Sign in
  • Home
  • News
    • Defence
    • Foreign
    • Pictures
    • Africa
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Aviation
    • Capital Market
    • Coronavirus
    • Energy
    • Finance and Banking
    • Industry
    • Insurance
    • IT & Tel
    • Property
    • Transport
    • Aviation
    • Industry
    • Energy
  • Sports
    • Ronaldo
  • Entertainment
    • Scoop
  • Features
    • Special Contribution
    • Art
    • Tourism
    • Opinion
Sign in
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Password recovery
Recover your password
Search
1.8 C
New York
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
  • Sign in / Join
  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Infotrust News
  • Home
  • News
    • AllDefenceForeignPictures
      News

      DR Congo Accuses Rwandan Hutu Rebels Of Killing Italian Envoy

      News

      Kidnapped Kagara Students, Teachers Regain Freedom

      News

      Nigerians Have Shed Enough Blood, Says Buhari

      News

      ‘There’s No Better Successor For Buhari Than Tinubu’

    • Africa
  • Politics
    • Politics

      Imo: I Have The Strongest Political Structure – Okorocha To Uzodinma…

      News

      ‘There’s No Better Successor For Buhari Than Tinubu’

      Headlines

      Omisore Abandon SDP, Joins APC

      Headlines

      Reps’ Spokesman: Nigerian Lawmakers Among World’s Poorest… We Are Suffering

      APC

      Oshiomhole Declares APC Revalidation Exercise Unconstitutional, Double Registration

  • Business
    • AllAviationCapital MarketCoronavirusEnergyFinance and BankingIndustryInsuranceIT & TelPropertyTransport
      Business

      Banks Turning Female Marketers To Sexual Slaves – Senator

      Business

      Why Petrol Price’ll Continue To Increase – Retailers

      Business

       Banking Sector Lost N5bn To Fraud In Nine Months, Says NIBSS

      Business

      Court Orders KPMG To Audit Zenith Bank, Stallion Group Account Over…

    • Aviation
    • Industry
    • Energy
  • Sports
    • AllRonaldo
      News

      COVID-19 Kills Ronaldinho’s Mother

      Headlines

      BREAKING: NPFL: Bus Carrying Wikki Tourists Players Bursts Into Flames

      Headlines

      Williams Breaks Down In Tears After Australian Open Semi-final Defeat

      Sports

      Champions League: Barcelona’s Squad To Face PSG Confirmed

  • Entertainment
    • AllScoop
      Entertainment

      Headies: Omah Lay Wins Next Rated As Fireboy Grabs 4 Awards…

      Entertainment

      Paternity Scandal: Shina Peter Vows To Take Care Of Funmi Martins’…

      Entertainment

      Court Orders DNA Test For Nollywood Actress, Odusanya’s Daughter

      Entertainment

      My Mum Was Older Than Dad — Iyabo Ojo

  • Features
    • AllSpecial Contribution
      Features

      Serving Humanity Is My Passion-Sanusi, CEO, Ilaji Hotels and Resort

      Features

      Seven Ways To Detect Hidden Camera In A Hotel Room

      Features

      How Kidnapped Lady Tricked, Lured Her Captors Into Police Net

      Auwalu Daudawa
      Features

      Mastermind Of Kankara Boys’ Kidnap Gives Reasons For Surrender

    • Art
      • Art

        New Afrika Shrine Karnival To Hold On Jan 17th & 18th

        Art

        Trump’s Reaction To A Nigerian Artist Painting

        Art

        A Peek Into The World Of Afro-beat: Edaoto

        Africa

        Belgian Festival Draws Criticism Over Blackface ‘Savage’ Character

        Art

        Ekiti Gov., Kayode Fayemi Kicks-Off Festivals Of Arts And Culture

    • Tourism
      • Features

        And Araba Transforms To Leopard

        Headlines

        Ekiti Tourism: 2000 Tourism Entrepreneurs, Artisans To Benefit From Sterling Bank…

        Africa

        Africa Travel Week Unveils 2021 Roadmap To Reignite Travel And Tourism…

        Features

        Five Destinations Open For South African Travellers

        Africa

        Will Stolen African Artefacts Ever Find Their Way Back Home?

    • Opinion
      • Opinion

        Dissecting  Chief Of The Naval Staff Agenda For Maritime Security 

        Opinion

        Now PMB Has Replaced Service Chiefs

        Headlines

        The National Question And The Quest For Restructuring In Nigeria

        Opinion

        Reinvigorating Nigeria-America Relations Under President Joe Biden

        Opinion

        Facing 2021: Notes To The Nigerian Left

Home Features And Araba Transforms To Leopard
  • Features
  • Tourism

And Araba Transforms To Leopard

By
Tayo Adelaja
-
February 3, 2021
Share on Facebook
Tweet on Twitter

THE Araba Agbaye, the leader of the entire herbalists in the world came out in form of leopard during the Ilefen festival and the tumultuous crowd cheered him as he came out of Oke-ltase (the origin of human being).

The man, clad in wrapper with white and red chalk from the waist to the head looked every inch like that of a leopard. The white and red chalk was divided into two while the man appears fiery and was surrounded by the inner caucus. That was the situation when Odun Ilefen (Festival of Ilefen) was held in Ife.

