International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL)

Volume 5, Issue 10, October 2017, PP 12-18

ISSN 2347-3126 (Print) & ISSN 2347-3134 (Online)
http://dx.doi.org/10.20431/2347-3134.0510003
www.arcjournals.org

Dramatic Aspect of Ese ifa in Yorubaland

Dr. Olu-Osayomi Olusegun
Department of Languages & Literary Studies, Babcock University, Ilishan- Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Dr. Olu-Osayomi Olusegun, Department of Languages & Literary Studies,
Babcock University, Ilishan- Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. Email: segunoosa@gmail.com

Abstract: The paper attempts an exploration of the dramatic aspect of Ese Ifa in Yorubaland with the
purpose of revealing the gross under-utilization of the resources of this vital Yoruba cultural asset. And more
interesting, the paper unravels the dynamics, the beauty, the uniqueness and multiple potentials of this Yoruba
EseIfa. This is discussed from mythological and spiritual perspectives. Through interviews, personal
experience, and observation, the paper posits that Ese Ifa plays pivotal roles in the social, religious and
political milieu of the Yoruba people and has remained a rallying point. It concludes that even until
today,EseIfa, with its rich dramatic features, is recognized by the Yoruba traditional body of knowledge
embracing history, philosophy, medicine and folklore despite the trappings of modernization. It is expected
that the paper will help in illuminating important aspects of the dynamics and significance of the Yoruba
Oracle, Ifa within the context of religio-spiritual vision in the post-colonial Nigeria, in modern Africa and the
globalized world.
Keywords: Yoruba, EseIfa, Ifa Oracle, Mythological, Dramatic features.

1. METHODOLOGY
The present paper has benefited from earlier writings on Ifa Oracle in that they have pointed the way
to further analysis which is attempted here. The paper is based on the field-work which I carried out
on the dramatic aspect of EseIfa in Yorubaland, the recorded samples are used in this paper. All
unacknowledged quotations are from my personal collections. The recording were done on magnetic
and visual tapes, and the sounds transcribed as recorded. To translate EseIfa (chapters in Ifa
corpus/incantations) into English and yet preserve their exact meaning is not an easy task. I have,
however, tried to meet the difficulty by being rather literal and keeping very close to the original in
my translation.
2. INTRODUCTION
1) The Yorubaland
The Yorubaland (Yoruba: Ile-Yoruba), lies in the Southwestern part of Nigeria. Yoruba is the second
largest language group in Africa, consisting of over 20 million people. The term „Yoruba‟, according
to Frank A.Salamone (2010:319), „encompasses about twenty-five separate groups, each one
culturally different from the other‟. The people trace their origin or descent to a great ancestor,
Oduduwa, who came from Ile-Ife. The bulk of the people are today found in Ogun, Ondo, Oyo,
Lagos, Ekiti and substantial parts of Kwara and Kogi state bound together by language, traditions and
religious beliefs and practices. Islam, Christianity, and the „traditional‟ Yoruba pantheon, the Orisa,
are all embraced in Yorubaland. The bond shared by all Yoruba people is the centrality of ritual to
specific occasions, as well as to everyday life.
The keynote of the life of the Yoruba is their religion. However, ample information on traditional
Yoruba religions exists (Talbot, 1932; Bascom, 1941; Lucas, 1948; Evans-Pritchard, 1965; Idowu,
1962; Gleason, 1973; Mbiti, 1975; Abimbola, 1976). These religions are „primordial‟ among the
various Yoruba communities because many of them are timeless for they are centuries old, while the
beliefs and worships associated with them constitute traditional ideologies and tap roots of ethnic
culture. According to Idowu (1962:5), religion forms the foundation and the all governing principle of
life for them. The full responsibility of all the affairs of life belongs to the deity as far as they are
concerned.
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Dramatic Aspect of Ese ifa in Yorubaland

