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An Ethno-Historical Study of Traditional Religion of Okun-Yoruba: a Structuralist Approach

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An Ethno-Historical Study of Traditional Religion of Okun-Yoruba: a Structuralist Approach An Ethno-historical Study of Traditional Religion of Okun-Yoruba: A Structuralist Approach Paul-Kolade Tubi ABSTRACT: This is an attempt to explore the interstices between religion and politics in traditional social organisation of the Okun Yoruba of Nigeria. The key data collection strategy was participant observation, of the complete participant variety, the researcher being a member of this glotto-cultural group. It is the first ethnography of this group with this focus. Based on the data, I interrogated structuralism as an a self-contained explanatory tool for understanding the structure and processes of a traditional society. The following observations emerged. (1) Structuralism, though effective, proves to be a static and ahistorical theory in the explanation of Okun cultural milieu. (2) Structuralism does not account for human individuality within the Okun culture. (3) :, The theory does not account for independent human act. (4) The dynamic aspects and vitality of the Okun culture are not adequately addressed by Structuralism. 142 Introduction '. .~ Religion plays an important role in human community. It bears directly on the lives o(the people and is especially pronounced in traditional societies like the Okun- Yoruba. The culture of • . the Okun sub-group has not been well articulated among studies carried out on the Yoruba nation, because it lies on the north easternmost edge of the Yoruba land. By its location within the Nigerian geo-political set up, it is removed from the Yoruba in South West Nigeria and aligned to Northern Nigeria. Apart from colonial anthropologists, the only known anthropological work done among the people was carried out by the writer (Tubi 2015). However the onslaught of . westernization and globalization tends to amend, suppress or erode traditional practices. It is in this light that the ethno-~torical study of the traditional religion of autochthonous communities that have come under the influence of globalization like the Okun- Yoruba has anthropological relevance. Structuralism offers it ground for the study because it is concerned with the patterned or observed uniformity of human actions. Its rejection of atomistic and mechanistic interpretations of culture and people as are wont by the evolutionist and diffusionists also makes it germane to this discourse, It is also apropos because. of its acceptance of praxis that is both holistic and integrative, in which the diachronic (a way a language changes overtime) easily relates to the synchronic (the study of a language form at fixed time in history). Structuralism is useful in the study of simpler, non-complex societies like the Okun- Yorubaand can highlight issues like totemism, superstition, .and the apparent contradictions in the community. Ethno-hiStory of the Okun- Yoruba The Okun speaking people are Yoruba by language and culture. They are found inEkiti, .Kogi, Kwara and Ondo states. Due to the Slave trade, sizable portions in the diaspora are found "" among ~ Nupes (Niger state) in Nigeria, in Sierra Leone where they are called Aku and the Americas where they are called the Lucumi. However this discourse focuses on the Okun who are indigenes of the present day Kogi State. The Okun- Yoruba have six cultural groups which resulted l primarily from linguistic correlates namely Bunu, Ijumu, Kiri, Owe, Oworo and Yagba. The study area covers the six Yoruba speaking local government areas of Kogi State, Nigeria, namely Ijumu, . Kabba-Bunu, Lokoja, Yagba East, Yagba West and Mopa-Muro, They occupy the western part of Kogi state. Its land coordinates are Latitudes 7' 30 - 8' 33 N and Longitudes 5' 15 -6' 30 E. The Okun form a prominent portion of Yoruba nation which comprises groups of people who hold to the Oduduwa ancestry but speak one of the various dialects of Yoruba language. Variants of the dialects include Akoko, Egba, Ekiti, Ife, Igbomina, Okun, Ondo, Oyo, Ilaje, Ijebu, Ijesa, Itshekiri amongst others. 143 ! MAPI OF NIGERIA ""SHOWING OKUN SPEAKING AREA OF KOGI STATE I N i ~ I::Il.okCljOl •••••••• ~-.....,.--~-c;_ ••• Scale: 1:84,7818 Figure 1: Map of Nigeria showing Okun speaking Area of Nigeria Source: Tubi 2015 The orature of the traditional origin of the Okun- Yoruba points to lie Ife as the initial home of the first settlers of Okun land. At the apex of the Yoruba religious system is Olodumare (Supreme Deity). Olodumare, being the ultimate reality in Yoruba religion, he has however given the daily running of the world to several deities (orisa or ebora) who act as his viceroys. These orisalebora have definite responsibilities in the running of the world. The chief priest (aworo) is the supreme officer of Yoruba religious system. He is assisted by diviners, priests, priestesses, herbalists and cultie functionaries. Among the Okun- Yoruba, the state is coterminous with a community-kingdom. The kingdom consists of citizens who are domiciled ina