THE WORSHIPPERS OF EGUNGUN
ALAPINNI — The head priest of EGUNGUN cult
ALAGBAA— is the head of the OJE, —second in command to ALAPINNI
ALARAN— it is the third in command in the hierarchy of EGUNGUN cult . It is second in command and important to ALAGBAA
EESORUN— mostly women, they are fourth, most important title , and revered position in the cult of EGUNGUN
AKEERE— it is the least most important position in the cult of EGUNGUN
OJE—- this is the name given to all EGUNGUN worshippers
EGUNGUN SIGN
ATORI , EYI TI AFIN TI A SI DIPO NI AMIN EGUNGUN, THAT IS ATORI ( GLYPHAEA BREVIS (SPRENG) MONACH,TILIACEAE) remove parts of outer-coat , heated with fire and bind it together is the sign of EGUNGUN
SACRIFICIAL MATERIALS
ORUKO -MALE GOAT (HE –GOAT)
AKUK O- COCK (MALE HEN )
OBI – KOLANUTS EITHER WITH THREE, FOUR , FIVE, SIX LOBES
OOLE OR OLELE— THAT IS , A BEAN FLOUR , MIXED WITH INGREDIENTS( PEPPER , ONION , TOMATOES AND OTHER FLAVOR ( WRAPPED INSIDE A LEAVE OR NYLON AND COOKED IN THE EXTREMELY HOT WATER
DIE NINU ORIKI EGUNGUN, – PARTS OF EGUNGUN ADORATION
AJE OLELE MA LE E SARE
EATING OLELE TO THE STATE OF RUNNING LESS
AJE MOIN -MOIN SU SASO
EATING COOKED BEAN FLOUR TO THE EXTENT OF EXCRETING ON THE OWN BODY
EGUNGUN ARA OKO
EGUNGUN FROM THE TRIBE OF OKO
ANOTHER ORIKI EGUNGUN — ADORATION OF EGUNGUN
ODUN PE AWO ELEJIO
THE YEAR COMES , THE SECRET OF THE OWNER OF EJIO
OSUN OMO ARINNAKO
MONTH, THE CHILDREN OF ARINNAKO
AJODUN WE RO DE AWO AROSINKO
THE CELEBRATION GOES BEYOND IMAGINATION, THE SECRET OF AROSINKO
ODUN LA RA TA, ODUN LA ROBI
EVERY YEAR , WE SEE PEPPER, YEARLY WE SEE KOLANUTS FRUITS
ODUN WADI PEREGUN
YEAR BECOME PEREGUN( DRACAENA ARBOREA)
ODUN NI PEREGUN YE
YEARLY PEREGUN IS ALIVE
AJODUN WA RO DE AWO AROSINKO
OUR CELEBRATION GOES BEYOND IMAGINATION, AND THE SECRET OF AWOSINKA
EGUNGUN OJE YAWA JIYO, WA JEPO
ALL EGUNGUN’S DEVOTEES AND ITS WORSHIPPER COMES AND EAT THE SALT AND THE PALM OIL
ADUDAMADA BI ENI PORI
ADUDAMADA LIKE MELTING THE SHEA BUTTER
OYO FUN SARA RE LO YIN
MELTING ITSELF LIKE THE SHEA-BUTTER
YAGBO-YAAJU BI OSUN IWERI
LIVING IN THE FOREST AND IN THE JUNGLE LIKE FEMALE DIVINITIES OF IWERU
AGBALAGBA YA WA JIYO WA JEPO
THE ELDER COMES AND EATS THE SALT AND THE OIL
ODU WA DA PEREGUN
OUR YEAR IS LIKE THAT OF PEREGUN
ODUN NI PEREGUN YE
EVERY YEAR PEREGUN LIVES
EMI SESE TI KOWE DUN
WITH CALMNESS AND MYSTERIOUS VOICE WAS THE SOUND OF KOWEE (A SPECIAL BIRD THAT INFORM US OF FUTURE DEATH , OR IMMINENT DEATH OF A FAMILY , OR BELOVED ONES)
SONGS OF EGUNGUN CULT
IYA UN O FE LEGUN O JARE
FELEGUN (2TIMES)
BABA UN O FE LEGUN O JARE
FELEGUN( 2 TIMES)
BODUN BA DE MA ME GBA DANI
FELEGUN
BOSUN BA DE MA KERO LEYIN
FELEGUN
ORO YI A DARI WO BE JE FELEGUN
TRANSLATION
MOTHER , I WILL LIKE TO MARRY A MEMBER OF EGUNGUN CULT
LET ME MARRY ONE OF THEM( 2 TIMES)
FATHER, LET ME MARRY ONE OF THE DEVOTEES OF EGUNGUN SECT
LET ME MARRY ONE OF THEM
EVERY YEAR , I WILL TAKE UP MY WHIPING STICK
THAT GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO CARRY OUT MY EGUNGUN RITE
EVERY MONTH , I WILL GATHER PEOPLE FOR EGUNGUN FEAST
TO DISCHARGE MY EGUNGUN DUTIES
IT WILL BE A TOTAL CHAOS , IF YOU SHOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO CARRY OUT MY EGUNGUN RITE
ANOTHER SONGS
OLOBI MAJE NBI KO WU MI OOO
OLOBI MAJE NBI KO WU MI
OMO BII OLUMOKO OOO
OLOBI MA JE NBI KO WU MI
TRANSLATION
NEVER ALLOW EVIL DOERS TO AFFLICT EVIL UPON ME
NEVER ALLOW EVIL ONES TO DESTROY ME WITH EVIL
LIKE THE CHILDREN OF OLUMOKO
NEVER ALLOW EVIL TO BEFALL ME
ANOTHER MYTH SORROUNDS THE CULT OF EGUNGUN
EGUNGUN ARA ORUN KIN-KIN? EGUNGUN, THE HEAVENLY HOST FROM ABOVE
It is a deity with a colourful dress , it is one of the greatest divinities in the land of Yoruba. Among oral traditions, there are lot of stories about EGUNGUN cult and how it sprouted up among Yoruba race
IFA told us about a man called KUJENRA who turned the cloth of ORO to EGUNGUN , which attract people’s adoration of this said cloth and consequently led to the object of worship. While other myths made us to know that EGUNGUN and ORO are of the same family that is brothers. The myth went further that both ORO and EGUNGUN were good merchants . They took their trade to neighbouring cities . ORO was a spendthrift , squandered and a compulsive shopper. He had no reserve ,while EGUNGUN was found of pleasing himself with various cloths and meticulously dressing himself to taste. When it was a time to go back to their town , EGUNGUN put on beautiful , elegant and flamboyant dresses while ORO could not have a good wear on his body because he was a wastrel. This brought shame , dishonour and indignity to him. In disgrace , he was forced to enter into forest very close to their city, while his brother EGUNGUN entered the city with exotic and ostentatious dresses that befitted the glory of OLODUMARE and his statues as a revered deity.
ORO , lived in the forest nearby , but designed a mean to intimidate people in the market place whenever he wanted to buy food with his strange noise of ‘’NO MU UN , NO MU UN’’ . This unusual attitude was to bully and frighten the people in the market to run and leave their good behind. When people ran helter-skelter for their lives , ORO would cease the opportunity to take all what he wanted and the food to support his continues stay in the forest. That was how ORO became a fearful being that eventually turned to a deity ,worshipped by men, while his brother EGUNGUN also become an attractive deity among Yoruba and the cult later spread to the other part of the world.
