IYAMI OSORONGA: Lessons And Machinations Of Iyámi Eleye, The night Birds According To The Analysis Of Adeyinka Olaiya

By Adeyinka Olaiya/Brazil

Myth, mysterious force, mother, Osororonga in the living, Osoronga in the dead , power in the physical , force  in the spirit.

ÌYÀMÌ ÒSÒRÓNGÀ

the Irrevocable power of our mother , the night fliers , the smooth operators , the night celebrants , the force  on the planet earth , the much feared ajogun, the spirit present in instances , the caretakers  in the physical and in the spirit  , the  mistresses and the powers that dates beyond. Iyami Osoronga,  the force of our mothers ,  present in all spiritual references, the force that represents the central  source of fertility, the night ladies, present at the beginning of existence.

The night vigilantes , the reference who watched  the first steps of man towards evolution , Iyami Osoronga, the pillars who watched time passed , the force who watched as creations  came from the plains to build own cities. Iyami Osoronga, the mother spirit invoked and worshipped in the city of Babylon where she was adored and called ISTHAR, a force  in the third millennium before Christ, Iyami Osoronga.

The significant air invoked with  wisdom, the woman appeasable at all times , the female power and looker . In Egypt , Iyami was loved by the name of NEITH, appreciated as the oldest and wisest of the Deities, always ahead of the useful arts.

Acknowledged in the night sky that arched over the earth  forming with the hands and feet of the  doors of life and death. Iyami, worshipped in their funeral cults and protector  of the deceased , associated with life and death, as the main representative of God . For the Egyptians, Iyami was a totality of power, related to ISIS, for being feminine , a goddess of beauty and fertility. Iyami , to the Hebrews , was called, ASTARTE.

However in the Yoruba traditional religion , it is believed that the  most terrifying aspect of the Iyamis and the name which they became known in the spiritual realm is Osorongá, a terrible witch who transforms into the bird of the same name and breaks the darkness of the night with her frightening scream.

The Iyámis are the mistresses of life, but the fundamental corollary of life is death. If  properly worshiped, they manifest themselves only in their beneficial aspect, they are the great womb that populates the world, Iyamis can be positive and as well dreadful , they can not be forgotten. In some cases , they cast all kinds of curses and become mistresses of death.

The good side of Iyami is expressed in deities of great foundation, such as Apaoká, the owner of the jackfruit tree. The Iyami along with Esu and the ancestors, are evoked in the rites of Ipadé, a complex ritual that, among other things, ratifies the great reality of female power in the religious  hierarchy, denoting that the great mothers hold the secrets of the cult, because one day, when they leave life, they will integrate  the spiritual body of the Iyamis , who are, in fact, the ancestral women.

The Iyamis are caretakers of existence and guardians of destiny: that is why their good will, essential to the continuity of life and society, must be cultivated. They belong to a group of spiritual beings called Ajogùn, whose functions include carrying the ebó to feed on it or, more precisely, the human suffering with which it is impregnated. By processing the energies of the ebós, they enable healing, overcoming difficulties and attracting necessary goods.

Their relationship with magical powers also enables them to neutralize the negative effects of destructive thoughts, words and actions that one person directs against another or against himself. Iyami’s presence and influence in the oracular game is fundamental, as it manifests itself in all the odus and, as their partners, they can help them communicate with each other.

Also partners with Esu and the other Orisas , they indicate with them the necessary ebós (sacrifices) for each situation, with the task of transporting them all to each desired realm.

These likes of women belonging to the group of devotees of the Iyamis are called Ìyá-Agbà or Ìya Aiyé (Mothers of the Universe, Elder Mothers or Venerable Elder Mothers), they are given the power to manipulate human destiny through rituals of consecration.

 

The acquisition of Iyami power occurs through birth, inheritance and initiation. they  can provide their protection for the initiate and his/her closest family and friends and can, to a greater degree, allow for physical transmutation, albeit exclusively. The proverb says that “ the son of Iyami has two ears, two eyes and a single mouth, to hear and see much more than to speak”

It is a fact that talking about mothers  inspires a sense of power and wisdom, often misplaced, because a devotee who does not know how to protect and preserve the strength and secrets entrusted in his command will easily be defeated. However , talking about them is a challenging task because it requires complicity between the speaker and the listener and a rare responsibility on the part of people in relation to their use of words. Therefore, during initiation, people communicate as little as necessary.

