Yorùbá ka ọmọ bibi si ohun pàtàki fún ìdílé, nitori èyi, tijó tayọ̀ ni Yorùbá ma fi nki ọmọ titun káàbọ̀ si ayé.  Gẹ́gẹ́bí Ọ̀gá ninu Olórin ilẹ̀-aláwọ̀ dúdú, Olóyè Ebenezer Obey ti kọ́ “Ẹ̀bùn pàtàki ni ọmọ bibi…”.  Ìlú ti igbe ọmọ titun kò bá dún, ìlú naa ́a kan gógó.  Eleyi lo ṣẹlẹ̀ ni ìlú Olúróhunbí.

Fún ìgbà pípẹ́, àwọn obinrin ìlú kò ri ọmọ bi, nitorina, gbogbo wọn lọ si ọ̀dọ̀ Òrìṣà Ìrókò lati lọ tọrọ ọmọ.  Oníkálukú wọn jẹjẹ oriṣiriṣi ohun ti wọn ma fún Ìrókò ti wọ́n bá lè ri ọmọ bi.  Ẹlòmiràn jẹ ẹ̀jẹ́ Ewúrẹ́, òmíràn Àgùntàn tàbi ohun ọ̀gbìn.  Yorùbá ni “Ẹyin lohùn, bi ó bá balẹ̀ ko ṣẽ ko”, kàkà ki Olurohunbi, ìyàwó Gbẹ́nàgbẹ́nà, jẹ ẹ̀jẹ́ ohun ọ̀sìn tàbi ohun àtọwọ́dá, o jẹ ẹ̀jẹ́ lọ́dọ̀ Ìrókò pé ti ohun bá lè bi ọmọ, ohun yio fún Ìrókò lọ́mọ naa.

Lai pẹ́, àwọn obinrin ìlú bẹ̀rẹ̀ si bimọ.  Oníkálukú pada si ọ̀dọ̀ Ìrókò lati lọ san ẹ̀jẹ́ wọn, ṣùgbọ́n Olúróhunbí kò jẹ́ mú ọmọ rẹ̀ silẹ lati san ẹ̀jẹ́ ti ó jẹ́. 

Òwe Yorùbá ni  “Bi ojú bá sé  ojú, ki ohun má yẹ̀ ohun”, ṣùgbọ́n

Ọmọ titun – a baby Courtesy: @theyorubablog

 Olúróhunbí ti gbàgbé ẹ̀jẹ́ ti ó jẹ́. 

Ni ọjọ́ kan, Olúróhunbí dágbére fún ọkọ rẹ̀ pé ohun fẹ́ lọ si oko ẹgàn/igbó, ó bá gba abẹ́ igi Ìrókò kọjá.  Bi ó ti dé abẹ́ igi Ìrókò, Ìrókò gbamú, ó bá sọ di ẹyẹ.  Ẹyẹ Olúróhunbí bẹ̀rẹ̀ si kọ orin lóri igi Ìrókò bayi:

Oníkálukú jẹ̀jẹ́ Ewúrẹ́, Ewúrẹ́
Ònìkàlùkú jẹjẹ Àgùntàn, Àgùntàn bọ̀lọ̀jọ̀
Olúróhunbí jẹ̀jẹ́ ọmọ rẹ̀, ọmọ rẹ̀ a pọ́n bí epo,
Olúróhunbí o, jain jain, Ìrókó jaini (2ce)

Nigbati, ọkọ Olúróhunbí reti iyàwó rẹ titi, ó bá pe ẹbi àti ará lati wa.  Wọn wa Olúróhunbí titi, wọn kò ri, ṣùgbọ́n nigbati ọkọ rẹ̀ kọjá lábẹ́ igi Ìrókò to gbọ́ orin ti ẹyẹ yi kọ, ó mọ̀ pe ìyàwó ohun ló ti di ẹyẹ.

Gẹgẹbi iṣẹ́ rẹ (Gbénàgbénà), ó gbẹ́ èrè bi ọmọ, ó múrá fún, ó gbe lọ si abẹ́ igi Ìrókò.  Òrìṣà inú igi Ìrókò, ri ère ọmọ yi, o gbã, ó sọ Olúróhunbí padà si ènìà.

Ìtàn yi kọ́ wa pé: igbèsè ni ẹ̀jẹ́, ti a bá dá ẹ̀jẹ́, ki á gbìyànjú lati san; ki a má da ẹ̀jẹ́ ti a kò lè san àti ki á jẹ́ ki ọ̀rọ̀ wa jẹ ọ̀rọ̀ wa.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Yoruba regards new born babies as special gift, hence, a new born is

welcomed with celebration.  According to the prominent Yoruba Musician, Chief Ebenezer Obey’s song “A baby is a special gift”.  A community where there is no cry of a new born is often in despair.  This is what happened in Olurohunbi’s community.

For a very long time, the women in the community were unable to bear children, hence, they all went to the Iroko (a very big African Tree) Spirit to seek spiritual assistance to be able to conceive.  Each one made various vow/promise on what they would offer the Iroko Spirit in return for conceiving.  Some promised goats, some sheep and other farm harvest.  Yoruba proverb said “Word is like raw egg, once it dropped, it cannot be packed back as whole”, instead, Olurohunbi, the wife of Sculptor/Wood Carver, promised to give back the baby she would bear.

After some time, the women in the community began to bear children.  Each one began to return to the Spirit of Iroko to redeem their promise/vow/covenant, but Olurohunbi refused to present her baby in redemption of her vow.

According to “Yoruba Proverb” publication by Oyekan Owomoyela, “If eyes no longer sees eyes, let the voice not miss the voice” meaning “though separated by distances, people should keep agreements they made), but Olorohunbi forgot the covenant/vow she made.

One day, Olurohunbi bade farewell to her husband that she was going to the forest, she then passed under the Iroko tree on her way.  As she got under the Iroko tree, she was snatched by the Iroko Spirit that turned her into a bird.  Olurohunbi the bird began to sing a song in Yoruba depicting her erroneous promise of her baby while others promised goats, sheep and other things.

According to his work (Sculptor/Wood carver), he carved a baby doll, dressed it up, and placed it under the Iroko tree in place of a life baby.  The Iroko Spirit saw the baby doll, accepted it and then turned Olurohunbi back to a human.

This folklore, teaches us: that when we make a vow/covenant/promise, we must endeavour to keep it; we should never make a vow/covenant/promise we cannot keep; and let our word be our bond.

Originally posted 2015-03-27 09:20:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter