My Life and My World: Yoruba

The Yoruba tribe is a group that lives along Western Africa. They are dispersed throughout western regions of central Africa, Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. They tend to live in cities such as Ife, Oyo, and Ijebu. The Yoruba's population is not only exclusive to Western Africa, they are also present in the United Kingdom, United States, and Brazil. They share borders with different tribes that also inhabit West Africa.

The Yoruba view the world as being separated by two worlds-- heaven and earth. Heaven is the unseen place where ancestors and gods reside. Earth is the present home for humans where each person experiences normalcy. The tribe seeks to keep the balance between humans on earth and gods and ancestors in heaven to avoid evil paths. Among the Yoruba tribe, more than 401 gods exist. Their main god is Olorun, while the other gods known as orishas serve as messengers for the Yoruba people to communicate to Olorun. Despite the absence of holy sanctuaries dedicated to Olorun, his presence is called upon to receive blessings.

Wood, metal carvings, plants, and animals are some symbols that the Yoruba use to depict their gods and ancestors. The OrisiL'nlt, the arch-divinity of Yoruba pantheon is seen as old, white, and adorned with white ornaments. The priests are dressed in white, OrisiL'nlt's temple is washed in white, and his emblems should stay in white containers. The symbolism of white emphasizes the importance of holiness and purity. Ifa is a process of divination that represents the wisdom that connects humans to Orunmila's (god of wisdom) divine nature. Concrete items are symbolic of Orunmila's omniscience and wisdom.

In the east, the god Esu watches over. In the west, the god Sang6 watches over. In the south, the god Obatruci watches over. In the north, the god Ogun watchers over.

Olorun is the supreme god of the Yoruba who hold the "original source of power". As members of the Yoruba tribe, it is their duty to dedicate their lives to Olorun. Because he is so distant from earthly occurrences, he is only worshiped in prayer. He does not have any special rituals or shrines that honor his presence. The orishas serve as lesser deities that play the middle men between the Yoruba and Olorun. There are countless orishas that the Yoruba worship. The Orisha-nla created the earth. The Ogun is the god of iron and war. He resides in the border area between the ancestors and the other orishas. Esu is considered to be a good and evil god, thus making him a trickster figure in the Yoruba tribe. He is considered a trickster because he's a mediator between heaven and earth and he possesses two contradictory natures.

One taboo is that the priests of Esu should stay away from coming into contact with palmnut oil. They should avoid contact with plamnut oil in order to prevent unleashing Esu's anger. They should also stay away from palmwine to sustain their ritual sanctity when pertaining to the god Obdtdld. Priests and devotees should stay away from black things and uplift white items in order to maintain ritual sanctity. Because devotees and priests represent holiness and purity, it is imperative that they strive to embody the characteristics that are associated with the color white.

The shaman's role is to communicate the ancestor's messages to the living. In order to capture a genuine effect, the shaman imitates the deceased through costume to relay consoling messages.

Divination plays a key role in a Yoruba's life. In order to acquire one's future, one will go to a diviner. A diviner is a priest who practices divination. Through divination, someone's future can be foretold. Information for one's future enables one to appropriately walk through life to fulfill their destiny. Another ritual is when someone mediates between the living and the ancestors. The mediator goes into character by wearing a mask and costume to be a living representation of the dead. The mediator emulates the deceased person to relay messages to the living.