{"id":287356,"date":"2019-10-05T17:44:20","date_gmt":"2019-10-05T16:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nigerianfinder.com\/?p=287356"},"modified":"2019-10-05T17:44:28","modified_gmt":"2019-10-05T16:44:28","slug":"oriki-ibeji-yorubas-eulogy-for-twins-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nigerianfinder.com\/oriki-ibeji-yorubas-eulogy-for-twins-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Oriki Ibeji: Yorubas’ Eulogy for Twins & Meaning"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Yoruba land is generally regarded and nicknamed the home of twins. The Yoruba people are reported to have the highest rate of twin<\/span> births in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

A little town in Oyo state called Igbo-Ora has been nicknamed the Twin capital of the World because of its unusually high rate of twin birth. It is reported that there are 158 twins per 1000 births in that town.\u00a0 One of the locals in the town has once boasted that every family in the town has at least one twin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"10<\/p>\n

\u00a0The twins are known as Ibeji in the Yoruba language. Ibeji <\/span>is the name of an\u00a0<\/span>Orisha<\/span><\/a> (god) who\u00a0represents a pair of\u00a0twins\u00a0in the\u00a0Yoruba religion\u00a0of the\u00a0Yoruba people\u00a0of Nigeria. The Yorubas in disapora in the spirituality of Latin America however associate twins with <\/span>Saints Cosmas and Damian<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0In\u00a0<\/span>Yoruba<\/span><\/a>\u00a0spirituality and culture, twins are believed to be magical and are granted protection by the god (Orisha) called\u00a0Shango.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Yoruba language, the firstborn of the twins is called\u00a0Taiwo\u00a0while the second one is known as Kehinde. However, the second twin is regarded as the elder twin. Why?It is believed that Kehinde (the second) sent Taiwo (the first) to have a look at the world and judge if it is fit and beautiful before he\/she comes in.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kehinde is short for Omokehinde which means \u2018the one who comes after\u00a0<\/span>Taiwo\u2019<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>\u2018the second-born of the\u00a0twins\u2019. Taiwo means \u2018the first to have arrived\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Below are a set of eulogies for the twins known as <\/span>Ibeji<\/b>\u00a0 in the Yoruba language<\/span> and the meaning of the words:<\/span><\/p>\n

Oriki Ibeji<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u2018Ejire ara Isokun<\/span><\/p>\n

\u1eb8\u0300j\u00ecr\u1eb9\u0301 ar\u00e1 \u00ec\u1e63ok\u00fan.<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u1eb8d\u00fanjob\u00ed<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u1eccm\u1ecd \u1eb9dun t\u00ed\u00ed \u1e63er\u00e9 or\u00ed igi<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u1ecc\u0301-b\u1eb9\u0301-k\u1eb9\u0301\u1e63\u00e9-b\u1eb9\u0301-k\u00e0\u1e63\u00e0,<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u00d3 f\u1eb9s\u1eb9\u0300 m\u00e9j\u00e8\u00e8j\u00ec b\u1eb9 s\u00edl\u00e9 al\u00e1k\u00ec\u00edsa;<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u00d3 sal\u00e1k\u00ec\u00eds\u00e0 don\u00edgba a\u1e63\u1ecd.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Gbaj\u00fam\u1ecd\u0300 \u1ecdm\u1ecd t\u00ed\u00ed gb\u00e0k\u00fanl\u1eb9\u0300 \u00ecy\u00e1,<\/span>
\n<\/span>T\u00ed\u00ed gb\u00e0d\u1ecd\u0300b\u00e1l\u1eb9\u0300 l\u1ecd\u0301w\u1ecd\u0301 baba t\u00f3 b\u00ed \u00ed l\u1ecd\u0301m\u1ecd.<\/span>
\n<\/span>W\u00ednrinw\u00ednrin l\u00f3j\u00fa orog\u00fan<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ej\u00ecw\u1ecd\u0300r\u1ecd\u0300 loj\u00fa \u00ecy\u00e1 \u1eb9\u0300.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Tani o bi ibeji ko n’owo?<\/span><\/p>\n

Every set of twins hails from Isokun.<\/span>
\n<\/span>A relative of monkeys you are<\/span>
\n<\/span>Hoping and jumping from one tree branch to the other<\/span>
\n<\/span>Jumping helter-skelter, you landed in a wretched man\u2019s place<\/span>
\n<\/span>Turning around his misfortunes<\/span>
\n<\/span>A rare set of children that commands much and undue honour and respect from even their parents<\/span>
\n<\/span>To your stepmother, you are an unwelcome sight<\/span>
\n<\/span>But to your very mother, you are both emperors of two empires!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u1eb8\u0300j\u00ecr\u1eb9\u0301 okin<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u1eb8\u0300j\u00ecr\u1eb9\u0301 ti mo bi, ti mo jo<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u1eb8\u0300j\u00ecr\u1eb9\u0301 ti mo bi, ti mo y\u00f3<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u1eb8\u0300j\u00ecr\u1eb9\u0301 \u00a0ara isokun<\/span>
\n<\/span>Om\u00f3 \u00e9dun nsere lori igi\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u1eb8\u0300j\u00ecr\u1eb9\u0301 wo ile olowo ko l\u00f3<\/span>
\n<\/span>O wo ile olola ko l\u00f3 b\u00e9\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ile alakis\u00e1\u00a0lo\u00a0l\u00f3<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u1eb8\u0300j\u00ecr\u1eb9\u0301 s\u00f3 alakis\u00e1 di alas\u00f3<\/span>
\n<\/span>O\u00a0s\u00f3 otosi di olowo<\/span><\/p>\n

