The concept of ori in the traditional yoruba visual. According to the yoruba historian samuel johnson, the oriki is an attributive descriptive, one that expresses what a child is or what he or she is hoped to become. The number of speakers is roughly estimated at about 30 million in 2010. The ese reflect yoruba history, language, beliefs, cosmovision and. The ability to enhance and focus this communication in ifaorisa ritual is supported by the use of oriki. Oct 22, 2014 oriki is the praise poetry and invocations of the yoruba people. The ifa divination system, which makes use of an extensive corpus of texts and mathematical formulas, is practiced among yoruba communities and by the african diaspora in the americas and the caribbean. This healing does not, cannot, will not occur when a healer is in a normal state of consciousness. It is complete with oriki in english as well as yoruba with grammatical emphasis marks to ensure proper pronunciation of the yoruba language. The knowledge of ifa has been preserved within yoruba communities and transmitted among ifa. The names of god in yoruba language oruko ati oriki olorun heres a list of yoruba praise names for god aka oriki as well as their meanings in english.
A concise introduction to the yoruba language yoruba kasahorow kasahorow on. Yoruba language, one of a small group of languages that comprise the yoruboid cluster of the defoid subbranch of the benuecongo branch of the nigercongo language family. The ifa divination system is a set of divination acts done by a. Pdf body size in indigenous oral knowledge among the yoruba. Prayer and ori in the ifa tradition cowrieshell divination. Given the complex nature of africa and its diaspora, and the constantly shifting perspectives prompted by. The yoruba people have very rich cultural oral literature, oriki is on of them.
The holy odu is a collection of odus from the ifa literary corpus. Compare this to the orthographies of nigerian languages. The great blessing of ifa orisa spiritual discipline is the vast collection of oriki that open the portal to communication with a wide range of forces in nature. The yoruba language is a nigercongo language spoken in west africa. Just as you know that the yoruba nation is a civilized nation and has varieties in every part of its culture and tradition,so is the oriki. Oriki is an important and cultural, but unwritten oral genre of yoruba literature that is usually used in praise singing. Apr 20, 2015 it promises to be an invaluable resource for ifa orisha practitioners in ritual, meditation, and general learning about the sacred tradition of ifa. Yoruba speakers and non speakers alike will be blessed. Theoriki in this book are tradi tional invocations that may be used in supplement lineage traditions or to reclaim forms of ancestor reverence commonly found in traditional yoruba communities. The nonvernacular remains of the language in the caribbean, lucumi, is the liturgical language. Iwe fun odu ifa is an assorted collection of odu verses from 256 of the odu ifa as taught in the isese ifaorisha tradition of the yoruba and collected by hrm dahosu agbovi i. An analysis of the yoruba language with english phonetics, phonology, morphology and syntax jolaade okanlawon.
In the yoruba culture, each settlement or minor tribe has its own oriki. It is a pluricentric language spoken principally in nigeria and benin, with communities in sierra leone, liberia, other parts of africa, the. Oriki is the praise poetry and invocations of the yoruba people. No wonder then one of the ondo praise names oriki refers to their. Awo falokun fatunmbi has compiled over 140 oriki in this comprehensive volume. The yoruba culture was originally an oral tradition, and the majority of yoruba people are native speakers of the yoruba language. For all yoruba in home and diasporal to know and understand their family lineage. Praise poetry for the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The number of speakers of yoruba is around 40 million. The number of speakers of yoruba was estimated at around 20 million in the 1990s. This kasahorow language guide includes a basic grammar of yoruba for readers and writers. Olumide lucas book religion of the yorubas15, marks another epoch in yoruba religion scholarship. Yoruba praise names of god, yoruba oriki for god, great for praise and worship, adoration, reflection.
Many ifa orisa communities in the diaspora have developed their own traditions associated with ancestor reverence and these should be honored and maintained. If a female, it is a term of endearment or of praise. However, since different scholars on yoruba studies have used the term yoruba in different ways, it is illuminating that we. The system of divination of ifa signifies, for the traditional yorubas, the center of. One of the beauties of the yoruba language is that several words would have the same exact spelling but would be pronounced differently and have different meanings. Modern yoruba is a concise, portable and easytograsp reference of the yoruba language. The question is frequently asked do we have to do oriki in the yoruba language. Apr 27, 2016 the ability to enhance and focus this communication in ifa orisa ritual is supported by the use of oriki. The third eye in the center of the forehead is our initial access to olorun. Much smaller, scattered groups live in benin and northern togo.
