Orkuthru Tribal Art

Pre Tied Obi

Ìbà: The Sine-qua-non in the Yorùbá Indigenous Healthcare Practices

Ìbà: The Sine-qua-non in the Yorùbá Indigenous

Healthcare Practices

                                    Oládélé Caleb ORÍM(ÒGÙNJÉ,PhD        

Introduction

The primary objective of this study is to establish the relationship of ìbà, health and health-related issues.  The secondary objective is to show the rationality of this genre as therapeutic indice. The study is also to show the relevance of this verbal art used in the indigenous healthcare delivery system both in the modern and traditional society. The paper is a contribution to the understanding of the therapeutic aspect of Yorùbá orature, that is, how the verbal art is used for healing.  It has been observed that much interest has not been shown in the Yorùbá verbal art as used on health-related issues; therefore, this paper will be an avenue to stirring up an awareness of the importance of orature in the healing system.

 

Ìbà and the Yorùbá Worldview

Ìbà, the Yorùbá indigenous homage is a verbal art that gives the       chanter and the society at large abundant confidence that whatever they embark on will be fruitful, prosperous and rewarding, hence the proverbial sayings among the Yorùbá:

i.          BÓmOdé bá mOwÓÓ wÈ, á bágbà jEun

            If a younger one washes his/her hands thoroughly,

            he/she will dine with an elder

ii.         Békòló  bá  júbà  ilÈ, ilÈ  á  lanu

If an earthworm pays homage to the soil, the soil gives way

iii.        ÀdáSe  níí  hunni,  ìbà  ò  gbOdÒ  hunmO  ènìyàn

Failure to pay respect to whom it is due results to chaos, paying homage paves the way for one.

 

These aphorisms show clearly that one needs to acknowledge the effort and presence of the ancestors and to honour the elders.  According to    AbímbÓlá (1975: 877-911), ÌSÒlá (1976) and Àlàbá (1985: 83-86), ìbà is a verbal veneration to superior powers and beings.  In this study, ìbà is regarded as crucial to the Yorùbá indigenous healthcare practices.  It is a way of making superior powers or a specific recipient feel elevated, and thus, willing to surrender whatever is required of him/her.  Among the Yorùbá, it is believed that the pioneers in any field of human endeavour should be respected by someone who takes after them in order to pave the way for his/her greatness.  Find below, an example of Ìbà (homage) used in the preparation of concoction in order to facilitate the efficacy of such a traditional drug:

 

Bàbáà  mi  ìbà  rE

Òsanyìn ‘MOlÈ,  ìbà  rE

Èyin Ìyàmi ÒSòròngà,  ìbà

Oládùn-ún-ní,  ìbà  rE

ÌwO  l?ó  kÓ  mi  lóògùn  yìí                                5

Kó  jE  bí  iná

Kó  gbà  bí  oòrùn

Ìjé  iná  ni  kó  jé?

Kó  má  jé?  ìjé?  oòrùn

Tí  iná  bá  sun  iSu  lóko,  à  mú  un  jE         10

Tí  oòrùn  bá  sun  isu  lóko,  à  sO Ó  nù.

 

My progenitors, I pay homage

Òsanyìn, the great divinity, you are adored

You, Ìyàmi ÒSòròngà, I pay homage

Oládùn-ún-ní I pay homage

You taught me this (particular) medicine      5

Let it be efficacious like the spread of fire

Let it be effective like the bite of the sun

May it be the efficacy of fire

May it not be the effect of sun

For the yam roasted in fire is palatable       10

The one effected by the sun is usually thrown away.

 