The yearly festival was witnessed by a large crowd from Nigeria and beyond and the festival was to commemorate the day Orunmila changed into leopard and was on his way to fight with the then Oloofin (Ooni of Ife), who according to history accused him of dating his wife. It was said that Ooni got scared and ran away.

According to Owolabi Aworeni, the son of Araba Agbaye and a student of Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile Ife, “there was a gang-up against Orunmila in those days, and he was wrongly accused. He got angry and changed into leopard and moved towards the Ooni palace to deal with him. He was appeased by the chiefs and the people at the time. After a while, Orunmila calmed down and returned to Oke-ltase, but before then, he prayed for the people.”

The story has it that Araba at that time was met by Awo Olodu Merindinlogun (the 16 Higher Ifa Priests) who were instrument to his changing his mind. According to history, when he calmed down, he asked what Ifa divinity has to say, they replied in unison that Ifa said Iree ni o (it is peace).

They gave him kolanut. He collected the kolanut and called the Emese which are the Ooni’s palace boys and told them that he is no longer angry. To demonstrate that he is not angry, he ate the kolanut and move from one god to the other to appease them.

He said that ever since then, Agbonmiregun (is the   same   person as Orunmila or Araba Agbaye), which is the reason Araba Agbaye set aside this day to worship and pray for peace and the people. Indeed, it was a grand festival as Ifayori Aworeni from Argentina danced away to the local drum (Gangan) to the delight of the people. She said, “Ifa is life and we are here to worship Ifa because we believe so much in the divinity of Ifa”.

Odun Ilefen starts early with Apetebi (the wives of Orunmila)   that   goes round the family compound sweeping with Ifa leaves while also decorating the compound in preparation for the ceremony proper. Shortly after, Araba came out, danced to the praise songs rendered by the women. He left to the burial ground of the late Araba where he paid homage. The late Araba from inception were about 30, he performed rituals at the place where each was buried.

Fagbamila Aworeni, Majeobaje Awo Agbaye from   Uruguay   and Ajiwenu Aworeni, Iyalatee Awo Agbaye from Uruguay noted that they came to Ile-Ife to worship and celebrate Odun Ilefen. To them and the others like Ifatunmbi Ifasanmi, the Isokan Awo Agbaye from Cuba, Ifaporile Aworeni from Brazil, Ifasogbe Aworeni, Ifaloye Aworeni, Ifadesi Aworeni and Ifagunyemi Aworeni all from Uruguay extolled the virtues of Ifa. They said that Odun Ilefen is their festival and would not miss it because it is a significant period in the life of Orunmila.

To them, it shows that truth pays. It is also a time to keep in touch with their roots Ile-Ife. Ajiwenu Aworeni, the Iyalate Awo Agbaye wondered why the government of Nigeria is not taking the culture and tradition of her people seriously. She said: “If the Odun Ilefen can be encouraged and well packaged, it will be great as many of my people will turn out in their hundreds, if not thousands to Ile-Ife. We believe so much in Ifa divinity like many of my people at home.”

First Published in Nigerian Compass on Saturday, 20 October, 2012.

  • TAGS
  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Cuba
  • Niger
  • OAU
  • Uruguay
SHARE
Facebook
Twitter
Previous articleNational Gallery Of Graft: How Former DG, Others Misappropriated Funds
Next articleFEC Approves Establishment Of 20 New Private Universities
Tayo Adelaja

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Features

Serving Humanity Is My Passion-Sanusi, CEO, Ilaji Hotels and Resort

Features

Seven Ways To Detect Hidden Camera In A Hotel Room

Features

How Kidnapped Lady Tricked, Lured Her Captors Into Police Net

Auwalu Daudawa
Features

Mastermind Of Kankara Boys’ Kidnap Gives Reasons For Surrender

Features

Sheikh Gumi Visit Two Bandits Enclave At Shinkafi Forest

Features

National Gallery Of Graft: How Former DG, Others Misappropriated Funds

Headlines

Ekiti Tourism: 2000 Tourism Entrepreneurs, Artisans To Benefit From Sterling Bank Tourism Development Scheme

Features

Corruption Perception Index: Nigeria Drops To 149, Worst Ranking Since 2015

Africa

Africa Travel Week Unveils 2021 Roadmap To Reignite Travel And Tourism In Africa

EDITOR PICKS

DR Congo Accuses Rwandan Hutu Rebels Of Killing Italian Envoy

February 22, 2021

Serving Humanity Is My Passion-Sanusi, CEO, Ilaji Hotels and Resort

February 22, 2021

Imo: I Have The Strongest Political Structure – Okorocha To Uzodinma...

February 22, 2021

POPULAR POSTS

Prof Salako replaces embattled Ujah, as workers jubilate over sack of...

July 31, 2016

UK Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin visits Zimbabwe

February 1, 2018

Egypt’s non-oil business sector activity stabilises in Jan – PMI

February 5, 2018

POPULAR CATEGORY

  • News25229
  • Headlines15301
  • Sports10196
  • Politics3793
  • Africa2459
  • Business2246
  • Entertainment1908
  • Crime1840
  • Features893
ABOUT US
InfoTrust Multimedia Limited Ikeja, Lagos.
Contact us: [email protected]
FOLLOW US
  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2019 Infotrustng.com. All Righs Reserved.
Edit with Live CSS
Save
Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete.