The Concept of “Èèwọ̀”, “Taboo”, “Inin ń Ṣ’akọ” In Ikaram Land

By High Chief Omishola Raphael

The concept of taboo may be defined as an element of all situations in which attitudes to values are expressed in terms of dangerous behaviour. A taboo has something to do with “sacredness”, something that may be “forbidden”, it may apply to a person, community or to a thing and may describe things that are elements or devoted. The concept of taboo in Ikaram land is as old as Ikaram itself and it connotes something forbidden.

Ikaram has a lot of cultural practices and we still practice most of the culture and traditions till these days. We are very rich in culture and tradition that our forefathers in consultation with our ancestral guiding spirit saw the need to come up with rules that the community had to live by in order to keep the land clean. The taboos are things that must never be done in Ikaram land. Hence the need to sanitize the land by raising the awareness with peculiar focus on the need for the do’s and the don’t’s.

Thus, the Ikaram ancestors are the originators and custodians of taboos and whatever constitutes a taboo is strictly an offense against our ancestors and the Supreme being. It is therefore inaccurate to argue that taboo is associated with primitive societies.

In today’s Ikaram town, some of the things or elements which connote taboos may nevertheless not so strong social prohibitions as they once were. Our world is in a continuous state of flux, and we as inhabitants of the world must learn to adapt, to change and to move on. So, customs that are quite wonderful may at times no longer be useful since dynamism is fundamental to culture. However, disobedience benefits no one but obedience brings blessings.

The concept of taboos indeed is difficult to define for it is a vast and constantly changing from one community to another. However, whenever a person misbehaves, Ikaram would say he/she is breaking a taboo. Likewise as it stands condemnable till this moment for any Ikaram man to do evil against his fellow human being.

The Odu Ifá literary corpus in Ọ̀kànrànrosùn says, “wilful wrongdoing is never justifiable”. This is why people will always forgive a wrong doer who apologizes since this is a confession of ignorance. However, everybody condemns an evil doer who rather than show remorse, boasts and parades himself or herself as a valiant.

For taboo, every individual is expected to have his own taboo which he must abstain from. This may be in form of food, clothing or drinks. Some people deliberately break taboos and they pay dearly for it. For instance, going against taboos could lead to protracted sickness, infant mortality, childlessness, wretchedness and so on. Our elders often say “Èèwọ̀ dùn ju oyin lọ”  that is, “Taboo is sweeter than honey”.

In the ancient Ikaram community for instance, it is forbidden for a friend to fall in love with his friend’s wife. As a matter of fact, all negative occurrences in life as mentioned above are often attributed to the gods’ anger, which normally occurs when human beings fail to abide by what they are not supposed to do.

A Yorùbá adage says “Èèwọ̀ kìí lo ègbé ká mọ̀”. Whenever a man engages in wrong doing, it means that taboo has embarked on a journey; but when taboo returns from its journey, all sorts of problems will crop up.

Interestingly, the large number of taboos are a unique feature in Ikaram land. However, over time this distinctive feature has lost its significance and has been watered down due to modern science and technology and the influences of other religious beliefs, especially Christianity and Islam. It is self evident that our ancient town has been robbed and deprived of the attitude and all that is most sacred to it, our native laws, indigenous religion practices, wisdom and institutions are almost destroyed. Despite the set back, the fact remains that taboos have played an important role in the ancient Ikaram Community and still have their influence felt in the modern Ikaram town as they help regulate life and property.

One peculiar area where this is very much evident could be seen during the preparation leading to the fulfillment of the Ikaram traditional rites and cult (Oro) ritual practices especially in the seclusion room (Ipebi), where an incoming king, I mean the Akala designate will be for a stipulated number of days. There is where he will get to learn the tradition and given proper cultural orientation as part of the process leading to his transformation from a mere mortal and afterwards makes him a revered personality and supernatural phenomenal before ascending the throne.

It should be noted that a number of taboos also apply to an Ikaram traditional chief after he had undergone a complete Ikaram traditional rites before receiving the instrument of appointment as part of his authority to discharge his duties in the effective management of his domain. In this regards, the new monarch goes through the process of taking an oath and this oath includes accepting to do or not do certain things which are taboos. This is mainly to demonstrate and reinforce the bond between him, his chiefs and the community, the latter also pledges to stand by him and adhere to all norms of Ikaram traditional Community to bring his reign to success.

Thus, taboos provide the basis for Kabiyesi, the Akala of Ikaram, his traditional Chiefs and other persons in charge of the smooth running of the town, to adhere to and they expect the people under their control to also respect these taboos in the same manner. Therefore, taboos do not only constitute a part of Ikaram cultural heritage but also provide a good explanation for that heritage. It is an essential concept in Ikaram cultures and understanding them will enable one to better infer the way of life of the people.

