Òşun as a Witch

It is the belief of the Yorùbá people that there are certain group of people (mainly women) who have some supernatural powers to do whatever they like in the world. It has been shown that the witch as a society is a group that their membership is mainly women. Apart from this, they are of different types, and some men are also members of this society. It is widely believed among the Yorùbá that witches are of two types, even though both are very powerful. The first group is the group of those who use their powers to do evil, while the second group is those who use their powers to do well. Due to their evil acts, the Yorùbá do everything possible to obstruct the activities of those who are evil. The second group, which are doing good, are believed to be using their own witchcraft for protection, prosperity, progress and procreation in the society. They are usually called white witches or witches who have children or Àjé Ọlómọ.

Some scholars hold the views that witch are a group of women emancipators who usually negate social or sex stratification in the society that they are found. Among them is Judith, Hoch-Smith (1978:265) who says:

Without the concept of witchcraft, power would have flowed naturally through society, lodging only in socially structured positions, most of which were held by men in the traditional Yorùbá patrilineage.

However, the concept of witchcraft permitted great qualities of power to become lodged in women, who in turn were thought to use that power against the institution of society. In this sense witchcraft symbolizes the eternal struggle of the sexes in Yorùbá society over control of the life force.

Judith’s above, has shown that witch is a society of women, who use their power in the way they like. She also reveals that witchcraft is a form of instrument for women manumission to be liberated from men’s domination.

If we look at the Ifá’s myth of seventeen Deities who were sent into the world by Olódùmarè, Òşun is the only female among them. When other male Deities neglected her, they did not succeed because she used her witchcraft to fight for her right. It means that the power of witchcraft has been in existence for a long period. Research has also proved it that Ẹdan,⁴⁰ which Òşun used to replace herself as a witch, is the object of worship for

40 Ẹdan has two forms, that is, there is female one and the male one. But, Ìyá - the mother is the owner of the house (the conclave which is called Ilédì). In the conclave meetings of the Ògbóni society serious recognition is given to “Mother-Ìyá” as the owner of the conclave and as the king of the conclave. See Ajibade, G.O. (1999: 194-203) for explanation on the role of Yorùbá women in Ògbóni cult.

the Ògbóni society, which is a mainly man in composition. Farris (1984:74) also has similar view about the witches that they use their power to struggle for women’s liberation and rights. He argues that:

Witchcraft, in fact, militates against not only total male dominance but also the threat of class formation and drastically unequal distribution of wealth. At the core of the all-powerful council of male elders the Ògbóni society, lays the awesome image of their deity... all devouring, all -seeing.

Farris has shown that the witchcraft is not just to liberate women but to also make women equal in the society and to balance the unequal distribution of wealth. The power of witches is an unseen power that could be traced to Òşun, who happened to be the leader of the group.

During Òşun festival in Òşogbo, a group of women do sing songs that reveal that Òşun is a witch and that most of the women if not all of them, who are her devotees are witches as well. There are devotees of Òşun who sing on the grand finale day of Òşun festival. One of their songs says:

Ẹgbé olówó lẹgbé ẹ wa Ẹgbé ọlómọ lẹgbé ẹ wa Ẹgbé wa kìí sẹgbé olè Àjé ọlómọ làjé Òşun

Ẹ tèlé Ósun ké ba lè rómọ gbé jó.

(Our group is a group of rich people Our group is a group of owners of children Our group is not a group of thieves

The group of Òşun witches are the owners of children

Follow Òşun, so that you will be blessed with children to dance with)

The point of emphasis by this women group is that, Òşun is a witch who uses her power to bless people with children and riches. Not only that, she uses her power not only to bring children into the world but to also nurse them adequately. While the above song is peculiar to the old women who are devotees of Òşun, these two songs below are peculiar with the young ladies who are also Òşun devotees. They sing the songs on the grand finale day of Òşun festival.

Ọmọ ẹlégbé ni wá ò ééé Ọmọ ẹlégbé ni wá o ààà Bóìsì tí kò bá fé wa kó jòkó Ọmọ ẹlégbé ni wá

Mo jogún nnú ẹgbé òò ééé Mo jogún nnú ẹgbé oo ààà

Olórìsà ló jogún òjé Mo jogún nnú ẹgbé.

(We are members of a group We are members of a group

Any boy who doesn’t want to marry us Should go and sit down

We are members of a group I have inheritance in the group I have inheritance in the group Obàtálá devotees inherit lead I have inheritance in the group.)

The first song above reveals these young Òşun female devotees as bold witches. They are also pressurising their mind that they have right to belong to any society or group they like. The second song is in line with the first, showing that the group they belong to is benevolent and beneficial to them.

