PEOPLE & SOCIETY
Ogun OnIre Festival in Ire-Ekiti
By Femi Alufa
Ire- Ekiti is the land of Ogun; the brave ancestor ,warrior and Yoruba global icon.Ire is a town of Ogun, situated today in Ekiti State, southwest Nigeria, the town is founded by the Yoruba deity Ogun.
Ogun is the Yoruba mythology god of iron celebrated in our tradition from the abnitio of history.
” Deep into the forest of Ire Ekiti, we find the Shrine of Ogun. Prior to the trek into the forest a reception is hosted by the Oba (King) of Ire-Ekiti.”
Ogun was said to be a son of Olofin Oduduwa,the ancestor of Yoruba race.He was a blacksmith and a warrior who spent most of his life in a battle field.
He had a son called Ogundahunsi who was brought up by Oduduwa because Ogun apparently had no time for domestic affairs.
According to oral tradition in Ire,Oniredu the mother of Ogun resided at Iremidun compound in Ile-Ife.
Oduduwa gave Ogundahunsi,the son of Ogun the title of Oni ere(the owner of profit) probably abbreviated to Onire and he gave him a crown to go and establish a kingdom of his own.Ogundahunsi sought the help of his father,Ogun who was a traveler.Ogun took him along and they both migrated to “Igbo Irun’ where Ogundahunsi became the head of his people- the “Ere”( those he gained) given to him by his father.As soon as they settled at Igbo Irun’,Ogun left them and went on military adventures.
The Onire and his people lived happily at this site till after an outbreak of small -pox,when they consulted the “Ifa Oracle”, which instructed them to go further East for a better living .They then move and settled at the present site of Ire-Ekiti.
The people of Ire had an annual festival which they celebrated in utter silence.They had finished their drinking of palm wine and the empty kegs were standing around.Ogun had long been making fruitless journey, looking for his people who had shifted from their old settlement.Hungry, thirsty and tired,he suddenly walked into the midst of a silent group of people.
The smell of wine that filled the air aggravated his thirst while the sight of standing kegs made him anxious to drink.Since the people offer him neither wine nor salutations he bent down to serve himself;to his frustration he discovered that all the kegs were empty.He gave vent to his pent up indignation by drawing his sword and killing many of the people around.
Panic gripped the people and the story spread like a bush fire during the harmattan.On hearing it, the Onire(King of the Ire people) recognized the actions as being those of his father.He immediately ordered and supervised the preparation of food and drinks of the kind once prepared for Ogun at Ile-Ife,and the ultimate effect of being transformed him from an unrecognized private in the palace at Ife to a dignified crowned King,the Onire of Ire.
After satisfying himself with food and drinks Ogun became normal and recognised his people.What’s done can’t be undone!He became very sad and penitently said :”bi a ba s’akin die,a run s’aure die” (It is ideal to relax after a period of marked heroism).
He invited his people and promised to come to their aid any time thence forth.He taught them how to call him if and when they were threatened , pinned his sword to the ground, crouched on it and entered the ground with his sword at a place called Iju.
The people of Ire offer sacrifices and pay traditional respects to Ogun at the point where he entered the soil.The spot is awe- inspiring:a mighty metal chain the origin of which no one knows emerged from a seemingly bottomless hole. Chief Olomodire who is named the “Akobi -Ogun” is the only person who touches the chain.And he is known to have fallen into a coma after holding the chains during the annual rites concerning his chieftaincy and had to be retrieved back to consciousness by his subjects appeasing Ogun with snail,oil,and other things.Chief Elepe guards the shrine and stays permanently alone in a house built for him in the bush there.Traditionally he must not see or be seen by the Onire of Ire.
In remembrance of Ogun,the Ogun festival is celebrated annually in Ire-Ekiti.Originally,the festivities included a real act of war ; people attacked each other with matchets and only people who are sure of immunity to the effect of matchets took part.It was an act of war to remember the battling spirit of Ogun.But nowadays lashes are carried and used instead of matchets ,and people participate in thousands in celebrating the feast.
The festival takes place annually early in August.The festivities are keenly anticipated and taken part by all Ire inhabitants.
The chief Priest (Aworo) provides a dog annually used as a sacrifice to Ogun- the god of Iron.The priest says the traditional prayers while the Olubeja (one who beheads the dog)kills the animal and sprinkles it’s blood on the shrine.The meat is in most cases eaten and the skull kept at the sacrifice.
The sacrifice is offered to Ogun – the god of iron at the high mountain behind Ire,(the giver of all goodness) for his generosity or to give thanks for what has been obtained.People come from both within the Ire-Ekiti Town and all parts of Yoruba land to Ire during the Ogun festival.
“Ogun Onire” is a popular known phrase throughout Yoruba land.
All who use iron or any other metal are duty bound to offer sacrifices to Ogun the god of iron.Blacksmiths,Goldsmith’s,all dealers in jewellery,drivers,farmers, hunters and even scholars work with iron.
Happy Ogun OnIre Festival in Ire-Ekiti.
Reference: Ogun Festival in Ire- Ekiti by R.I.Ibigbami
- Femi Alufa is the Publisher of the EKITI SUMMIT NEWS MEDIA.