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Yoruba Folktale: A Bird Steals Iyawo’s Baby

There was a man who had two wives. The senior wife is Iyale and the junior wife is Iyawo. Iyale made it so that Iyawo never had enough food to feed her children or nice clothes to wear. Iyawo tried to be nice to Iyale but the nicer Iyawo was, the meaner Iyale became.

One day, Iyawo needed to get some firewood. Iyale would not help her watch her baby so she took her baby into the forest with her. She placed her baby under a tall tree while she went to gather some wood. She finished gathering her firewood and returned to get her baby but the baby was gone. “Ye!” she cried. “Tá lo gbọ́ mọ mí ooo!?” <Who took my baby!?> she screamed. She ran back and forth looking for her baby, crying and yelling but couldn’t find her baby anywhere. Then she looked up, and she saw a bird perched high up in the tree, holding her baby in its clutches. “Ìwọ ẹyẹ́ yìí lorí igi! Fún mi lọmọ mí nísísiyí!” <You this bird in tree! Give me my baby right now!> she called to the bird. The bird threw down a bundle and the Iyawo quickly ran to get it. But it was not her baby. It was a bag of coral beads.

She screamed at the bird saying “Ọmọ mí ní mo fẹ! Kíni maá fí ìlẹkẹ iyùn ṣe!? Fún mi lọmọ mí nísísiyí!” <I want my baby, what will I do with coral beads!? Give me my baby right now!>. The bird sang to her saying that corals are worth more than her baby but the Iyawo would not hear of this. She insisted on her baby. The bird threw down another bundle and the Iyawo ran to get it. But again, it was not her baby, it was a bag of gold. She cried to the bird “Ọmọ mí ní mo fẹ! Kíni maá fí wura ṣe!? Fún mi lọmọ mí nísísiyí!” <I want my baby, what will I do with coral beads!? Give me my baby right now! >. This scene was repeated again with the bird throwing down precious stones, but Iyawo refused to take these in place of her baby. Finally, the bird flew down and placed the baby on the ground. “Oya gbà, ọmọ rẹ nì yìí. Nítoripe o ko ṣ’ojukokoro, gbogbo nkán ti mo gbé fún rẹ o le mú wọn lo” <Here’s your baby. And as you have proven not to be a greedy person, you can go with all that I have offered you>. Now Iyawo had not only her baby, but also the bag of corals, the bag of gold and the precious stones.

When Iyale saw her come home with all these items, she demanded to know how Iyawo had got all the expensive goods. Iyawo told her story and the Iyale decided to get her own goods too. The following morning Iyale took her baby into the forest and laid the baby under the same tall tree. Then she went away pretending to gather firewood. When she got back, her baby was gone. She looked up and saw her baby in the clutches of the bird perched high up on the tree. “Mú ìlẹkẹ iyùn, wura t’o dán, okutá níyebíye atí ọmọ mi wa fún mi!” <Give me corals, gold, precious stones and my baby!> she called to the bird?. The bird threw down a bundle. The Iyale eagerly ran towards this bundle, but instead of coral beads or gold or precious stones, she found stones. “Olodo! Mo sope k’o mú ìlẹkẹ iyùn, wura t’o dán, okutá níyebíye atí ọmọ mi wa fún mi!” <Idiot! I said give me corals, gold, precious stones and my baby!> she called to the bird again. This time the bird threw down a bag of trash. The Iyale screamed at the bird demanding corals, gold and precious stones. But this time, the bird threw down a bag containing the bones of the Iyale’s baby.

Yoruba folktale. Adapted from Allfolkales.com By Babajide Oluwadare Author of Yoruba counting book “Onka 123” available on amazon here

Link to original folktale on Allfolkales.com

Originally posted 2022-11-20 05:31:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

LADÉJOMORE – How Babies Lost Their Ability to Speak

ÌJÀPÁ JẸ ÈRÈ AIGBỌRAN ÀTI ÌWÀ Ọ̀KANJÚÀ: The Tortoise is Punished for not Heeding to a Warning

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ÌJÀPÁ/Àjàpá JẸ ÈRÈ AIGBỌRAN ÀTI ÌWÀ Ọ̀KANJÚÀ: THE RESULT OF DISOBEDIENCE AND GREED

The tragic Tortoise — having eaten food made for his wife by the Herbalist — there really should have been a warning as to consequence. Image is courtesy of @theyorubablog

Ní ayé àtijọ, Yáníbo ìyàwó Ìjàpá/Àjàpá gbìyànjú títí ṣùgbọ́n kò rí ọmọ bí. Ọmọ bíbí ṣe pàtàkì ní ilẹ̀ Yorùbá, nítorí èyí ìrònú ma mba obìnrin tí kò bá ri ọmọ bi tàbí tí ó yà àgàn. Yáníbo ko dúró lásán, ó tọ Babaláwo lọ láti ṣe ãjo bí òhun ti le ri ọmọ bí.

Babaláwo se àsèjẹ fún Yáníbo, ó rán Ìjàpá láti lọ gba àsàjẹ yi lọ́wọ́ Babaláwo. Babaláwo kìlọ̀ fún Ìjàpá gidigidi wípé õgùn yí, obìnrin nìkan ló wà fún, pé kí o maṣe tọwò. Ìjàpá ọkọ Yáníbo ṣe àìgbọràn, ó gbọ õrùn àsèjẹ, ó tanwò, ó ri wípé ó dùn, nítorí ìwà wobiliki ọkánjúwà, o ba jẹ àsèj̀ẹ tí Babaláwo ṣe ìkìlọ̀ kí ó majẹ. Ó dé́lé ó gbé irọ́ kalẹ̀ fún ìyàwó, ṣùgbọ́n láìpẹ́ ikùn Ìjàpá bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí wú. Yorùbá ni “ohun ti a ni ki Baba mágbọ, Baba ni yio parí rẹ”. Bi ikùn ti nwu si bẹni ara bẹ̀rẹ̀ si ni Ìjàpá, ó ba rọ́jú dìde, ó ti orin bẹnu bi o ti nsáré tọ Babaláwo lọ:

Babaláwo mo wa bẹ̀bẹ̀, Alugbirinrin 2ce
Õgùn to ṣe fún mi lẹ́rẹkan, Alugbinrin
Tóní nma ma fọwọ́ kẹnu, Alugbinrin
Tóní nma ma fẹsẹ kẹnu, Alugbinrin
Mo fọwọ kan ọbẹ̀, mo mú kẹnu, Alugbinrin
Mofẹsẹ kan lẹ mo mu kẹnu, Alugbinrin
Mobojú wo kùn o ri gbẹndu, Alugbinrin
Babaláwo mo wa bẹ̀bẹ̀, Alugbinrin 2ce

Play the Tortoise’ tragic song here:

You can also download the Yoruba alphabets by right clicking this link: Babalawo mo wa bebe(mp3)

Nígbátí ó dé ilé́ Babaláwo, Babaláwo ni ko si ẹ̀rọ̀. Ikùn Ìjàpá wú títí o fi bẹ, tí ó sì kú.

Ìtàn yí kọ wa pe èrè ojúkòkòrò, àìgbọ́ràn, irọ́ pípa àti ìwà burúkú míràn ma nfa ìpalára tàbí ikú. Ìtàn Yorùbá yi wúlò lati ṣe ìkìlọ̀ fún àwọn ti o nwa owó òjijì nípa gbígbé õgùn olóró mì lati kọjá lọ si òkè okun/Ìlúòyìnbó lai bìkítà pé, bí egbògi olóró yí ba bẹ́ si inú lai tètè jẹ́wọ́, ikú ló ma nfa. Ìtàn nã bá gbogbo aláìgbọràn àti onírọ́ wí.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION Continue reading →

Originally posted 2014-11-21 10:45:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Àjàpá rẹ Erin sílẹ̀ – “Ìjàlọ ò lè jà, ó lè bọ́ ṣòkòtò ni idi òmìrán”: The Tortoise humbled the Elephant – “Soldier ant cannot fight, but can cause the giant to remove pant”.

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Erin jẹ ẹranko ti Ọlọrun da lọ́lá pẹlu titobi rẹ ninu igbo. Yorùbá ni “Koríko ti Erin bá ti tẹ̀, àtẹ̀gbé ni láyé”, oko ti Erin bá wọ̀, olóko bẹ wọ igbèsè tori ibajẹ ti o ma ṣẹlẹ̀ si irú oko bẹ. Gbogbo ẹranko bọ̀wọ̀ fún Erin, nitori Kìnìún ọlọ́là ijù kò lè pa Erin.

