Journal Research in Peace, Gender and Development (JRPGD) Vol. 3(7) pp. 126-132, September, 2013
DOI: http:/dx.doi.org/10.14303/jrpgd.2013.108
Available online http://www.interesjournals.org/ JRPGD
Copyright © 2013 International Research Journals
Review
The significance of “Igbarubi-edi” in Edi festival in IleIfe: a spiritual concession
P.S.O. Aremu*, Yemi Ijisakin and Shehinde Ademuleya
Department of Fine and Applied Arts,Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
*Corresponding Author email: psoaremu1975@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Literature cannot supply adequate and important date relevant to “Tele” the carrier of the “spiritual
load” during Edi festival in Ile-Ife, for this reason, there was need to carry out field investigation so as to
rubberstamp most oral histories attributed to the origin and celebration of Edi festival in Ile-Ife. Oral
data on most issues concerning this important festival were collected from custodians and devotees
(Priests and Priestesses) and other adherents of the traditional worship. Custodians of some existing
shrines and artifacts were also interviewed. Notable among them were Chief Obalara of Obalufon
shrine; Chief Obadio of Oodua shrine; Chief Loja Iroko of the Oranfe shrine, and Chief Boye Francis of
the Babasigidi shrine. Oral interviews covering various aspects of Edi festival were conducted and
questions related to the festival were asked. Photographs were also taken to buttress data collected.
Songs and aphorism were recorded on tapes and their translation and transcription were also carried
out after leaving the field. It is interesting to note that Edi festival is segmented in nature, and each
segment has the beginning and ends with ritual activities – thus we have ferekete (Edi-Kola), Ofanran or
Idana Olori, Omolarere, Inasan or Ina osan and lastly Igbarubi-Edi which this paper deals with
specifically. Igbarubi-Edi which is the main focus of this paper is just an aspect of the festivity; and
carries a lot of spiritual philosophy informing the community its crucial and essential placement in the
realm of religious belief of the Ife people most especially the traditionalists. It was established during
the field investigation that Edi festival in its widest definition began in Ile-Ife.
Keywords: Spiritual load, Edi festival, carriers, religion, community, philosophy, Igbarubi-Edi
INTRODUCTION
“Igbarubi-Edi” is an aspect of Edi festival, infact it is very
crucial and essential for the livelihood of the people
where observed. This study will not be a complete
exercise without answering a few questions concerning
the origin of Ile-Ife, the origin and manifestation of Edi
festival that brought about Igbarubi-Edi in Ile-Ife.
There is virtually no country, town or village in this
world without its oral tradition, culture and history. But in
some, the people have been able to confirm their oral
tradition through the discoveries that have been made in
their respective areas. According to (Fabunmi, 1969) Ife
is the first creation in this world, and the founding of IleIfe is closely linked with the story of the creation as in the
HOLY BIBLE, which to all human beings remains a
mystery, a riddle wrapped in an enigma to which there is
no key. Many submissions have been made by scholars,
historians and oral traditionalists as to the origin and
creation of Ile-Ife. One of such submissions reports that
the earliest landform and civilization and history of Ife
people confirmed that Orunmila (the Yoruba arch-divinity)
an important Yoruba deity sat at the middle of the island
(Ife) found by him and ordered the sixteen (16) principal
(Odus) deities, that descended with him from the above
the sky viz:
OGBE, I ordered that the region where the sun doth
rise, hence, sit down at East: thou Oyeku: I order the
region where the sun doth set and sit down in the WEST
“IWORI” sit down at the NORTH and “ODU” thou at the
SOUTH. All yee other Odus or gods sit down round me
diametrically opposite each other in a circle thus – Then
IROSUN sit at the EAST-NORTH-EAST and AWONRIN
at WEST-SOUTH-WEST, OBARA at the NORTHNORTH-WEST, OKANRAN at the SOUTH-SOUTHEAST, OGUNDA at the NORTH-EAST, OSA at the
SOUTH-WEST, OKA at the NORTH-WEST, OTURUPON
at the SOUTH-EAST, OTURA at the NORTH-EAST,
Aremu et al. 127
IRETE at the SOUTH-SOUTH-WEST, OSE at the WESTNORTH-WEST, ORANGUN or OFUN at the EASTSOUTH-EAST.