Though jé? and gbà in lines 6 and 7 respectively are in the same semantic range, but jé? is preferred to gbà.  In this context, jé? implies total solution to chanter’s desire as the fire makes yam and other food fully cooked, while the chanter does not subscribe to gbà which is associated to the effect of sun that makes no food edible.  This means that t he chanter of the excerpt above does not want his problem to be solved half way.  Ìbà (homage) brings about the reassurance of chanter’s desire, and  the users/chanters would be doubly sure of the efficacy of their ‘medicine’ or any venture they embark on.  Failure to pay homage when it is due is regarded as the most heinous offence among the Yorùbá and the repercussions of such an offence are exhibited in the work of Ògúnníran (1972?: 26-33).  According to Yorùbá belief, ìbà aids the healing process, since it is assumed that the power of the unknown to which homage (ìbà) s paid will enhance the efficacy of the prepared medicine.  The observance of paying ìbà is an unwritten obligatory code for both public and private performances.   This cultural value is highly respected in the society; whoever recognises this fact in any endeavour is always at peace and thereby enjoys good health.  Apart from whatever metaphysical significance the ìbà may have, there is also the psychological assurance for the person who has observed it that he is on the right path, and that he will have the supports of the powers that be since he has paid them appropriate homage.  Whoever does otherwise, experiences a spiritual excommunication that is unfriendly to one’s health, he will be abandoned to the mercy of malevolent powers, hence the homage-related aphorism among the Yorùbá goes thus:

 

Ewúré tó wOlé tí ò kágò,

Ó dEran àmúso.

Àgùntàn tó wOlé tí ò kágò,

Ó dEran àmúso.

 

          The goat that enters a house without permission,

          Will be tied to the stake.

          The sheep that enters a house without permission,

          Will be tied to the stake.

 

Kágò (ké + àgò) means an act of seeking permission to do certain things.  For instance, a visitor usually seeks permission from the host.  Hence the statement onílé mo kágò or àgò onílé meaning ‘I’m seeking permission to enter’ while the host replies àgò yà that implies the permission is sincerely granted.  Àgò kíké (seeking permission) is equivalent to ìjúbà (paying homage).

 

It is observed in this study that ìbà features in form of total  submission to the power that be.  In other words, it is taken to be an agreement in which the raconteurs undertake to abide with the societal norms.  By this is meant that they obey the authority (either visible or invisible agents) through homage, courtesy or allocution.  The submission of oneself always features in some of the Yorùbá verbal arts in the indigenous healthcare delivery system.  When ìbà comes in form of a courtesy or an allocution, it is usually directed to those who are believed to be the creators of certain phenomena in which the chanters engage themselves.  Herbalists do pay homage to make themselves totally submissive to the founders of herbal  practices as it is shown below: 

 

Ìbà  Olúbíkin

Ìbà  Òsanyìnbíkin

Ìbà  AjígbápòoògùnkÓ

Ìbà  AmÓdEníléOlÓdE

 

Homage to Olúbíkin

Homage to Òsanyìnbíkin

Homage to AjígbápòoògùnkÓ

Homage to AmÓdEníléOlÓdE

 

The reciter of the above excerpt holds the belief that they are bound to give the afore-mentioned primordial agents their due respect, being the pioneers in the indigenous healthcare practices.  The Yorùbá are of the view that this is a way of seeking the consent of the supernatural agents in charge of herbs.  Furthermore, by extension of meaning, it is a medium through which the acquiesce of the powers to be is being sought on any venture one embarks on.  It is believed, among the Yorùbá that the agents appealed to, through this act, will regard the reciter as being humble and loyal; and this will make whatever one embarks on realistic/efficacious.

 

Ìbà in the Yorùbá indigenous healthcare delivery system also involves greetings and invocation.  Greetings are held in high esteem among the Yorùbá.  Hence the adage ‘Ká ríni lókèèrè ká Sàríyá, ó yóni  joúnjE lO’ meaning, cheerfulness is more satisfying than food.  In the Yorùbá daily activities, greetings come first.  Greetings function as homage that gives the raconteur confidence that no one among the audience would harm him/her.  The greetings could be equated to homage with the extract from orin obitun sung among the maidens in Ondó town during marital rites:

 

Mo  kí  wOn  o

OOkééé

OOkèèè

Mo  K’Ókùn-En

OO kééé                               ú

OOkèèè

Mo  K’óbì-En

OOkééé

OOkèèè

Mo K’ónúlí                         Eò

OOkééé

OOkèèè

Mo  K’álejò

OOkééé

OOkèèè                                Eú

 

 

I greet you all

Hello

Hello

I greet all men

Hello                                            5

Hello

I greet all women

Hello

Hello

I greet the indigenes                   10

Hello

Hello

I greet the sojourners/visitors

Hello

Hello                                         15

 

The raconteur of the above extract pays homage indirectly by using greetings which is highly acknowledged among the Yorùbá.  Therefore, anyone that employs it in his/her way of life is regarded as a respectful person. Besides greetings, ìbà appears as well in form of invocation, most especially in some of àwúre incantations:

 

Òtééré omi Òjìji

A fi wErí ajá

Orí ajá mÓ i-téní-i-téní.

