Shopono's stealth fighter-bomber: the mosquito
the malaria business
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Egbo Awon Egun Irandiran Wa.
Hear our dying ancestors.
Aiye nyi lo, a nti. The world slips us by.
The last time you called your village, did you hear the groans and moans of our dying ancestors?
What you heard is the dying of a generation of people who hold the oral history of the African tribe: the elders who are now aged in their 80s and 80s (Generation E/elder). The elders hold in their memory much of Africa's oral technology, history, culture, medicine, religion, etc. Only very few of these elders can speak, read or write English/French. Only very very few of them are literate to the point of writing down their knowledge in the ancestral languages. Gen E had the misfortune of birthing a generation in the 1920s to 1940s (Gen D/displaced) who endured the effects of reintensified struggle for Africa.
The business of empire became intensely exploitative in the era of the two European world wars. The need to retrieve mineral and labour resources from African soil as efficiently as possible caused the imposition of direct attacks on indigenous culture. When Europe's young men died enmasse in the wars, the colonisers had to train up locals to administer the colonies. Many of Gen D became the first ever in their villages to go through 'formal' education. They were taught to love the colonial culture and obey the imperial religion taught in the formal schools. Many studied 'overseas' where the colomentality was firmly rooted then returned home to 'develop' the newly independent colonial-era African states.
Gen D learned to internalise rejection, even hatred, of the culture they were born with. It was been difficult for many to reconcile love for the "developed" culture with "backward" traditions represented by their Gen E parents. Many turned their back on the villages and made their way into the city or overseas. Gen D are fully literate in English/French. Gen D is the lost generation who only speak the ancestral languages to their parents because they have to, but are mentally programmed to reject reading, writing or living their ancestry.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Gen D became parents to Gen C/colomental in the era of 'independence'. The people now aged in their 40s and 50s were taught that to be modern and to live in the "new world" means having an European world view. As adults, more than a few of this colomental generation live or would like to live "in the diaspora" where they can have 'normal' ie European lives in which to bring up their households. English/French is the lingua cultura of these households. But on the street, many Gen C still need to communicate with friends in ancestral language, even if only to avoid been labelled 'fake oyinbo'. Some colomentals manage to shed the negative self-image of their generation and return to the villages where they rediscover the knowledge locked in the heads of the elders through conversations. But Gen C tend to lack the intellectual tool-kits to record that knowledge. They were not taught to read or write ancestral languages although they are usually fluent in English/French.
The colomentals are now attaining power and influence across Africa. Yet at home or abroad, they are having children (Gen B/baby) in households that is almost completely ignorant of ancestral norms. Gen B will be too young to interact with Gen E. In a world where culture is the predominant currency, the infants and teenagers are in grave danger of becoming the cultural worthless.
What is dying every night is connection to what is truly African tradition. All tradition and history is oral until it is written down. The dying elders know our history but cannot read or write it. The displaced Gen D should be the bridge but is too intellectually traumatised to reconcile with tradition. The author Wole Soyinka was only half correct when he described this generation as the "lost generation". It is not only lost, it is also the loser, the wastrel, and the akotileta generation. Gen D is becoming old and infirm. The colomental Gen C has mostly inherited the world view of its parents. Rather than reconnect to the elders, this generation has increased its ignorance of African tradition and folklore. The baby Gen B is yet young but may never age in the wisdom of our tribe. It faces the danger of presenting a blank slate on which any historian who bothers to WRITE will write the new interpretation of African history for Gen A.
Our experience disagrees with those who say 'the beautiful ones are not yet born'. The oncoming Gen A in Africa is very likely to be as culturally rootless and emotionally vulnerable as any descendant of slavery into the 'New World'
Africa faces a danger so deep, so grave, so final that it eclipses all the troubles we have known so far. Our collective memory is unrecorded and its keepers are dying. Once the elders are gone, that is it for African tradition and history. The next time you visit your village, please take along a recorder and some paper, Talk to the elders and write down all you hear. You will be the historian that we seek
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
Aiye nyi lo, a nti. The world slips us by.
The last time you called your village, did you hear the groans and moans of our dying ancestors?
What you heard is the dying of a generation of people who hold the oral history of the African tribe: the elders who are now aged in their 80s and 80s (Generation E/elder). The elders hold in their memory much of Africa's oral technology, history, culture, medicine, religion, etc. Only very few of these elders can speak, read or write English/French. Only very very few of them are literate to the point of writing down their knowledge in the ancestral languages. Gen E had the misfortune of birthing a generation in the 1920s to 1940s (Gen D/displaced) who endured the effects of reintensified struggle for Africa.
The business of empire became intensely exploitative in the era of the two European world wars. The need to retrieve mineral and labour resources from African soil as efficiently as possible caused the imposition of direct attacks on indigenous culture. When Europe's young men died enmasse in the wars, the colonisers had to train up locals to administer the colonies. Many of Gen D became the first ever in their villages to go through 'formal' education. They were taught to love the colonial culture and obey the imperial religion taught in the formal schools. Many studied 'overseas' where the colomentality was firmly rooted then returned home to 'develop' the newly independent colonial-era African states.
Gen D learned to internalise rejection, even hatred, of the culture they were born with. It was been difficult for many to reconcile love for the "developed" culture with "backward" traditions represented by their Gen E parents. Many turned their back on the villages and made their way into the city or overseas. Gen D are fully literate in English/French. Gen D is the lost generation who only speak the ancestral languages to their parents because they have to, but are mentally programmed to reject reading, writing or living their ancestry.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Gen D became parents to Gen C/colomental in the era of 'independence'. The people now aged in their 40s and 50s were taught that to be modern and to live in the "new world" means having an European world view. As adults, more than a few of this colomental generation live or would like to live "in the diaspora" where they can have 'normal' ie European lives in which to bring up their households. English/French is the lingua cultura of these households. But on the street, many Gen C still need to communicate with friends in ancestral language, even if only to avoid been labelled 'fake oyinbo'. Some colomentals manage to shed the negative self-image of their generation and return to the villages where they rediscover the knowledge locked in the heads of the elders through conversations. But Gen C tend to lack the intellectual tool-kits to record that knowledge. They were not taught to read or write ancestral languages although they are usually fluent in English/French.
The colomentals are now attaining power and influence across Africa. Yet at home or abroad, they are having children (Gen B/baby) in households that is almost completely ignorant of ancestral norms. Gen B will be too young to interact with Gen E. In a world where culture is the predominant currency, the infants and teenagers are in grave danger of becoming the cultural worthless.
What is dying every night is connection to what is truly African tradition. All tradition and history is oral until it is written down. The dying elders know our history but cannot read or write it. The displaced Gen D should be the bridge but is too intellectually traumatised to reconcile with tradition. The author Wole Soyinka was only half correct when he described this generation as the "lost generation". It is not only lost, it is also the loser, the wastrel, and the akotileta generation. Gen D is becoming old and infirm. The colomental Gen C has mostly inherited the world view of its parents. Rather than reconnect to the elders, this generation has increased its ignorance of African tradition and folklore. The baby Gen B is yet young but may never age in the wisdom of our tribe. It faces the danger of presenting a blank slate on which any historian who bothers to WRITE will write the new interpretation of African history for Gen A.