The ese reflect yoruba history, language, beliefs, cosmovision and contemporary social issues. Oriki of the egbas one of the tribes in nigeria duration. Ori is an orisa, and a very powerful and important one. The yoruba of southwestern nigeria, dahomey, and togoland number 1012 million people. Oriki is cultural thing associated with the yoruba culture. One of the beauties of the yoruba language is that several words would have the same exact spelling but would be. Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups of nigeria, concentrated in the southwestern part of that country. Names of god in yoruba language, praise names, gods names in yoruba oruko ati oriki olorun see also. Oriki varies in length depending on lineage and the clan of the individual and the past ancestors.
Most online yoruba language websites also sell yoruba language courses which you can download as pdf yoruba language books. Before i share the oriki aje, heres a little about aje. You are going to learn ancient traditional yoruba orikis prayers incantations to greet the shrine of an elder. The ifa literary corpus, called odu, consists of 256 parts subdivided into. Yoruba language and culture is quite enduring and deep, evidence by the fact that close to two hundred years after slavery the culture and language survives in some parts of the americas. Oriki varies and it is based on each family lineage and ancestral clan,which talks about the bravery act and the pedigree of their ancestors. A comparative study of ifa divination and computer science. To the yoruba it is the ruler god who creates and governs the universe while the responsibility of managing and controlling mans individual. Enjoy, be blessed, and praise our oluwa oba, olorun olodumare. Analysis and interpretation ades ola o late ju university of ibadan, nigeria abstract the paper undertakes a study of animal metaphors in the yoruba language with a view to highlighting the stylistic and communicative potentials of these metaphors. Once youre done with the yoruba phrases, you might want to check the rest of our yoruba lessons here. The study of yoruba religious tradition in historical perspective this essay presents an overview of past and recent scholarship in yoruba religion. Register for ifa training course class one egbe iwapele.
The ifa divination system, which makes use of an extensive corpus of texts and mathematical formulas, is practiced among yoruba communities and by the african diaspora in the americas. Published by the national language centre, edited by ayo bamgbose, federal ministry of education, lagos. The number of speakers of yoruba is estimated between 30 and 40 million, primarily by the ethnic yoruba people. You are going to learn about the 16 odu ifa markings. Yoruba is classified within the edekiri languages, which together with the isolate igala, form the yoruboid group of languages within what we now have as west africa. Bi aji ni kutukutuka di eleda mu when one wakes up early in the morning, one should hold on to his eleda. Yoruba language dvd courses it is one of the many ways to learn yoruba quickly.
Yoruba is spoken by more than 20 million people in southwestern nigeria and parts of benin and togo. The great blessing of ifaorisa spiritual discipline is the vast collection of oriki that open the portal to communication with a wide range of forces in nature. Pauls college, monrovia, liberia a recent article on prayer in the traditional religion of the yoruba people of west africa quotes with approval the complaint made by shorter in 1975 that insufficient attention has been given to the prayers of african traditional religion generally. Should you interested in learning the yoruba language to a skilled stage, youll find we have named useful methods below. Media in category yoruba language the following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. Yoruba is spoken by more than 20 million people in southwestern. With this reality in the thoughts of the yoruba, the man that enters in the cult of ifa is to protect mankind and society. The names of god in yoruba language oruko ati oriki olorun. Yoruba language simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. You can now read the ebook in the pane on the left, listen to the audio pane to the right and practice your pronunciation use on the pronunciation tool tab on right all at the same time. If a male, it is always expressive of something heroic, brave or strong. The divination of ifa the following study is the beginning of a analysis about the thoughts of religiousand philosophical aspects of the yoruba s. When one understands their place in the universe along with all the irunmole, it is only natural or with a little practice, to give thanks for everything one has, no matter how small.
Yoruba language lessons online for beginners there are several free yoruba language lesson for beginners, with basic yoruba phrases and video clips to help you pronounce yoruba words easily. Bascoms book ifa divination first published in 1969. Yoruba language simple english wikipedia, the free. Tones occur on the syllable in yoruba but in the orthography, tones are marked on vowels and syllabic nasals. Their language, yoruba, although predominantly spoken in nigeria, is. For whom everything is found the profound foundation of the system of divination of ifa, for the yoruba s it is the center core of the ideas from the beginning of time. The study of yoruba religious tradition in historical. Yoruba is a tonal language and so it is important to acquire the tones in the language. There is no doubt that in any culture or civilization, language is basic, and wherever you find a similar language being spoken, there is no doubt that there must be some historical connection. By the end of the course, the student should have basic conversational skills. There are three basic tones of different pitch levels in yoruba. Department of sociology, university of ibadan, nigeria. Ede yoruba is a language spoken in west africa and most prominently south western nigeria. See more ideas about nigerian culture, spiritual study, orisha.