After this important creation exercise, Orunmila then
called all the Odus (deities) and said to them “Ye see
what thou art here now, mark ye this well. This city shall
in future be called “Ife”. The hill on which I am seated will
grow three palm trees bearing monthly her manners of
fruits, sixteen of which shall be used for consultation in
divination, and the leaves therefore were for the healing
of the nations. These will have children and they shall live
around you. Thus Ife will have a great people
(Fashogbon, 1985). Thus the creation of the city of Ile-Ife.
The first spiritual Orunmila then departed this world. IleIfe is fabled as the spot where God created man and from
whence they dispersed to all over the earth (Fashogbon,
ibid).
A school of thought even submitted that Ile-Ife was the
seat of civilization from where it spread to all over the
world, this is why Ile-Ife has earned many enviable
appellations of which is
Ile-Ife, Ile-Owuro
Ile-Ife, Oodaye
Ile-Ife ibi ti ojumo ti nmowa
Ile-Ife Ori aye gbogbo.
Ile-Ife the land of the most ancient of days
Ile-Ife where the word of creation took place
Ile-Ife where the dawn of the days was first experienced
Ile-Ife, head of the whole universe
Ile-Ife, the city of the Survivors.
(Fashogbon, ibid)
Up till today there exists a quarter adjacent to the Ooni’s
palace which is called “Edena”, the semblance of the
Biblical garden of Eden. Yoruba oral historical handout of
Ile-Ife even confirms that Oodua and other “Leaders of
Mankind” (deities) were the survivors (Ooye lagbo) after
the deluge and that they were the founders of Ile-Ife. IleIfe Ooye Lagbo, ibiti ojumo ti nmowa (the city of the
survivors) the cradle of the Yoruba and Eden of the
nations from whence the people migrated to their
different territories which they now occupy. It is equally
referred to as the gateway to heaven, ilurun or ilu-orun,
meaning a town in heaven.
Ile-Ife is located on longtitude 4.6oE and latitude
o
7.5 N. The elevation is about 275 meters above the sea
level, and surrounded by a chain of hills (Oke-Ora, OkeAraromi, Oke-Owu, Oka Pao, Oke-Ijugbe, Oke-Onigbin
and Oke-Obagbile). As a result of this structural
formation, the town, Ile-Ife was built in a bowl-like
location. Only three small streams, Esinminrin, Opa and
Agbara flow through this bowl. Of all the streams,
Esinminrin is the most relevant of them all to the history
of Moremi, the progenitor of Edi festival in Ile-Ife.
Origin of Edi Festival in Ile-Ife
What is Edi? It is widely agreed that Edi came into being
in honour of Moremi who sacrificed her only son
Ela/Oluorogbo to the spirit of Esinminrin stream on her
return from Igbo homestead. A short oral history of
Moremi is necessary so as to understand the origin of the
term “Edi”. According to oral historical handouts of Ife, it
was customarily necessary for the Igbo to visit Ojafe,
market in Ile-Ife annually for the worshipping of their deity
known as Aje, Kori, Esa-Oja in the dead of the night
(Personal communication). This night ceremony is called
Pokulere and is annually observed on the third day after
Ekuru Itapa ceremony. The Igbos (warriors) adapted a
kind of fiber woven war dress which they usually put on
when getting close to Ile-Ife (Personal communication).
These Igbo warriors were called Oluyare (see Plate I).
The Ife people were very worried and began to think of
what to do. One of the people very much concerned in
such deep thinking was Moremi, a native of Offa, who
allowed herself to be captured by the Igbos and being a
very beautiful woman, she was given as a war booty to
the king of the Igbo who took her as his wife.