Our experience disagrees with those who say 'the beautiful ones are not yet born'. The oncoming Gen A in Africa is very likely to be as culturally rootless and emotionally vulnerable as any descendant of slavery into the 'New World'
Africa faces a danger so deep, so grave, so final that it eclipses all the troubles we have known so far. Our collective memory is unrecorded and its keepers are dying. Once the elders are gone, that is it for African tradition and history. The next time you visit your village, please take along a recorder and some paper, Talk to the elders and write down all you hear. You will be the historian that we seek
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
Ajodun Yoruba 2005
Yoruba Religion: Year 2005 Schedule* of Festivals
--------------------------------------------------------------
Yoruba religion (Irunmole) is a monotheistic religion with one almighty god. It is based on reverence of African ancestors who are celebrated as a heirarchy of about 401 chief and minor dieties. OLORUN or OLODUMARE, the only Supreme Diety, is not worshipped directly. Irunmole is an instrumental set of rituals by which critical individuals may resolve existential dilemnas in consultation with a distant God. It does not define a specific moralising code or have any sacred texts. Individuals can converse directly with their orisha and can effect changes in their own destiny. Irunmole is not concerned about a compiled and interpreted system of beliefs for group worship of an omnipresent God, as are other world religions such as Islam, Christianity or Buddhism.
February 26 – 27
OLOKUN festival: Orisha of the deep sea [Nature] and protector of the African soul
March 21
ODUDUWA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of the Earth. Onset of the Yoruba NEW YEAR (2005 is the 10,047th year of Yoruba culture?)
March 26 – 27
OSHOSI festival. Veneration of the Orisha of Adventure, patron of hunters
Also annual rites of passage for men
April 4
OGUN festival. Veneration of the Orisha of War, patron of metal crafts [Engineering / Military]
Last Saturday of April, for 5 days (April 30 – May 4)
OSHUN festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of love [Biology]. Onset of Spring and the wet season.
Last Saturday of May, for seven days (May 28 – June 4)
EGUNGUN festivals. Celebrations of the Ancestral Spirits (Life forces), including royal sacrifices
June 21
SHOPONA and OSANHIN festivals. Veneration of the Orishas of Disease and Medicine respecitvely.
June 25 – 26
YEMOJA festival. Celebrations and fertility paegents of the Matron Orisha of the Yorubas
Also annual rites of passage for woman.
July 2 – 3
ORUNMILA / IFA festival. Celebrations and recitations of the Orisha of Destiny / Divination [Science]. Also mass gathering of the Yorubas
First weekend in July, for three weeks (July 4 – 24)
OKO and ELEGBA / ESHU festivals. Celeberations of the Orisha of Farming [Agriculture] and Sex [Power / Communications], respecitvely. Also feasting on new harvests of the Yam tuber crop.
July 24 – 25
SHANGO festival. Veneration and celebrations of the 8th century Alaafin of ancient Oyo nation, who became diefied as the Orisha of Thunder and Lightening [Energy]
August 27 – 28
OBATALA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of Heaven [Creation / Culture]
October 22 – 23
OYA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of the Wind. Patron of flooding of the Oya river and guardian of the gateway between life and death. Onset of Autumn and the dry season.
October 31
SHIGIDI festival. Veneration of the Orisha of Nightmares and the unknown dead of the AFRICAN people. Solemn parade by candlelight for unsettled spirits and ghosts. World Slavery Day?
December 17
OBALUAIYE festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of Work [Business] and of the winter solstice.
Information adapted from various sources including: www.sacred-texts.com/afr/yor and www.oyotunjivillage.net . A current discourse of Yoruba perspectives on religions may be found at http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/YorubaT/yt6.html .
*This information is subject to change. Actual dates of celebrations may differ from indicated in accordance with religious practises in location and family.
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
Copyright (c) ALARAN DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES, 2005
You may copy, transmit, or otherwise use this document provided the copyright notice is attached
--------------------------------------------------------------
Yoruba religion (Irunmole) is a monotheistic religion with one almighty god. It is based on reverence of African ancestors who are celebrated as a heirarchy of about 401 chief and minor dieties. OLORUN or OLODUMARE, the only Supreme Diety, is not worshipped directly. Irunmole is an instrumental set of rituals by which critical individuals may resolve existential dilemnas in consultation with a distant God. It does not define a specific moralising code or have any sacred texts. Individuals can converse directly with their orisha and can effect changes in their own destiny. Irunmole is not concerned about a compiled and interpreted system of beliefs for group worship of an omnipresent God, as are other world religions such as Islam, Christianity or Buddhism.
February 26 – 27
OLOKUN festival: Orisha of the deep sea [Nature] and protector of the African soul
March 21
ODUDUWA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of the Earth. Onset of the Yoruba NEW YEAR (2005 is the 10,047th year of Yoruba culture?)
March 26 – 27
OSHOSI festival. Veneration of the Orisha of Adventure, patron of hunters
Also annual rites of passage for men
April 4
OGUN festival. Veneration of the Orisha of War, patron of metal crafts [Engineering / Military]
Last Saturday of April, for 5 days (April 30 – May 4)
OSHUN festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of love [Biology]. Onset of Spring and the wet season.
Last Saturday of May, for seven days (May 28 – June 4)
EGUNGUN festivals. Celebrations of the Ancestral Spirits (Life forces), including royal sacrifices
June 21
SHOPONA and OSANHIN festivals. Veneration of the Orishas of Disease and Medicine respecitvely.
June 25 – 26
YEMOJA festival. Celebrations and fertility paegents of the Matron Orisha of the Yorubas
Also annual rites of passage for woman.
July 2 – 3
ORUNMILA / IFA festival. Celebrations and recitations of the Orisha of Destiny / Divination [Science]. Also mass gathering of the Yorubas
First weekend in July, for three weeks (July 4 – 24)
OKO and ELEGBA / ESHU festivals. Celeberations of the Orisha of Farming [Agriculture] and Sex [Power / Communications], respecitvely. Also feasting on new harvests of the Yam tuber crop.
July 24 – 25
SHANGO festival. Veneration and celebrations of the 8th century Alaafin of ancient Oyo nation, who became diefied as the Orisha of Thunder and Lightening [Energy]
August 27 – 28
OBATALA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of Heaven [Creation / Culture]
October 22 – 23
OYA festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of the Wind. Patron of flooding of the Oya river and guardian of the gateway between life and death. Onset of Autumn and the dry season.
October 31
SHIGIDI festival. Veneration of the Orisha of Nightmares and the unknown dead of the AFRICAN people. Solemn parade by candlelight for unsettled spirits and ghosts. World Slavery Day?
December 17
OBALUAIYE festival. Celebrations of the Orisha of Work [Business] and of the winter solstice.
Information adapted from various sources including: www.sacred-texts.com/afr/yor and www.oyotunjivillage.net . A current discourse of Yoruba perspectives on religions may be found at http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/YorubaT/yt6.html .
*This information is subject to change. Actual dates of celebrations may differ from indicated in accordance with religious practises in location and family.
Remi-Niyi Alaran writes on enterprise and social capital.
