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AWOLALU, Omosade. The Yoruba Philosophy of Life
AWOLALU, Omosade. The Yoruba Philosophy of Life
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J. Omosa.de AWOLALU
I. INTRODUCTION.
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THE YORUBA PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 21
Ma a ko'le
Ma a bi'mo
Ma ra moto ayokele
Laisi alafia
Wonyen ko se ise.
Alafia loju
liera loro
Eniti o ni alafia
O lohun gbogbo (3).
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22 PRSENCE AFRICAINE
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THE YORUBA PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 23
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THE YORUBA PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 25
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(8) J. Pedersen : Israel : Its Life and Culture I-II (O.U.P. 1926),
P . 206.
(9) These are interesting native games.
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THE YORUBA PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 27
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THE YORUBA PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 29
iv) Witchcraft.
v) Sorcery.
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i) Consulting oracles.
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THE YORUBA PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 31
When the oracle reveals to the priest what things are and
are likely to be, there is the usual prescription of what is to be
done to prevent imminent evils, to change the present bad
circumstances or to retain good fortune. These prescriptions
take the form of sacrifices to be offered, medicine to be used,
amulets to be worn or tabus to be observed.
If there is an epidemic in a village, for example, the inha
bitants of that village may be required to offer a sacrifice of
propitiation to placate the angry divinity that is believed to
have brought the scourge. In addition, they may be required
to avoid music, dancing, whistling, going out late at night
or when the sun is very hot.
Witchcraft and sorcery are constantly being counteracted.
The priests have many charms and medicines to combat the ma
chinations of witches and sorcerers. These charms and medi
cines are prepared in various forms ; they may be in the form
of rings or amulets or in the form of packages which are seen
hanging at the entrance of a village or a house, or they may
be buried under the floor of a house. In addition, the priests are
believed capable of exposing witches and in this way they
help reveal the secret and render the wicked helpless.
Furthermore, through the help of the priest, the Yoruba
devise means of averting imminent death. When children are
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32 PRSENCE AFRICAINE
Ai de iku,
La nb' Osun;
Ai de iku
La nb'Orisa ;
Bi iku ba de,
Iku ko gb'ebo.
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THE YORUBA PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 33
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34 PRSENCE AFRICAINE
(17) Cf. J.D.Y. Peel : Aladura (O.U.P. 1968), pp. 212-215 and E.G. Par
rinder : Religion in an African City (O.U.P. 1953), p. 115.
(18) 1. Cor. 15 : 55.
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THE YORUBA PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 35
Ma j'okun, ma j'ekolo
Ohun ti nwon nje lajule orun
Niko ma a ba wen je
Ma jokun
Ma je ekolo
Ile aiye ni ti i ba ni'lo
b) Reincarnation.
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c) Ancestor worship.
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THE YORUBA PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 37
IV. CONCLUSION.
Aiye lajo
Orun nilo.
Judging from what has been said so far, we see that tra
ditional Yoruba philosophy covers both this life and the life
to come. One is regarded as a preparation for the other. But
one may ask if the present generation of Yoruba thinks of
this ideal as the present wave of daylight armed robberies, ju
venile delinquency and other vices which are characteristic of
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3H PRSENCE AFRICAINE
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