IJEBU FESTIVALS
The Yorubas and Ijebus have many deities that includes Ifa, Sango, Egungun, Ayelala, Oluweri, Ogun and Obatala besides, there are many and varied festivals that are celebrated which allows the people like any other tribe in the world to enjoy life to the full and with great joy. Each one of these festivals brings a community together to share the dances, songs and music of their own unique tradition. The dances can be wild, the songs powerful, the rhythm of the music hypnotic and the costumes and masks multicoloured and very fancy. Places can vary from the greatness of a royal court filled with dignitaries dressed in tribal costumes, to the simplicity offered by the shade of a mango tree on a lakeside under which villagers fill the air with their cheerful celebrations. Wherever you are you can be sure you will be welcomed warmly and invited to join the ceremony.
This happy feeling spreads throughout the daily life, whether it is in the chatters of women selling tomatoes on the market, children dancing on their way to school, loud gatherings around the water pump, fishermen straining at their nets to land their catch, or the faithful heading to the mosque, the church or the fetish. Everywhere you will find radiant smiles lighting up faces as the visitor is welcomed. The Ijebus will share with you their lands, cultures, their rich heritage and harmonious atmosphere.
Find below some of the major festivals you can attend during a tour to ijebu Kingdom which includes but not limited to the followings:
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OJUDE-OBA
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ORO
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AGEMO
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OBINRIN OJOWU
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EGUNGUN
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JIGBO
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LEGURU
Let’s take a brief description of few of the above.
Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey will remember this line from one of his albums in the early 1970s. The Agemo Deity is one of the traditional institutions that united the Ijebu annually. It is celebrated between the month of July and August when the Agemo priests converged at Ijebu-Ode to offer prayers, sacrifice and feliciate with one another for witnessing another year.
Jigbo
Agemo
Egungun
Omo Ijebu Alare !! Omo Alagemo Merindinlogun
Agemo is the unity of Ijebus and a fetish mat-dancer. They come out every July and they all meet at Ijebu-Ode before moving to Imodi Mosan, where the Agemo Festival takes place. The Agemo of Ijebu-Isiwo is the LEADER of all AGEMO in IJEBU LAND. Women are forbidden from seeing the Agemo on their way to Ijebu-Ode. A public announcement is made on radio and television to inform everyone the exact time Agemo will be moving. There are sixteen prominent Agemo masqurades of Ijebuland who have priestly duties along with dancing at the festivals at Agbala Imosan & Ijebu Ode. There are more thahn sixteen, but these are the main personalities of the Agemo cult, listed as follows:
Tami (Odogbolu), Olumoro (Imoro), Serefusi (Igbile), Posa (Imosan), Moko (Okun), Alofe (Ijesa-Ijebu), Onugbo (Okenugbo), Iju (Imosan), Lapen (Oru), Magodo (Aiyepe), Bajelu (Imuku), Lubamisan (Ago-lwoye), Petu (Isiwo), Ogegbo (Ibonwon), ldobi (Ago-Iwoye), Nopa (Imushin).
Other fetish Agemo Priests that do not perform dancing rites are: Onijagbori (Imosan), Adie (Ago-Iwoye), Ogi (Idogi, Ijebu-Ode).
The celebration of Obinrin Ojowu started on the first day with a walk that is done in the night – “irindeoru”- during which the youth of the town carried the traditional eguntan (light), set up fire in front of Obinrin Ojowu, and walked round the town till morning. They also sprinkled “ero” round the town and made atonement for peace. On the second day, they went for “woro” at Odokala after which they were received by the representatives of the Awujale of Ijebuland. The grand finale of Obirin Ojowu festival is when Olowa Iberu went to Isewu and presented Obirin Ojowu to the representatives of the Awujale. Sacrifices were made at the place where Enisemu, otherwise known as Leguru, was said to have sat on a mat and drove away water from Ijebu Ode
LEGURU
The month of August is usually devoted to the worship of Leguru (although this is no longer popular) in remembrance of the bravery of the Onisemu Leguru, who volunteered to sacrifice self to save Ijebu Ode from being taken over by the lagoon which then occupied some areas in the town.
Unconfirmed reports have it that the town was then faced with the threat of the Lagoon taking over the whole place, and as was predicated, the town would only become a port (not habitable as it is presently). The man, it was said, was a foremost priest who decided to brave the sacrifice when Ifa talked about the grave implication of retaining the water in the town. Reports have it that Leguru himself performed the divination and was then not prepared to change or twist the facts as revealed by Ifa that he (Leguru) was the one that could save the town by sacrificing himself. People still claim to hear him perform divination (under water) around a portion of the Lagoon at Epe.
OBINRIN OJOWU (EBI)
Also celebrated is the Obinrin Ojowu (Ebi) which usually falls between February and March of every year (beginning of planting season). Obinrin Ojowu is celebrated during the first week of every third month of the year by the people of Ijebu Ode in compliance with the directive of Ogborogannida who was also known as Obanta by some and Ajagunla by others
The Olowu is priest of Obinrin Ojowu who directs the rites and takes responsibility for its worship. Before the Obinrin Ojowu celebration, the Olowu would have had to consult with the Awujale and secure his consent on three different occasions. He will then pass death sentence on dogs that have no palm fronds around their necks. The Iroko tree at Odo-Esa is very important to Obinrin Ojowu festival as some rites are performed under it and a dog is usually killed and hung on it throughout the year. Also associated with the festival is the Woro carnival (which usually takes people round the community)