Copyright (c) ALARAN DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES, 2005
You may copy, transmit, or otherwise use this document provided the copyright notice is attached
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Tani O Nse Omo Yoruba
Tani O Nse Omo Yoruba
Ethnic Mutability and Yoruba Identity
Idi oro 'Yoruba'
Bi emi she mo to, oro 'Yoruba' wa lati siso "Yo ru bo" itunmo ni wi pe eni ti o ma ru ebo'. O le je pe ipap awon elesin Ifa/Orisha ni o fa a ki awon eni to won ngbe ni arin-otun Africa bere si nni lo ede kanna ati oluku kanna (eyi ko iti di ilu ti e). Awon eni Hausa bere si npe ni 'Yariba', oro ti o fi we npe ara won ko bale si eto irubo ti awon oniesin Islam ni na kuro ni ara won.
Origin of the word 'Yoruba'
As far I can research it, the word "Yoruba" was derived from the phrase "Yo ru bo" meaning 'will make sacrifices'. It may have been the commonality of Ifa/Orisha spiritual belief that caused the diverse inhabitants of the mid-west African continent to share the same core language and ethnic nationality (as yet manifest in a controlling country). The Hausa people call this word 'Yariba' which implies that their discomfort with form or content of the sacrificial rituals they had been forced to forgo under the influence of Islam.
Tani Yoruba?
Eni ti abi si oko ofurufu kii ndi aralu ile eni ti oni oko na!
Nkan meji ni o nso eni di Yoruba. Ikini ni esin 'Orisha'. Ikeji ni amulewa lati idile Orisha. Eni Yoruba ni eni ti mu idile ni esin Yoruba, ko le jabo nitori ibi ti a bi si abi esin ti ebi re bo si.
Who is Yoruba?
One who is born on an aeroplane is not a citizen of the airline's nationality!
A Yoruba person is so because of a confluence of spiritual heritage in Ifa/Orisha belief and parental-genetic heritage from a believer. One is born as Yoruba who is descendant from a Yoruba, irrespective of the place of birth or the religion of either parent.
Eniyan le wa ni idile Yoruba. Kakabe, o le farasi idile imi bi Nigeria, Togo abi Jamaica, bbl [be be lo]. Be e ni, o le wani esin Yoruba. Kakabe, o le forisi esin imi bi Hinduism, Rastafarian abi Judaism, bbl. Pelu pe eniyan farasi abi forisi ibomi, awon ati awon omo-omo won a shi je Yoruba ni idile ati idiesin, won a shi le she aralu Yoruba (nigbati ilu ba de)
In time, the person may remain within Yoruba nationality. Alternatively, the parson may register and become a citizen of another nationality such as Nigeria, Togo, or Jamaica etc. Similarly, they may remain Yoruba in spirituality or may convert to another faith such as Hindu, Rastafarian or Judaism etc. Even if they convert their nationality or faith, they and any of their descendants will be Yoruba in spiritual and genetic heritage, and so entitled to Yoruba nationality (if and when manifest).
Iparo idi-omo
Eniti 'Yo Ru Bo' ni eni Yoruba. Igbakamu ni wi pe ori eni le di orisha. Igbagbo ni ati ilahun wi pe enikeni ni o le di ori sha. Igbagbo ti o pe fun ishora ori ati afi ara sho ni. Ni ojotokoja, awon elesin Yoruba nikan ni a le pe ni Yoruba. Sugbon ni ojoisiyin, enikeni oni idile Yoruba ni a npe ni Yoruba, paapa wi pe won ti mu esin abi abule araita. Ayekan Yoruba (nigbati o de) ma pesiwaju eni elesin Yoruba.
Ethnic mutability
To be Yoruba is to 'Yo Ru Bo'. It is an acknowledgement of spiritual potential to be part of Olodumare (or God in pagan belief). A faith and assertion that by their deeds the person - any person - can become "ori sha", meaning 'of chosen spirit'. It is a faith that calls for spiritual vigilance and mortal defence. In the old days, only people of active Yoruba spirituality were deemed Yoruba. In current times, persons of Yoruba genetic heritage are called Yoruba even when they are converts to foreign religions or nationality. The active spiritual adherents are termed aborisha or Yorubo or irunmole etc to designate them separate from non-practising Yoruba. The Yoruba nation (when manifest) will likely extend preferential citizenship to persons of Yoruba spirituality.
Maafa
Nkan pataki ni omo Maafa (oja eru ni eniyan Afrika). Ogede won ni ebi ti ye kuro ni Africa. Pupo ni aimoye ebi won ti po pelu omo aralu imiran. Pupo ni aimoye ebi won ti pelu esin imiran. Won shi le di Yoruba ti won ba she 'Yo Ru Bo'. Ayekan Yoruba (nigbati o de) ma pedandan eni omo Maafa ti onshe esin Yoruba.
The Maafa.
Of importance are the Maafa (African slave trade) descendants, Most are now several generations removed from direct parentage in Africa. Many now have genetic exchange with other ethnic nationalities. Many have been through several generations of indoctrination in other faiths. They can be Yoruba if they are 'Yo Ru Bo'. The Yoruba nation (when manifest) will extend automatic citizenship to Maafa descendants who are of Yoruba spirituality
Ni ojoisiyin, she Yoruba je ki kosheishe ki eni nse esin imi?
Question: today, does being Yoruba mean it is impossible to be Christian/Muslim/agnostic/atheist?
Ijuwon yi she yewo ni ona meta
The contention may arise from distinctions in 3 dimensions:
1) between Yoruba Orisha spirituality vs another religion/non-religion.
Spirituality is primary in determining Yoruba heritage and it is inviolable. However, one can choose whether to be active as Yoruba Orisha or not. To not be "Yo Ru B[U]o[/U]" is to be of suspended spiritual state in which one is not consciously trying to evolve towards Olodumare. Yoruba who are christians/muslims/atheists/agnostics abbl are by definition not "Yo Ru B[U]o[/U]".
2) between Yoruba genetic heritage (ethnicity) vs Arabic/European ethnicity.
a) Any non-genetic Yoruba person including an Ibo, Efik, Chinese, German or Sunni Arab, abbl, may convert to Yoruba Orisha spirituality. If they initiate their children also into Orisha spirituality, then the descendants of the child have established Yoruba spiritual heritage. Even if a Yoruba marries someone of another ethnicity or baptises their child into whatever foreign religion, they, their child, and its children remain Yoruba in spirit.
b) Genetic heritage is one vehicle for transmitting the Yoruba spiritual heritage. It is considered that any person born of a Yoruba is born into Yoruba Orisha by default, even if the parents are many generation practising Christians or Confucians, abbl. The Yoruba child is born to actualise as Orisha.
Of course, it is possible to be of multiple ethnicity. In fact, this seems to be the new path to socio-economic globalisation of European culture and to world peace. Even the NVS board actively encourages it with its Afro introductions banner adverts.
3) between Yoruba/Scottish/African-American (not manifest) vs Egypt/Nigeria/France/UK/ nationality/citizenship.
Nationality or citizenship are matters subject to geo-politics. It is for the countries concerned whether there is "either" or "or" in what nationality / citizenship a person may be subject to.
Ethnic Mutability and Yoruba Identity
Idi oro 'Yoruba'
Bi emi she mo to, oro 'Yoruba' wa lati siso "Yo ru bo" itunmo ni wi pe eni ti o ma ru ebo'. O le je pe ipap awon elesin Ifa/Orisha ni o fa a ki awon eni to won ngbe ni arin-otun Africa bere si nni lo ede kanna ati oluku kanna (eyi ko iti di ilu ti e). Awon eni Hausa bere si npe ni 'Yariba', oro ti o fi we npe ara won ko bale si eto irubo ti awon oniesin Islam ni na kuro ni ara won.