However, she swore to the spirit of Esinminrin steam
that if she was successful in her bid, she would sacrifice
whatever would first come out of her house to meet her
on her return from Igbo homestead. Having collected the
required information about Igbo’s annual success, she
left the Igbo palace secretly through the bush-path with
much suffering (Personal communication). When she got
to Ile-Ife she narrated all she had learnt about the Igbos
to her king. The Ife people then knew that the Igbos were
nut spirits but camouflaged human beings, and were as a
result emboldened to confront and defeat the Igbo
warriors in their next raid. Unfortunately, for Moremi it
was her only son who came out of her house to meet and
embrace her on her return. Because of her promise,
Esinminrin steam now overflowed its banks even without
any downpour of rains and floods continue to increase
day after day towards Ile-Ife (Fashogbon, 1995). Moremi
then kept her promise to the spirit of Esinminrin, she then
sacrificed her only child and was left without a child. The
Ife people have since then promised and vowed to stand
for ever in place of sons and daughters to Moremi who
has since then been referred to as Yeye Aiye gbogbo
(The mother of the whole world) (Fashogbon, 1995). It is
her memory that is being celebrated in the annual festival
called Edi.
Edi in Ile-Ife
Traditionalists in Ile-Ife have the belief that Moremi’s spirit
still exists in the invisible world of the spirits. For this
reason, during Edi festival events and rituals remain
vibrant and very vital. Edi festival as earlier stressed, is
segmented and Igbarubi-Edi is the last celebration that
ends the festival. The entire festivities according to Pa
Orosanya, address three phases of existence namely,
the world of the living (Present) the world of the dead
(Past) and the world of the unborn (Future). Ifes consider
it to be of utmost importance to ensure a continuity of
128 J. Res. Peace Gend. Dev.
PLATE I. Oluyare costume
interaction between the various worlds. Moremi’s spirit
lives in the world of the past where the dead ancestors
live.
Edi festival has high dynamic potentials and the
ritual content overshadows entertainment. Edi festival is a
celebration of acknowledgement of the protection which
the deity (Moremi) gave the entire community over the
year, which at the same time is to solicit a continuous
supply of good things of life to the adherents and the
entire Ile-Ife community. The celebration stems from the
conscious communal appeal to greater powers for some
form of benevolence. They are geared at getting benefits
such as rainfall, good harvest, eradication of poverty,
longetivity and human reproduction. It is eagerly looked
forward to and the directives and responses of Moremi
are interpreted by the various chiefs and custodians of
traditional shrines in charge of the festivities. There are
stages to be passed before Edi proper takes place of
such are Ferekete (Edi Kola). The real Edi starts with
Ferekete, which is observed as a vigil. Ferekete begins
with Chief Obalayan proceeding to the Ooni’s palace
(The traditional ruler of Ile-Ife’s palace). After this festival,
comes Ofanran or Idana-Olori, the day of prayer. It is a
day when the Igare or Oluyare Chiefs representing the
Igbos dance to abebe rhythm, (abebe, a traditional fan
made of elephant skin) on their way to the Ooni’s palace
at Enuwa. The Ooni appears in a simple court dress and
leads a procession of Chiefs from the inner part of the
palace, to the front, holding the smoldering piece of
firewood with a joint pronouncement of
Yo yo
Iku yo
Arun yo
Agbele pori eni nibi yoo
Ablaze Ablaze
Set death ablaze
Set diseases ablaze
Set evil doers ablaze.
After this event, the Ooni sits on the seat already
prepared for him, and the traditional chiefs sit on both
sides of the Ooni with Iyalode sitting at his feet. The Ooni,
at this point in time, awaits chiefs Yekere, Moremi and
Tele (who is the carrier of ritual load containing spiritual
impurities) which is the focus of this paper. After IdanaOlori comes Omolarere, which is celebrated on the day
next to Ofanran. It is less in importance and funfare. It is
celebrated and observed mainly by the Ilari-emese – the
junior messengers in the Ooni’s palace. After this comes
Inasan (Ina-Osan) ceremony which takes place on the
third day of Edi festival. This ceremony is used to portray
the defeat of the Igbo warriors by the Ife people (Personal
Communication).
