Egungun Festival in Alade Town, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
EGÚNGÚN ALÉMỌJÁGBÀ IN ÀLÀDÉ TOWN, IBADAN
By
Fayemi Fatunde FAKAYODE, Ph.D
Egúngún is the symbol and representation of the ancestors among the Yorùbá, people of Àlàdé Town inclusive. Àlàdé is a town established by a man called Àláṣèyí Àlàdé around the first quarter of the 19th century. This town was established on the land left by Ìká or Ìkámògún when they migrated to their present abode in Abẹ́òkúta, Ogun State. Today, the land is under Ibadan. In this town, there are many Egúngún notably Aláwòyè, Aródeyọ̀, Adáralẹ́sẹ̀, Olúṣodo and Alémọjágbà.
ALÉMỌJÁGBÀ - WHAT THE NAME CONNOTES
The name's etymology can be analysed by breaking it into morphemes:
A + lé + ọmọ + já + gbà
A = He/she who or something that
Lé = to chase/ to run after / to pursue
Ọmọ = child/ human
Já = to snatch
Gbà = to take/ to rescue
With the analysis above, we can say that ALÉMỌJÁGBÀ means He-who-runs-after-a-child-to-rescue-the-child
ALÉMỌJÁGBÀ IN THE HISTORY OF ALADE TOWN
This is an Egúngún which is the head of all Egúngún in Àlàdé Town of Ibadan. History has it that at the beginning, when the town of Àlàdé was established around 1830 AD by a warlord known as Àláṣèyí Àlàdé, who came from Ìkòyí-Ilé as an Ọ̀yọ́ warrior, he brought the Egúngún along. This Egúngún was what he appeased every year and at intervals before going to any war in defense of the Yorùbá people who were being chased here and there by the Fulanis.
Coincidentally, there was also an Egúngún with the same name in the royal house of Offa, now Kwara State of Nigeria. This Egúngún was in the Abọ́gúnnugún royal family. History has it that there were royal crises towards the end of 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. During one of these crises, Prince Oyèkúnlé left Offa along with this Egúngún including other three namely Olúṣodo, Aródeyọ̀ and Aláwòyè. Prince Oyèkúnlé migrated to Ìbàdàn and settled down at Oníbùdó compound, his maternal household. He shuttled between Oníbùdó compound and Oníbùdó's village known as Aláràbà. He later married a daughter of the Warlord, Àláṣèyí Àlàdé. The daughter was known as Ọdẹrínú Àtọ́lé. Later, after the union, Prince Oyèkúnlé left Oníbùdó's farm at Aláràbà, Ìbàdàn, and settled down in his father-in-law's town known as Àlàdé Town today.
After the settlement of Prince Oyèkúnlé, they started celebrating the Egúngún festival together and the Egúngún staff of ALÉMỌJÁGBÀ of the warlord, Alaseyi Àlàdé and that of Prince Oyèkúnlé were joined together and the mantles also combined together. Thence, the two Egúngún ALÉMỌJÁGBÀ, one from Ikoyi and the other one from Offa, became one.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ALÉMỌJÁGBÀ
Egúngún Alémọjágbà is believed to have the power to protect and rescue one from evil hands of human beings and unseen malevolent forces. The Egúngún also has the potent spiritual power to bless one with all kind of FORTUNES. This can be supported by the songs during the festival:
1.
Egúngún olówó ni Egúngún wa
Òrìṣà ọlọ́mọ ni Òrìṣà wa
Ẹ tẹ̀lé wa ká lọ
Kí ẹ lè rọ́mọ gbé jó
Our Egúngún is one that gives riches
Our Òrìṣà is one that blesses one with children
Celebrate with us
And you will be blessed with children
The song above shows that the Egúngún has the power to give blessings of all nature. It goes further to assure anybody who venerates the Egúngún of the blessings.
Besides the above, Egúngún festival in Àlàdé Town serves many purposes including gathering of family and friends together and this enhances their mutual relationship. This is because, it is an avenue to meet, commune together, discuss, settle issues and plan for the future.
INITIATION INTO EGUNGUN IN ÀLÀDÉ TOWN
In Àlàdé, people who are initiated into Egúngún are the ones who enters the Ilésanyìn (Egúngún Shrine) and the Ìgbàlẹ̀ (Egúngún grove) during the initiation, festival, worship or any kind of Egúngún ritual. During the initiation of Egúngún in Àlàdé, Alémọjágbà is in control and it is believed that others are her children. Any new Egúngún is believed to be an aspect of Alémọjágbà either such Egúngún bears different name or the same name with Alémọjágbà depending on the name given to the Egúngún according to the divination in the grove. For instance, if the name of the new Egúngún is Owolewa, it will be called Owolewa ọmọ Alémọjágbà (Owolewa, a child of Alémọjágbà) and even if the name is Alémọjágbà, they will still say Alémọjágbà ọmọ Alémọjágbà (Alémọjágbà, a child of Alémọjágbà/Alémọjágbà Junior)
SYMBOLS OF ALÉMỌJÁGBÀ
Egúngún Alémọjágbà has Cloths of various colors which symbolise the power to bless devotees with different types of good things one can think of.
The Egúngún can hold a sword which is an instrument used in rescuing one from evil hands. The sword is used to touch people while praying for them. It is believed that once one is touched by the sword, all evil forces living with the person will disappear. It can also hold a cane which serves the same purpose as the sword.
The image on this Egúngún can be one or more. One image when it is made for a person and more images when the Egúngún is for a whole family or lineage. The image can be male or female. It will be male when divination shows that the person who the Egúngún is made for has paternal relationship with the lineage and female when the relationship is maternal. The image might have facial marks or not depending on the dictates of the divination. However, if it has facial marks, the facial marks on the image will be seven marks on each cheek. The seven marks will be three vertical lines made on four horizontal lines. The seven marks symbolise the face of the duo of Alaseyi Àlàdé and Oyekunke Abọ́gúnnugún.
At present, the people in charge of the Egúngún or the custodians of Egúngún in Àlàdé Town today are the descendants of Ikoyi and Offa. They are descendants of Ikoyi from the maternal side while their paternity is traced to Offa. This is because, the union between, Ọdẹrínú, a daughter of Alaseyi Àlàdé from Ikoyi and Prince Oyekunke Abọ́gúnnugún, a Prince of Olugbense from Offa produced Fákáyọ̀dé and others. Fákáyọ̀dé gave birth to Oyewusi Amoo (the former Baálẹ̀ of Àlàdé Town and former Àràbà of Ibadan Land) and others. Oyewusi Amoo gave birth to Fayemi Fatunde Fakayode (the Jagunmólú Awo Àgbáyé of Ilé-Ifẹ̀) who and his brothers are in charge of the Egúngún today. This is why the descriptive poetry of the descendants today is the combination of both Ikoyi and Offa panegyric.
CONCLUSION
In Àlàdé Town today, Egúngún Alémọjágbà is the head of all Egúngún. It appears and disappears last during the festival. It is an Egúngún whose origin can be traced to two sources namely Ìkòyí and Offa. The oral tradition shows that two Egúngún were combined to become one and the epithet of the family corroborates the assertion. Egúngún Alémọjágbà, being the head, and others, during the festival give people assurance of spiritual protections and provision of blessings of all nature. Besides, the contributions of the Egúngún to the spiritual, economic and political life of the people, the social advantage is also obvious in that it helps enhancing the mutual relationships of the people.