Origin of the word 'Yoruba'
As far I can research it, the word "Yoruba" was derived from the phrase "Yo ru bo" meaning 'will make sacrifices'. It may have been the commonality of Ifa/Orisha spiritual belief that caused the diverse inhabitants of the mid-west African continent to share the same core language and ethnic nationality (as yet manifest in a controlling country). The Hausa people call this word 'Yariba' which implies that their discomfort with form or content of the sacrificial rituals they had been forced to forgo under the influence of Islam.
Tani Yoruba?
Eni ti abi si oko ofurufu kii ndi aralu ile eni ti oni oko na!
Nkan meji ni o nso eni di Yoruba. Ikini ni esin 'Orisha'. Ikeji ni amulewa lati idile Orisha. Eni Yoruba ni eni ti mu idile ni esin Yoruba, ko le jabo nitori ibi ti a bi si abi esin ti ebi re bo si.
Who is Yoruba?
One who is born on an aeroplane is not a citizen of the airline's nationality!
A Yoruba person is so because of a confluence of spiritual heritage in Ifa/Orisha belief and parental-genetic heritage from a believer. One is born as Yoruba who is descendant from a Yoruba, irrespective of the place of birth or the religion of either parent.
Eniyan le wa ni idile Yoruba. Kakabe, o le farasi idile imi bi Nigeria, Togo abi Jamaica, bbl [be be lo]. Be e ni, o le wani esin Yoruba. Kakabe, o le forisi esin imi bi Hinduism, Rastafarian abi Judaism, bbl. Pelu pe eniyan farasi abi forisi ibomi, awon ati awon omo-omo won a shi je Yoruba ni idile ati idiesin, won a shi le she aralu Yoruba (nigbati ilu ba de)
In time, the person may remain within Yoruba nationality. Alternatively, the parson may register and become a citizen of another nationality such as Nigeria, Togo, or Jamaica etc. Similarly, they may remain Yoruba in spirituality or may convert to another faith such as Hindu, Rastafarian or Judaism etc. Even if they convert their nationality or faith, they and any of their descendants will be Yoruba in spiritual and genetic heritage, and so entitled to Yoruba nationality (if and when manifest).
Iparo idi-omo
Eniti 'Yo Ru Bo' ni eni Yoruba. Igbakamu ni wi pe ori eni le di orisha. Igbagbo ni ati ilahun wi pe enikeni ni o le di ori sha. Igbagbo ti o pe fun ishora ori ati afi ara sho ni. Ni ojotokoja, awon elesin Yoruba nikan ni a le pe ni Yoruba. Sugbon ni ojoisiyin, enikeni oni idile Yoruba ni a npe ni Yoruba, paapa wi pe won ti mu esin abi abule araita. Ayekan Yoruba (nigbati o de) ma pesiwaju eni elesin Yoruba.
Ethnic mutability
To be Yoruba is to 'Yo Ru Bo'. It is an acknowledgement of spiritual potential to be part of Olodumare (or God in pagan belief). A faith and assertion that by their deeds the person - any person - can become "ori sha", meaning 'of chosen spirit'. It is a faith that calls for spiritual vigilance and mortal defence. In the old days, only people of active Yoruba spirituality were deemed Yoruba. In current times, persons of Yoruba genetic heritage are called Yoruba even when they are converts to foreign religions or nationality. The active spiritual adherents are termed aborisha or Yorubo or irunmole etc to designate them separate from non-practising Yoruba. The Yoruba nation (when manifest) will likely extend preferential citizenship to persons of Yoruba spirituality.
Maafa
Nkan pataki ni omo Maafa (oja eru ni eniyan Afrika). Ogede won ni ebi ti ye kuro ni Africa. Pupo ni aimoye ebi won ti po pelu omo aralu imiran. Pupo ni aimoye ebi won ti pelu esin imiran. Won shi le di Yoruba ti won ba she 'Yo Ru Bo'. Ayekan Yoruba (nigbati o de) ma pedandan eni omo Maafa ti onshe esin Yoruba.
The Maafa.
Of importance are the Maafa (African slave trade) descendants, Most are now several generations removed from direct parentage in Africa. Many now have genetic exchange with other ethnic nationalities. Many have been through several generations of indoctrination in other faiths. They can be Yoruba if they are 'Yo Ru Bo'. The Yoruba nation (when manifest) will extend automatic citizenship to Maafa descendants who are of Yoruba spirituality
Ni ojoisiyin, she Yoruba je ki kosheishe ki eni nse esin imi?
Question: today, does being Yoruba mean it is impossible to be Christian/Muslim/agnostic/atheist?
Ijuwon yi she yewo ni ona meta
The contention may arise from distinctions in 3 dimensions:
1) between Yoruba Orisha spirituality vs another religion/non-religion.
Spirituality is primary in determining Yoruba heritage and it is inviolable. However, one can choose whether to be active as Yoruba Orisha or not. To not be "Yo Ru B[U]o[/U]" is to be of suspended spiritual state in which one is not consciously trying to evolve towards Olodumare. Yoruba who are christians/muslims/atheists/agnostics abbl are by definition not "Yo Ru B[U]o[/U]".
2) between Yoruba genetic heritage (ethnicity) vs Arabic/European ethnicity.
a) Any non-genetic Yoruba person including an Ibo, Efik, Chinese, German or Sunni Arab, abbl, may convert to Yoruba Orisha spirituality. If they initiate their children also into Orisha spirituality, then the descendants of the child have established Yoruba spiritual heritage. Even if a Yoruba marries someone of another ethnicity or baptises their child into whatever foreign religion, they, their child, and its children remain Yoruba in spirit.
b) Genetic heritage is one vehicle for transmitting the Yoruba spiritual heritage. It is considered that any person born of a Yoruba is born into Yoruba Orisha by default, even if the parents are many generation practising Christians or Confucians, abbl. The Yoruba child is born to actualise as Orisha.
Of course, it is possible to be of multiple ethnicity. In fact, this seems to be the new path to socio-economic globalisation of European culture and to world peace. Even the NVS board actively encourages it with its Afro introductions banner adverts.
3) between Yoruba/Scottish/African-American (not manifest) vs Egypt/Nigeria/France/UK/ nationality/citizenship.
Nationality or citizenship are matters subject to geo-politics. It is for the countries concerned whether there is "either" or "or" in what nationality / citizenship a person may be subject to.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Blueprint for Black Power - Amos N. Wilson
Amos N. Wilson: The Blueprint for Black Power
part 1
A nation within nations
Afrikan-Americans should think and act as a nation-within-nation (NWN), with all the structures of nationhood, from libraries for its memories, to schools for its education, to shops for its trade.
Nationality is about power.
eworan 1
part 2
Planning with human consciousness helps prevent being overwhelmed by events, such that one is always reacting. Consciousness determines the nature of relationships, which determine the power structure. Stop appealing to, or analysing, or trying to transform others.