Bi Erin ti tóbi tó, ni ó gọ̀ tó. Ni ọjọ́ kan, gbogbo ẹranko pe ìpàdé lati pari ìjà fún Kọ̀lọ̀kọ̀lọ̀ àti Kìnìún. Kọ̀lọ̀kọ̀lọ̀ ni bi ohun ba pa ẹran, Kìnìún a fi ògbójú gba ẹran yi jẹ. Kàkà ki Erin da ẹjọ́ pẹ̀lú òye, ṣe ló tún dá kun. Ìhàlẹ̀ àti ìgbéraga ni àwùjọ yi bi awọn ẹranko yoku ninu. O bi Kọ̀lọ̀kọ̀lọ̀ ninu to bẹ gẹ ti kò lè fọhùn. Àjàpá nikan lo dide lati fún Erin ni èsì ọ̀rọ̀, ṣùgbọ́n gbogbo ẹranko yoku bú si ẹ̀rín nitori wọn fi ojú di Àjàpá. Dipo ki Àjàpá panumọ́, ó pe erin níjà.

Ni ọjọ́ ìjà, Erin kò múra nitori ó mọ̀ pé bi Àjàpá ti kéré tó, bi ohun bá gbé ẹsẹ̀ le, ọ̀run lèrọ̀. Àjàpa mọ̀ pé ohun ko ni agbára, nitori eyi, ó dá ọgbọ́n ti yio fi bá Erin jà lai di èrò ọ̀run. Àjàpá ti pèsè, agbè mẹta pẹlu ìgbẹ́, osùn àti ẹfun ti yio dà lé Erin lóri lati dójú ti. Ó tọ́jú awọn agbè yi si ori igi nitosi ibi ti wọn ti fẹ́ jà, ó mọ̀ pé pẹ̀lú ibinu erin á jà dé idi ibi ti yio dà le lori.

Awọn ẹranko péjọ lati wòran ijà lãrin Àjàpá àti Erin. Àjàpá mọ̀ pe bi erin bá subú kò lè dide, nigbati ti ijà bẹ̀rẹ̀, ẹhin ni Àjàpá wà ti o ti nsọ òkò ọ̀rọ̀ si erin lati dá inú bi. Pẹ̀lú ibinú, ki ó tó yípadà dé ibi ti Àjàpá wa, Àjàpá a ti kósi lábẹ́, eleyi dá awọn ẹranko lára yá.

: Erin múra ìjà – Elephant charged for a fight. Courtesy: @theyorubablog

: Àjàpá – Tortoise. Courtesy: @theyorubablog

: ẹranko péjọ lati wòran ijà – animals gathered to watch a fight. Courtesy: @theyorubablog

Yorùbá ni “Bi ìyà nla ba gbeni ṣánlẹ̀, kékeré á gorí ẹni” ni ikẹhin, Àjàpá bori erin pẹ̀lú ọgbọ́n, gbogbo ẹranko gbé Àjàpá sókè pẹ̀lú ìdùnnú gun ori ibi ti erin wó si.

Ìtàn Yorùbá yi fihan pé kò si ẹni ti a lè fi ojú di. Ti a bá fẹ́ ka ìtàn yi ni ẹ̀kún rẹ́rẹ́ ni èdè Gẹẹsi, ẹ ṣe àyẹ̀wò rẹ ninu iwé “Yoruba Trickster Tales” ti Oyekan Owomoyela kọ.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION Continue reading →

Originally posted 2013-10-25 17:02:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Ẹ jẹ ki a gbé èdè àti àṣà Yorùbá Lárugẹ: keeping the Yoruba language alive…

Tag Archives: folklore

Yoruba Folktale: A Bird Steals Iyawo’s Baby

LADÉJOMORE – How Babies Lost Their Ability to Speak

ÌJÀPÁ JẸ ÈRÈ AIGBỌRAN ÀTI ÌWÀ Ọ̀KANJÚÀ: The Tortoise is Punished for not Heeding to a Warning

Àjàpá rẹ Erin sílẹ̀ – “Ìjàlọ ò lè jà, ó lè bọ́ ṣòkòtò ni idi òmìrán”: The Tortoise humbled the Elephant – “Soldier ant cannot fight, but can cause the giant to remove pant”.

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