International Women’s Day 2016 | The Odu Ose Otura

As part of the celebration and the commerotation of the International Women’s Day 2016, we seek to look into the place of women and accolades they get especially in the religious parlance. So here is a guest post from Iyalorisa Ifawemimo Omitonade Egbelade on the special place, power and honour expected of a woman in the Yoruba Traditional religion as exemplified in Odu Ose Otura

The Odu Ose Otura Speaks about the power of women. It says if they are not given honour and respect then they can be angered and they have the ability to destroy the world. The lives of all males are in the hand of the female. If an husband succeeds let us look at his wife. The success of the family is in the hand of the woman. The Odu teaches us not to undervalue women. Ifa Says:

Ajuba Agberegede

A difa fun Osun Sengese

Oloya Iyun

Nijo tin be nipo Asiri

Ton ba Oun Ebo Awon Imole Iyoku je

Nje te ni n be leyin te fi tie se

Osun Ewuji ni n be nibe tefi ti e se

A wa n kunle

A n be O

E je Ka kunle fun Obinrin

Tori pe Obinrin lo biwa

Kawa to di eniyan

English Translation

Ajuba Agberegede

Divined for Osun Sengese

Owner of a hair comb decorated with Iyun

When she was in a secret place

She spoiled the sacrifice of other Divinities

Who is performing a sacrifice without involving the owner of the sacrifice?

Osun Ewuji was the person who you are not involving in the sacrifice

We are all on our knees

We are begging you

Let us kneel and prostrate before women

We are all born by women

Before we become recognized as human beings.

This was when the Divinities tried to exclude Osun from the account of origin of tradition of creating the world by certain Yoruba gods. It was said that given the exclusion of Osun from the process all the creation began to crumble. When they reported their misfortune to Olodumare, he said nothing can be created without woman(Osun), for your creation to be manifested you must ask Osun to work with you….

IRE O!

Iyalorisa Omitonade Ifawemimo

omitonadeifawemimo@yahoo.com

08079722547

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