Images of Witches in Yoruba Oral Poetry

Article Citation: Àránsí Ayọ̀ọlá Ọládùnńkẹ́ (2021). Images of Witches in Yoruba Oral Poetry. DEGEL: The Journal of the Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies, Vol. 19, No. 1. ISSN 0794-9316

IMAGES OF WITCHES IN YORUBA ORAL POETRY

By

Àránsí Ayọ̀ọlá Ọládùnńkẹ́

Abstract

Literature provides veritable expressions of society and also presents an invaluable avenue for scholars to investigate issues that are not clearly familiar with researcher. Yoruba oral poetry has been suffused with different aspects of human activities in the society. This paper focuses on the use of super-natural powers for harmful deeds by innately evil people who work harm against others. Also, it seeks to examine the descriptive poetry of witches being evil and some negative evil activities such as murder, snatching, night marauding, destroying, charm neutralising, adultery, confusion, wickedness, invisible attack, greed, human hunting, and blood-sucking attributed to them. This study established that witches are invisible creatures and their activities are hazardous to human progress and development. The study revealed that witches cannot be overpowered but they can be appeased only through sacrifices and rituals. It also shows that the activities of witches are uncontrollable and dangerous to society. The paper concludes that there is the need for encompassing hermeneutics theory that will serve as the base for the analyses of the work.

Introduction

The spirit of witches is disastrous among the Yorùbá people and it is a belief that neither scientific nor religious explanation could describe the mysterious powers of witches. Precisely, in Yorùbá society, witches are known as "Àjẹ́" or "Olubi". Other varieties of Yorùbá names for witches are "My Mother" (Ìyàmi), "Elders of the night" (Àgbà Ààjìn), a famous person at mid-night (olókìkí òru) and World (Ayé) (Aṣáolú, 1981.p.33) and ( Ibie 1986,p.48). Equally, Yorùbá believe that women cultists are witch cult (Awo Àjẹ́), and the owner of the sacred bird cult (Awo Ẹlẹyẹ). According to Dòpámú (2000,p.46) men also belong to the group of witches; only that, men are known to be 'wizard' even though recognized as women's cult.

Washington (2014) defines Àjẹ́ as a force that is beyond definition, which in Yorùbá cosmology signifies the spiritual power of African women. Also, Ọ̀pẹ́fèyítìmí (2009) submits that witches are those called Ìyàmí Ajùbàbà or Òṣòròǹgà; that is, my passion-flying beings. More explicitly, Ọ̀pẹ́fèyítìmí sees them as women who possess some powers which ordinary women do not possess. Given that, names of witches are used to connote wickedness and destructiveness. Not only that, Yorùbá people believe that mysteriously supernatural powers of witches are used to afflict their victims. Ìdòwú (1979) claims that witches are human beings of very strong determined with diabolical bent; they are the variable wicked ones who derive sadistic satisfaction from bringing misfortune upon other people.

Ẹlẹ́buìbọn (2013) explains in Odù Ọ̀ṣá Méjì where Ìyálóde initiates women of the town. This view of ẹsẹ-Ifá is in line with the Yorùbá belief that women are known to be witches. This ẹsẹ-Ifá also classifies women into two categories. The first category of women is the women of the world (Ìyá Ayé). In this case, ìyá refers to the mother who gave birth to both sexes while 'Ayé' refers to the world. Also, the first category of women is regarded as a recreator of human beings and known to be women-men (obìnrin-kùnrin). The second category of women is feminine gender (Abonìyàn); this category is not possessed. Moreso, Yorùbá believe that a sister’s tool to witchcraft is wizardry because wizards occupy a very important place in the Yorùbá traditional world as both of them are noted to work under the cover of darkness with regards to their evil deeds.

According to our structured interview, there is no age limit before anybody is initiated or becomes a bona fide member of the witch. Besides, there are two types of witches. There is black and there is white. On the one hand, the blacks are witches who have supernatural powers to destroy and afflict their victims. They are meant for destruction and their mysterious powers are for evil practice. However, on the other hand, the whites are witches with a pure mind and always rescue people suffering from evildoers. At this juncture, we observed that none of the above scholars has researched the negative portrayal of the witches in the Yorùbá society. Therefore, this study makes up for academic imbalances.

Yoruba Belief in Witchcraft

In Yoruba culture,witches are known to be conscious agents of evil doers who oprate in secrecy to attack their victims. It is also belief that witches rode through the air at night where they changed their shapes from humanbeings to animals like .birds , cats, goats, snakes or any human form to another for them to attend their secret meetings and to enable them to perform their witch crimes. Yoruba culture believes that the activities of wicthes are anti-social and invisible which lead to nagative impact in social, economics, political and also retard the progress of their victims and also responsible for inadequate development of the society.The belief of Yoruba people is that some of the so-called witches are born witches; some inherit it from their mothers or great grandmothers while some are initiated through friends or passed on through food or colanut. Accoprding to Idowu (1979):

Witches are human beings of very strong determined wills with diabolic bent......they are the veritably wicked ones who derive sadistic satisfaction from bringing misfortune upon people p.5.

Also, Segun Ogungbemi {1997} believes that:

Witchcraft in Africa is a product of imagination and hence superstitions. It must be admitted however that witchcraft in Africa has some psychic influence on the people in spite of the fact that it is a superstition. The psychic influence of fear which witchcraft generates in Africa societies is more real than the physical appearance of a witch p.8

It is noted from the above that witches are symbols of evils all over the world and their mysterious powers are not hidden to anyone in various societies.

Adegbola(1983,p.317) believed that witchcraft is passed on from parents to their children;Children will now become witch without their knowledge

Awolalu{1976) also states;

Witches are said to turn upside down and walk with their feet in the air. Some somersault to increase speed, others fly naked after rubbing on their bodies some ointments which makes them invisible.Yet others walk to the meetings on spiders webs; some ride on animals like cats,dogs,rats,or on roads and even on humanbeings. Many others turn into owls and lizards and into insects and glow-norms. Meetings take place at the banks of rivers, at the branches of big trees or at the road junctions or on mountains or hills. Those meetinge are held at different levels; locals, divisinal,regional,inter-regional,nationaland international. It is in those meetings that they share the goodies together. They plan how to get their victims and feed upon those already procured. Sucking the blood of the victim is usual thing sought. The eating causes a wasting disease to the victim’s body p.20.

It is worthty to note that the more a witch contributes to the evils among themselves, earns her higher position and brings her more respect and recognition in their spiritual assemblies. All these evils attributed to them will be analysed in this paper.

Theoretical Framework: The Hermeneutics

The word hermeneutics was derived from phenomenology. Edmund Husserl (1964) believes that there is nothing on earth which exist independently without human beings. Hermeneutics theory of Biblical texts interpretation was initially applied to the analysis of scripture. It emerged as a theory of human and the analysis of other texts in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Hermeneutics which refers to the theory of knowledge was developed by Han-George Galmer in his Truth and Method (1989). The main focus of this theory is to sort out for the thought about things and to create perfect relationship between this thought and physical things. Also, its intention is to look for the meaning of difficult words in literature in which it thought it would be useful to find out the meaning that are not so much clearer in any language to research into. Obviously, any work done by the critic does not exceed experience, language and the culture of the society of the critic because the experience is very important as noted by Iser (1980,p.30) in Eagleton (1983,p.53) that, meaning provided by the writers on any work of arts would not exceed the society he/she belongs. Heidegger (1982,p.65) also believes that language stands as a yardstick that makes it possible in giving meaning to any literary work.

