Ori – Part 

Ori, the head, in the Yoruba concept of creation, is not just the physical head that we see. It
also has some spiritual influence, which translated literarily, means destiny. The Yoruba
believe in the existence of one God Almighty, Olodumare, who creates heaven and earth
and all that abide therein.

In His creation activities, Olodumare has a team of subordinate deities at His beck and call
who carry out the “leg work” for him. When it comes to the creation of human beings, a
very important member of the creation team is Ajala Mo’pin. He is Alamo t’on m’Ori, the
deity who molds heads.

The physical head:

The head that is visible to the naked eye can b referred to as Ori-Ode, the outer or physical
head. It is the physical Ori that gives us our identity.

The spiritual head: 

When a human being has been created, he/she proceeds to the domain of Ajala Mo’pin,
where he/she now chooses his/her Ori, the spiritual head. The spiritual Ori consists of two
parts, namely Ori-inu and Ori-apere.

Ori-inu is the individual’s character, the behavior he/she exhibits and his/her relationship
with his/her fellow human beings.

Ori apere is one’s destiny. Ori apere is itself sub-divided into three parts,
 Akunleyan

 Akunlegba 

 Ayanmo

As soon as a man is created, he proceeds to the domain of Ajala Mo’pin to choose his
spiritual head. Odu Ifa Ogbe-yonu confirms this process.
“Ebiti epake ni ye di pee,
A di’fa fun Oriseku ti se omo ogun,
Ebiti epake ni ye di pee,
A di’fa fun Ori Ilemere omo Ija,
Ebiti epake ni ye di pee,
A di’fa fun Afuwape ti se omo bibi inu agboniregun,
N’ijo ti won nlo ile Ajala Mo’pin, Ajala Alamo t’orun
Lati lo ree yan Ori
Won ni ki won o ru’bo …”
It is the trap laid on the slope that is exposed.
This is the Ifa’s message to Oriseku the off-spring of Ogun,
It is the trap laid on the slope that is exposed.
This is the Ifa’s message to Ori-Ilemere the off-spring of Ija,
It is the trap laid on the slope that is exposed.
This is the Ifa’s message to Afuwape the off-spring of Agbonniregun,
When they were all going to the domain of “Ajala-Mo-Ipin”, the celestial molder to
choose their Destiny,
They were asked to offer sacrifice…

First aspect of Ori-apere: Akunleyan is that request we make to Ajala Mo’pin regarding

some specific things we wish to accomplish during our sojourn here on earth. These include
how long we wish to live and what we want to become in that span of our life.

Second aspect of Ori-pere: In order to realize our heart’s desire as we have chosen it
(Akunleyan), we also request Ajala Mo’pin to provide us with the means to assist us. These
means are called Akunlegba. For instance, a child who chosen to be a great warrior will be
provided with the opportunity to live at a time when his country is constantly at war with its
neighbors so as to provide him the opportunity to prove his mettle.

The third aspect of Ori-apere: Ayanmo is that destiny that determines whether you are
to be born as a man or woman, as an African or a European, a Yoruba, etc. It is the belief of
the Yoruba that that is one’s destiny is immutable – “Ayanmo ko gb’oogun”.
Both Akunleyan and Akunlegba can be altered later in life if they are found to be
unfavorable, but your choice of Ayanmo that you have made cannot be change. This is
what is meant in the verse of Odu Ifa Ogbe-yonu that says:

“A o mo’bi Olori gbe yan Ori o

A ba ma lo yan tawa
Afuwape ba da won loun pe
Ibikan naa lati gbe yan Ori o
Ayanmo o papo ni”
“We do not know where Afuwape has chosen his prosperous destiny
We would have gone there to choose ours.
Afuwape replied them that
We choose our destinies from the same source
It is just that we have chosen different destinies”.

One thing is clear, both Ori-Inu and Ori-Apere must be in harmony to ensure success in

life. If you have made the best of the choices in terms of Ori-Apere, that
is Akunleyan, Akunlegba and Ayanmo, if you have chosen a bad Ori-Inu, that is if you do
not have good character, you will not able to actualize the potentials of your Ori-Apere.
Aboru aboye abosise.
Ori – Part II

One thing is clear, both Ori-Inu and Ori-Apere must be in harmony to ensure success in

life. If you have made the best of the choices in terms of Ori-Apere, that
is Akunleyan, Akunlegba and Ayanmo and if you have chosen a bad Ori-Inu, that is if
you do not have good character, you will not be able to actualize the potentials of your Ori-
Apere.

Traditionally, on the third day of our birth, our parents seek to find out the type of Ori we
have chosen so as to know how to support us toward actualizing our destiny. The process of
finding out this destiny is called “Akosejaye”. It is the belief of the Yoruba
that Orunmila is a close associate of Orisa Ajala Mo’pin. Orunmila is always at hand
whenever any new creature comes to the domain of Orisa Ajala Mo’pin to choose his
Ori. Orunmila Opitan, Eleri Ipin, that is Orunmila the great historian and the witness to
destiny.

