The tiger skin put on by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, during the last Olojo festival was a huge attraction at the festival apart from the event also signalling the first public outing with his new wife, Mariam Ajibola.
Since the monarch’s first celebration of the Olojo festival as Ooni, Oba Ogunwusi has almost every year adjusted his dressing mode to identify with the Ooni before him and whatever he wore during the grand finale of the festival.
But quite curiously during this year’s celebration, the Ooni appeared in tiger skin clad around his all white attire, with the animal’s head placed on his chest.
His appearance was greeted with excitement by the attendees who sought knowledge on the monarch’s dressing in relation to the festival.
Three of the participants at this year’s Olojo festival spoke about the Ooni’s appearance.
One of them is Omolola Olagunju from Lowa Ada’s compound, Ile-Ife, Osun State, who said Oba Ogunwusi was only showing how versatile he was with fashion befitting of a royal father like him, stressing that there may be no spiritual message infused in his dressing.
But an Osun adherent, Doyin Olayiwola, was of the opinion that the Ooni appeared in tiger skin to celebrate the spiritual link between the stool and the attributes of tiger being a revered animal in the forest.
In the opinion of a school teacher based in Ile-Ife, who also witnessed this year’s Olojo festival, Jeleel Olaosebikan, since it was the first time Ooni would put on skin of such an animal, it could not be completely ruled out that the monarch was adhering to some spiritual guidance.
Also, during the cultural/spiritual celebration considered the biggest festival in the ancient town to commemorate the creation of the first dawn, Are crown is adorned by Ooni and with it, he makes a symbolic trip to Ogun shrine and Idi aje, two shrines located few meters away from Enuwa, where the palace is located.
Apart from the Are crown, the Ile-Ife Ogun priest known as Osogun also plays an important role during the celebration.
Osogun, the only priestly king in Ile-Ife who must not prostrate while greeting Ooni or take a seat whenever he visits the palace, will receive the royal father bearing Are crown during a symbolic trip to Oke Mogun, where rites would be observed and prayers offered.
During this year’s celebration, several activities such as parade of orisas, homage by palace chiefs and diviners including other cultural activities were held.
The year’s event drew culture enthusiasts, scholars also had in attendance the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who represented the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), and the Osun State Deputy Governor, Benedict Alabi, among others.
Ooni, emerging from the inner court of the palace after adorning Are crown, said to be heavy, moved to the burial sites of his predecessors and offered prayers before coming out of the palace for the journey to Ogun shrine.
Emerging with the colourful crown, the monarch initially had to be supported by his traditional aides called emese to move, with hunters firing gunshots intermittently into the air, as people offered prayers. Ooni’s pace later quickened, heading out of the palace towards Oke Mogun, where other rites took place.
Providing insight in the festival’s import and Ooni’s appearance in tiger skin, the Lowa Adimula of Ife, who is the second in line among palace chiefs to Ooni, High Chief Adeyeye Adekola, during an interview said that the monarch’s wearing of tiger skin was to openly display strength and toughness as part of the attributes of the revered Oduduwa throne.
He said, “As regards how Baba Ooni appeared during the last Olojo, the regalia he puts on that day which had tiger skin is to show strength. No animal dares a tiger, so the Ooni among humans.
“Ooni is praised as ‘Awuwo loun, Ekun Ajiki Ede.’ Ooni’s strength and influence is huge and whatever he says or prayers he offers must come to pass. That is why an Ooni does not talk much or talk anyhow. His appearance was not to scare people but to show strength and influence.
“Whatever he says is ase Olodumare. Just as it was in the days of our fathers, so is it till now. Among human beings, Ooni is powerful and that is the meaning of the tiger skin placed on the side of his shoulder where the heart is.”
On the significance of the festival, Adekola, who served as Sarun, the traditional aide-de-camp to the immediate past Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuade, before he was elevated to his present position, said the festival was primarily to celebrate the creation of the earth.
Adekola stated, “During Olojo festival, Ooni being Arole Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race is at the middle of the celebration. It is the celebration of how Olodumare created the earth. Olojo celebration is to signpost the day God created the earth.
“In Yorubaland, one will observe that both old and young revere God on a daily basis by saying ‘Olojo oni iba re o.’ Olojo celebration in Ile-Ife is a special and unique period for us as descendants of Oduduwa.