This thought of Heidgger is called “Hermeneutics phenomenology”. This position of language in the argument made Heidegger (1962) to oppose them. He said, language is the only way in giving meaning to any literary work of art. He expresses his thought further that without language, a critic could not give adequate meaning to any work. His own position is that work itself would give meaning to the critic while language also serves as a yardstick that makes it possible to give meaning to critic. Hermeneutics means the science of art of interpretation. It is also seen in Eagleton (1983,p.6) that: ‘‘The word hermeneutics was originally confined to the interpretation of sacred scripture but during the 19^th century it broadened its scope to encompass the problem of texual interpretation as a whole.’’

 

The above quotation shows the recognition of the history of hermeneutics in order to have deeper understanding of any particular work of art in the society. It is noted from this theory that it is not possible to get meaning of work of art in a place, most especially poetry. Besides, meaning of any work of art of other tribe would not be easily mastered and clearer to those who do not have the knowledge of the culture of that particular tribe unless there is proper research into the culture of that tribe.

In addition, Davy (1999,pp.4-5) one of the scholars on hermeneutics theory believes that:

The history of hermeneutics may be divided into three distinct phases: prior to the late eighteenth century, hermeneutics was primarily concerned with matters of biblical and theological interpretation. Hermeneutics entered its second phase when Schleiercher and Wilheim Dilthey guided it towards a universal method of cultural and social understanding… The third and most important contemporary phase of hermeneutics concerns the existential hermeneutics of Martin Heidegger and the closely related philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-George-Gadamer. Gadamer becomes intensely pre-occupied with understanding how that historical or cultural substantiality makes itself visible in an art work.

His explanation established that hermeneutics is useful for the interpretation of both verbal and non-verbal human communication.

From the above, hermeneutics theory does not exist alone for the interpretation of texts in religion but also makes an attempt in analysing the cultural aspect of the society. In this point of view, there is no doubt that hermeneutics theory would be very useful in the analysis of any work of art relating to culture of any tribe. Since poetry of witches is one of the components of Yorùbá culture, it is therefore appropriate to use hermeneutics theory for its interpretation

Negative Portrayal of Witches in Yoruba Oral Poetry

Murderer

The Yorùbá people consider witches as invisible murderers who can kill their victims without seeing them. Their method of killing people is only known to them. This is because, nobody can tell what weapon they use for their operation. Yet, all we can say is that, most often, their time of operation is in the night and they are difficult to identify. See the following excerpt:

Apani má wagon Murderer who never seeks inheritance

Atapá jorí  That eats head from the hand

Atẹ̀dọ̀ jọkàn That eats the heart from the liver

Atìfun jẹ òrónro That eats bile duct from the intestine

Ajẹ̀dọ̀ ènìyàn má bí That eats human liver without vomiting

The above excerpt depicts witches as the irrational killers of the human being. The research shows that witches kill their victims not because they want to share out of their victims' property but, they just kill for their pleasure or killing sake. Lines 2 to 4 of the above excerpt describe how they consume human flesh and line 5 shows how they do not feel irritated while eating human flesh raw; that is, they enjoy the act of cannibalism. The research also shows that they share the raw flesh of their victims within their group. Thus, they become a terror in human society.

Raiders/Snatcher

The research shows that witches are snatchers/raiders of other people's belongings. For example:

Àfàìfúnni ládìyẹ sìn gbẹran lọ́wọ́ ẹni…

(They don't give people chicken to rear but get a goat in return)

The aforementioned excerpt indicates that witches are snatchers of belongings that are not theirs; that is, they forcefully take over other people's property without minding the implications. Also, it is made manifest in the above quotation that if witches give out little thing(s), they will get it back in ten folds not minding the financial status of the person. This makes people of the society fear them a lot.

