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207 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett
O Iroko of the cultivated field, this day's anniversary has returned.
Ela has reappeared!
Baba wa okirikisi!
Omo at' orun ro s'aiye
Ti o ko wa da s'aiye
Baba wa okirikisi!
O Thou, our worthy Father!
The Son who hast descended from heaven to this earth
Who hast placed us in the world-
Thou our worthy Father!
The ceremony connected with the giving of Ela to one applying for it is identical with
that with which Ifa is given to those who come under the first two grades of recipients
who are generally spoken of as Awo Egan, and drawbacks and privileges are like those
to be found in both cases.
The male sex is the sex which particularly gives itself to Ifa worship. There are,
however, times when divinations may recommend and prescribe that worship to a
woman. Whenever this should be the case, a woman would receive from a Babalawo
only one Ikin or Consecrated Palm nut called Eko, which she would carry about her
body for her protection, and whenever divination should recommend and prescribe to
her sacrifice to Ifa, she would, for the time being, hand over her Eko either to her
husband or to her brother, or any other male relative according to prescription, who
would include it in his own Ikins for the purpose of the worship and sacrifice in which
she would participate.
There is a particular Palm tree that is known by the name of Ope-Ifa, or the Ifa Palm
tree, because that class of palm trees commonly yield nuts carrying four eyelets each,
and these are the only nuts employed in Ifa worship, and are devoted to it. They are
regarded sacred to this purpose, and are often spoken of as Ekuroaije, i.e. "Nuts that are
not to be eaten"; and if nuts carrying two or three eyelets should be found among these
yielded by such trees, these would be called Ekurq-Ososa-i.e., the palm nuts whose
beauty has deserted them through the loss of one or more eyelets -oso-sa.
The cost of supplying Ifa to a candidate varies from; £5 to £150, and more, according to
the circumstances of the individual; and often children are pawned, slaves sold, and
other sacrifices made to raise the funds necessary to cover the expense of the elaborate
ceremony.
There are other oracles; but some of these are local, and are resorted to only by
particular tribes or townships, e.g., there is the Oro Ilare of Ijesha land, which is said to
come down from heaven to Ilare or Aiye, or the world, once a year, to be waited upon by
those who may need his Oracular assistance, and whose temporary residence is always
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