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ÀMÓDI IN THE PRACTICE OF IFÁ DIVINATION: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.4 Preventive and Treatment Methods of Àmódi

4.4.1 Preventive Treatments

Bí òní șe rí, ọ la kìí rí bẹ ẹ , níí mú kí babaláwo dá Ifá ọrọọrún, wọ n wá ní kìí șé ọrọọrún mó, bí kò șe ní oojúmọ (Divination is done weekly because each day has its problem; but now in our days, divination is done daily, not weekly anymore). For the Yoruba people, divination helps to protect humans from the attacks of ajogun and àjẹ , and it helps to avoid things that would have resulted from àì-kò-béèrè.

Ifá literary corpus contains many cases of the intervention of Ifá in what would have been attacks from the evil ones. Abimbola (1976) narrated a story about a man named Óndèsè who would have been besieged by Ikú (death) and the other ajogun but for the prescription by his Ifá priest who painted him with the juice of ibùjé (Randia maculate, used in making blue-black tattoo marks on the face and on the body). This juice turned Óndèsè, a light-complexioned person, into a black man. When the ajogun arrived in his house, they could not recognise him because of the change in his complexion, and so was spared affliction (p. 160).

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Jegede, A. (2002) noted that, for the Yoruba, the concept of preventive and curative care is situated in their day-to-day existence that is informed by their health beliefs. ―The average Yoruba man would also try by every means to avoid any violation of taboos, so that he could maintain a good relationship with the supernatural beings‖ (Jegede, A. 2002:325).

Preventive Measures against àmódi:

a) ẹ bẹ /ìyọ nú àjẹ /àwọn àgbà (appeasing supernatural powers/witches) b) Șó ara fún èèwọ (avoid taboos)

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c) Ìwà pẹ lẹ (good character /gentleness)

d) Ìmọ -ìwọ n ara ẹni (not going beyond one‘s bounds), Ìkóra-ẹni-ní-ìjánu (one being cautious or showing restraint), etc. All these will protect one from àwọn ìyà mi (witches).

e) Ètùtù (sacrifice) are required to satisfy whatever is needed for one‘s safety.

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f) Egbò-igi ìyọ nú/ ẹ bẹ àwọn àgbà, tí wọ n fi ma ń fi ènìyàn șe ọmọ (herbs that protect

against the attack of evil forces)

g) Ẹsẹ nbálè/ Ìkọsẹ -wáyé (divination at birth to find out what a child will become)

(a) Èb /ìy nú àj /àw n àgbà: Èbẹ (appease of supernatural powers/witches) is used ―for protection against witchcraft poisoning and making sure that all medicine retain their potency.‖ (Osunwole, 1989:228) Èbẹ is also a form of appeal to Olódùmarè, a divinity or a force, as a means of reaching out to possible sources of diseases. It is a plea to prevent the afflictions that may come upon a client or members of his/her family.

This means that if patients P, Q, R, S and H who had conditions diagnosed to have been caused by àjẹ had engaged in Èbẹ /ìyọ nú àjẹ , they would not have suffered from the conditions and experiences they went through, and if it must happen, the conditions would just have been àlejò (a visitor) without any power to harm the body.25

(b) Șó ara fún èèw (avoid taboos): There are foods, actions and places to be avoided by certain people.

For example, Òrìșà-nlá does not drink palm-wine; to take palm-wine to its shrine is regarded as a taboo;

and his worshippers are also expected not to touch palm-wine. In the case of Èșù palm-kernel oil (àdín)

23 There are foods, actions and places to be avoided by certain people.

24 Ifaleke Ifatunmibi (Awise Oshogbo) Eku mà ré o, òrò eku kò kíí ku díè, kí òrò mi má kú díè o; Eja mà ré o, oro eja kìí já díjú, kí òrò mi kó má se jádíjú o etc.

25 Wande Abimbola gave an example of a woman whom he grew up to know. The woman had some disease that made her cough for over forty years. She coughed and spat out blood all through those years, but never died, this he attributed to the power of Èbè. This made the disease to co-habit but not harm the woman.