Night Marauder

The Yorùbá people regard witches as creatures that operate in the middle of the night as described in the following excerpt:

Olókìkí òru  Popular people of the night

Afínjú ẹyẹ tí i jẹ láàrin òru A rare bird that operates in the middle of the night

Ògìnnì ọmọ atoru bọ̀ àjò… Cat, the offspring of night marauder

It is established in the above excerpt that witches execute their operations at night. The bird and cat mentioned in lines 2 and 3 are two creatures that operate in the night. The research reveals that birds and cats are messengers of witches; witches transform into either cat or bird to execute their operations at night. This act will, therefore, make them unrecognisable as human beings to the people of the society. A proverb in Yorùbá says, "Ìjàkùmọ̀ kì í rìnde ọ̀sán, ẹni a bi nílé rere kì í rìnde òru." (A tiger does not operate in the daylight while a well-behaved man does not operate in the night). Similarly, Yorùbá believes that any person or creature that operates in the night is a messenger of the devil. Consequently, people are careful to discuss witches in the night because people do not want to be harmed by the unseen creatures. Precisely, Yorùbá people believe that any action that takes place at the midnight cannot be favourable, hence it is negative.

Destroyer

It is a belief in the Yorùbá society that witches are destroyers of good things. This assertion makes it difficult for people in the society to attribute any good thing to witches. Here is an excerpt to describe them :

Bí gúnyángúnyán ń gúnyán If the yam pounder pounds yam

Tí kò bá fi ti Ìyàmi ṣe  Does not acknowledge witches

Iyán wọn a lẹ́mọ  The pounded yam becomes bad

Bí rokàrokà ń rokà If the chef prepares yam flour

Tí kò bá fi ti Ìyàmi ṣe  Does not recognize witches,

Ọkà rẹ̀ a rọ̀ pẹ̀tẹ̀  The yam flour becomes watery

Bí ṣòwòṣòwò ń ṣòwò  If a trader is performing his business

Bí kò bá fi ti Ìyàmi ṣe  If he does not acknowledge witches

Àgbààná á wọ òwò rẹ̀  The business will be squandered

Ìyàmi Òsòròǹgà  My merciless mother

Asowó domi  Who turns money to water

Iṣu ò dara mọ́ a ló bàjẹ́ Yam is not good, we say it is bad

Àgbàdo ò dára mọ́ a ló bàjẹ́ Maize is not good, we say it is bad

Ohun tí ò dára mọ́ àjẹ́ là á fi sọrí Whatever is not good is attributed to witches

Considering the above excerpt, it is clearly shown in lines 1 through 9 that if one fails to recognise or pay witches their dues and homage, whatever the person attempts will be fruitless. Also, the research reveals that witches' actions must be taken into consideration if one wants to make any progress or achievement in one's life. This means that witches can do and undo because they can frustrate people. In a nutshell, there is a negative impact of witches on good things in society. Different from that, Yorùbá people believe that witches can make any changes at will. For instance, line 11 of the above excerpt confirms their power: "A sowó domi" (one who turns money to water). It is also established between lines 12 and 14 that whatever hazard which confronts human being is the possible works of witches.

Charm Neutraliser

In Yorùbá society, people believe that witches are capable of rendering any charm impotent. Also, Yorùbá people believe that there are not only good but also bad charms. So, these charms can be neutralized by witches. The excerpt below explains better:

Ko jóògùn ó jẹ́   They render charm ineffective

A yọ dómúdómú inú àdó They remove the ingredient inside ado (charm container)

A rúmọ lóògùn dànù… One who disposes human charm

The above excerpt depicts that it is witches who are an obstruction to the efficacy of traditional medicines. This is the main reason that herbalists pay homage to them. The herbalists often go to the extent of rendering sacrifices and rituals to witches to enhance the trado-medical profession of the herbalists. This research confirmed witches as neutralizers of both good and bad charms. It showed that witches are a negative element in the society.