 The Yoruba Religious Identity

Yoruba believe family in the existence of a High God commonly called Olorun or Olodumare (see
Lucas, 1948:48; Idowu, 1962). He is dedicated in local folklore as creator and sustainer of life, ruler
of the sky, the perfect arbiter and final Judge (Olomola, 2000:60). However, he is too passive and
remote to satisfy man‟s immediate needs. In the words of Lucas (1948:46), “The absence of organized
worship of Olorun by means of which full and uninterrupted allegiance to him could be secured has
led to the worship of multitudinous gods”, from major gods to minor ones. Such gods serve as
intermediaries between God and men. The void thus left, according to Olomola (2000:60), is filled by
a myriads for deities, Orisa, supernatural beings, anjonu, nature spirits, iwin, the ancestor, awon agba
and entities such as Egungun, literally translated as masquerades.
These gods must be worshipped in appropriate places by their devotees who believe that their
supplication would be answered. In pursuance of the same line of argument, Ogunba (2010:191)
remarks:
The god in the traditional Yoruba or African society was closer. He monitored more
closely than the Christian God or the Muslim God. The Muslim/Christian God has
been described by anthropologists as a Deus remotus, the remote god. Some call him
Deus otiosus,a lazy God, who retires, who is in the sky and doesn‟t care much about
what human beings are doing. But in our traditional society, we could call on our god
to come and do something and in many cases, he comes periodically. Agemo god, for
example, comes every year and stays in the community for a whole month, so you
can lodge all your complaints. You can call him to help you punish somebody who
has offended you and so on. Because of these factors, morality was stricter than we
find now.
Thus, religion in the words of Adebowale (2000:23), is “a way through which man communicates
with or hopes to have relations with that which lies behind the world of their ordinary experience”.
Hence, religion has continually dominated the life of the Yoruba.
 Origin and Role of Orunmila Deity in Yorubaland
In the pantheon of Yoruba divinities, Orunmila is one of the higher or benevolent primordial
divinities. Other outstanding divinities are Orisa-nla, Olokun, Ogun, Esu (Elegbara), Sango, Oya and
Osun. Oral traditions also emphasize the part played by Orunmila in guiding the destinies of the
divinities and of men. Orunmila is one of the earliest Yoruba divinities that are said to derive their
power directly from „Olodumare’ or „Olorun’ ( the Supreme Being, or God; the sustainer and
upholder of the universe). Orunmila is one of the six primordial divinities and even the most popular
that came down to earth from Olodumare. Orunmila is a contraction of Orun-l‟omo-a-ti-la (only
heaven knows the means of salvation). Orunmila, otherwise known as god of divination, or the
„presiding spirit of those capable of a prescient probing into the unknown, the unanticipated
(Maduakor, 1987:XII), is the divinity who assist „Olodumare‟ in matters pertaining to omniscience
and wisdom.
Traditionally, the Yoruba believe that Olodumare has endowed Orunmila with special wisdom and
knowledge to the end that he may be His accredited representative in matters relating to man‟s
destiny: Orunmila possessess intimate knowledge of matters affecting human destiny. One reason
given for his intimate knowledge of matters affecting human destiny is that he was fully present
during the time when man was being created which was also the time when each individual‟s destiny
was sealed. Thus, Orunmila can predict the future as well as prescribing remedies for any eventuality.
It is in the light of this that Idowu (1962:77) affirms:
Orunmila knows all the secrets about man. This is why he is called eleriipin (the
witness or advocate of destiny).Olumoran Okan ( the one that knows the secret of the
mind).From the shady to the mysterious, nothing is beyond revelation to him.In fact,
the reason why a man adopts Orunmila (as his divinity) is either to make sure that his
happy lot is preserved or that an unhappy lot may be rectified.
Orunmila is an important and highly regarded Yoruba divinity. For hundred years, according to Lucas
(1948:62) Orunmila has made so many contributions to the culture of the people that popularity and
prestige of its cult could not be overwhelmed by the increasing Christian and Islamic evangelical
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Dramatic Aspect of Ese ifa in Yorubaland