Jobs. Why assume that others will have jobs for the people. European and European-American communities no longer have jobs for people and are now warehousing them in substandard schools and in prisons. Yurugu are not creating enough jobs for their own people. Rather than trying to become qualified for jobs that do not exist, people should focus on going to schools to become business owners and job creators. To see themselves as the major sources of employment and wealth. Thinking as a NWN will make people focus.
eworan 2
part 3
People are creating jobs in music, advertising, real estate, spending habits, prison. And yet people are begging for jobs. It is because Afrikan consciousness is impaired that people are begging for jobs and are poor and are starving in the midst of great wealth, in form of land and minerals and powerful people. The wealth of a people are not, ultimately, in their land but in their mind, their spiritual consciousness. Look to Japan, a nation totally dependent as are Europe nations, on the mineral wealth of others. Only spiritual poverty can make a rich people think that they are poor. Others have used their minds and their cleverness to con people of their minds and their wealth. Consciousness is directly related to the type of life that one lives.
What else do Black Conservatives conserve other than the spiritual system that made the people poor in the first case.
Inter-generational planning: whatever you do, think of the effect on seven generations to come. The legacy of slavery is being enjoyed today by the same people who claim slavery was "back then" and suffered today by those who were dispossessed then.
eworan 3
part 4
People have not moved beyond slavery, even in the uniform clothes, food and language of communication. What passes for 'Soul food' is not the food of people but the food of slaves.
Why do African names sound so strange to ears of the people. The purpose of the people has been to work and create wealth for yurugu people. It is time to change this slave consciousness. What kind of god do you worship? Wilson says "We are possessed by spirits and demons. We have let another peoples' spirits take possession of our minds and bodies. These cause us to hate and harm ourselves. We must exorcise these demons. We have been implanted with a spirit."
eworan 4
part 5
In defending our ego, we end up protecting the structure that has destroyed our ego in the first place. Black on black violence caused by people becoming possessed by Yurugu values and so identifying themselves with Yurugu people. The Yurugu values negate Afrikan values, so the corrupted people become self-negating. One tries to destroy what one negates, and so the self-negating person seeks to destroy their own community. Wilson says "We have come to identify with those who possess us. We have come to see them as our natural selves". Self-hatred by people is the greatest defence of Yurugu people.
eworan 5
part 6
Possession makes the possessed to defend the spirit that possesses.
Many people now reflect Yurugu bodies, food, hair and personalities because they have become possessed by Yurugu spirits. Multiple personality disorder results, as does schizophrenia.
eworan 6
part 7
Personality of people nowadays has been trained to turn away from the memory of slavery. "We do not want to think about it, talk about it, do anything about it other than forget it". Wilson asks "Why is it that the people who pray the most, have their children filling the jails?"
eworan 7
part 8
Education, as well as religion and psychosomatic drugs such as Prozac, physically changes the way the brain functions. They change the psyche and the body. They change the nature of the culture that we live in. Culture, like History and music, cannot exist outside the mind and the body. Often, culture is a way of thinking, or a conspiracy, a means by which a group of people organise to control themselves and the world, a means of organising themselves so that they can gain benefits greater than can be attained by one person. It is an instrument of power. Music is a means of implanting a possessing spirit in our bodies by that culture.
eworan 8
part 9
Why is it everything people do, as they protest for freedom and independence, end up enriching the Yurugu? Because the spirit that is implanted responds only to its creator.
The Yurugu culture implants itself through vehicles such as music, film and poetry that involve people thinking or moving in rhythm with each other, and through symbols and language. One of the best ways in which cultural values are implanted is through entertainment. Wilson says "Their content of our self-destructiveness is carried in our music and poetry".
Personality is a function of society. Each individual personality is in-cultured to serve the needs of society. Who is creating the culture of your personality?
eworan 9
part 10
All culture is dynamic. Do not look to 13th century African culture and try to adapt it to 21st century life. What makes a culture African is that it looks to the interests of Afrikan people.
Can we organise our skills, knowledge and though styles, content to achieve our values? If values, consciousness, personality are types of power, it is possible that others take our power and use them against us.
eworan 10
part 11
Be Afrikan centred, otherwise we suffer first ethno-cide then genocide. We must develop an African history, values, sense of nationhood. Wilson says "we are a de-facto nation that is afraid to be it". We permit our resources - human and material - to be exported and used by others. Just like the countries in African continent, the Afrikan NWN is indebted to Yurugu organisations. With its installment plans, it becomes too impoverished to build communications, medical, educational or any other infrastructure. Like the African countries, the African NWN is a mono-product economy. It sells only its labour. This labour is sold into a buyers market. There is soon to be no more demand for this labour.
eworan 11
part 12
We have no obligation to feed the children of other people before we feed our own. The China market is worth USD400billion. The Afrikan NWN is worth USD500billion. You must contribute to our community institutions otherwise we will not let you operate. There is no free market. No matter the resources, you must have a consciousness that transverses a communications network to reach into all your endeavours.
eworan 12
part 1
A nation within nations
Afrikan-Americans should think and act as a nation-within-nation (NWN), with all the structures of nationhood, from libraries for its memories, to schools for its education, to shops for its trade.
Nationality is about power.
eworan 1
part 2
Planning with human consciousness helps prevent being overwhelmed by events, such that one is always reacting. Consciousness determines the nature of relationships, which determine the power structure. Stop appealing to, or analysing, or trying to transform others.
Jobs. Why assume that others will have jobs for the people. European and European-American communities no longer have jobs for people and are now warehousing them in substandard schools and in prisons. Yurugu are not creating enough jobs for their own people. Rather than trying to become qualified for jobs that do not exist, people should focus on going to schools to become business owners and job creators. To see themselves as the major sources of employment and wealth. Thinking as a NWN will make people focus.
eworan 2
part 3
People are creating jobs in music, advertising, real estate, spending habits, prison. And yet people are begging for jobs. It is because Afrikan consciousness is impaired that people are begging for jobs and are poor and are starving in the midst of great wealth, in form of land and minerals and powerful people. The wealth of a people are not, ultimately, in their land but in their mind, their spiritual consciousness. Look to Japan, a nation totally dependent as are Europe nations, on the mineral wealth of others. Only spiritual poverty can make a rich people think that they are poor. Others have used their minds and their cleverness to con people of their minds and their wealth. Consciousness is directly related to the type of life that one lives.
What else do Black Conservatives conserve other than the spiritual system that made the people poor in the first case.
Inter-generational planning: whatever you do, think of the effect on seven generations to come. The legacy of slavery is being enjoyed today by the same people who claim slavery was "back then" and suffered today by those who were dispossessed then.
eworan 3
part 4
People have not moved beyond slavery, even in the uniform clothes, food and language of communication. What passes for 'Soul food' is not the food of people but the food of slaves.
Why do African names sound so strange to ears of the people. The purpose of the people has been to work and create wealth for yurugu people. It is time to change this slave consciousness. What kind of god do you worship? Wilson says "We are possessed by spirits and demons. We have let another peoples' spirits take possession of our minds and bodies. These cause us to hate and harm ourselves. We must exorcise these demons. We have been implanted with a spirit."
eworan 4
part 5
In defending our ego, we end up protecting the structure that has destroyed our ego in the first place. Black on black violence caused by people becoming possessed by Yurugu values and so identifying themselves with Yurugu people. The Yurugu values negate Afrikan values, so the corrupted people become self-negating. One tries to destroy what one negates, and so the self-negating person seeks to destroy their own community. Wilson says "We have come to identify with those who possess us. We have come to see them as our natural selves". Self-hatred by people is the greatest defence of Yurugu people.
eworan 5
part 6
Possession makes the possessed to defend the spirit that possesses.