“Are crown which Ooni inherited from Oduduwa was brought out last Saturday during the grand finale of the Olojo festival and that is how it is done once in a year.
“In the olden days, people can’t see the Ooni until the day he bears Are crown. That means people saw the Ooni once in a year and after adorning the crown, he would come out to pray and his prayers do come to pass. People see Ooni regularly now but Are only comes out once in a year and it comes out during Olojo festival.
“Olojo is a festival for Yoruba sons and daughters, Ife indigenes, the black race and white people as well. It is for all human beings. We all should support this festival and make it bigger. You saw the large number of people who came for the 2022 Olojo festival because they believe it is our culture and that whatever spiritual request they made will be answered.
“Ooni is the only monarch that has Aare crown throughout the world and that is what makes him the head and gives him authority over other crowns. We reflect that in his cognomen. We praise Ooni as Olorialade gbogbo, okiri, kiribiribiti, iti omo irunmole.’’
After the festival’s grand finale on Saturday, Are crown returned to its sacred place within the palace court. On Monday, Ooni visits his family house for their celebration.
He stated, “You will observe that after Saturday’s celebration, merrymaking continues on Sunday for several people and musicians are invited to play too. On Monday, the Ooni goes to his father’s house to celebrate with his family. He dances and also prays for them.”
Dwelling on the rites the Ooni must observe when he visits Ogun shrine during the festival’s closing, Adekola said in the past the rites to be performed at the shrine usually held at night.
He, however, noted that the practice was later stopped after people began to insinuate that human sacrifice was being performed during the exercise.
He noted that the Ooni’s main port of call during the visit is Idi Aje; a shrine where he will pray for prosperity for Osun, Yorubaland and Nigeria, adding that the royal father and his entourage have a stopover at Ogun shrine before proceeding. He explained that this was because the Yoruba believe that the Ogun deity is key to people recording breakthroughs in any endeavour.
He said, “Many people don’t understand what Ooni’s visit to Oke-Mogun is all about. It is during the midnight that we used to hold that in the olden days. But people later started insinuating that it was a human sacrifice we were doing at Ogun shrine and it was changed.
“During the reign of Oba Adesoji Aderemi, the white people that colonised us then didn’t dabble in anything that belongs to Ife because they carried out their research well.
He noted, “Go to the British Museum in London, you will see how highly they rated Ile-Ife. Yoruba history records Ogun as the deity with powers to pave way and Ooni must go to his shrine during Olojo festival, though the main place where Ooni is going is Idi Aje Oja Ife. At Ogun’s shrine, Ooni and Osogun will stand facing each other and talk. What they say at that point is something that can’t be revealed to the outside world.
“Ooni will utter some words to Osogun and he will also say some words back to Ooni. Leaving Ogun shrine, Ooni will go to Idi Aje Oja Ife to pray for prosperity for the world.”
Regarding the weight of Are crown, Adekola, who is the palace chief directly in charge of that crown, stated that the spiritual crown was heavy.
He said, “I am the chief in charge of Are crown. It is indeed heavy but there are things we will do when it is time for Ooni to carry it for him to be able to bear the weight and he will carry it with ease. Are crown is an ancient and highly spiritual crown.”
Meanwhile, at this year’s celebration, the absence of several foreign tourists was noticed but a handful of foreign culture enthusiasts and scholars were seen at the closing of the event.
The festival’s 2021 edition featured foreign participants, especially from Brazil, who also had a stand where they served food to the participants.
Though the development didn’t take the shine off the festival, it somewhat exposed the need for increased global promotion for the event to attract the attention of more international culture promoters and scholars.
On what may be responsible for the scanty number of foreign participants at the event, Adekola said insecurity in the country could have contributed to the development.
He also said that many foreign tourists still attended the festival, praying for solutions to the insecurity ravaging the country.
He stated, “Many foreign tourists that didn’t come may have stayed away due to the security challenge in the country. It is only the brave ones that came for the festival. Many are scared of the kidnappings, banditry and others facing Nigeria presently.’’
Also speaking, Ooni’s spokesperson, Mr Moses Olafare, observed that visitors from Cuba, Brazil and other places were in attendance. He, however, admitted that many tourists from Europe attend this year’s event, identifying insecurity as the likely reason.
