Yoruba Proverbs and Their Meaning

Eera ko fe poroporo denu; kin kinni l'omo araye n fe ni mo ( The ants do not truly like the cornstalk,so is the love of other people minimal)

Epe ibinu ko pa odi (Cursing a deaf in anger has no effect)

Ero ona ni royin oka to gbo (Passers-by are the first to bring the news that the corn is ripe)

Eti baba nile, eti baba l'oko;eniyan ni i je be (Father hears everything because people tell him)

Ewure ti n je alubosa,oju ni i nkan; kini won yoo fi se ( A goat that eats onions is just in a hurry,is that not the ingredient with which it will be cooked?)

Ewure wo alapata bi ko ku ( The goat looks at the butcher and wished him dead)

Eyi ko t'ofo,eyi ko t'ofo; fila imale ku peeki (The loss is small, the loss is minimal culmulated in the smallness of the muslim's cap)

Eyin to ta yo,wahala enu ni. ( A protruded teeth is a problem to the mouth)

Yoruba Proverbs and Their Meaning

Kira kita o dola; ka sise bi eru o da nkan (Wealth doesnt come from hardwork;slaving about will not make you rich)

A bamo; ni gbeyin oran (Had i known, comes after an offence)

N o waye ejo; o fi omo re fun oko mefa (I dont like trouble yet he gave his daughter in marriage to six men)

N o wo o kagbo; eyin re ni yoo fi lana ( I will drag you in to the forest; such a man will have to clear the path with his back)

Mariwo ko woju enikan; afi olodumare ( the palm frond has no other source but God)

Meloo lokanjuwa yoo mu nini odo oba. ( How much of the water in River Oba can a greedy person drink)

Mo yo lana;ko kan tebi ( Hunger doesnt understand that i was full yesterday)

It was Easter Monday, I went to the national theatre to see 'The perfect Church', a film by Wale Adenuga Productions and 'Eti Keta' by Saidi Balogun. It was fun.

The two movies attracted different kinds of audience. The former attracted the butterish, while the latter attracted the Yoruba speaking and less educated people that wanted to have fun in their own way.

More so, the former attracted young lovers that would like to catch fun, while the latter attracted families, because there were more children and their parents present. Anyway, it was all fun.

Life is so full of deceit, every man with a secret or the other.Only if people know that everyman has a skeleton in their cupboard, we will cease to condemn ourselves and rather focus on getting better.

The way of the world is difficult and truly not easy. Only the tough succeeds at the end of it all.

One thing I am sure of is that, what goes round comes round. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It is also good for individuals to wait for their season to come. Believe in yourself because if you don't, nobody will. Life is just as beautiful as we see it.

Cheers!

I was shocked the day on a faithful day that a friend of mine told me that the Yoruba culture has a traditional remedy for big breast. I was very surprised,  i screamed,'how possible?' she said there is a herbal soap that the big breasted could use on the breast and it reduces till the lady in question is satisfied with the size.

On another hand, i was at my nephew's daycare. There i saw a child suffering from malnutrition,

Mo b'okun weri o (A song)

Mo b'okun weri o
Mo b'osa we 'se
Mo b'okun weri o
Mo b'osa we'se
Eni Olorun ba yo lo o mo ro koso
Mo bokun weri

Omo Eni o le se 'di bebere

Omo eni o le sedi bebere
Omo eni o le se 'di bebere
Ka fi ileke si 'di omo elomiran
Omo eni o le se 'di bebere

The Osun-Osogbo Festival

The Osun-Osogbo festival is a festival that is held in Osun state, western part of Nigeria, West Africa. It is a festival that is held to celebrate the River goddess, Osun. In writing any narrative on the Osun-Osogbo festival, there are three important personalities that make the festival sacred. These personalities are: Ataoja, Yeye-Osun and the Arugba.

Ata-Oja is the Oba of Osogbo. The importance of this king is historical. Tied down to history, there was a man named Larooye Gbadewolu Olatimehin who was the king of Iponle-Omu. There was a time at Iponle Omu when there was draught and people had to look for water. The King led them, and they discovered the Osun river. They went there to take water for use and in no time they started to migrate towards the source of water.

The activities of people at the river side was affecting the serenity of the river and the goddess of the river felt disturbed. She decided to make her presence noticed by making sounds whenever people come to fetch water for use. Larooye then named the unseen goddess 'Osho-Igbo,' that is, keeper of the forest. From the name Osho-Igbo, the name of the town-Osogbo was coined.

People of osogbo realised that since they have been using the river Osun water, they have been more fertile and they get healed naturally of their ailments. They realised that the goddess of the river is worth worshipping.

There was a good relationship between Larooye and  Osun goddess. The goddess told him to observe a festival where people will come and say prayers by the river, and a virgin (Arugba) will carry the calabash of sacrifices to the river while the king will 'tewogbeja,' that is, the king will stretch his hands to collect the fish during the festival. The title of the king of Osogbo was coined from this process of receiving the fish with the hands. Tewogbeja became the title-Ata-Oja.

The Arugba has to be a nubile votary. She volunteers to carrry the calabash, and she keeps her purity. The river goddess in turn grants her wisdom and power; she commands respect from the entire community. A family that produces the Arugba is well respected and seen as a favoured family.

The Osun Osogbo festival runs for two weeks. On the last day of the festival, the nubile votary carries the calash full of food ( moin-moin, eko,and oil) to the river, while the people of the town follow her and say their wishes for the year. When she gets to the river, the sacrifice is sprinkled into the river.

I wonder why the Osun-Osogbo festival is so popular. I guess it is because of the influence of the German turned Yoruba woman, Late Susan Wenger, who values the spirituality of the Yoruba people which is unique to them. She is known for been devoted to the Sango worship and to the shrine at Osogbo. Nigerians do not dance bata better than her white children do. In fact, they know better than we do on matters pertaining to our culture and practices.