Òtééré omi Òjìji,

A fi wErí àgbò,                                       ú

Orí àgbò m-,

Àgbò sì kosùn lEsÈ méjèèjì rokírokí.

Òtééré omi Òjìji

A fi wErí MÒbà

Orí MÒbà mÓ,                                          Eò

MÒbà sì joyè ilé baba rÈ kinrinjínjín kinrinjínjín

Ifá pÈlE OmO olóde-à-jí-gbá

Òrúnmìlà pÈlE OmO olóde-à-jí-tò

Ifá pÈlE OmO olómi-tútù kan  Èyìn  ÌpÈtì

Tí í Sàn tabE ÌpÈtíí wá i-téré-i-téré.          Eú

Ifá ní ta ní n kíbòsí òun alájogun

Mo lémi lágbájá OmO rE ni

Ifá ní nítorí kí ni mo fi n kíbòsí òun

Mo ní nítorí pé gbogbo EgbE mi ti n lówo èmi ò tíì ní

Gbogbo EgbE mi ti n láya èmi ò tíì ní              Èò

Gbogbo EgbE mi ti n kÓlé èmi ò tíì kÓ

Gbogbo Egbé mi ti ní ìbalÈ Okàn èmi ò tíì ní

Ifá ní bá Se pé bEE ni

ó wá tóó gEE…

                                    

 

Òtééré, the shadowy water

Used to wash the head of the dog

The dog’s head became very clean.

Òtééré, the shadowy water

Used to wash the ram’s head                           5

The ram’s head became very clean

And the ram’s two legs were beautifully smeared with

     cam wood.

Òtééré, the shadowy water

Used to wash MÒbà’s head

MÒbà’s head became clean                                       10

MÒbà was also made a chief in his household.

Homage, Ifá, the citizen of a place duly swept daily

My regards! Òrúnmìlà, the offspring of a well-organised compound.

Greetings! Ifá, the child of the owner of a cold –

    stream behind ÌpÈtì

That flows freely underneath ÌpÈtì                            15

Ifá asked ‘Who is invoking me, the mysterious one

I said, ‘It’s me’ his beloved child

Ifá asked why he is being invoked

I said because all my contemporaries are already rich,

but I’m not

All my contemporaries are married, but I have

     no wife                                                                  20

All my contemporaries are blessed with houses,

but I don’t have

All my contemporaries are problem free

Ifá said if so

The time has come…

        

The excerpt above  can be  used to invoke Òrúnmìlá to give the chanter wealth, wife, house and peace of mind that he/she desires to boost his/her health.  The reason for using the invocation is that when any of the supernatural powers is evoked by using all the primordial names, the supernatural power then would be thrilled, thereby feel elevated; and he/she would in turn grant the request of the chanter.  The  allocution found in the excerpt above, in accordance with the Yorùbá belief, makes the recipient do whatever the chanter desires.  The petitioner uses the excerpt to find favour of the invoked spirit for the well-being in order to alleviate his/her poverty which could in turn enhance his/her state of health.

 

 

           Conclusion

From the fore-going, it has been deduced that ìbà is a verbal art used among the Yorùbá in reflecting and expressing the belief, religion, worldview and values of the society.  Specifically, genre is used among the Yorùbá people to manage their physical, mental and social well-being in pre and post colonial era.  Therefore, it could be assumed by the Africans that the Western healthcare delivery system is regarded as complementary to the indigenous system of healing.

 

Bibliography

Alaba, I. (1985)           A Socio-Stylistic Analysis of Orin-Agbe: A Multimodal genre of Yoruba Oral Poetry. Ph. D Thesis, University of Lagos.

 

  ÌSÒlá, A. (1976) “The Place of Iba in Yoruba Oral Poetry”. Proceedings, 12th West African Languages Congress, Il3-If2.

 

 

Ogunniran, L. (1972) Eegun Alare. Lagos: Macmillan Nigeria Ltd.

 

Olajubu, O. (1970)       Iwi Egungun Chants in Yoruba Literature. M. A. Dissertation, University of Lagos.

 

 

 

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