They have what they benefit in the group and that they are proud to belong to the cult just as Ọbàtálá devotees are proud to use lead.

The witches in Yorùbá land are believed to possess the power of second sight. They can see beyond the physical reason because of their all-knowing and all-seeing power. One of the Oríkì Òşun revealing this trait goes like this:

Ládéojú, Òrè Yèyé Òşun Òrìşà tíí gbórí ìtàgè Tíí ránşé polóbì lójà Ó gbénú ibú

Ó mọ ohun ti awo ń şe A gbó kélé inú aşebi

(Ládékojú, the gracious mother Òşun The goddess who sits at home

And sends for kola nut sellers in the market She stays in the deep (of river)

And she knows what they are doing in the secret cult She hears the thought impulse of evildoers.)

The above song reveals the mystical power of Òşun as a witch, who is all seeing and all knowing. It means that Òşun can spread her tentacles to every place. This kind of power she has makes her a dreadful deity in the Yorùbá pantheon. Another Oríkì of Òşun goes thus:

Bádáhunşe bá jí, Tó gbé igbá tira, Láìfi t’Òşun şe

Bí inú rè bá wú tán Kò ní lè yan ẹbọ.

(When a spiritual healer wakes up And put calabash by his side, If he gives no regard to Òşun After that his belly has swollen up

He won’t be able to prescribe sacrifice to his clients)

The above oríkì reveals that however powerful a spiritual healer (Adáhunse) is, he must pay homage to Òşun in order to succeed and be freed from danger. The kind of power that Òşun uses is mystical powers of the witches.

This is contrary to the views of men in the society that women are inferior to men.

During Òşun festival in Òşogbo, Íyà Òşun, Àwòrò Òşun and other devotees of Òşun do sing with confidence to show that Òşun has the power to deliver them from all their enemies. One of such songs goes thus:

Lílé: Ẹyẹ ní ó yọjú rẹ òtá ilé Ẹyẹ ní ó yọjú rẹ òtá òde Ẹyẹ ní ó yọjú rẹ je òtá àwa Pekélépèké, ẹyẹ ní ó yọjú.

All: Pekélépèké, ẹyẹ ní ó yọjú Pekélépèké, ẹyẹ ní ó yọjú

(Solo: Bird will pluck your eyes, enemies at home Bird will pluck your eyes, enemies outside

Bird will pluck your eyes our enemies Pekélépèké, bird will pluck the eyes All: Pekélépèké, bird will pluck the eyes Pekélépèké, bird will pluck the eyes Pekélépèké, bird will pluck the eyes)

The bird they mention here symbolizes the witches. The Yorùbá people do not speak out loosely, they speak in metaphor or irony. Ẹlẹyẹ refers to the witches. It is believed that the witches have a type of bird (ẹyẹ àjé) which usually fly about in the night especially when they are going for their group meeting. Therefore, it is evident that Òşun is a witch even she is their leader.

This is also pronounced in the oríkì of Òşun at the Ìjùmú shrine that adherents/devotees of Òşun belong to a strong group that has mystical power to support somebody or group of people. They are numerous and operate in the celestial and terrestrial levels. One of the oríkì goes thus:

Ẹgbé ò- Society Ẹgbé ò- Society Ẹgbé ò- Society

Ẹgbé ògá ógo- the society of the most high

A pò bíi eèpè ilè- Plenty/Numerous like the sand on the ground Bòròkìní òrun tí kìí jé tayé ó té – A heavenly famous person who does not allow that of earth to be put to shame

Ọdán nigi ojúde- Ọdán is the tree at the playing ground

Àràbà nigi èbá òdàn – Mahogany is the tree near the tick forest Ẹ fún mi jẹ o- Give me food to eat

N ò rí mú wá mo wá gbà ni- I have nothing to bring I have come to receive from you

Ẹ má jé n fìpónjú lo ilé ayé mi- don’t let me use my life in suffering Ẹ má jé n rìnhòhò wọjà o- don’t let me walk naked into the market From the above poetry of Òşun that was collected at the Ìjùmú shrine in Òşogbo, it could be seen that the Ẹgbé literally society are the one being called upon to support and protect the worshippers on earth. Another striking issue in this poetry is that mention were made of some notable trees in Yorùbá land-Ọdán and Àràbà (Mahogany). This indicates the nature of operation of the witches as birds. They can fly and rest upon these trees in order to have their meetings, which usually come up in the night. They are numerous, powerful and regarded as the heavenly famous group that do not allow those on earth to suffer. This praise portends that the witches as a group could be positive in their acts and operation especially to the members of their group.