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should never be taken to his shrine; anyone who takes palm-kernel oil (àdín) near him is breaking a taboo, thereby asking for trouble upon him/herself or upon someone else (Idowu, 1996:119).

Ritual defilement may also bring about severe consequence depending on the taboo attached to different divinities. As Yoruba people say, ―bí ọmọdé bá da‟lẹ , kí ó má da Ògún l‟éèwọ – if one breaks covenant at all, it must not be with Ògún‖ (Idowu, 1996:86). It is strictly advised never to break taboos especially when it concerns divinities and covenants between individuals. Once taboos are kept, diseases are prevented.

Taboos, for the Yoruba people, are known as ‗a kìí șe é‟ (things that are forbidden). It is also believed that divinities can see things done in secret and so punish whoever breaks ‗a kìí șe é‟. This is why the occurrence of diseases or misfortunes that are not understood, inspire a belief that some things are wrong or a kìí șe é (things that are forbidden) has been committed. This study showed that patients C, D and E whose conditions were caused by èèwọ could have prevented their conditions if they had stayed away from breaking taboos

(c) Ìwà p l (good character /gentleness) and Ìm -ìw n ara ni (not going beyond one‟s bounds):

Yoruba people believe that Ìwà pẹ lẹ protects one from the attack of àwọn ìyà mi (the witches). Ìwà pẹ lẹ is regarded as ―sufficient armour against any untoward happening in life‖ (Idowu, 1996:162). With Ìwà pẹ lẹ , one does not need to fear any affliction. Ìwà pẹ lẹ /rere ni ẹ șọ ènìyàn (good character is the guard of man).

Without Ìwà pẹ lẹ , it is believed that one will be afraid needlessly about everybody and everything; every misfortune will be seen as a consequence of sin.

According to Ifaleke Ifatunmibi, (2011) Ìwà pẹ lẹ , (good character /gentleness) guides the actions of individuals and helps to avoid moments that can incur the wrath of àwọn ìyà mi or any of the òrìșà. Ìwà pẹ lẹ symbolises all the virtues like Ìwà ìrẹ lẹ (humility), ìsọ-òtítọ (telling the truth), Ìmọ -ìwọ n ara ẹni (not going beyond one‘s bounds), Ìkóra-ẹni-ní-ìjánu (one being cautious), etc.26 Ifá literary corpus reflects this in the story of Aníwoníkùn in Odù

wọ nrín-sedin:

Ẹ jọ ọ rẹ , ẹ jẹ ó sá:

Ìwà wọn ni í máa lé wọn kiri Ó dá‟fá fún Aníwoníkùn Ti yóò máa bẹ rù t‟ọ án t‟òr ; 5 Oò jẹ hù ìwà„re,

Oò jẹ hù iwa àtàtà,

Aníwoníkùn, kí o yéé sá kiri bí ojo.

Leave him alone, let him run:

It is their character that chases them about.

26 Interview with Awo Ifaleke Ifatunmibi (Awise Osogbo) on the 7th of March, 2011.

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So declares the oracle about Aníwoníkùn Who fears incessantly day and night;

5 Will you but practice good character, Will you but practice sound character,

Aníwoníkùn, and stop running about like a coward (Idowu, 1996:162-163).

Yoruba people have a belief that ẹ já (jealousy) which is a strong reason for attacks of àwọn ìyà mi may result in a person‘s change of àyànmọ; the fortune or health of an individual may change for the worse. For example, among the Yoruba, it is believed that, if in the process of celebrating, one becomes too elaborate without remembering the poor or one consciously side tracks some people as unimportant, these actions, though not directed at hurting anybody, can warrant punishment from àwon ìyà mi.

Afflictions that result from this kind of occasions can be avoided if one employs the virtue of Ìkóra-ẹni-ní-ìjánu (being cautious). It is believed that àwọn ìyà mi live around like regular human beings and this makes it easy to offend them. Yoruba people believe that if one is cautious, he/she will be able to avoid diseases that are not natural in their causation.