activities in West Africa. This is because he is universally worshipped in Yorubaland and his cult is
found everywhere.
 Ifa Oracle
Connected with the cult of Orunmila is the geomatic form of divination known as Ifa. Ifa is a Yoruba
Oracle, the medium of Orunmila. It is a cultural practice and ritual and a link between the world of the
spirit and of the living. Wole Soyinka sees Ifa as separate from Orunmila. Orunmila is for him the
„essence of wisdom‟, while Ifa is the „god of divination and order‟ (Idanre and other Poems, 1967:37).
In the epic poem, Idanre, the two gods are regarded as two separate deities (70). The study of the
dramatic aspect of Ese Ifa in Yorubaland therefore assumes that Orunmila and Ifa are one and the
same god. The paper takes this position having considered “most Yoruba scholars however, think
Orunmila and Ifa as one and the same god” (Abimbola, 1976:3).
The above expositions become relevant in view of the fact that Orunmila is an oracle often consulted
in the Yoruba setting to reveal secret things to the people. This explains why the Babalawos (Ifa
Priests) are usually consulted for necessary guidance during the time of important decision. In
pursuance of the same line of argument, Farrow (1926:71) remarks:
Ifa or the philosophy, knowledge, and acts of Orunmila while on earth, constitute a
rather all embracing, comprehensive and uniquely pervasive system. This fact alone
makes the system understandably large, of many parts, and with numerous
components, covering all aspects of man‟s life… Orunmila, as the deity of Wisdom,
embodies all knowledge and wisdom of the world: it takes, in consequence, two
hundred and fifty-six (256) of his original and foundation disciples to transmit and
preserve the wholeness of his primordial wisdom for the world.
For anybody wishing to understand the deeper meaning of accumulated Ifa wisdom and its structural
organization, Abimbola (1976) gives a rich collection of original Ifa wisdom. The corpus are divided
into volumes (ODU), which amount to 156, and chapters (Ese), whose number is so vast that it is hard
to determine reliably.
In Yoruba worldview, a man is believed to consist of the physical and the spiritual aspects. „the body
is the physical‟ while „the spirit is the immaterial and the moral part of a man‟. Oriinu (inner head) is
perceived as the social force of man‟s behavior‟ (Ogungbile, 1992:20). As a result, one must consult
Ifa who knows how to explain issues about the present and the future. It is in accordance with this
view that Idowu (1962:5) states:
Through all the circumstances of life, through all its changing scenes, it joys and
troubles, it is deity who is in control. Before a child is born, the oracle is consulted
and due rites observed; when the child is born, the oracle gives directions about it; at
every stage of life-puberty, betrothal, marriage, taking up a career, building a house,
going on a journey and in fact, the thousand and one things which make up human
existence here on earth- man is in the hands of the deity whose dictate is law, who is
waiting on the other side of this life to render to him as he deserves.
Olatunji (1984:10) further emphasizes this reality:
Ifa is consulted by all Yoruba irrespective of religion, age or level of education, and
when there is a major crisis, the Western educated, Christian or Muslim Yoruba, go
secretly to the babalawo (Ifa priest-diviner) to know what should be done.
Ifa is the only active mouthpiece of Yoruba traditional religion taken as a whole. To the Yorubas,
without Ifa the importance of other Yoruba gods would diminish. Ifa serves as an intermediary
between the other gods and the people, between the people and their ancestors, and between the dead
and the living. According to one saying in Yoruba „Orisatinkoni‟ba to bo Orisamiran‟ (Ifa is the only
divinity that teaches one, how to worship other divinities). As a mouthpiece therefore, Ifa tends to
popularize the other gods. Also, if a man is being punished by the other gods, he can only know this
by consulting Ifa.
Ifa has always been throughout the history of the Yoruba a „sine qua non‟ to life. This is because the
Yoruba are rather curious about the future or what the outcome of an enterprise will be. It is in
accordance with this view that Idowu (1962:5) explains:

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Dramatic Aspect of Ese ifa in Yorubaland

Before a bethrotal, before a marriage, before a child is born, at the birth of a child,
and at successive stages in man‟s life, before a king is appointed or a chief is made or
in time of crisis, in terms of sickness and at any and all times, Ifa is assurance. Like
the saying „onil‟ari a o r‟ola on nibaba‟lawo se nd‟ifal‟ororun‟ ( it is today we see, we
do not see tomorrow, hence the baba‟lawo consults the oracle every fifth day).
One must therefore consult Ifa who knows how to explain issues about present and the future.
 Ese Ifa
Ifa literary corpus has two main parts: Odu (volume) and Ese (chapter). The corpus is divided into
two hundred and fifty six (256) volumes called Odu: the Odu is sub-divided into numerous chapters
called Ese. Olatunji (1984:118) reveals:
Ese Ifa contains statements of human problems, wishes and hopes, and a testimony to
how each personage has reacted to these problems. Some of these desires are
universal human needs while others are pertinent to Yoruba life. The most recurrent
ones are desire for children, desire to escape death, and victory over one‟s
adversaries.
In Ese Ifa, Olatunji further argues:
It is stated that a man choose his destiny before he comes into the world; the verses
are however, silent on the point at which this choice is made, whether at conception
when copulation and fertilization take place, or at birth (118).
2) The Dramatic Basis of EseIfa
In order to be able to appreciate fully the dramatic context of Ifa Oracle in Yorubaland, it is important
to realize the following key points and thesis statements:
a. Dramatic performances of various forms of beauty and complexity have always been an essential
ingredient of African cultural life and traditions.
b. Dramatic performances in the African traditional life could be in terms of form, ritualistic,
religious, secular, mimetic, representational or expressive, according to the cultural environment,
function and origin of the performance.
c. African dramatic performances are essentially socio-occasional displays
d. They provide a context, a medium for music, dance, drumming, worship and literary artistic
creativity.
e. African dramatic festivals promote moral education aesthetic and artistic creativity and develop
people‟s religious awareness, cultural sensibility and faith in the people‟s social institutions.
f. A fundamental function of festival drama in the African world is the promotion of the life-
continuity of the people, their prosperity, security, fertility and safeguard from evil forces.
(Akporobaro 2012: 457-458)
Also, according to Webster New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged,
drama can be defined as:
A literary composition that tells a story, usually of human conflict, by means of
dialogue and action, to be performed on the stage by actors; stage play; the principal
forms of the drama are tragedy and comedy or modifications or combinations of these
which results in the lyric drama or grand opera, melodrama, tragicomedy, opera or
comic opera farce, and burlesque.
As may be seen from the above, the Oxford Dictionary of English defines Drama in terms of a literary
creation that has (1) a story element (2) dialogue (3) action (4) actorsandstage, which are used for the
communication of an experience real or imaginary.
Any gathering, social, clan or religious group according to Akporobaro (2012:464) has in it the
ingredients and elements of theatre and drama, since it entails the communication of something, to a
people. It means that burial ceremonies, marriage ceremonies, initiations, the installation of an oba or
king or chief has in it the elements of drama provided it contains the elements of art and performance.
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Dramatic Aspect of Ese ifa in Yorubaland