Many people now reflect Yurugu bodies, food, hair and personalities because they have become possessed by Yurugu spirits. Multiple personality disorder results, as does schizophrenia.
eworan 6
part 7
Personality of people nowadays has been trained to turn away from the memory of slavery. "We do not want to think about it, talk about it, do anything about it other than forget it". Wilson asks "Why is it that the people who pray the most, have their children filling the jails?"
eworan 7
part 8
Education, as well as religion and psychosomatic drugs such as Prozac, physically changes the way the brain functions. They change the psyche and the body. They change the nature of the culture that we live in. Culture, like History and music, cannot exist outside the mind and the body. Often, culture is a way of thinking, or a conspiracy, a means by which a group of people organise to control themselves and the world, a means of organising themselves so that they can gain benefits greater than can be attained by one person. It is an instrument of power. Music is a means of implanting a possessing spirit in our bodies by that culture.
eworan 8
part 9
Why is it everything people do, as they protest for freedom and independence, end up enriching the Yurugu? Because the spirit that is implanted responds only to its creator.
The Yurugu culture implants itself through vehicles such as music, film and poetry that involve people thinking or moving in rhythm with each other, and through symbols and language. One of the best ways in which cultural values are implanted is through entertainment. Wilson says "Their content of our self-destructiveness is carried in our music and poetry".
Personality is a function of society. Each individual personality is in-cultured to serve the needs of society. Who is creating the culture of your personality?
eworan 9
part 10
All culture is dynamic. Do not look to 13th century African culture and try to adapt it to 21st century life. What makes a culture African is that it looks to the interests of Afrikan people.
Can we organise our skills, knowledge and though styles, content to achieve our values? If values, consciousness, personality are types of power, it is possible that others take our power and use them against us.
eworan 10
part 11
Be Afrikan centred, otherwise we suffer first ethno-cide then genocide. We must develop an African history, values, sense of nationhood. Wilson says "we are a de-facto nation that is afraid to be it". We permit our resources - human and material - to be exported and used by others. Just like the countries in African continent, the Afrikan NWN is indebted to Yurugu organisations. With its installment plans, it becomes too impoverished to build communications, medical, educational or any other infrastructure. Like the African countries, the African NWN is a mono-product economy. It sells only its labour. This labour is sold into a buyers market. There is soon to be no more demand for this labour.
eworan 11
part 12
We have no obligation to feed the children of other people before we feed our own. The China market is worth USD400billion. The Afrikan NWN is worth USD500billion. You must contribute to our community institutions otherwise we will not let you operate. There is no free market. No matter the resources, you must have a consciousness that transverses a communications network to reach into all your endeavours.
eworan 12
Monday, January 21, 2008
Yoruba Orisha Spirituality as Egyptian Ancient Mystery Religion
Found this "History of the Yoruba 1" at a Black History section of a website that may not keep it for long, so I have stored here while I research it.
The probable site of Atlantis, a legendary site in the Atlantic Ocean were exact location of Ile-Ife, a powerful kingdom 9000 years before the birth of BOLON. Its powerful army over run the Mediterranean land. The people of Atlantis are the founder of the ancient civilization of Atlantis from which the Atlantic ocean derived its name; Yorubas called it "Okun" with "Olokun" as the Orisa that presided over that aspect of Nature. It is the teaching of occultists that the first race of Atlanteans was called Rmoahals.
The race was Mahogany Black in color about 10ft. to 12 ft.
"Ile- Ife ase n taye nibi ojumo ti n mo wa" (Ile-Ife the primordial place where the day light comes forth) is the original home of the Yorubas, civilization and culture. Did you know that Ife (Yoruba) gave the world the civilization as we know it today? For instance, "Britons received their civilization from Rome: Rome from Greece: Greece from Persia: Persia from Ghaldea: Ghaldea from Babylon: Babylonians and Hebrews from Egypt: Egypt from the Tyrrhenians and the Tyrrhenians from the ancient Ile-Ife.
Yorubas refered to themselves as "Eniyan" or Eni ti Aayan" (the Chosen Ones to bring blessing to the world). "Ifa ni dandan, eniyan ni a yan lati mu ire wa si aye."
Lamurudu or Nemrod was never mentioned in any of the Odu Ifa therefore he could not be any of the Yorubas' ancestors. Yorubas are known for paying close attention to their ancestors.
References:
* "From Invincible World", by Justice Adewale Thomson and Lieutenant Colonel Arthur E. Powell
* "Voices of Africa" by Leo Frobenius
Author: The Curator
Ile Asa Abalaye
(A Yoruba-World Museum of Science & Culture)
Found this "History of the Yoruba 2" at a Black History website that may not keep it for long, so I have stored it here.
Decoding the History of Yoruba within the meanings of language and the symbols
One of the things that is very consistent in the History of Yoruba people and family nations has been that King Lamurudu was a powerful hunter who had several children and one of them, Odua or Oduduwa the last child, became the founding ancestor of the Yoruba people and family nations.
Our prehistory is based on oral traditions and, like all oral stories, subject to change by omission and commission -- after some thousands years of told and retold. When groups and family nations have found their niche and security within the land, independent of one another, different stories about groups' origins become more fashionable.
And the advent of colonialists did not help our history. It was like the 'sermon on the mount' -- "Give ye not that which is sacred to the dog, neither cast your pearl before the swine, for the swine would trample them under their feet and the dog would turn and rend you." For some thousands of years we have given our history to alien powers; as we use their expertise and their language to interpret and write about who we were and are.
The situation was made more complicated as colonialists (another alien powers) moved in and assigned different alphabets to the spoken words of similar groups within group.
For example: Some groups were assigned the letter C, some got Z and another got S -- for similar sounds. In one similar sound, some groups were assigned Ch, or Sh, or, even S. Some group received the K and others received the Q for similar sound, and so on and so on. Each group accepted its alien alphabets without reexamination and change. Furthermore, isolation of groups from each other led to different pronunciations of words and their uses took new, but related, meanings.
Please allow me to digress a moment. I went to see a Ghanian colleague in Richardson by Dallas in Texas. He and I went out for a couple of hours and, upon return, his wife welcomed us back home with the word that sounded like Yoruba "eku aabo,"which means "welcome" in Yoruba. But I was wrong. She was speaking her Ghana language when she said "akwaaba," which means "welcome." Another group in Ghana spells the same word "aquaaba."Our languages and symbols, highly codified by our ancestors in order to promote survival, could be very useful in determining our true history.
We must look at prehistory and other available references from ancient times related to oral prehistory and our cultural symbols to correct the mistakes in written history.
Last year I wrote: "The Yoruba language is excellent in what is called "euphony." Euphony is a method by which one makes a phonetic change to make a word or phrase more pleasant to hear or pronounce. For example, in Yoruba, "li" or "ni" can interchange. Some Yoruba ethnic can say "ni ana" or "li ana" which means "as of yesterday." "Ni oni" or "li oni" which means "as of today." For the sake of euphony, both phrases become "lana" and "loni" respectively. Now, let us apply the same to Nimrod, Nam'Ur-ud and the father of O'dua -- Lamurudu.
