EGUNGUN

The belief in the existence of the spirit of departed ancestor is the foundation of the deity called EGUNGUN, ORO, EGBEOGBA, IGUNNUKO, AGEMO and the host of other ancestral spirits in creation. Our main concern in this very text is the deity called EGUNGUN.

There are many stories about the cult of EGUNGUN, most especially among disciples of IFA and the worshippers of OLODUMARE all over the world. The believe that the soul of the departed fathers, mothers, grand-parents and great-grand–parents are never far away and they are available to protect, love, guide, and guard the other members of the family who are still having a physical existence in creation. We use creation in this context, because of the fact that the physical world – is the tangible and the material world, while the spiritual world is the expansive world, the real world where the real things take place before they appear in the material world. The spiritual world precedes the physical world, and it is the world of realities-THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.

These two worlds are just one continuum entity within the framework of universal existence of things or universal network. IFA recognized that the worship of EGUNGUN was borne out of love, respect, dignity, affection and concern for the departed soul of the family members in the society. However, the appearance of the EGUNGUN in the physical state or in the material world demonstrates a strong union and cooperation between the living and the dead members of the family. Yoruba say ‘’eniti oku ati eniti o sonu wa si ri ara won’’, literarily means, ‘’the lost and the death will surely meet one day’’, which means that there is a vivid life after death, and death is not the end of the man, there is resurrection after death, and the soul of all dead ones continue living forever, without interruption of life any longer. Hence both the living can connect through rituals, prayer, fasting and other forms of spiritual activities.

EGUNGUN is the absolute illustration and practical example of IFA believe in the life after life, and the resurrection of the dead soul back to the physical world as determined by ELEDA (the chief destiny maker). The symbolic representative of this phenomenon could be seen in the cult of EGUNGUN and its activities in the physical plain.

The visit of EGUNGUN to the physical world is called the majestic visit or august visit of ARA ORUN KINKIN (ARA ORUN KINKIN means people from heaven), while the clothing pattern of EGUNGUN is known as AGO (the cloth made with a brighter color most specially reddish color materials that covered head to toes) which made EGUNGUN invisible to the people of the world (ARA AYE) or complete grass–like attire that also cover the whole body, while the most prominent EGUNGUN wears a modern mask to distinguish the most important EGUNGUN from other lesser EGUNGUNS (masquerade).

EGUNGUN is escorted by another man known as ATOKU. EGUNGUN could just be a family affair that is, a situation where a family decides to invoke the spirit of their father, or their priest, or grand-father, or great- grand-father, as a form of yearly remembrance, love, affection, respect and dignity to the person in question, or a town affair where by a whole society decides to personify the spirit of their departed hero, or revered king, or most respected chief as a sign of respect to such an heroes or heroin who had contributed immensely to the growth of the society in question. It can also be in form of the devotees of a sect immortalizing their teacher, leader, councilor, shepherd, tutor or priest who have contributed to their lives spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. In whatever form, EGUNGUN is seen as the most understandable spiritual personification of the ancestral spirit in the physical realm.

Egungun prays for their worshippers and devotees in a manner mysterious, in a language estranged and a little bit odd from the normal utterance in the society. According to the tradition, the alienated language in the beginning of creation was demonstrated in the story of a man called LAPANPA. ESE-IFA or IFA verse states categorically that
ONA NI KO TO
TA RARA NI MO YA
LO DIFA FUN LAPANPA
TI O TI ALADE ORUN
LO REE MU EGUNGUN WAYE
OLODUMARE WA FUN UN LEGUNGUN
EGUNGUN TI OLODUMARE FUN LAPANPA
KI ISE EYI TI O DA ASO BO ORI
SUGBON O DABI ORI
BI LAPANPA TI GBA KINNI TI O DABI ORI YII
NI O WA PADA BO WA SI ILE AYE
OORUN MIMU SI NYO ORI TI LAPANPA MU LOWO
OKUNRIN YII WA RONU OHUN TI O LE SE
NIGBATI I SO DI PE ORI OWO RE NYO TAN
NI O BA MU ORI TI O YO KU O SOO SI ENU PE
KI I O MA BAA YO TAN
NIGBATI LAPANPA WA YO SI ILE AYE
IGBE ‘’ MO DE TI O FE KE NI OHUN RE BA YI PADA
NITORI PE ORI TI SAN SII LO FUN
DI DUN TI YOO DUN
OHUN RE KO JO TI ENIYAN GIDI MO
OJU SI BERE SI TII
O WA RONU OHUN TI OUN TUN LE
NIGBA NAA LO BA MU ASO O DAA BORI
BI O BA SI FE SORO, TI O BA DUN TI OHUN RE BA YATO
SI TARA AYE, AWON ENIYAN A MAA SA FUN UN
NI WON BA SOO DI EGUNGUN