Adulterer/Fornicator

The Yorùbá society considers witches as adulterers/fornicators. They are capable of forcefully seducing men. Also, they are capable of seducing their female counterparts. For example:

Ẹyẹ abapá wẹẹ  A bird with beautiful hands

Ẹyẹ abẹsẹ̀ wẹẹ  A bird with beautiful legs

Ẹyẹ abìrìn àsà lẹ́sẹ̀ A bird with arrogant steppings

Ẹlẹ́yinjú ẹgẹ́ One with beautiful eyeballs

Arogba aṣọ má balẹ̀.. Who wears 200 clothing for fashion

The above excerpt depicts witches as beautiful who have beautiful eyeballs, fashionable clothing and are very arrogant in their movement. Lines 1 to 3 show their attractive body movement which is capable of attracting men to themselves consciously or not. They can fall in love with men even if the man does not have an interest. Line 4 indicates that the power to seduce men lies in their eyeballs.

The research, therefore, shows that no man came in contact with them that would not fall in love with them. This is to say, witches have the power to make forceful love with any man they come in contact with by their ways of making face or body movement. Even their enticing dresses which almost expose their private parts are used to seduce their male counterparts. The research indicated that witches use their fashionable dresses not only to advertise their beauty but to also lure men into their trap to men. Witches also attract or seduce men as a way of setting a trap for their male victim's wives. In essence, society regards the lifestyle of witches as harmful and destructive.

Confusionist

Yorùbá are very methodical; they hate things that can confuse. But, if this happens, they refer to the cause of it to the handiwork of witches. For example:

Ẹyẹ a dá rúdurùdu The bird that causes confusion

Ẹyẹ a dá yánpọnyánrin… The bird that causes commotion

The above excerpt indicates that witches are societal troublemakers and confusionists. The research shows that witches are capable of causing disorder in any social gathering such as; marriage ceremony, chieftaincy ceremony, naming ceremony, burial ceremony, and festive ceremonies. Yorùbá believe that any person or group of persons who is an enemy of all good things of life or anti-progressive is regarded as a negative person such as that of witches.

 

Wickedness/Heartless Being

Yorùbá people are peace-loving people. Before a society can be peaceful, there must be at least unity and love among the people. Close relationships among different people: male or female, young or old, native, or stranger flourish well in the society. In which case, whenever there is any disorder that may result in bad happenings, people think of witches as the brain behind it. Witches can, thus, be regarded as "iná tí kò mọ ẹni tí ó dáa" (fire that does not know the maker).

Witches can do and undo to parents, friends, children, close neighbors, and so on, not minding whatever type of relationship. This is portrayed in the excerpt below:

Ò fagada bẹ́ ọmọ ìyá ẹ̀ lórí She cuts off the head of her mother siblings

Ó yọ kùmọ̀ gbòńgbó ti ọmọ bàbá ẹ̀ She attacks her fatherly- born with club

Ikú ilé ti múni sílẹ fún ti ìta Internal death that ties one down for the

 external one

Ikú ilé ti mọni kó tó pani Internaldeath that knows one before killing

 the person

 

Àrùn ọ̀ọ̀dẹ̀ tí mọ̀nìyàn kò tó ṣènìyàn Internal disease that knows one

  before attacking

The above excerpt means that witches do not take into consideration the type of relationship between them and their victims before they afflict them. Witches find it easier and more comfortable to deal ruthlessly with close relations. Moreover, they do not care to afflict people they know very well.

The research established that people should keep away from witches because a close relationship is not a barrier for them whenever they choose to afflict anybody. This is because societal people do not find it easy to identify them. Therefore, witches find it very easy to attack their victims. And, if one tries to identify any witch, it means that one wants to double one's punishment. All the attributes of witches above depict them as negative elements in the society.