Apart from individual taboos, there are family or lineage and community taboos as well. The same goes for traditional worshippers. For instance, he who worships Oriṣànlá must never drink palm wine. He who worships Ọbàtálá, any of the water goddess must not drink guinea corn wine.

However, there are some taboos which are termed “àmútọ̀runwá”, that is, a taboo which one is born with. Example can be given : Ikaram oral tradition had it that in those days, there were three children who were all “àbikú” that is, “born to die”. They always visited a wealthy farmer called Ẹ́hoiogudẹ who was one of the founding fathers of Ituyo. Ẹ̀hoiogudẹ was always unhappy whenever he lost and buried his children. One day, this strong man of valor consulted the Grand Priest of Otolomi to know the causes and the solutions to his family problems. The Ifá High Priest of Otolomi divined and Ọ̀sẹ́ Òmólú appeared on the divination tray and it specifically told Ẹ́hoiogudẹ to do certain things. First, he was instructed to tell his wife to stop using calabash cup to feed the child. Instead, his wife should be using coconut shell. Also, the child which he used to keep warm with the flaming from a big tree, must henceforth be kept warm with banana stem ; moreover, the child which his wife used to tie round her waist with sash should be henceforth tied round her waist with “Ọ̀já ikòòkò”. Ẹ́hoiogudẹ heeded the advice and as a result, all the three children lived.

From the above, it has been discovered that many people do not endeavour to identify their problems and so on, they continue to wallow in sufferings.

Below are some taboos in Ikaram traditional Community and their consequences:

Ẹni tí ó dalẹ̀, kò níí dàgbà
Ẹni tí o dàgbà, kó má dalẹ̀

Meaning;
He who is dishonest will not live long. Whoever wishes to live long must not be be a traitor.

This means that for a man to live long, he is expected to be humble, honest and respectful. For instance, while a boy is supposed to prostrate for an elderly fellow, a girl is supposed to kneel down to express courtesy. No matter how wealthy or influential a man may be, he must make sure he displays a high sense of humility at all times. No wonder that the Odu ifa literary corpus in Ògúndáméjì says:

Búúrúbú là á yírìká
Gbọ̀ọ̀rọ̀gbọọrọ là á dọ̀dọ̀balẹ̀
Ká dọ̀dọ̀bálẹ̀, ká pa igbọ́nwó mọ́
A ma la duru ohun tíí fi ṣe fúnni
Adífá fún ẹni tó mọ ìsìn Ọ̀pẹ̀
Ti yóò jayé Ẹ̀dú pẹ́

Meaning:
One kneels down with due respect
One prostate flatly
To prostrate and hide our elbows
Has a lot of advantages
Ifá divination was performed for someone
Who knows how to worship Ọ̀pẹ̀
That will enjoy the blessings of Ẹ̀dú for long.

Theft is a form of Taboo
In Ikaram traditional Community, stealing is an abomination. It is an act with disastrous end. In the older days, no man dared to touch or take his fellow man’s crop without his consent. In fact, passers-by used to buy food items at the roadside when the owner was not within sight. Ikaram oral tradition says, whoever stole such an item would have brought untold calamities on his head. Ideally, people used to believe God was looking at everybody, hence the saying:

“Oimonituyi Oosi t’odiyẹ”

— Meaning, where there is no man, there is God. That is,
“Ibi tí ènìyàn kò sì Ọlọ́run wà níbẹ̀’.

Nowadays, however, some bad elements in the society steal even in the presence of the owner, not minding the repercussion.

The basic fact is that taboo “Inin ñ ṣ’akọ”, “Èèwọ̀” brings about discipline and fear of God. Some taboos are known to be so strong to the extent that whoever breaks any of them would pay dearly for it. For instance, both murder and an act of betrayal are serious offense. If one steals, it is another serious crime.

“Ilé tí a fi itọ́ mọ, ìrì ni yóó wó o” — Meaning:  A house built with saliva will soon be destroyed by dew.

Ọ̀wọ́nrí Dàágbọn ni o ki bayii:

Agérì nínù igbó ní í fọhun jagojago
A dífá fún Ọkànbí omoye Olú
Èyí tí wọ́n ni ó má jíkàn mọ
Ò ṣe tán ó ti kolo kara.

The voice of a cutter of a tree in a bush resembles the sound of gong
Ifa divination was performed for Ọ̀kànbí the prince of king.
He was told not to eat garden eggs.
He refused to heed the warning
And boils sprang out from his body.

In this Odu ifá, Ọkànbí who who was to be the next king was warned to abstain from eating garden egg but he did not heed the warning. Consequently, his body developed boils and as a result, the kingmakers could not appoint him as a new king because of his physical defect. It could be deduced from this ifá corpus that certain food items, if taken, could serve as barriers to one’s progress in life.