TRANSLATION OF THE VERSE AND THE STORY
The path that is curved
Is the path I take
This divined IFA oracle for LAPANPA
When he was coming from heaven above
To bring the ancestral spirit to the physical plain
The omnipotent GOD hand over the spirit of ancestral to him
The spirit handed over to him was not the kind of spirit that covered his head, but look like head.
On receiving the object that resembles the head,
He journeyed toward the physical plain of existence (AYE AKAMARA)
There was a strong heat that caused the head with LAPANPA to shrink.
LAPANPA thoughts, what was the right step to take to deter the shrinking of the head?
He later took the shrinking or reducing head to his mouth.
Thinking, he could save the remaining head from the heat of the sun, reducing it to water like state.
On reaching the earth plain, he wanted to alter a word ‘’ MO DE’’ meaning, ’’I have just arrived’’
His voice became estranged because the head had blocked his throat from speaking out clearly and well.
His voice become alienated different from his people of his generation
He was extremely ashamed of himself.
Thinking of what was the right and next step to take to prevent such an embarrassing situation,
He decided to get a red cloth to cover himself from head to toe.
Whenever he intended to speak to people, his usual voice made people filled with awe.
This estranged situation led to the first cult of EGUNGUN tradition.

Another tradition says, in the old, there was great-grandson of ODUDUWA, named OBONBA. OBONBA had three sons. The first was called ALARA, the second named AJERO and the third was named ELEKOLE. The three grew up and moved to different cities to become their kings. Traditions made us believed that the mother of these prominent kings was a witch which later killed the three children of OBONBA.

As fate would have it, the three kings had children before they were killed. They, children of the deceased king wanted to regain the royal throne of their respective fathers but the fear of their grand - mother who was a witch, discouraged them from doing so. They consulted IFA – oracle, which according to one IFA verse, said:
IFA, JE BO NAA O FIN
ELA, JEBO NAA O RODE ORUN GBURE-GBURE
PAAFA TEERE NII LEKE OMI
LO DIFA FUN OBANBA
TO RUN RO WA SI ILE AYE
BABALAWO NI KI WON RU EBO
KINI NKA EBO
ASO OYEPE MEJI, ATI ASO GOGOWU OKUNRIN ALAWE MERINDINLOGUN
NIGBATI AWON BABALAWO DE IGBO IGBALE
ENITI YIO SE ETUTU YII SO FUN WON PE
OUN RI BABA WON LORUN
O SI SO FUN OUN PE KI OUN KI WON LAYA
ATI WIPE KI WON MAA RU EBO SI OUN LO DOODUN
EYI YOO JE AMIN ATI APEERE IRANTI OUN
ATI PE IPA IYA WON AGBA TABI AJEKAJE KO SI NI KA WON

TRANSLATION
IFA, LET MY RITUAL GO UP TO THE HEAVEN ABOVE
ELA, LET MY SACRIFICE BE ACCEPTED TO THE HEAVEN ABOVE
A LIGHT SUBSTANCE WILL ALWAYS FLOAT IN THE SURFACE OF THE WATER.
THIS DIVINED IFA ORACLE TO OBONBA
WHEN HE WAS COMING FROM THE WORLD BEYOND
IFA PRIEST ASKED THEM TO OFFER SACRIFICE
WHAT WERE THE MATERIALS FOR SACRIFICE
THE TWO OYEPE CLOTH
SIXTEEN METERS OF MEN GOGOWU CLOTH
ON GETTING TO THE FOREST OF SACRIFICE (IGBO IGBALE)
THE CHIEF PRIEST TOLD THEM,
THAT HE SAW THEIR FATHER IN HEAVEN.
THE FATHER TOLD HIM TO ENCOURAGE THE SONS TO BE OF COURAGE AND BE FILLED WITH DETERMINATION
AND THAT THEY SHOULD ALWAYS OFFER ANNUAL SACRIFICE TO HIM.
THIS WOULD BE A SIGN OF HIS EARTHLY REMEMBRANCE.
AND THAT THE EVIL POWER OF THEIR GRAND-MOTHER AND OTHER WITCHES WOULD NOT CONQUER THEM.