When the Ogungbes, the Ife warriors emerged from
the inner part of the palace carrying lighter torches (see
Plate II) the Oluyare flee for safety. The fleeing Oluyare
Aremu et al. 129
PLATE II.Devotees holding lighted torches Ogunso
PLATE III.Eri or Moremi with devotees during Edi
represents the Igbos defeat in the legend. The Ogungbes
wear casual dresses buba, sometimes danshiki or eshiki
which are very easy to control. The Ogungbes carry
lighted torches (ogunso) prepared during Omolarere
ceremony as their weapon. The lighted torches referred
to as Inasan which are made from Otufu or leu ope
obtained from the spaces between old palm leaves and
the palm tree which catches fire easily and readily
(Personal communication).
Strong, able-bodied Ogungbes, carry these torches
out of the palace to Igbo-Ilamoja, the dumping groove.
The lighted torch (ogunso) symbolizes the torch which
130 J. Res. Peace Gend. Dev.
PLATE IV: The Lokoloko group
the Ifes used to defeat and drive away the Igbos. The
Oluyare or Igare, the descendants of the Igbos must not
see the lighted torches, it is a taboo for them. It is after
the lighted torches had been removed from the scene of
events and taken to the grave of Moremi that Oluyare
would come out to perform their own ceremony before
the Ooni and his chiefs. They appear in knitted raffia
costume, IKO, which according to an informant who none
other than the instrument of terrorism used by the Igbos
against the Ife people in the legend of Moremi (see Plate
III). The ceremonial raffia dress is usually buried with the
Oluyare at death. The Oluyare must not talk while
wearing his costume even when parading during the
festival. They usually nod their heads to answer followers
during parade. The last day of Edi festival is Igbarubi-Edi
day, the day vital activities take place, and the prime
actor is usually chief “Tele”, the carrier of the “spiritual
load”.
“Tele”
Who is this man called “Tele” in the oral history of Edi in
Ife? Tele is a man who is shunned every day of the year
by his people because of his position as a carrier of the
undesirable forces in the community (Sofola, 1983). He is
set aside by his people. Actually this attitude is not fair on
‘Tele’ who people refer to as “a saviour” in Ile-Ife because
of what he does yearly. He is a sacrificial lamp for the
people of Ile-Ife to live a healthy and prosperous life. He
shoulders the responsibility of cleansing the community
of bad omen. But again, his people turned his activities
during Edi against him, and these force them to evolve a
negative mental and psychological attitudes towards him,
and in turn make him to suffer psychological and
emotional traumas. He is never a normal person anymore
since chosen to be a carrier of “spiritual load”. He has
been turned practically an idiot who does not know who
he is any more. He is just alife but a shadow of his former
self. He has no mind of his, practically a robot that is
being controlled by the unseen forces. He sees beyond
the physical world, he is an image of real. Tele has
become a member of a closed spiritual group who have
double minds – the seen and the unseen, and links
together in its own way the physical and spiritual worlds,
making his activities during Edi festival a socio-religious
one.
It is pertinent to add that Tele must not be a native of
Ile-Ife, he should be a stranger from other part of
Yorubaland or town. He lives in the palace with the Ooni
of Ife and other emissaries. He was given a wife who is
also practically an idiot like him. They both live in the
palace without a child of theirs. This is an eloquent
illustration of the relationship between Tele and his
people he serves. The distance between his world and
theirs is astonishingly far apart and has to be measured
in spiritual light years.
Tele is not particularly known by the Ife people but for
the position he holds in the religious sensibility of the Ife
people. He is usually buried under the spiritual rubble of
our day, but never forgotten under piles of spiritual
rubble. During Edi festival, the people take a new, free,
and unobstructed look at the world around him to
rediscover his importance.
Igbarubi-Edi Festival
Igbarubi, literally means the calabash that carries spiritual
load or impurities, used during Edi festival. The calabash
used to carry calamities of the Ile-Ife, calamities refer to
all the negative tendencies and problems of Ile-Ife.