Assaulting or ridiculing a Monarch
It is a grave taboo with consequences for any human being to either ridicule or even assault an Ikaram monarch as such individual would definitely face the wrath of deities and ancestral spirits of the stool of Akala of Ikaram. Assaulting a traditional ruler (an Ọba) in Ikaram traditional Community constituted a sacrilege for which the culprit could pay dearly. However, this is subject to a number of conditions and should be considered a topic for another day.

In fact, it was an abomination for anyone to speak ill of an Ikaram monarch as such a person could be struck with chronic and head splitting headache not to talk of physically assaulting him. The position of His Royal Majesty, the Akala of Ikaram is sacred and never allowed by Otolomi deity (the Ikaram ancestral guardian spirit, goddess, a widely travel pantheon, characterized by wind and water) to be violated by any mortal.

Adultery is a form of Taboo

Ikaram culture forbids a married woman to have sexual relations with a man that isn’t her husband. A man that suspects his wife of cheating could be tempted to lace her with magun, which is one of the very strong traditions in our traditional community. Magun could lead to her lover losing his life or getting stuck while in the act. This taboo is more critical against women than against men, so it is highly frowned upon for a wife to cheat on her husband.

Also, children of the same mother (if they are male and female) are forbidden to make sexual intercourse with each other or to the same woman. In case, this happens, it is believed that if the younger brother and his elder brother mistakenly touch each other’s hand while eating from the same plate, the elder brother could die.

The violation of these taboos have often led to the untimely death of several people most especially nowadays.

Furthermore, if a man has a sexual intercourse with another man’s pregnant wife, the tradition had it that such a man would be wretched until when the baby of the woman is able to recognise money.

Ikaram tradition forbids pregnant woman to go out either at night or in the afternoon (1pm) or very early in the morning. This is for the safety of her baby.

In addition, it is forbidden for anybody to beat up a pregnant woman. Likewise, a pregnant woman has to be extra careful when she is in this condition. She must be beware of wicked souls who could harm her during pregnancy.

Ìrẹtẹ̀dìí has this to say :

Àpò eruku ò gbẹ̀wú;
A dífá fún lágbigba tìí ṣe yèyé Àrọ̀nì
À á ti ṣe rúbọ báwọ̀nyìí fún ni?
Àpò Eruku o gbẹ̀wú, bá ṣe rúbọ mọ
Bẹ́ẹ̀ níí ṣe fún ni mọ.

Meaning:
The dust inside the sack does not stay with jumpers;
Ifá divination was performed for lágbigba mother of Àrọ̀nì.
How come you performed this type of sacrifice
The due inside the sack does not stay with jumpers.
A sacrifice yields results according to how it was performed.

Here, a woman called lágbigba, mother of Àrọ̀nì, was pregnant. At a time, she consulted the above named Ifá Priest who revealed to her that for her to avoid premature birth, she had to perform certain sacrifice which included a whole dried rat, one dried fish, a chicken and one she-goat. But instead of her to follow the prescriptions strictly, she collected bones of animals, chicken feathers and some parts of dried rat and dried fish. She said she had not enough money and that at the same time, she was committed to the sacrifice. Although the ifá priest advised her not to offer the sacrifice in such a half measured way because of its grave consequences, Lágbigba insisted on it and the sacrifice was performed for her. When it was time for her to put to bed, the baby was born with one good eye, one good leg and one good hand. When she protested bitterly to the priest over the baby’s deformities, the priest simply told her that a sacrifice normally yield results according to how it was performed. Since then, all pregnant women are often warned against taking chances and taking things for granted.

A king and his royal crown
Kings in Ikaram land and other parts of Yoruba towns are forbidden from looking inside of his royal crown. A king must wear a crown but he must never peer into it. The day he does it is the day he will join his ancestors. Kings could be allowed to do this if they insist on committing suicide.

A strapped baby must never fall from its mother’s back
It is an abomination in Ikaram land for a baby to fall from its mother’s back. This taboo applies in other Yoruba communities. The tradition posits that if a male child falls from its mother’s back, he will always lose his wife at adulthood, while for a female, she will always have a lover die atop her  when she grows up. The gross consequence of such is the possibility of turning the woman into a permanent widow in life. If a baby does fall from its mother’s back, the mother is expected to carry out some rituals to prevent evil from happening to the child when he or she grows up.

Suicide
Committing suicide is a serious abomination in Ikaram land and the body must not be lowered down until some sacrifices are performed to appease the gods. The body of such individual will be thrown into the evil forest or outside the town to avoid invoking the anger of the gods on the land. The family of an individual that commits suicide will be tainted forever in the community.

Unclean food
It is generally considered unclean to consume dog meat, pork, and cat meat among others. While many lineages apart from their religious beliefs will never taste dog meat but gladly consume African rabbit (Okete). Ikaram oral tradition had it that our revered indigenous war lords in those days, the Osugbos’ and Aragbos’ considered Okete an abomination but will gladly eat pig meat (pork) with relish.

