Thursday, 30 June 2016

The Yoruba And The Fading Heritage

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Yoruba is the most civilized tribe in Nigeria’’ yesss, genuine Igbos and Hausas confirmed this. Yoruba is the most educated tribe in Nigeria, of course, no doubt about that; the most accommodating; most peaceful and the likes. These good attributes goes on and on. Then, ask yourself, ‘’is this as a result modern civilization?? Noooo!, you cannot tell me you are more nicer than your parents. This is the heritage inherited from our parents, believed to have also inherited from the fore-parents who were more into cultural way of life.
Yoruba culture teaches morals, values, mode of dressing and the likes. Though, there were crude part of it, this is refined over time, it is normal in any culture around the globe. Even, the so-called Christianity and Islam were cruder than this before, it was refined over the years and not abandoned. Nothing bad in accepting religion, which we think is ‘’Salvation’’ but why do we need to take it with their own culture as well.
Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, but did he instruct us to hang the Symbolic Cross on our neck to immortalise him, that is Israelite culture, ours is Bead (Ileke). I never see Nigerian children, using gold plated ‘’Gun’’ as necklace because his/her father, Imam or Pastor is killed by Gun or have you ever seen children of the Boko Haram victims hanging bomb as necklace, Noooo!. That is their own culture and not part of religious faith.
Arabs use big turban (Lawani) because of the dust in their desert area, when they were under-developed, my Muslim uncles would put on big turban during naming ceremony being conducted in a very cool atmospheric sitting room. They claim that, dressing like Mohammed (S.A.W) is additional heavenly benefit.
Many of my friends told me when they see beads as necklace, the person look like Babalawo and ladies with ‘’waste beads’’ (Bebe) look like a re-incarnated child ‘’Abiku’’..Haaba!!. Bead is just fashion thing devised by our fore-parents, even they tattoo then. Living with white people made me realise those wigs our ladies wear do not make them beautiful, because Oyinbo have it natural and it looks better on them. Then, I began to see the natural beauty in our hand weaving hairstyles, C´mmon! Black beauty is more adorable in its natural form.
Immorality, being tagged as civilization mixed with foreign culture taken upside down, has eaten deep in us, you see ladies with chest lowered top & the Cross of the necklace being lowered in-between the two ‘’treasures’’ of women, such scene recently took my attention. I was just staring at it until the girl asked me politely ‘’hey, are you fascinated by the Jesus on the cross of Calvary, I answered, not really, I’m actually interested in the two thieves behind him.
I also noticed religious beliefs have even separated the Yoruba children rather than uniting us, why going that far with religion my people! We are known to be more accommodating going by our heritage.
When you meet a loving Yoruba girl, her first JAMB question to you is ‘’are you a Christian or muslim’’, even, having Yoruba name indicates Christianity to her. Kai! me and many of my friends suffered from this JAMB question during our hunting years until we devised a way of re-modifying our names: Dauda becomes Dafo, Rahman to Raymond, Gani to Ganny, Jossiah to Jossy, Sunday to Sunnel and Jide to Jaidous.
Even, you have to deny your fathers’ house because of the message in-front like ´´ Allahu Akbar’’ or ‘’ Covered with Blood of Jesus’’. Then you tell your girl,,,’’you know, I’m in this city to study and I rented a room here, I am from Lag meen’
Yorubas, we got all the swags naturally in our culture, let’s prevent it from fading away.

Written By: Raymond Ajeigbe

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