First, take out all vowels in each name. Nimrod will become NMRD, Nam'Ur-ud will become NMRD. For the sake of euphony, replace the "L" in Lamurudu with N and you have NMRD. Lamurudu was the beginning of ena; the inversion or change of letters, words, syllables or sentences in order that the sense is disguised. Lamurudu is thus concealed.
It has now become an instinctual response for the Yoruba to trigger the "u" sense upon contact with Arabic names, which have their root in Aramaic, the language of the Canaanites. Ask yourself this question: How did the Greek come to have the "Staff of Orion" and the Yoruba also have the "Opa Oranyan?" Orion and Oranyan are the same but utter confusion.
But our elders would exaggerate some words. Oranyan (Orion) became Oranmiyan -- the same utter confusion. The Greek and the Hebrew borrowed a lot from their Canaanite masters from prehistory. The art of writing came from the Canaanites. The Hebrew, the Arabic and the Greek borrowed from the Canaanite. Some older dictionaries would let you know that.
But modern dictionaries have begun to omit the Canaanite as first in writing. And that is purposeful. For example, the letter "O" is used by the Canaanite to mean "end or completion." It is "omega" in Greek which means "end." The word "dua" is Aramaic/Arabic for "prayer" or "supplicate before God." In Arabic "Ya" is "O." Therefore if you named your child "Ya'dua" and I named my child "O'dua," we are both thanking God for answering our prayers for giving us the child we want.
The name is usually given to the expected last born son. In modern Yoruba, a'dua has acquired the letter "r" to become "adura. "Following the deluge, after a few thousand years with the kingdom under water and under deserts, other people, including the Hebrew, invaded with confidence to take over the land gradually because the great king was gone. The Canaanites scattered under different names to hide because of persecution, genocide, splinter groups and within group fighting. One group became Yoruba, which was 'Yerubbaal' -- the 'People of Baal'. Baal was a monotheistic God.
With new names for the one and only God, the word 'Baal' was absorbed from the Canaanite into Hebrew to mean 'lord or master of the house' and it is the same as 'baale' in Yoruba. The people further changed the identity of Baal to Shango.
Please make the effort to go to a good museum where you can find the drawing of the Canaanite God Baal and compare it with any statue of Shango. And for that matter, we should compare the sculptures and arts of the Canaanites (Phoenicians) with that of the Yoruba, Benin, Asante and others for similarities. And we should not allow any stolen history found in the Old Testament cause us to shy away from our prehistory. The Canaanite word "ilu" gave us Olu, Eli and Ala. The same people gave us "ob" from which Obd, Abd and Oba came. For example in the Bible, we have OBADIAH which is "servant of God." It is oxymoron when our Yoruba ministers call God "Olorun-oba." the Owner of the Heaven cannot also be called the servant. Olorun by itself is a great attribute for God. Oba in prehistory was the servant of the people appointed by the King to administer his territories -- conquered or acquired. At that time, Obas were like Governor Generals under the British rule in our present day. They were not meant to equal the status of the king.
In the same line of conversation, the deity "Obatala" in Yoruba was the 'servant of God' and God is 'Ala Ta Ala' in Islam. The time is now for our linguists, lexicologists, educators and simply ordinary persons to help update the Yoruba Dictionary to include the roots and origins of words. Our alphabets, developed by a European anthropologist, only put us further away from our origin, especially those letters that carry a dot along with them.
Take for an example, the letter 'O' as in 'imo' and 'ino'. Both words mean 'light'. But in Aramaic and Arabic, the words 'light' will be 'ur' and 'nur'. Let us declare our own Age of Enlightenment with the new millennium.
Author: M. Kayode Oladale Molake
PS: The myth was that the Opa Oranyan was the walking cane of Oranyan. No. From the vantage view of our ancestors, it was the structure of the Staff of Oranyan (Orion) in the Orion Nebulae. Opa Oranyan (Orion) contains messages that must be deciphered by you, you, you and me.
Do you know that King Nam'Ur-ud (the Light that Shines, hence Orion) was degraded by the writers of the Old Testament with the name Nimrod which has no meaning? It was like deliberately saying your name wrongly to put you down. You are told in the Bible that Nimrod (King Nam'Ur-ud -- codified LAMURUDU by our ancestors) was the greatest king-hunter, built the Tower of Babel, and the meanest human.
Do you know he vanished about 9,000 years ago and our ancestors erected a colossus statue with his face on the body of lion the king and the hunter to represent him on earth until his return?
Do you know the Sphinx was a tribute to the great King and not Pharaohs? This is the statue's ninth millennia. Don't let the "experts" mislead you.
Do you know that he word "Yoruba" is a spiritual name? Do you know that some Yoruba member-nations took political names of the Canaanite groups -- Edomites, Jebusites and so on?
Do you know you MUST develop your Third Eye in order to come into the Past, which is more tedious than entering Present and the Future? This is beyond your general science validity.
May the Spirits of our Ancestors continue to bestow upon you great favors. Ashe o.
Wish you peace and alafia
M. Kayode Oladale Molake
(email: omoodua9-at-aol-dot-com)
The probable site of Atlantis, a legendary site in the Atlantic Ocean were exact location of Ile-Ife, a powerful kingdom 9000 years before the birth of BOLON. Its powerful army over run the Mediterranean land. The people of Atlantis are the founder of the ancient civilization of Atlantis from which the Atlantic ocean derived its name; Yorubas called it "Okun" with "Olokun" as the Orisa that presided over that aspect of Nature. It is the teaching of occultists that the first race of Atlanteans was called Rmoahals.
The race was Mahogany Black in color about 10ft. to 12 ft.
"Ile- Ife ase n taye nibi ojumo ti n mo wa" (Ile-Ife the primordial place where the day light comes forth) is the original home of the Yorubas, civilization and culture. Did you know that Ife (Yoruba) gave the world the civilization as we know it today? For instance, "Britons received their civilization from Rome: Rome from Greece: Greece from Persia: Persia from Ghaldea: Ghaldea from Babylon: Babylonians and Hebrews from Egypt: Egypt from the Tyrrhenians and the Tyrrhenians from the ancient Ile-Ife.
Yorubas refered to themselves as "Eniyan" or Eni ti Aayan" (the Chosen Ones to bring blessing to the world). "Ifa ni dandan, eniyan ni a yan lati mu ire wa si aye."
Lamurudu or Nemrod was never mentioned in any of the Odu Ifa therefore he could not be any of the Yorubas' ancestors. Yorubas are known for paying close attention to their ancestors.
References:
* "From Invincible World", by Justice Adewale Thomson and Lieutenant Colonel Arthur E. Powell
* "Voices of Africa" by Leo Frobenius
Author: The Curator
Ile Asa Abalaye
(A Yoruba-World Museum of Science & Culture)
Found this "History of the Yoruba 2" at a Black History website that may not keep it for long, so I have stored it here.
Decoding the History of Yoruba within the meanings of language and the symbols
One of the things that is very consistent in the History of Yoruba people and family nations has been that King Lamurudu was a powerful hunter who had several children and one of them, Odua or Oduduwa the last child, became the founding ancestor of the Yoruba people and family nations.