3) The Appreciation of Ese Ifa in Yorubaland- Dramatic Context

The dramatic basis of Ese Ifa in Yorubaland cannot be divorced from traditional religious ceremonies
of African people irrespective of ethnic group. Hence, every aspect of Ifa divination is dramatic, since
it contains the elements of art and performance. In facts, Ifa festivals or ritual sacrifices (ceremonies)
provide a rich and varied context for dramatic performance.
A typical example of this is the yearly meeting of Ifa priest which is also regarded as a festival in
most Yoruba communities. This festival is known as Mole. The festival is very elaborate and usually
held for the king. The activities include offerings, chanting of Ifa verse (Ese Ifa) and dancing. The
chanting aspect is very dramatic here, in that the chanting is led by someone who is a very good
chanter. He chants some verses while the other priest respond by saying “hanin”.
This continues and when the chanter misses a line, he is reminded by the people and he immediately
corrects himself. Whenever a chanter fails to do this, he is shouted down and another chanter takes
over from him and the procession and festival continues like this. The chanting here is accompanied
by musical instruments which makes it very dramatic. Apart from this, one sees this festival as a kind
of life drama, where there is a main actor; the chanter, and the audience who can be regarded as the
common people. The other priests can be regarded as minor characters who also dramatize through
dancing, singing, and gesticulating. Thus, one can see a very good dramatic aspect of Ese Ifa in this
Mole festival.
In the naming ceremony of a new-born baby, the Babalawo is called to consult Ifa about the destiny
and life-style of the child. The Babalawo (chief priest of Ifa) is distinguished from the spectators or
congregation present at the ceremony. The mother of the child is also distinguished. The Babalawo
and the child‟s mother can be regarded as chief actors while the crowd can be looked upon as the
audience, just as we have in stage drama.
The Ifa priest is distinguished by his insigna of office which are a wristlet of palm fibres or of white,
blue and red beads known as “Ide”. The second distinction is the horse-tail or “Irukere” and finally his
Ifa bag (Apo Ifa). The mother of the child is also distinguished by her dress and by the fact that she
has to pass under the consecrated water thrown by the Babalawo on the roof of the house, three times.
On each occasion of running out of the house to catch the drippings of the water, the Ifa priest
pronounces the child‟s name. The performance here is very dramatic because there are different
actions involved. The ceremony is rounded up by dancing, singing and merriment which in itself its
dramatic.
Another very good example of the dramatic context is the consultation of Ese Ifa at a burial
ceremony. An example of this is when the death of a popular person occurs, the friends and relations
assembled by the death-bed with loud lamentations. The face of the corpse is turned downwards and
covered up. Then the majority of them rush into the streets to make a public announcement by crying
and singing. The Ifapriest is then sent for who consuls the Ifa divination as to the cause of the death.
If Ifa divination declares the corpse‟s spirit to be in danger, the Ifa priest performs certain sacrifices
for example, a goat or sheep is sacrificed and the carcass is carried outside the town and deposited at a
junction of several roads. After this the Ifa priest performs a purification ceremony by sprinkling the
corpse, the room and spectators with the fluid he had prepared. The corpse is later washed and
wrapped up for the lying-in-state.
The house of the deceased is lit up and each visitor enters with a cry which may not necessarily be an
expression of sorrow. Loud drumming takes place outside the house. Sometimes,professional
mourners are employed to make lamentations. Friend and relations of the deceased accompany the
bier singing the prises of the dead.
All these performances of chanting, singing, wailing and drumming show a part of drama involved.
The actions transmit messages to the people which may be sorrowful like the burial ceremony and
which can also be a happy event for example, the naming ceremony. Both performances somehow
entertain the crowd like the stage drama which can be comic or tragic. At the same time, they give out
different messages to the people just like the stage drama. It is important to also note that an important
feature of the religious worship during Ifa divination is dancing. There is hardly any important festival
which is not accompanied or followed by dancing. And this, as one knows, is a major characteristic of
drama.One can see, therefore, that Ese Ifa, apart from its poetic aspect is also embodied with rich and
well-illustrated drama to serve and entertain the people on the whole.
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Dramatic Aspect of Ese ifa in Yorubaland

3. CONCLUSION
From the above analysis, it is evident that Ifa plays a prominent role in the life of the Yorubas and
their community. In fact, it is the best organized religious system which demonstrates practically all
the elements of culture in the Yoruba land.Ifa reveals the future to them, provides explanations to
avert the looming danger. Obedience to the injunctions of Ifa leads to prosperity and peaceful co-
existence, while disobedience brings doom. This is a testimony to the major role that the transcendent,
the metaphysical play and continue to play in the life of the people, despite the presence of the
trappings of modernization.
Importantly also, this paper has given a more comprehensive treatment of the complex and rich
dramatic aspect of EseIfa which have attracted modern writers of vasty different philosophies and
world views. The opinion of this paper is that Ifa Oracle can be used for purposes of cultural tourism,
which in turn, is a means of economic development of the country. It is therefore, anticipated that the
priests and adherents of traditional religion is general should jealously guard and fight to preserve
their exalted citadels in the face of formidable odds.
4. NOTES
__________________________________
 All translations into English are mine ( the author)
1. Ifa is a Yoruba oracle, the medium of Orunmila (Yoruba Deity of Wisdom and Omniscience). As
it has already been indicated in this paper, Ifa is the philosophy, knowledge, and acts of Orunmila
while on earth, constitute a rather all-embracing, comprehensive and uniquely pervasive system.
According to Kache Gotrick‟s (2009:333) comments: Ifa is the Yoruba divination by means of
which the Ifa priest communicates with Orunmila, the Yoruba god of wisdom and omniscience. It
takes many years of learning to master the Ifa divination and the enormous text necessary to
interpret the god‟s answer, and so, being the authorized channel of communication with
Orunmila, an Ifa priest is considered a repository of wisdom. To use Ifa creatively and for the
benefit of everybody is equal to making good use of the traditional knowledge and wisdom
acquired by the Yoruba peoples over centuries. For a detailed discussion about the role and place
of Ifa in Yoruba metaphysics, see Afolabi Epega‟s Ifa, the Ancient Wisdom(New York: Imole
Oluwa Institute, 1977) pp. 39 and 43.
2. Ese Ifaare chapters in Ifa corpus, whose number is so vast that it is hard to determine reliably.
3. Babalawo is the ' father of secrets or diviner in Yoruba. He performs functions ranging from
predictions to healing. One can become a Babalawo, according to Olufemi Alofe(2005:77) in one
of the following ways: inheritance from father, through apprenticeship and prescription by a priest
during a divinatory event. In any case, one must necessarily undergo vigorous training for a
number of years. He will perform stipulated rituals in the course of training to qualify for the job.
Wande Abimbola (1976) is quoted by Andrew Igenoza (1982:187) that it is a very rigorous
training. As a result of its complexities, the trainee has to start his apprenticeship early in life. An
extraordinary phenomenon is the claim that whirlwinds (aja) carries someone away for years and
is taught Ifa divination and other medicinal practices. Sometimes it last upto seven years. Such
individuals usually possess extraordinary powers (D.O.Ogungbile, 1992:188). Other training
could be longer as much as twelve years. During the apprenticeship, the trainee learns a vast store
of technical and oral poem called Odu.
4. Odu are volumes in Ifa corpus.
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AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Olusegun Olu-Osayomi (FIPMD), born of Ekiti parents, is the author of
many short stories, books ( one of which is The Secrets of Campus Cults), and
biographies of the late Pa M.A. Ajasin, His Eminence S.C. Mbang, Rev.(Dr.) W.A.
Badejo (unpublished), Sir (Dr.) E.J. Amana, Prof. P.B.Ikulayo, and
Prof.G.B.Onolaja, among others. Dr. Olu-Osayomi, journalist, poet, biographer,
literary theorist and critic, is a talented scholar and researcher. He obtained his PhD
in English specializing in Cultural Studies, and he teaches Drama, Poetry, the
African Novel, Creative Writing, and (Auto) biographical Studies at the Department of Languages
and Literary Studies, Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. He was formerly the
Head of the Department and has won many honours and awards.

Citation: Dr. Olu-Osayomi Olusegun. “Dramatic Aspect of Ese ifa in Yorubaland”. International Journal
on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), vol 5, no. 10, 2017, pp. 12-18. doi: http://dx.doi.org/
10.20431/2347-3134.0510003.
Copyright: © 2017 Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original author and source are credited.

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