IFA says, BABATUNDE- ESA OGBIN was the first name of the IFA priest that divined for the great – great – grand son of OBONBA. The same BABATUNDE ESA OGBIN was the first ALAPINNI OF EGUNGUN CULT IN HISTORY.
The children gathered all materials for sacrifice and took them to IGBO IGBALE (the forest of sacrifice). They sown a cloth like masquerade attire with the cloth of GOGOWU, that covered head, shoes-like and socks-like to covered his legs. BABATUNDE, the first EGUNGUN HIGH PRIEST, put on the masquerade like materials and hurried to where the great grand - mother resided. On seeing the masquerade, she (the old woman) troubled to death. That was the first time she would set her eyes on a masquerade, and people told her that the spirit of dead father of her grand-sons visited the children from heaven.
Since then, when a witch is perturbing us, or disturbing our peace, we quickly call on the spirit of EGUNGUN to deal decisively with them, hence we conquer their power. That was how the children overcame the evil power of their great-grand mother.

Another tradition tells us that at IWARUN-the earliest city of IFA, and the spiritual town of all deities and
divinities, the sixteen major divinities invited IFA to offer sacrifice on their behalf. IFA ORUNMILA consulted oracle to determine what the divinities actually wanted from IFA. The oracle instructed the sixteen major divinities to bring food and fruits to ensure peace in the city of IWARUN and to guarantee harmonious cooperation and living of the divinities at IWARUN. They agreed to do the sacrifice under the supervision of ORUNMILA. After the sacrifice, who would take the sacrifice to AYE AKAMARA? Oracle told them to deliver the sacrifice at the entrance of the earth. OGUN, as a pathfinder signified intention to take the rituals to the world. Other divinities did not agreed with him, since he was one of the greatest divinities among them. Without much trouble, OGUN’s junior decided to take the rituals to the world. The junior ones of OGUN were two jolly sister divinities – in the name of ORO and EGBEOGBA.

Oro said: ‘’if you have done the ritual well (TI E BA TI SE ORO RE DARA- DARA), I will take the sacrifice to the world.’’ While EGBEOGBA said: ‘’if all members had accepted the offering, I would escort my sister to deliver the rituals.’’ From that day, woman is always the head and the chief priest of EGBEOGBA.
ORO agreed that she would take the sacrifice to the world – AYE AKAMARA - nude, while EGBEOGBA should only escort her sister and hold on her (ORO) cloth until she delivers the sacrifice at the entrance of the world.
Tradition makes us believe that, reddish like color was the color of the cloth of ORO. On getting to the physical world, EGBEOGBA did not wait for her sister but returned back to IWARUN with the cloth of ORO. ORO was very upset and offended with the attitude of her sister. She (ORO) decided to stay in the world but sending curse to all divinities at IWARUN, saying, that none among the divinities would see her again. Whoever would see her would be at the expense of her life. The compensation for any one, (most especially the female segment of the society) to see her, would be at the cost of her life. Since that time, women were not left alone to witness the rituals of ORO.