Our prehistory is based on oral traditions and, like all oral stories, subject to change by omission and commission -- after some thousands years of told and retold. When groups and family nations have found their niche and security within the land, independent of one another, different stories about groups' origins become more fashionable.
And the advent of colonialists did not help our history. It was like the 'sermon on the mount' -- "Give ye not that which is sacred to the dog, neither cast your pearl before the swine, for the swine would trample them under their feet and the dog would turn and rend you." For some thousands of years we have given our history to alien powers; as we use their expertise and their language to interpret and write about who we were and are.
The situation was made more complicated as colonialists (another alien powers) moved in and assigned different alphabets to the spoken words of similar groups within group.
For example: Some groups were assigned the letter C, some got Z and another got S -- for similar sounds. In one similar sound, some groups were assigned Ch, or Sh, or, even S. Some group received the K and others received the Q for similar sound, and so on and so on. Each group accepted its alien alphabets without reexamination and change. Furthermore, isolation of groups from each other led to different pronunciations of words and their uses took new, but related, meanings.
Please allow me to digress a moment. I went to see a Ghanian colleague in Richardson by Dallas in Texas. He and I went out for a couple of hours and, upon return, his wife welcomed us back home with the word that sounded like Yoruba "eku aabo,"which means "welcome" in Yoruba. But I was wrong. She was speaking her Ghana language when she said "akwaaba," which means "welcome." Another group in Ghana spells the same word "aquaaba."Our languages and symbols, highly codified by our ancestors in order to promote survival, could be very useful in determining our true history.
We must look at prehistory and other available references from ancient times related to oral prehistory and our cultural symbols to correct the mistakes in written history.
Last year I wrote: "The Yoruba language is excellent in what is called "euphony." Euphony is a method by which one makes a phonetic change to make a word or phrase more pleasant to hear or pronounce. For example, in Yoruba, "li" or "ni" can interchange. Some Yoruba ethnic can say "ni ana" or "li ana" which means "as of yesterday." "Ni oni" or "li oni" which means "as of today." For the sake of euphony, both phrases become "lana" and "loni" respectively. Now, let us apply the same to Nimrod, Nam'Ur-ud and the father of O'dua -- Lamurudu.
First, take out all vowels in each name. Nimrod will become NMRD, Nam'Ur-ud will become NMRD. For the sake of euphony, replace the "L" in Lamurudu with N and you have NMRD. Lamurudu was the beginning of ena; the inversion or change of letters, words, syllables or sentences in order that the sense is disguised. Lamurudu is thus concealed.
It has now become an instinctual response for the Yoruba to trigger the "u" sense upon contact with Arabic names, which have their root in Aramaic, the language of the Canaanites. Ask yourself this question: How did the Greek come to have the "Staff of Orion" and the Yoruba also have the "Opa Oranyan?" Orion and Oranyan are the same but utter confusion.
But our elders would exaggerate some words. Oranyan (Orion) became Oranmiyan -- the same utter confusion. The Greek and the Hebrew borrowed a lot from their Canaanite masters from prehistory. The art of writing came from the Canaanites. The Hebrew, the Arabic and the Greek borrowed from the Canaanite. Some older dictionaries would let you know that.
But modern dictionaries have begun to omit the Canaanite as first in writing. And that is purposeful. For example, the letter "O" is used by the Canaanite to mean "end or completion." It is "omega" in Greek which means "end." The word "dua" is Aramaic/Arabic for "prayer" or "supplicate before God." In Arabic "Ya" is "O." Therefore if you named your child "Ya'dua" and I named my child "O'dua," we are both thanking God for answering our prayers for giving us the child we want.
The name is usually given to the expected last born son. In modern Yoruba, a'dua has acquired the letter "r" to become "adura. "Following the deluge, after a few thousand years with the kingdom under water and under deserts, other people, including the Hebrew, invaded with confidence to take over the land gradually because the great king was gone. The Canaanites scattered under different names to hide because of persecution, genocide, splinter groups and within group fighting. One group became Yoruba, which was 'Yerubbaal' -- the 'People of Baal'. Baal was a monotheistic God.
With new names for the one and only God, the word 'Baal' was absorbed from the Canaanite into Hebrew to mean 'lord or master of the house' and it is the same as 'baale' in Yoruba. The people further changed the identity of Baal to Shango.
Please make the effort to go to a good museum where you can find the drawing of the Canaanite God Baal and compare it with any statue of Shango. And for that matter, we should compare the sculptures and arts of the Canaanites (Phoenicians) with that of the Yoruba, Benin, Asante and others for similarities. And we should not allow any stolen history found in the Old Testament cause us to shy away from our prehistory. The Canaanite word "ilu" gave us Olu, Eli and Ala. The same people gave us "ob" from which Obd, Abd and Oba came. For example in the Bible, we have OBADIAH which is "servant of God." It is oxymoron when our Yoruba ministers call God "Olorun-oba." the Owner of the Heaven cannot also be called the servant. Olorun by itself is a great attribute for God. Oba in prehistory was the servant of the people appointed by the King to administer his territories -- conquered or acquired. At that time, Obas were like Governor Generals under the British rule in our present day. They were not meant to equal the status of the king.
In the same line of conversation, the deity "Obatala" in Yoruba was the 'servant of God' and God is 'Ala Ta Ala' in Islam. The time is now for our linguists, lexicologists, educators and simply ordinary persons to help update the Yoruba Dictionary to include the roots and origins of words. Our alphabets, developed by a European anthropologist, only put us further away from our origin, especially those letters that carry a dot along with them.
Take for an example, the letter 'O' as in 'imo' and 'ino'. Both words mean 'light'. But in Aramaic and Arabic, the words 'light' will be 'ur' and 'nur'. Let us declare our own Age of Enlightenment with the new millennium.
Author: M. Kayode Oladale Molake
PS: The myth was that the Opa Oranyan was the walking cane of Oranyan. No. From the vantage view of our ancestors, it was the structure of the Staff of Oranyan (Orion) in the Orion Nebulae. Opa Oranyan (Orion) contains messages that must be deciphered by you, you, you and me.
Do you know that King Nam'Ur-ud (the Light that Shines, hence Orion) was degraded by the writers of the Old Testament with the name Nimrod which has no meaning? It was like deliberately saying your name wrongly to put you down. You are told in the Bible that Nimrod (King Nam'Ur-ud -- codified LAMURUDU by our ancestors) was the greatest king-hunter, built the Tower of Babel, and the meanest human.
Do you know he vanished about 9,000 years ago and our ancestors erected a colossus statue with his face on the body of lion the king and the hunter to represent him on earth until his return?
Do you know the Sphinx was a tribute to the great King and not Pharaohs? This is the statue's ninth millennia. Don't let the "experts" mislead you.
Do you know that he word "Yoruba" is a spiritual name? Do you know that some Yoruba member-nations took political names of the Canaanite groups -- Edomites, Jebusites and so on?
Do you know you MUST develop your Third Eye in order to come into the Past, which is more tedious than entering Present and the Future? This is beyond your general science validity.
May the Spirits of our Ancestors continue to bestow upon you great favors. Ashe o.
Wish you peace and alafia
M. Kayode Oladale Molake
(email: omoodua9-at-aol-dot-com)
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