Yorùbá ní “Ã ò pé kámá jọ Baba ẹni timútimú, ìwà lọmọ àlè”. Òwe yi bá ọpọlọpọ Yorùbá tí o nyi orúkọ ìdílé wọn padà nítorí ẹ̀sìn lai yi ìwà padà̀ lati bá orúkọ titun áti ẹ̀sìn mu. Yorùbá ni “ilé lanwo ki a tó sọmọ lórúkọ” nítorí èyí, ọpọlọpọ orúkọ ìdílé ma nbere pẹ̀lú orúkọ òrìṣà ìdílé bi: Ògún, Ṣàngó, Ọya, Èṣù, Ọ̀sun, Ifá, Oṣó àti bẹ̃bẹ lọ. Fún àpẹrẹ: Ògúnlànà, Fálànà, Ṣólànà ti yi padà sí Olúlànà. Ìgbà míràn ti wọn bá lò lára orúkọ àwọn òrìṣa yi wọn a ṣe àyípadà si, fún àpẹrẹ: “Eṣubiyi” di “Èṣúpòfo”.
“Esupofo”? Njẹ Èṣù pòfo bí, nígbàtí ẹni ti o yi orúkọ padà sí “Èṣúpòfo” njale. . .
Njẹ Èṣù pòfo bí, nígbàtí ẹni ti o yi orúkọ padà sí “Èṣúpòfo” njale, ṣiṣẹ́ gbọ́mọgbọ́mọ, purọ́, kówó ìlú jẹ, àti bẹ̃bẹ lọ? Ótì o, Èṣù o pòfo, ìwà lọmọ àlè. Ọmọ àlè ti pọ si nítorí ìwà Èṣu ti pọ si ni ilẹ̀ Yorùbá. Kò sí nkan tí óburú ninú orúkọ yíyí padà, èyí ti o burú ni kí a yí orúkọ padà lai yi ìwà padà. Ẹ fi ìwà rere dípò ìporúkodà.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
The Yoruba people have a saying that “It is not enough to have a striking resemblance to one’s father, character distinguishes a bastard”. This proverb refers to Yoruba people that replace their family names without matching change of character to go with the name or religion. Another Yoruba saying goes that: “home is observed before naming a child” as a result of this, and so family names are derived with a prefix of the name of the gods and goddesses worshiped in the family such as Ò̀̀̀̀̀̀gun – god of iron/war, Ṣango – god of thunder, Oya – Sango’s wife, Eṣu – Satan, Osun – river goddess, Ifa – Divination, Oso – Wizard etc. For example names like: Ogunlana, Falana, Solana have mostly been changed to “Olulana”. Sometimes, when part of these gods/goddess names are used it is often changed, for example: “Esubiyi – delivered by Satan” is turned “Esupofo – satan has lost”.
Has Satan really lost, when a name meaning Satan has lost is engaged in stealing, kidnapping, lying, embezzling government funds etc.?
Oh no, Satan has not lost, by their fruits you shall know them, it is character that distinguishes a bastard. There are now many bastards as a result of satanic character in Yoruba land. There is nothing wrong with a change of name, the problem is a change of name without a change of character. Use good character to replace a change of name.
Originally posted 2015-01-23 10:15:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
when a yoruba that writes an essay about yoruba names and does not know that esu in yoruba traditional culture and religion is not the satan of the judeo-christian faith brought by colonizers then there is a problem…and its not just semantics.
@nathanlugo I love the depth of your comment on this article. And I think I understand the point. But I think it is worth noting that what you speak of is more like what the Yoruba language traditionally was, and not what it is. Please tell us more about the traditional Esu in a comment or a post.