The seventh day is the last day of Edi, it is the day
set aside for chief Tele to symbolically carry away all the
Aremu et al. 131
PLATE V. Tele carrying the traditional load
evils from the corporate body of the community in Ile-Ife
(Sofola, ibid). It is equally the day in which the youths
must prepare for the action-packed socio-religious
scenario. The palace emissaries known as lokoloko also
appear in the scene of celebration to grace the entire
events (see Plate IV).
On the last day of Edi which is Igbarubi-Edi day,
Tele is made to carry a “traditional load” usually arranged
by
the
Ogun
group
of
Modewa
(Personal
Communication) (See Plate V). The spiritual load,
according to an insider, contains all the sacrifices offered
for peace and plenty in the town of Ile-Ife, which in its
own way, links together the physical and spiritual worlds
and makes the whole process religious and efficacious.
The carrying away of the spiritual load is referred to
as Tele ngbedi lo, that is, Tele is carrying away Edi
festival. The carrying away of this load signifies the end
of Edi festivity for that year. The load, eru, according to
an informant, represents the problems and difficulties of
Ife over the previous year and is therefore a purification
exercise. Tele has to carry the load himself, but before
the final and eventful journey to the dumping ground,
Igbo-Ilamoja, he has to stand in front of the seated Ooni
of Ife with his load on head. Eri (Moremi) and Yekere
dance in circles around him (Tele).
His journey starts from the palace of Ooni of Ife
through (Oja-Ife) Ife market, and from here he passes
through the main streets via Iloro quarters and finally to
Igbo-Ilamoja.
Wherever he passes with his load, people offer their
prayers because they believe in the efficacy of the
sacrifice he is carrying. People repeat the popular wish
Gbeku lo
Gbarun lo
Carry away death
Carry away diseases.
Usually, able-bodied young people run all the way
following Tele from the palace to Igbo-Ilamoja with his
load. Sometimes, some people throw verbal abuse on
him as he passes.
CONCLUSION
This paper concludes with a vital submission that in most
Yoruba towns, the traditional religionists usually approach
the greater one “God” through an intermediary who acts
as a solicitor for them. In like vein, festivals are mostly
used as vehicles of approach, and Edi festival is an
important avenue through which the creator, deities and
ancestors are pacified. Tele, the “spiritual load carrier” is
used as an offering in the ritual re-enactment of Edi
festival. As an offering, he is supposed to be totally
surrendered to the great powers of the universe. Its
appearance during the last day of Edi heightens the
mystery attached to his activities. It is therefore pertinent
to suggest that Edi festival, as other festivals in Yoruba
speaking areas, is used to increase the people’s
understanding of the spiritual forces and objects of the
universe.
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Fabunmi MO(1969), IFE SHRINES, University of Ife Press, Ile-Ife, pp.
17.
Fashogbon
MO(1985), The Principles of THE ANCIENT
CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF ILE-IFE OOYELAGBO.
Fashogbon MO(ibid).
132 J. Res. Peace Gend. Dev.
Fashogbon MO(Op. cit.).
Personal Communication with Bolaji Adefioye at Ilare area in Ile-Ife
th
(June 6 1999).Ibid.
Personal Communication with Chief Omisakin, The Obalufe of Ile-Ife in
Ile-Ife (June 9th 1999).
Fashogbon MO(Op. cit).
Personal Communication with Chief Olaniyi Ogunsina at Ipetumodu
st
(January 1 2000).
Sofola Z(1983), the “Carrier” as a Saviour among the Ife Published in
Traditional Religion in West Africa Ed. By E.A. Ade Adegbola,
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Personal Communication with Jane Awoseemo at Ipetumodu
(September 25th 1999).
How to cite this article: Aremu P.S.O., Ijisakin Y. and Ademuleya S
(2013). The significance of “Igbarubi-edi” in Edi festival in Ile-Ife: a
spiritual concession. J. Res. Peace Gend. Dev. 3(7):126-132