An experienced Babalawo is employed to cast Ifa divination to determine the child’s destiny.
If in the process it is discovered that the child’s choices of Akunleyan and Akunlegba are
found to be unfavorable, special rituals and sacrifices are then prescribed to change the
destiny to a more favorable one. In the same vein, the parents are also advised of how to
nurture the child to bring about good character so that destiny can be fulfilled. According to
the Yoruba, “riru ebo nii gbe’ni, airu ebo kii gbeniyan”. The fact that a bad destiny can be
altered through the appropriate rituals and sacrifice is confirmed by a verse in Odu Ifa
Owonrin-Meji, which goes thus:

“Agbon mi jia jia ma ja

Adia fun Bayewo Obinrin
Nigbati nfo mi ju sugbere omo
Ebo won ni ko se
Igba ti o ma bi
Ofi omo naa bi Okunrin
Won s’omo ni Oganrara
Oganrara ko mu ire kankan lowo
Aye re wa le ko-ko bi ota
Won ni ki Ogannrara wa to ina awo ile, orun awo ode
Ina awo ile, orun awo ode
Ki won so je, ki won so je, ki won ma ba fi ibi mumu kan mumu
Awonrinwon awo oko, Alamuu awo eba ogiri
Ki won so je, ki won so je, ki won ma ba fi ibi hai-hai kan hai-hai
Oge eye aye, kowe eye Ode Orun
Ki won so je, ki won so je, ki eye obalusa meji ma ba fi oju kan ra won
Ikun  ni fi Agbari se ile,
Kelebe ni nfi ona ofun se iyewu
Ete oke, ete isale la fi se haa!!!-ho!!! Odo to kun
Apo ju ikun ti bo gbo ara mon le lo
Awon naa se Ifa sun Oganra nigbati O f’omiju sugbere gbogbo ire
Nje Ire Aje,Aya, Omo, Ile , ogbo ato hun mi mo wa wi
Eledumare fi fun mi, Oganrara.”
Translation:

The coco-nut dangles and dangles but does not fall off
Cast divination for the woman called Bayero
When she was lamenting her inability to have children
She was asked to make sacrifice
When she delivered
She gave birth to a male child
The child was named Oga-nra-ra
Oganrara therefore consulted Orun (sun), the external Diviner
Oganrara consulted Ina (fire), the in-house diviner
The both did their best for him to making sure their heat do not touch each other
He consulted the Alligator, the diviner from the bush and the Lizard, the diviner that
lives on the wall, they both tried their best for him making sure their tails do not
touch each other
He consulted Oge, the earthly bird and kowe, the celestial bird
They both tried their best for him making sure they both birds of spirits do not see
each other
The mucous resides in the nostril
The phlegm resides in the throat
It is both the upper and the lower lips
 That are used to exclaim that a river has over flown its borders
A potbelly over shadows the body
All the above divined for Oganrara
When he was lamenting his bad fortune
I desire the blessings of wealth, wife, children, houses, and long life
May the Almighty God provide all for me, Oganrara.

In the Yoruba tradition Ori is regarded as a deity. As such, if one’s condition in life

becomes unsatisfactory, then one’s Ori-Apere has to be appeased through some
prescribed rituals and sacrifices and, with improvement in one’s character, things will
become good. A verse in a song in Ile-Ife dialect has this to say:
“Ma ran ‘ni l’oja Ilare o, ma ran ni’l’oja Oba
Kan ba mi r’obi bo, ma mu k’Ori mi Apere o
K’Eleda mi mo gb’ibode.”
“I will send someone to Ilare and Oba markets
To buy kolanuts for me to appease my Ori-Apere
So that my destiny will not be doomed.”

Another Odu Ifa verse says:

“Iworan Olokun
A b’ara le kokoko bi Ori ota
O d’Ifa fun Ori-Apere
Omo atakara s’ola
Nje ibi Ori gbe l’owo, Akara
Ori je won o ka mi mo won, Akara
Ibi Ori gbe n bi’mo, Akara
Ori je won o ka mi mo won, Akara
Ibi Ori gbe n ni’re gbogbo, Akara
Ori je won o ka mi mon won Akara.”

“Iworan Olokun
Cast Ifa divination for Ori-Apere
Who became wealthy by merely selling bean cake?
 Wherever Ori is wealthy let me be included
Wherever Ori has many children, let me be included
Wherever Ori has all the good things of life
Let me be included.”

The blessed Ori who became wealthy from selling bean cake. The king with the golden staff.
Ori who defends you faster than any Orisa. Ori who brings you forth to this world and will
never abandon you. The head of the poor is not blessed. The head of the rich shines. When
you wake up in the morning appease your Ori. Ori is the source of your blessings. May our
Ori continue to support us in life. Ase.

There is a saying among the Yoruba:

We knelt down and choose our destiny

When we got to the earth we are all in a hurry
We cannot go back to heaven
To alter our course
The only alternative is to consult Ifa
And offer the required sacrifice
This is the only way to improve our life.
This is why it is very important that everyone should have Ifa so that one will have an idea
of what destiny one has chosen and which Orisa accompanied one on the journey to this
world.

We must however not lose sight of one thing. For you to have the good things of life as
destined for you at birth, you must display good character because it is this Ori-Inu that
will assist you in actualizing the potentials of your destiny, Ori-Apere.
My prayer for all of us is “ki Ori-Inu wa ma ba t’ode wa je”, that is, may our behavior not
jeopardize the actualization of our destiny.

Aboru aboye abosisie!