Initiates in Iyami have the symbolic marks of the Mothers on their bodies and can even feel them physically. These marks indicate signs of nobility. Mothers’ devotees often end up becoming leaders. They are required to have a serious and rigorous posture and a self-education so that they don’t keep mentioning their power.

Indiscreet people or people who consider themselves powerful should not worship them, as their posture drives away the power of mothers , tolerance and patience, qualities of the sage, are the main ways of worshiping Iyami and the other deities. The devotee of mothers  must be true, loyal, faithful and respectful to create spaces where they can live and act.

The Iyami have the power to make the weather favorable or unfavorable, which can cause premature death or prolong life: the ability to work with their powers to act over the duration of existence, however, is a privilege of few priests.

The synthesis of female power, Iyami Osoronga is clearly manifested in the possibility of having children and, in a broader sense, of populating the world. If a   Yoruba person says  “our dear mothers” to refer to the Iyámi, they actually try to appease the terrible powers of this entity.

Owners of Ase,  as powerful as that of any Orisa, the Iyami had their cult spread by women’s secret societies and are the great honored of the famous Gèlèdè festival. In Nigeria, held between March and May, which precedes the beginning of the country’s rains, immediately referring to a cult related to fertility.

The iyami became known as the mistresses of the birds and their fame as great witches associated them with the darkness of night; that is why they are also called Eleyé, and owls are their main symbols.

Its most evident relationship is with the female genital power, which is the aspect that brings women closer to nature, that is, to events that are beyond human explanation and control. Every woman is powerful because she holds a little of the essence of the Iyámi ; the ability to bear children, expressed in the female genitals, has always frightened men.

Mothers are understood as the origin of humanity and their great power resides in the decision they make about their children’s lives. It is the mother who decides whether the child should be born or not, and when he is born, she still decides whether he should live.

Iyámi is the sacralization of the mother figure, that’s why her cult is surrounded by so many taboos. Its great power is due to the fact that it keeps the secret of creation. Everything that is round refers to the belly and, consequently, to the Iyámi .

The powers of great mothers are expressed among the orisas by Osun, Yemonja and, but the power of Iyámi manifests in every woman, who, not by chance, in almost all cultures, is considered taboo.

The appellations of Iyámi express their terrible and most dangerous characteristics and for that reason their names should never be uttered; but when one of their names is said, everyone must make special obeisances to appease the wrath of the Great Mothers and, above all, to ward off death.

The most feared witches among the Yoruba are the Àjé and, to refer to them without taking any risk, just say Eleyé, “Owner of the Bird” . They are as powerful as the force of Orisas

However, there  are many complex female representations in the Yoruba pantheistic structure through their orisas (ancestral beings of nature), but none of them refer to the female as a whole, as each one presents its own feminine perspective In the female orisas , the aspect of the instinctual nature is present; however, this is more detailed and complexly elaborated in the narratives of the myth of Iyámi Osoronga , who is the female ancestry of humanity and, also described as the figuration of the female witch.

The witch , Iyami Osoronga exemplifies the intrinsic, inherent, typical and fundamental nature of women.

In Yoruba mythology there are two worlds: Orun, spiritual and superior world; and the Ayê, earthly and physical world. Orun coexists in Ayê through the double Orun-Aye existence. The Yoruba ethnic people have an extended conception of the inhabitants of Orun, differentiating the orisas from the human ancestors.

However, the orixás are the ancestry associated with the energy of creation and their emanation comes directly from Olorum (supreme God); the human ancestors who in the Yoruba language are called eguns are associated with human history. The orisas are especially associated with the structure of nature and the cosmos, and the eguns, with the structure of society.

The development of the cult of eguns and the relationship of its practitioners with the various instances of African religiosity have remained, in short, as a social sphere where proposals for the continuity of social groups occur or are configured; “as a “cultural” factor that is part of the African worldview; as an element linked to traditions; as a manifestation of social static and, at times, of domination; as a religious value linked to African spirituality.

The eguns are differentiated between eguns on the left and eguns on the right, to designate respectively female and male entities.

According to the Yoruba traditional religion, just as male eguns have their institutions in Egungun societies; the Iyámi Osoronga , which constitute their female counterpart, have their institution in the Gueledé society and also in another little-known society, the Egbé Elékó

The Gueledé society is located in Dahomey, now Repúblic of Benin , and currently

characterized as the community that performs contemporary worship and

originally African to Iyami Osoronga as a female ancestry.