EGBEOGBA returned back to IWARUN, narrating what happened. OGUN got annoyed because ORO, his sister could not make it to IWARUN. OGUN did not waste any time, but journeyed toward earth to meet his sister and convince her to come with him to IWARUN. OGUN met his sister naked. He cut palm leaves to cover her nakedness. From that day, palm leaves were the cloth of ORO. OGUN pleaded with her to come with him, but ORO refused saying: ‘’no one at IWARUN was naked, hence she would not come’’. OGUN went straight to the house of ORUNMILA at OBA OLUFE, where the physical plain or the material world is believed to get her first sun light of the day,

Saying:
O di too abamo esu
Latoni lo, ohunkohun ti e ba se
Ti e ba fi temi ogun sii
Ko ni gun
Ohunkohun ti e ba se
Ti e o ba fi taburo mi oro sii
Ko ni I rorun
O wa koju si Orunmila o ni
Bi e o baa ko omo nko?
Orunmila ni awon yoo se oro re , o tun ni
Ti eniyan ba ku nko
Orunmila ni awon yoo se oro re
Ogun , bi e o ba bo orisa nka nko?
Orunmila , a o se oro re
Ogun , ohunkohun ti eniyan yoo ba se nko
Orunmila, ao se oro re

Translation
To ESU is the mysterious message of creation:
Whatever you do, without first appealing to OGUN, will not go right and fulfilled.
Whatever you want to do without seeking the help of my sister ORO will not be peaceful.
Looking at ORUNMILA, saying if you intend to do naming ceremony of a baby,
They should do all the necessary rituals,
OGUN says, if someone dies,
ORUNMILA answered, they should do all the necessary rituals.
OGUN said, if you want to do initiation or offering sacrifice to any ORISA or deity,
ORUNMILA says, we shall perform all the necessary rituals
OGUN said, whatever we want to do,
ORUNMILA said, we must do all the necessary rituals.
That is the reason, rituals are necessary for whatever undertaking we want to do, either good, bad, ugly, or beautiful.

Constant rituals by IFA devotees and worshippers of OLODUMARE are to justify the presence of ORO in our daily activities. Hence no amount of rituals, sacrifices and initiations are big enough during our life time to make our life fulfilled. OGUN turned to EGBE OGBA asking her, why she failed to wait for her sister and why she refused to give the cloth to her sister after the delivering of sacrifice at AYE AKAMARA. OGUN offered her a strong word that she, OGBEOGBA shall always be curious on all what other would be doing, in all places or towns. They would be doing rituals, you would ask the member of the community if they had accepted the rituals or they did not accept it. EGBEOGBA later become the most important female chief in the town of IYALODU.
KUJENRA married EGBEOGBA. EGBEOGBA died, left behind husband –KUJENRA and children. The husband put on the red cloth she failed to deliver to her sister when both (ORO AND EGBEOGBA) were sent to deliver sacrifice of harmony and peace at the entrance of AYE AKAMARA. Indeed, the red cloth was used to do the rituals of her (EGBEOGBA) EGBEOGBA. KUJENRA used 200 EKO (cooked maize flour) 200 AKARA (FRIED BEAN CAKE), 200 ORE (200 WHIPS). He invited all the sixteen divinities. Each divinity also invited his or her well wishers and friends.
KUJENRA remembered OGUN about the curse on those whoever mentioned the names of ORO and EGBEOGBA at any ceremony or gathering.

KUJENRA asked the gathering weather they accept the ritual for the burial ceremony of EGBEOGBA, his wife, and the gathering replied that they accepted after providing the materials for the rituals and the red cloth to cover his head while, melodious songs were sang during the rituals. Immediately after the rituals, KUJENRA kept the cloth. KUJENRA died and the children failed to do the same rituals for him, because they did forget the red cloth that served as family rituals for all departed souls. They did the burial ceremony on their own ways, without following family tradition. They were afflicted with sickness, lawsuit, hatred, lack of peace, disharmony, curse, various negative vibrations and doom. They decided to consult IFA oracle to detect the sources of their problems. The difficulties and challenges were traced to rituals they failed to perform during the burial ceremony of their father and the red cloth they failed to use during the said ceremony. IFA advised them to perform necessary rituals using 200 EKO, 200 AKARA, 200 ATORI or ORE, to the red cloth before taking it out. They offered the sacrifice as advised and got a stick to hold the red cloth to the wall. The red cloth belonged to ORO and later to EGBEOGBA, while akara, eko, and ore, or passan or atori for the spirit under the red cloth, which is the spirit of the death, or EGUNGUN. The children of KUJENRA did ritual to their dead father, dancing like their father did after the death of his wife. They sung and they put on the red cloth on one man among the gathering, and the man in question imitated the voice of the dead. That was how EGUNGUN was entrenched in the Yoruba culture. EGUNGUN changed from the cult of woman to a cult of men by KUJENRA and his male children which later passed to a male generation in creation.