 

Unknown Attacker

Yorùbá people always pray to God to deliver them from unknown enemies (witches). This is because witches do not mind to know their victims before they afflict them. For example:

A kọ́mọ lọ́rọ̀ láìfojú kan ọmọ The invisible teacher

A tòjiiji mùjẹ̀  Those who suck blood from the shadow

O gbe ọmọ ọlọ́mọ jù sí kòtò They throw away another man's child into

 the pit/dungeon

Ó bọ́lọ́mọ sunkún ojú gbere gbere They later sympathize with the mother by

 shedding tears

The above excerpt suggests that witches attack their victims who are not familiar with them. After the attack, they come around to sympathise with pretense. The research shows that witches could be regarded as dangerous elements in the society because they are irrational in their actions/dealings. This means that any person who deals ruthlessly with an unknown person who has never come on their way should be regarded as a negative creature in the society. Therefore, anybody that victimizes an innocent person should be condemned.

Greed

In Yorùbá society, greed is not acceptable. Any greedy person is regarded as irresponsible. Thus, Yorùbá believes that witches have this trait. For example:

Ó japá tán  After consuming the hand

Ó ń reti ìtàn She expects the thigh

This means that witches are never satisfied. They just act like 'Oliver Twist' who always asks for more. Put differently, if witches cause little trouble, they will look for a bigger one which may be capable of destroying the whole system. The research revealed that witches are perpetually keen to do evil. Hence, witches are insatiable. Therefore, anyone who wishes to do good in life should beware of them. The above attribute makes witches fearful and unwanted in the society.

 

Human Hunter

It is known from time immemorial that witches are human hunters in Yorùbá society. They hunt for human beings in the night because the darkness is favorable to their operations; this means that witches always have their ways during the night. For instance,

Ìyàmi kìí ṣọdẹ ẹran Witches do not hunt for animal

Ìyàmi kì í ṣọdẹ ẹyẹ Witches do not hunt for birds

Kì í ṣọdẹ ọ̀yà lóko Do not hunt for grasscutter

Ọdẹ awo níí ṣe  They are occultic hunters

The above excerpt shows that witches are not just ordinary hunters who hunt for animals in the bush; their focus is to hunt for their prey, which is a human being. The research revealed that witches operate in the night to catch their victims easily. Also, this barbaric behavior can only be linked with witches in Yorùbáland. Therefore, the witches' night operations are condemned.

Bloodsuckers

Yorùbá people believe that witches love to suck human blood. In fact, the Yorùbá believe that human blood is their water. Therefore, any person that witches suck their blood is a dead person. For example:

Ẹ̀jẹ̀ lomi awo  Blood is the water of the cultists

Ìyàmi kìí mumi ìkàsì  Witches don't drink the previous day's water

Ìyàmi mu ẹ̀jẹ̀ yó  Witches drank blood to their satisfaction

Ó ṣe ikùn gbẹndu They had a protruding stomach

The above excerpt means that witches are fond of sucking human blood; that is, the blood of human beings serves as their potable drinking water. The research showed that witches are fearful elements. This type of behavior makes the people of the society to dislike them. People do not want to have anything do with them because of the fear that witches are bloodsuckers. Also, Yorùbá believes that witches suck the blood of people they have not seen through their magical power. This type of attitude portrays witches as negative elements in human society.

 

Conclusion

The hermeneutic study of“oríkì àjẹ́” (descriptive poetry of witches) in this research established that witches are invisible foes of human beings who operate in the night. They are capable of attacking their victims without seeing them and dealing with people irrationally and indiscriminately. Again, the study established that witches are impediments to human endeavors, progress, and development.

Thus, this study concluded that witches cannot be overpowered, but they can only be appeased through sacrifices and rituals. Moreso, the activities of witches are uncontrollable and dangerous to society. Besides, whoever cannot be attacked by witches, only God can deal with such a person. For example; Ẹni tí abáwí tí kò gbọ́, ẹni tí a sọ̀rọ̀ fún tí kò gbà, ẹ jọ̀wọ́ rẹ̀ fún sẹpẹtẹ, ẹ jọ̀wọ́ ẹ̀ fún obìnrin, nítorí àwọn ni ikú tí í pa akọni. (whoever refuses to accept a caution, whoever refuses to accept advise, leave him for sẹpẹtẹ (witches), leave him for women, because they are the death that kills the hero).

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