Oriki fún Iyamì Osorongá

Okiti Kata, Ekùn A Pa Eran Má Ni Yan

Olu Gbongbo Ki Osun Ebi Ejè

Gosun-gosun On Wo Ewu Ejè

Ko Pá Eni Ko Je Oka Odun

A Ni Esin O Ni Kange

Odo Bara Oto lu

Omi a Dake Je Pa Eni

Omo Opara Oga Ndanu, Sese Iba o !

Iba Ìyàmì o !

NiMo Mo Je Ni Ko Je Ti Aruní

Emi Wa Foribale Fun Sese

Olu idu Pe O papa

Ele Adie Ko Tuka

IyaTemi Mi Ni Bariba Li Akoko

Emi Ako Ni Ala Mo Le Gbe Agada

Emi A Wa Kiyà Onile Ki Ile.

Ìbà Ìyàmì o !

Asé O !

Oriki to Iyamì Osorongá

Present here and there, leopard that kills the animal and continues to walk sovereignly. Boss listens, listens, Òsun travels in blood, red, red, she dresses in blood clothes, and grudgingly kills the person by surprise so that he doesn’t grumble around tormenting her. I know she drives today and will knock on the door.

The rough river isn’t cheating, he warns. Calm water lets people kill. Òsun’s son, Ògà (the chameleon) who perplexes ÌYÁMI, greetings! Greetings ìyámi! The one who knows how to respond to the call of Aroni (spirit of the forest) Spirit come bow to ìyámi, the Mistress of the forest. The bird that moves away in the sky above. My mother, I recognize you anytime. You are the strong person who possesses the sword’s brilliance. I came here, mother earth, to salute your origin and fire your weapon. so be it!

The writer , Adeyinka Olaiya, In recognition and  respect to the forces of Iyami Osoronga, I reverend the following , so should I continue to benefit  the positive powers from

Iyami Eleye;  Iba oooo!

IBÁ AKODÁ TO DA TIE LORI EWE , akodá is our first created being, and was created on the sheet IBÁ ASEDÁ TI TE TIE NILE PEPE asedá, the one who created the first human being. remembrance of you on earth.IBÁ IYÀMI ÒSÒRONGÁ my mothers, all powerful, above all my respects.

APANI MA A GUN those who control, being fully, all ground forces AWON NI OLOKO KI ORU ATORI JAPA! ATEDO JOKAN that everything is in my favor. from head to arms; from liver to heart; from bile to anûs. ATIDI JORONRO EYE AKE GAN RAN RAN birds, immense birds of wisdom AGBO KEKE LORI IROKO MAYE iroko, great tree that is above all heads ARO RO RO ILE SE IRO EYE ABAPAYE land that witnesses all events and knows everything , ELESE IRO EYE A BIDE LENU WAKO WAKO, large bird with bronze beak AWON NI IGUN TI GUN OMO EJA NINU OMI precise when catching the baby fish in the water, AWON NI OYANYAN GANGA TI GUN OMO AKAN LODO , conscious bird that can reach and reach the crab at the bottom of the river EMI MO ORUNKOO YIN EMA PAMI EMA PA AWON OMO O MI. don’t kill me or my offsprings , MOJÚBÁ OKUNRIN. MOJUBA OBIRIN. his universal male blessing. her universal female blessing.

IBÁ LOWO OGUNSO LEGELEGE TI DORI KODO TIKO , your blessings , the one that inverts man internally and even then he dies IBA LOWO ILU GBEDU TI O DORI KOLE greetings to the rhythm of death, and may my head not hear you , TI O WAMI LOJU GBURUGBU , this sound will not tremble with dread my vision MOJUBÁ ODUNDUN TI DUN BI EEGUN , bless the ancestor in his peace that makes me alive MOJUBÁ OLOLO TI LOHUN ORO , bless me the power that grinds the grain and plays the drum, let me not be in the middle of your friction.

IBA LOWO ONA OMO OSOROROO JIRO I respectfully revere the space beyond the universe of my path. IBA LOWO AYE!, greetings to what exists intensely from earth to sun, and that they recognize me. may everything be accepted; without detour and bless me.