EGUNGUN came to the world through EGBE OGBA, the female sister of ORO and OGUN. OGUN cursed EGBEOGBA that, the cloth she failed to deliver to her sister ORO, would be used by other rather than her, and that is the main reason EGUNGUN cloth is of Red color or palm leaves.
Akara, akasa, ekuuru, oole are the major food of EGUNGUN, while ATORI, or ORE or PASSAN are some of the symbols of EGUNGUN.

Oriki
A JE OLELE MA LE E SARE
A JE MOIN- MOIN SU SA SO
EGUNGUN ARA OKO
ODUN PE AWO ELEJIO
OSU OMO ARINNAKO
AJODUN WA RO DE AWO AROSINKO
ODUN LA RATA, ODUN LA ROBI
ODUN WA DI PEREGUN
ODUN NI PEREGUN YE
AJODUN WA RO DE AWO AROSINKO
EGUNGUN OJE YA WA JIYO WA JEPO
ADUDAMADA BI ENI PORI
O YO FUN SARA RE LO YIN
YAAGBO YAAJU BI OSUN IWERU
AGBALAGBA YA WA JIYO WA JEPO
ODUN WA DA PEREGUN
ODUN NI PEREGUN YE
ERIN SESE TI KOWEE E DUN
OLOBI MA JE N BI KO WU MI
OLOBI MA JE N BI KO WU MI
OMO BII OLUMOKO OOO
OLOBI MA JE N BI KO WU MI

TRANSLATION
EATING OLELE FOOD DEBAR HIM TO RUN WELL
EATING MOIN-MOIN BUT EXCRETE ON THE BODY
EGUNGUN, THE OKO PEOPLE,
THE YEAR COMES, THE PRIEST OF THE KING OF EJIO,
OSU, THE SON OF ARINNAKO,
OUR YEARLY FESTIVAL AND CEREMONY COME TO THE PRIEST OF AROSINKO.
YEARLY WE SEE THE PEPPER, YEARLY WE SEE KOLANUTS.
OUR YEARLY CEREMONY TURN TO PEREGUN
YEARLY, PEREGUN BECOME ALIVE.
OUR YEARLY CEREMONY COMES BEFORE THE PRIEST OF AROSINKO.
EGUNGUN, THE DEITY COMES AND EATS SALT AND EATS PALM OIL
LOOKING LIKE THE HEAD AND THE DESTINY,
COMING BEFORE HIS CEREMONY AND RITUAL
THE LORD OF THE JUNGLE AND KING OF THE FOREST LIKE OSUN OF IWERU
OH YOU ELDER, COME AND EAT THE SALT AND THE PALM OIL!
OUR YEARLY CEREMONY BECOMES LIKE PEREGUN.
PEREGUN COMES ALIFE EVERY YEAR.
THE VOICE OF KOWEE (A NIGHT BIRD THAT PREDICTS A DEATH OF A SOMEBODY) IS CALM AND SONOROUS.
THE KOLANUT SELLER SHOULD NOT BE DISTURBED WHENEVER ONE EATS OF THE KOLA
THE KOLANUT OWNER SHOULD NOT BE DISCOURAGED WHENEVER ONE EATS FROM HIS KOLA.
LIKE THE CHILD OF OLUMOKO
THE OWNER OF THE KOLANUT SHOULD BE DISTURBED WHENEVER ONE EATS FROM THE KOLA


These are the hierarchy of EGUNGUN cult
ALAPINNI—the leader and chief in control, of EGUNGUN cult
ALAGBAA—the head of all EGUNGUN worshippers or followers or devotes, second in command to ALAPINNI
ALARAN—is the next important man to ALAGBA
EESORUN—is the next important person to ALARAN, who must be a woman
AKERE—this is the less important title in EGUNGUN cult
OJE—this the name given to all EGUNGUN worshippers or devotees or followers from ages.