Bi Taiwo ti nl\u00f3 ni iwaju<\/span>
\n<\/span>B\u00e9\u00e9ni, K\u00e9hinde nt\u00f3 lehin\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span>Taiwo ni omode, Kehinde ni ebgon<\/span>
\n<\/span>Taiwo ni a ran ni s\u00e9<\/span>
\n<\/span>Pe ki o\u00a0l\u00f3 t\u00f3 aiye w\u00f2<\/span>
\n<\/span>Bi aiye dara, bi ko dara<\/span><\/p>\n

O\u00a0t\u00f3 aiye\u00a0w\u00f2. Aiye dun bi oyin \u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span>Taiwo, Kehinde, ni mo ki<\/span>
\n<\/span>Eji wor\u00f3 ni oju iya r\u00e9<\/span>
\n<\/span>O de ile oba t\u00e9rin-t\u00e9rin<\/span>
\n<\/span>J\u00e9 ki nri j\u00e9, ki nri mu<\/span><\/p>\n

Charming twins<\/span>
\n<\/span>Twins that I gave birth to, that resembles me<\/span>
\n<\/span>Twins that I gave birth to, that make me happy<\/span>
\n<\/span>Twins inhabitants of Isokun<\/span>
\n<\/span>Children of the monkey who plays on the top of the trees<\/span><\/p>\n

Twins come into the house of the rich man and do not go away<\/span>
\n<\/span>He comes into the house of the wealthy and doesn\u2019t request anything<\/span>
\n<\/span>To the house of the filthy he goes<\/span>
\n<\/span>Twins watches over the filthy man and he becomes dressed<\/span>
\n<\/span>He watches over the poor man and he becomes rich<\/span><\/p>\n

If Taiwo goes ahead<\/span>
\n<\/span>Likewise K\u00e9hinde remains behind<\/span>
\n<\/span>Taiwo is the child, K\u00e9hinde is the elder<\/span>
\n<\/span>Taiwo is sent to get out first<\/span>
\n<\/span>I order to taste the world<\/span>
\n<\/span>(To see) either it is good or bad<\/span><\/p>\n

He tastes the world. The world is sweet as honey<\/span>
\n<\/span>Taiwo, K\u00e9hinde I greet you<\/span>
\n<\/span>Only they two stand before the mother<\/span>
\n<\/span>He comes into the kings house laughing joyfully<\/span>
\n<\/span>Let us get something to eat (and) something to drink<\/span><\/p>\n

Ejire oyila winiwini loju orogun,<\/span>
\n<\/span>ejiworo loju iya re<\/span>
\n<\/span>Mba bejire mbayo,<\/span>
\n<\/span>O be kese be kasa,<\/span>
\n<\/span>ofese me jejeji be sile alakisa<\/span>
\n<\/span>o so alakisa di onigbaso,<\/span>
\n<\/span>okan ni mba bi mba yo,<\/span>
\n<\/span>sugbon meji lowole tomiwa,<\/span>
\n<\/span>Gbajumo omo ti ngba ikunle iya,<\/span>
\n<\/span>ti ngba idobale lowo baba to bi won lomo<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ejire ara isokun, edunjobi omo edun tin sere ori igi<\/span>
\n<\/span>Epo nbe, ewa nbe, aya mi oja lati bi ibeji<\/span>
\n<\/span>Taiyelolu ma yo se se,<\/span>
\n<\/span>Akehinde gbegbon<\/span>
\n<\/span>mayo se se<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ejire oyila, ema yo se se, nbabi edunjobi<\/span><\/p>\n

mba yo pe mobi oba omo.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Edumare bawa da awon Ibeji wa si.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Amin Ase!<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of the translation of the eulogy may seem impossible because some Yoruba words do not have corresponding English meanings. The Eulogy is about the importance of twins in the Yoruba culture. Ibejis are believed to be the king of children and their birth into a family means the arrival of fortune. In fact, if the family is a poor one, it is believed the twins will make them rich. The eulogy then ends with a prayer asking God to protect the twins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Twins are highly respected in the Yoruba culture. Infact, if one of the set of twins should die, it is believed to signify bad fortune for the parents and the society to which they belong. The parents will therefore commission a\u00a0Babalawo (Priest)\u00a0to carve a wooden human to represent the deceased twin. The parents take care of the figure as if it were a real person; feeding, cleaning and decorating the wooden figure with clothing made from\u00a0cowry shells, as well as beads, coins and paint.\u00a0 Other than the sex of the deceased twin, the appearance of the Ibeji is determined by the sculptor\/ herbalist. In today\u2019s world, Ibeji figures are admired by\u00a0tribal art\u00a0collectors. Many of these figures are found in western collections. The British museum in London is the world’s largest collection of Ibejis.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Yoruba land is generally regarded and nicknamed the home of twins. The Yoruba people are reported to have the … <\/p>\n

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