THE YORÙBÁ CONCEPT OF ORÍ

The Yorùbá have a strong belief in predestination. They believe that the success or failure of a man depends to a large extent on the type of choice he man in heaven.

Some people are said to have chosen a life of poverty and simplicity while others chose a life of affluence and glamour. Some people chose short while others chose long life.

This belief in predestination is used to explain the success or failure of every man on earth. If a person suddenly becomes rich the Yorùbá say that it is due to his predestined choice in heaven. The same thing is said when a person dies in the flower of his youth or if he fails in an important endeavour.

It follows, therefore, that while human effort cannot be ruled out for success or failure, the greater part of it can be ascribed to predestination. This is meaning of the Yorùbá saying:

A kúnlë, a yan ëdá,
A dáyé tan,
Ojú ñkán ni.

We knelt down (in heaven) and chose our destinies,
But when we arrived on earth,
We became impatient.

Predestination among the Yorùbá is known by different names. Sometimes it is known as àyàmô (choice) or ìpín (predestined share) or kádàrá (divine share for man) or ípörí (inner head).

Whatever the name by which predestination is known, it is always associated with Orí (the inner head). It is believed that the symbol of free choice is Orí (inner head), which everyone received in heaven.

A man’s destiny, that is to say his success or failure in life, depends to a large extent on the type of head he chose in heaven.The belief of the Yorùbá in Orí as the symbol of predestination is manifested in their sayings, for example

:“ He who is wise
Is made wise by his Orí.
He who is not wise
Is made more foolish than a piece of yam by his Orí”.

Èèyàn ò fê k’á r÷rù k’á sö,
Orí ÷ni ní í sæ ni.

Other people don’t like to see a man relieved of his burden.

It is the man’s Orí who brings relief.The Yorùbá regard Orí as one of the gods in their pantheon. Indeed, in a sense, Orí may be regarded as the greatest god of all. Every man’s Orí is regarded as his personal god who is expected to be more interested in his personal affairs than the other gods who are regarded as belonging to everybody. As a god, Orí is worshipped and propitiated by the Yorùbá. There are many references to the propitiation of Orí in ÷«÷ Ifá, for example:

Wôn ní bí mo bá délé,
Kí n w÷wô ögáà mi nù ténítén:
N w’àpò àgbìrà ögáà mi nù nwöjö nwöjö,
N f’adì÷ òkòkò bæríì mi àpéré.

I was told that when I get home,
I should wash my sacred palm-nuts of divination carefully.
I should was my divination bag persistently,
And offer a hen to my Orí as sacrifice.

Örúnmìlà is believed to be the mouthpiece of the other gods. It is through him that one knows the wishes of the other gods. As a mouthpiece of Orí Örúnmìlà is regarded as ÷lêrí-ìpín (witness of man’s choice of destiny). It is believed that Örúnmìlà was present when every person chose his destiny in heaven.

It is not difficult therefore for Örúnmìlà, through the Ifá divination system, to tell every person here on earth the wishes of his Orí. Since the destiny of every person has been decided in heaven, it is considered vital for every man to consult Ifá from time to time so that he might know what pleased or displeased his Orí. By so doing, every man would be able to tread the path already laid out for him in heaven without beating about the bush.

This is exactly why the Yorùbá believe in Ifá divination as an important factor in the life of every person.Broadly speaking, therefore, one can say that when a person goes to consult Ifá all he is doing is finding out the wishes of his Orí. Ifá is merely a mouthpiece, an intermediary between the inquirer and his Orí. Ifá carries the message of Orí and the gods to the supplicant and carries the sacrifices made by the latter to Orí and the gods.

The role of the gods is to aid Orí in leading every person to his destiny in life. Whatever a man’s Orí has refused to approve cannot be granted by any other god.The gods themselves have their own Orí directing their daily life. Like human beings, the gods know the wishes of their Orí by consulting Ifá. Örúnmìlà himself consulted his Ifá divination instruments in order to find out the wished of his Orí.

Ikú, Àrùn, Òfò, Ëgbà, È«e,
Gbogbo wæn ní ñyô Örúnmìlàá wö.
Wôn ñwí pé æjô kan
Ñi àwæn ó pa á.
Ni Örúnmìlà bá gbé òkè Ìpöríí rë kale.

Death, Disease, Loss, Paralysis and Wickedness
Were all staring at Örúnmìlà
They said that one-day
They would kill him.
Örúnmìlà then set down his divination instrument ready to consult his Orí.

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