Ifa in yoruba thought system carolina academic press. Scholars have documented the existence of habitation in yoruba land dating back to 350. In order to find the prospect of the new place, ifa oracle was consulted and the. The concept of ori in the traditional yoruba visual representation 215 ori lo da mi the deity is my creator eniyan ko o it is not man olorun ni it is god ori lo da mi the deity is my creator ori here refers to the deity the creator himself, whereas in another of the yoruba sayings. The iwaju are portals to the invisible realm called olorun in the yoruba language. Topics yoruba language collection opensource language english. It is expressed through chanting or singing and is used by ifa orisha initiates as words of power in ritual and ceremony. You are going to learn ancient traditional yoruba orikis prayers incantations to 10 orishas. In yoruba this connection is called oogun literally meaning the spirit of medicine which is a reference to the ability to use altered states of consciousness to heal others and the world around us. Free shipping oriki oriki is the praise poetry and invocations of the yoruba people. Each household within a tribe or settlement has it own oriki. Jan 06, 2012 oriki is an important and cultural, but unwritten oral genre of yoruba literature that is usually used in praise singing.
To achieve the set objective, the animals domestic and. The other yoruboid languages include igala and itsekiri. The earliest studies of yoruba religious traditions were carried out by mlssionarles, travellers and explorers who were concerned with writng about the. Many ifaorisa communities in the diaspora have developed their own traditions associated with ancestor reverence and these should be honored and maintained. Pdf a comparative study of ifa divination and computer science. Traditional yoruba personal names of ifa origin are on the decline as more. The number of speakers of yoruba was thought to be 20 million in the 1990s.
The study of chakra called iwaju in ifa is i believe fundamental to our understanding of ifa. Euptologists and ifa school the publication of venerable j. The ifa priests are also consulted by communities plagued with. If you are buying from, then you can download your yoruba language books on kindle easily. Arinpe adejumo department of linguistics and african languages. It is a pluricentric language spoken principally in nigeria and benin, with communities in sierra leone, liberia, other parts of africa, the americas, and europe. Awo falokun fatunmbi has compiled over 140 oriki in this comprehensive volume it promises to be an invaluable resource for ifa orisha practitioners in ritual, meditation, and general. Orisa worship among the igbomina yoruba of ilaorangun. This basic grammar book of yoruba will teach you simple grammar. We made using the fsi yoruba basic course material easier to use and more effective. It is one of the languages in nigeria, benin, and togo and in communities in other parts of africa, europe and the americas. The word ifa refers to the mystical figure ifa or orunmila, regarded by the yoruba as the deity of wisdom and intellectual development. Lucas, the first indigene to write about yoruba religion was an.
Ifa divination system intangible heritage culture sector. Iwe fun odu ifa is an assorted collection of odu verses from 256 of the odu ifa as taught in the isese ifa orisha tradition of the yoruba and collected by hrm dahosu agbovi i. It promises to be an invaluable resource for ifa orisha practitioners in ritual, meditation, and general learning about the sacred tradition of ifa. Fsi yoruba basic course student text online language school. The ifa divination system is a set of divination acts done by a professional that has been granted authority a babalawo to create and make use of set of rules to communicate with the gods so as. The igbo people of eastern nigeria refer to ifa as afain which case a dibia who is synonymous to babalawo divinity if you move outside our country nigeria, let us consider different names give by people of various culture to ifa from global perspective, this semantic differences arise as a result of wide spread of ifa practice over the year. The yoruba animal metaphors nordic journal of african studies.
Babalawo training, iyanifa training, ifa training, orisha. Ifa divination trays from isaleoyo openedition journals. Yoruba is a member of the voltaniger branch of the nigercongo language family spoken in nigeria, benin, togo and a number of other countries by about 28 million people. Most yoruba people speak the yoruba language, which is the nigercongo language with the largest number of native, l1 or first language speakers. Oriki is used during individual or communal ceremonies, for individuals or the community. Learn simple yoruba for getting around and making friends. The yoruba numbered more than 20 million at the turn of the 21st century. Ondo is one of the largest ethnic groups in yoruba land and shares a good number of the. Akinyemi drew my attention to recent studies on oriki and oyo oral tradi. For followers of ifa, known as elesin ibile, prayer is a daily practice. Mar 31, 20 the names of god in yoruba language oruko ati oriki olorun heres a list of yoruba praise names for god aka oriki as well as their meanings in english. The paper undertakes a study of animal metaphors in the yoruba language. This 735 page book with over verses, which includes yoruba and english languages, is aimed at assisting afrikans with a good and reliable source of ifa and is a. The native tongue of the yoruba people is spoken, among other languages, in nigeria, benin, and togo and in communities in other parts of africa, europe and the americas.