community offew interconnected settlements, and who owe allegiance to an accepted traditional political authority and a chief priest and worship the same pantheons of deities. For the Okun, the state is the community-kingdom which is an independent state that maintains its legislative, executive, judicial, political, religious and cultural functions. Each Okun kingdom is religiously, politically, socially and culturally independent. The Okun community is a geographically and culturally circumscribed- autochthonous kingdom. In this light, it can be seen that Okun polity shows a unique model, whereby the size of an Okun state is not larger than a single community, which consists of relatively few settlements. I} .. I I" 144 FIpre 1: Mapshowinc Okun speaking Local Government Areas 01 Keci State Soun:e: Tubi 2015 Religion and ManlWoman - . Anthropologically speaking, a man/woman can be described as homo religious (a religious man). Religion is construed by its adherents as the most sublime of all human activities which links man with the deity/deities. A precise definition has not been accepted by scholars. As pointed out by lbenwa (2014:49), "Religion is elusive in nature and this makes it difficult to have a universally accepted definition of religion". Durkheim (1961) however sees religion by merely contrasting the sacred with the profane. However for Marx (1846,2009), Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart oftheheardess world, it is the spirit of the spiritless condition. It is the opium of the people. This paper describes it thus: Religion is a complex ever-present reality of human existence which links man and spiritual the world in an intimate relationship: It is a globalized and ancient culture that exhibits variety of cultural diversities. Religion plays an important role in both traditional and modem societies. In this line of thought, this study establishes that autochthonous traditional religious system and its rites and .. symbolism are the basic cultural building blocks of the Okun- Yoruba society. For the Okun- Yocuba people, traditional religion is an important aspect oftheir culture, because it gives them uniq~ among the Yoruba ethnic group. Data indicated that the Okun-Yoruba are very religious, arid that they have a complex ldigious and dynamic functional system which has functioned well within their cultural milieu (Tubi 2015). Relatively speaking, the religious system of the Okun has changed, just as their social, economic, and political systems have been altered by modernization. The people seem to have adapted westernizing influence to enhance their traditional system. Deconstructing the Traditional Religion of Okun- Yoruba Religion is called esin in Yoruba. The traditional religious system of the Okun is dominated by oro. For the Okun, oro is a generic name which connotes both the traditional religion as well as the rites associated with it in which Olodumare (God), ebora (deities), and man are involved in an intricate relationship for the sole purpose of maintaining the social, religious, political and economic life-ways of the people. For this reason oro is given premium honour in 145 every Okun community. This is brought out in names given to individuals like Abolusoro (he celebrates with deities), Aborode (he came with the deities) among the Yoruba in general. In the traditional religion of the Okun- Yoruha, oro is the deepest secret of their religion. According to an informant. oro i< sorrrerhing hidden. unknown and mysterious yet it is felt concretely. Oro is oun-ijinle (deep things). The basic and essential element of oro is the buIl- roarer. The roaring comes as a shrill voice done purposely to instill fear in the community members. From the researcher's observation, Oro's voice comes from the whirling sound of a round and thin wooden equipment which is fastened to a stick by strings and swung around. Another important element is that women do not see or know oro. However, there are rare cases where women have been appointed as chief priestesses. The writer interviewed two of such priestesses. The priestess of Mopa said, "I was given the position when no man was qualified to assume the office. After I have assumed the office some now began to raise dust about my position. Traditionally, it is men who are the chief priests, but necessity made me one. And I am doing my job satisfactorily. The deities are not annoyed with me". ti Figure 3: Writer interviewing chief priestess of Mopa land Source: Tubi 2015 Figure 4: Writer interviewing chief priestess of Alu I I Source: Tubi 2015 For the Okun- Yoruba, oro presents a concrete synergy between political and religious l. systems. Though Oro has religious connotations. in practice, it is intricately associated with politics. Fadipe (1970:249) hypothesizes that "the primary motive underlying its institution was not religious but political". He stated further that the oro merely serves as the instrument for the execution of political decisions. This research suhmits that for the Okun people, oro serves -- __1.:_1~ -"~MOC Qpl;o;()mlv it is the means of connecting man and God hv rituals.
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