́ alẹ́. Eyi han ni orúkọ ti Yorùbá nsọ ọmọ bi: Ọmọlọlá, Ọmọniyi, Ọmọlẹ̀yẹ, Ọmọ́yẹmi, Ọlọ́mọ́là, Ọlọ́mọlólayé, Ọmọdunni, Ọmọwunmi, Ọmọgbemi, Ọmọ́dára àti bẹ̃bẹ̃ lọ. A o tun ṣe akiyesi ni àṣà Yorùbá pe bi obinrin ba wọ ilé ọkọ, wọn ki pe ni orúkọ ti ìyá ati bàbá sọ, wọn a fun ni orúkọ ni ilé ọkọ. Nigbati ó bá ṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ wọlé wọn a pe ni “Ìyàwó” ṣùgbọ́n bi ó bá ti bímọ a di “Ìyá orúkọ àkọ́bí”, bi ó bá bi ibeji tabi ibẹta a di “Ìyá Ibeji tàbi Ìyá Ibẹta”. Bàbá ọmọ a di “Bàbá orúkọ ọmọ àkọ̀bí, Bàbá Ibeji tàbi Bàbá Ìbẹta”. Nitori idi eyi, ìgbéyàwó ti kò bá si ọmọ ma nfa irònú púpọ̀.
Ni abúlé kan ni aye atijọ, ọkọ ati ìyàwó yi kò bímọ fún ọpọlọpọ ọdún lẹhin ìgbéyàwó. Nitori àti bímọ, wọn lọ si ilé Aláwo, wọn lọ si ilé oníṣègùn lati ṣe aajo, ṣùgbọ́n wọn o ri ọmọ bi. Aladugbo wọn gbà wọn niyanju ki wọn lọ si ọ̀dọ̀ Olóri-awo ni ìlú keji. Ọkọ àti ìyàwó tọ Olóri-awo yi lọ lati wa idi ohun ti wọn lè ṣe lati bímọ. Olóri-awo ṣe iwadi lọ́dọ̀ Ifa pẹ̀lú ọ̀pẹ̀lẹ̀ rẹ, o ṣe àlàyé pe ko si ọmọ mọ lọdọ Òrìṣà ṣùgbọ́n nigbati ẹ̀bẹ̀ pọ, o ni ọmọ kan lo ku lọdọ Òrìṣà-Omi, ṣùgbọ́n ti ohun bá gba ọmọ yi fún wọn kò ni bá wọn kalẹ́, nitori ti o ba lọ si odò ki ó tó bi ọmọ ni ilé ọkọ yio kú, Òrìṣà-Omi á gba ọmọ rẹ padà. Ọkọ àti Ìyàwó ni awọn a gbã bẹ.
Ààntére lọ fọ abọ́ lódò – Aantere went to the River to do dishes. Courtesy: @theyorubablog
Ìyàwó lóyún, ó bi obinrin, wọn sọ ni “Ààntéré” eyi ti ó tumọ si “Ọmọ Omi”. Gbogbo ẹbi àti ará bá wọn yọ̀ ni ọjọ́ ìsọmọ lórúkọ. Ni ọjọ kan, Ààntéré bẹ awọn òbí rẹ pé ohun fẹ́ sáré lọ fọ abọ́, awọn òbí rẹ kọ. Nigbati ẹ̀bẹ̀ pọ wọn gbà nitori o ti dàgbà tó lati wọ ilé-ọkọ, wọn ti gbàgbé ewọ ti Olóri-awo sọ fún wọn pe, o ni lati wọ ile ọkọ ki o to bímọ. Ààntéré dé odò, Òrìṣà-omi, ri ọmọ rẹ, o fi iji nla fa Ààntéré wọ inú omi lai padà.
