EGUNGUN

By Osatura
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 grasslike 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,
OGUNs 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
ALAPINNIthe leader and chief in control, of EGUNGUN cult
ALAGBAAthe head of all EGUNGUN worshippers or followers or
devotes, second in command to ALAPINNI
ALARANis the next important man to ALAGBA
EESORUNis the next important person to ALARAN, who must be
a woman
AKEREthis is the less important title in EGUNGUN cult
OJEthis the name given to all EGUNGUN worshippers or
devotees or followers from ages.