Same sex relations
This is forbidden in Ikaram land. Although many cultures permits it in other societies, it is still considered an abomination in Ikaram Kingdom.

Whistling
Men and women are not allowed to whistle at nights in Ikaram land. Whistling at nights is believed to invite demons and evil spirits into the house to torment people. Additionally, it is believed that whistling could attract snakes and reptiles into the house at night.

Beating a man with broom is a form of taboo
In the ancient Ikaram Kingdom, it is important to note that it is a taboo to beat a man with broom. If this is done, the net effect is that such a man may become sexually impotent or being unable to give birth to a male child.

However, where the taboos are broken by mistakes, certain rituals are performed in order to ward off the consequences.

It is a taboo for hunter to  use hands to pack refuse
Ikaram tradition forbids an indigenous Ikaram man, particularly a hunter to use hands to pack refuse.

Also among the Ikaram, it is often regarded as a taboo to wake up in the morning and set one’s eye on refuse. It is believed that if one is a trader, coming across heaps of refuse very early in the morning, he or she will experience poor sales.

It is a taboo for man to marry a woman with flat feet
A man must also not marry a woman with flat feet because such a man will never be successful in life. Added to that is that should the woman enter a man’s house with some grasses stuck under her feet, such a house may become empty.

Conveying bunch of palm oil fruits without separating the fruits from the bunch is a taboo
It is highly imperative to note that carrying or conveying a harvested bunch or bunches of palm oil fruits into the town without separating the fruits from the bunch is a taboo that attracts the wraths of the gods of the land.

Consequently, the Ikaram tradition till today stands against carrying the fire woods tied with the palm fronds or bringing into the town a set of fire woods tied with the palm fiddleheads. This is strictly abnormal and such act has attracted condemnation with serious customary fines right from the days of our forefathers.

It is also against the norms of the ancient Ikaram town for anyone to meet masquerade with a load or bucket of water on his /her head while walking around the street in whatsoever disguise or form.

Playing “Ayo game” where people buy and sell is another forms of taboo
Also, people are forbidden to play “Ayò” game where people buy and sell in order not to invite bad luck.

It is also a taboo for a new bride to meet her husband at home on the wedding day because such an act could result in early divorce.

A trader must not start a day’s business on credit particularly on Ikaram “Ọwá market’s day. If he/ she does that, the tradition had it that if he had borrowed money for the business he or she may not be able to pay back the money while the trader would constantly engage in credit sales throughout the season. As such, the tradition recommends he or she to appease the masquerades in other to find mercy.

Moreso, if a vehicle kills a duck, the driver is supposed to insert at least the smallest denomination amount of money in the dead duck’s mouth so as to prevent further accidents that would involve human killings in future.

The tradition also recommends that when a woman gives birth to twins, she is not supposed to rub their bodies with “Ẹsọi”, “Adi” palm – kernel oil.

Thus, one may reasonably infer from the above that taboo is more or less the traditional commandments through which the Ikaram is effectively administered while the town’s elders and leaders entrusted with the responsibilities of the smooth running including every member of the community are protected from social and spiritual ambivalences. Consequent upon the coronation of a Kabiyesi or inauguration of a traditional Chief, one can agree with his person becomes sacred due to the various taboos he observes.

It is in this sense that the young people must be given education on a daily basis because people can easily learn about taboos as children from their parents and grandparents. Whenever a child behaves in contrast to how his parents behave, such child is often labeled a bastard. Above all, since, examples are better than precepts, parents must always endeavour to familiarize their children with the native customs and traditions of the ancient Ikaram town and thus bring their children up in good ways so that when they grow up, they would be useful to themselves and the society at large.

The learning process often takes place during communal ceremonies and initiation rites. It also happens during day-to-day activities, when one is about to do something that is prohibited.

It is important to note that these taboos are a reminder to those saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring the smooth running  of the Ikaram town that they occupy a sacred position and they have an obligation to adhere to the norms, regulations, rules, native laws and customs they have sworn to uphold because these are necessary for the progress of the entire community.


Conclusively, it is an undeniable fact that enormous pressure and influence had been brought to bear on the practices of taboos among Ikaram people Nevertheless, in the area of the smooth running of the town and the good interpersonal relationship among the inhabitants, it is a feature which cannot be done away with. This is because when the elements are not adhered to, things muddle up, falls apart and good interpersonal relationship  between man to man and their ancestors seems practically impossible.

May the gods not cause negative change to come upon us.
Á àṣẹ kò ní ṣẹ; ìwúre ṣáá dára ju èpè lọ.
Kí irúnmọ́lẹ̀ má pa gbogbo wa dà sí àìdára — Àṣẹ!

High Chief Omishola Raphael
The Látóòṣà of Ikaram Kingdom