Ìyá àti Bàbá Ààntéré, reti ki ó padà lati odò ṣùgbọ́n kò dé, wọn ké dé ilé Ọba, Ọba pàṣẹ ki ọmọdé àti àgbà ìlú wa Ààntéré lọ. Nigba ti wọn dé idi odò, wọn bẹrẹ si gbọ orin ti Ààntéré nkọ, ṣùgbọ́n wọn ò ri.
Alantere, Ààntéré 2ce
Bàbá ni ki nma romi
Ààntéré
Ìyá ni ki nma romi
Ààntéré
Mo ṣaigbọran mo wa romi
Ààntéré
Mo dódò, mo b’Ólú-omi
Ààntéré
Ọkan suké, ọ̀kán yarọ
Ààntéré
Ọkan yoku ṣeti gbọin
Bẹ̀ ba délé o, ẹ ki ìyá fún mi
Ààntéré
Ẹ ki Bàbá fún mi
Ààntéré
Kẹ pe ó dojú àlá o
Ààntéré
Ka tó ri ra
Ààntéré
Gẹgẹbi òwe Yorùbá ti o ni “Ọmọ o láyọ̀lé, ẹni ọmọ sin lo bímọ”. Ìyá àti Bàbá Ààntéré ranti ìkìlọ̀ nigbati wọn gbọ́ orin yi pé kò si àtúnṣe, Òrìṣà-omi ti gba ọmọ rẹ padà.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Yoruba regards children as asset of honour that will care for mothers and fathers in their later years. This is reflected in the names Yoruba gives to children with meaning centred round wealth, honour etc. It is also observed that when a lady is married, she is not called by her name but “Wife or a nickname given in her husband’s home”, but as soon as she has children she becomes “Mother of the first child’s name or even she has twin or triplet, this also added”. Same thing happens to the fathers – the name of the children are attached “Father of …” as a result of this culture, a home without children causes lots of stress.
In one village in the olden days, there lived a couple that had no children for many years after marriage. In their efforts to have children, they sought the help of many Traditional Doctors without success. A neighbour advised that they seek the help of the Chief Traditional Doctor in the next village. On getting to him, he consulted Ifa oracle (Yoruba Deity) and told them there are no more children with the River goddess except one, but they pleaded desperately. He then told them the consequence of giving them the only child left with the River goddess as she would die and return to the River goddess if she ever comes near the river before she got married and has a child. They agreed in their desperation.
The wife then conceived and gave birth to a baby girl named “Aantere”, a name meaning “Child of the River”. The whole family and the people rejoiced with the couple during the naming ceremony. One day, Aantere sought her parent’s permission to going to wash the dishes at the river, but the parents refused. When she pleaded continuously they gave in to her request because they have forgotten the Traditional Doctor’s warning and they reasoned that she was old enough in contrary to the fact that she is not yet married with a child. As soon as Aantere got to the river, the River goddess identified her and caused a storm that dragged Aantere into the river without returning.
Aantere’s mother and father waited for her return from the river, but she did not return, hence they ran to the King’s palace in tears, the King ordered a search party of both young and old. When they got to the river they heard Aantere’s song but she was nowhere to be seen.
According to “Yoruba Proverbs” as translated by Oyekan Owomoyela: “Children are not to be rejoiced over, only those whose children bury them really have children”. The mother and father of Aantere remembered an earlier warning when they heard the song and realised there was no remedy that could bring her back as River-goddess has gotten her child back. Read full story in English in the ” YORUBA FOLKTALES” by Amos Tutuola.
Originally posted 2013-10-11 20:24:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
As a Yoruba Parent , I find it very compelling that, I should instill the idea of total liberation into the psych of my Children. It is obligatory for all the Yorubas to make their language as wrap around, there are many sociopsychology dynamics in the World today that call for such a need. Going back to our History, we are unique as a people and dynamic in our adventures, and giving all these, should we subject our selves to 2nd slavery? When your mother tongue becomes secondary in your psychic, then your are crippled in your expression and become motionless when one needs to be dynamic. Let us work with our Children to archive their cultural identity that will give them sense of belonging and self actualizing tendencies.