From the findings of this study, if patients I, J, K, L, M, N and O who suffered affliction as a result of ìwà-búburú, had been better behaved, their conditions would have been prevented.

(d) Ètùtù and b (ritual and sacrifice): For the babaláwo, ètùtù and ẹbọ are required to satisfy or appease the things that are needed for one‘s safety. Sacrifices are expected to be offered to òrìșà and òkú-ọ run, as these are believed to protect individuals. Yoruba people offer prayers using imageries of happenings around them. For example, ―Eku mà ré o, ọ rọ eku kìí ku díẹ , kí ọ rọ mi má ku díẹ o” (this is a rat; it never lacks. Please, don‘t let me be in want of anything); “Ẹja mà ré o, ọ rọ ẹja kìí já díjú, kí ọ rọ mi kó má șe já díjú o” (this is a fish; fishes never find it difficult to navigate their way, may I never experience difficulty).27

Jegede, A. (2002) noted that to prevent the interference of evil machination, ―certain sacrifices (ètùtù) must be offered as may be directed by the oracle (Ifá) through a diviner (babaláwo)‖ (Jegede, A. 2002:324).

It is a popular saying among the babaláwo that ―ikú kìí jẹ oúnjẹ ẹni, kí ó tún pa‟ni” (death does not eat a person‘s sacrifice/food and still kill the person). This expresses the power of ètùtù. All the ajogun/ẹ mí-àìrí

27Interview with Awo Ifaleke Ifatunmibi (Awis Osogbo) on the 7th of March, 2011

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(unseen spirits) do not function without the knowledge of èșù (devil). This brings about the belief that with ètùtù or ẹbọ, èșù can keep ajogun/ẹ mí-àìrí (unseen spirits) away from harming people28.

There is a narrative that depicts

rúnmìlà as a protector of his devotees. It is also a prayer addressed to

rúnmìlà, imploring him to shield his devotees from evil.

Òní l‟òní Onísìn ìko,

la l‟ọ la

bàràmòjè;

tunla ọmọ ìyá ẹ , Bí ó wá,

5 Bí ò wá, Ẹnìkan ò mọ . A díá fún

rúnmìlà

Ifá ó ràtà b‟ọmọ ẹ Bí igún Ìgemò.

10 È í m‟lé Adó, Ifá, ràtà bò mí, Ibí pọ lode.

Àgbàrá níí ràtàá bo yanrìn lódò.

Ifá, ràtà bò mí, 15 Ibí pọ lode

Ètìpón-olá níí ràtàá bo‟lè.

Ifá, ràtà bò mí, Ibí pọ lode.

Ìhùùhù ladìẹ fií ràtà b‟ọmọ ẹ . 20

rúnmìlà, ràtà bò mí,

Ibí pọ lode.

Today is the day of Onísìn ìko, Tomorrow is the day of Òbàràmòjè, The day after tomorrow, its kinsman, Whether it will come,

5 Whether it will not come, Nobody knows.

Ifá divination was performed for

rúnmìlà

Who sheltered his children Like the vulture of Ìgemò.

10 Èwí in the city of Adó, Ifá, shelter me,

28 There was a case of a young man who came for divination and in the process of divination, it was found that he was to become impotent at a point in his life; sacrifices were made to forestall the future occurrence.

This happened during one of my visits to Ifalowo Ifakayode Oyasogo on the 7th of March, 2011.

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There are many evils outside.

It is the torrent which covers up sand in the river.

Ifá, shelter me,

15 There are many evils outside.

It is Ètìpón-olá vegetable which covers up the earth.

Ifá, shelter me,

There are many evils outside.

The hen shelters her children with her feathers.

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rúnmìlà, shelter me,

There are many evils outside (Abimbola, 1976:153).

All the babaláwo that were interviewed held that ètùtù or ẹbọ could have served as preventive in all the cases observed, this was to show the power and importance of ètùtù or ẹbọ among the babaláwo.

e g ò- g n b àwon àg à, tí wón f ma nf èn àn se m , (herbs that protect