Ohun tí eye bá je ní eye n gbé fò
For the hungry bird can hardly cruise in flight; we all essentially fall back on our core
I do not intend for this to be a long submission. In this piece, I will attempt to convey my understanding of what is a rather nebulous concept. While it is thoroughly misunderstood by many, Ìsèse is the heart of the Yoruba personhood. Every single Yoruba person is summarily a product of Ìsèse.
So, what is Ìsèse?
The sensible route is to unpack the word itself and no better way to do that than consider its etymology. Through etymology, we can deconstruct a word to be able to comprehend the central idea(s) underpinning it. I have found this to be extremely useful in many situations.
Before I proceed to do that, let me point out the penchant of Yoruba to consolidate words. This art of consolidating words is something that Yoruba stylistically does such as we see in the case of the eponymous word, “Olodumare (Olodu ikoko to n tan osumare” which means “the owner of the mysterious pot out of which exudes the rainbow” (Solagbade Popoola).
We also see this play out in another popular Yoruba word like “Omoluabi” which could be deconstructed to “Omo tí Olú Ìwà bi” which means “a child sired by the chief of character” or could also be “Omo to ní ìwà bí…” which means “A child that has the character like…”. Credit to the late Yoruba Professor Sophie Oluwole for this particular example.
When a group of people embrace certain practices, such become markers by which they are identified. I dare say that even animals have foundational practices.
Ìsèse is an interesting word that comprises two compound words that have been consolidated. The words are Ìsè (from Ìsèdálè or Ìpilèsè (foundation) and Ìse (practices or tradition). From these, we could then simply define Ìsèse as “Foundational Practices”. With such a simplistic definition, it becomes expedient for us to further engage with the idea behind foundational practices. What does the Yoruba mean when they talk about foundational practices?
The question of foundation is a deeply profound idea. Most times you cannot see the foundation of a building but without it, the building itself could not stand. This is a deeply philosophical idea but it is very real.
Could you ever imagine a house without a foundation? Your guess is as good as mine.
As we investigate the subject of foundational practices, we invariably have to segway into the realm of culture. Foundational practices morph into culture (cult+ure). When a group of people embrace certain practices, such become markers by which they are identified. I dare say that even animals have foundational practices.
Let me assert that this is a best endeavours effort to deconstruct a sacred Yoruba philosophical concept. There will never be a 100% equivalence because Yoruba is NOT English. Yoruba Thought is NOT the same as European Thought.
If you are still with me on this voyage, thank you!
The Yoruba word for Culture is Àsà which is another consolidated word derived from “Ohun ti asà” which loosely means “something we selected”. Interesting isn't it?
For the Yoruba, culture (Àsà) is not accidental. A foundation does not just appear. It is chosen. Someone chooses to lay a foundation. Culture therefore is not random but a culmination of choices; a set of foundational practices.
If this all makes sense, then we should be very careful in how we engage with culture especially when we seek to change them. We must first establish why it became a practice. Culture is a matter of foundation and prudence would suggest that we must approach anything that has to do with it with care and caution not least because culture is a crucial component of identity. It is serious business.
Many of us are very quick to condemn certain foundational practices because we lack the understanding of why it is those are in the first place and out of arrogance, we ignorantly condemn them. Now let us be clear, we can and should challenge ourselves and culture, but we must do such in a manner that does not desecrate our foundation. We are nothing without our foundation.
In the acclaimed Yoruba movie Elésin Oba (The King’s Horseman) adapted from Death and the King’s Horseman (a work of Wole Soyinka), we see the tragedy that occurs when ignorant people arrogantly desecrate culture. Now, I am not sure any of us will today drum up support for the act of killing a human being as a ritual for a dead royal. I dare say that while we do not fully understand the ramifications of such foundational practices, we would not be wrong to challenge the premise for it.
I admit that I know too little to outrightly condemn something I do not fully overstand. My charge is for us to be a lot more circumspect when we engage with foundational practices. We need that hard-core humility and sagacity.
Yes, Ìsèse includes IFÁ which is the sacred knowledge system and spirituality of the Yoruba. IFÁ is a multi-disciplinary system which houses Yoruba's point of view and philosophy. Most Yoruba proverbs, enigma, colloquialisms and sayings are to be found within IFÁ. Think of IFÁ as the database which houses the history, moral philosophy, science & technology and spirituality of the Yoruba people. This understanding is why you will hear people say that IFÁ is not religion but it has religion in it. IFÁ is not medicine but there is an extensive knowledge of medicinal practices within it and so on.
I will resist the urge to further unpack this matter here and now so as to avoid any misgivings but I assure this esteemed reader that IFÁ is not satanic. IFÁ is the sacred heritage of Yoruba people. It is a testament of how our noble ancestors saw their place in the world. A record of their interactions with the divine. A truly priceless gift. IFÁ is yours and mine.
If you love anything about the Yoruba, chances are that you are in many ways paying homage to IFÁ because IFÁ is that technology that houses the essence of Yoruba which we describe as Ìsèse.
One of the sacred verses of IFÁ says the following (I am paraphrasing here):
Baba eni ni Ìsèse eni (Your father is your foundation)
Yeye eni ni Ìsèse eni (Your mother is your foundation)
Ikin eni ni Ìsèse eni (Your IFÁ kernel is your foundation)
Ilè eni Ìsèse eni ni (Your land is your foundation)
As I bring this piece to a close, let me share a story from my own life on my view of Ìsèse. I hope my little story inspires someone out here to rediscover themselves and awaken to their authentic identity.
Here we go…
As a child growing up in the culture-rich city of Osogbo, my father insisted that Yoruba be the “Lingua Franca” in our home. A decision I never understood until when I became an adult. This is a truly gifted man who bagged a bachelor's in English Language and Theatre Arts from the Great University of Ibadan and a Master's in Public Administration from the illustrious better by far University of Ilorin. He even taught English Language but he insisted on Yoruba.
Our sitting room back in the day had a huge library of books (mostly English) yet my old man insisted we spoke Yoruba in the confines of the home. I have always had to Think Yoruba First in this sense.
While both of my parents demonstrated great command use of English and I most certainly picked up a lot of words from them, Yoruba was the standard. It was awkward especially whenever we had to interact with cousins from Lagos who were proper “Aje Butter”. It was hard. I recall finding it hard to relate with my cousins because they were so fluent in the language of the oppressor. Needless to say, everyone eventually caught on to English but that is not the point you see.
My Yoruba core has been a literal lifesaver for me. I have gone through difficult seasons (including a painful divorce) and all I had to fall back on was my Yoruba core. I have swam through depression when the only thing that stood between me and ending things was waking up in the middle of the night and singing a Yoruba song straight from the depths of my soul.
My Yoruba core has been a blessing to me. Ìsèse to me is not just about the beauty and blessedness of spirituality (something I cherish by the way). Ìsèse has been the key to my survival even when my sense of manhood and dignity was assailed. I cannot imagine my existence without my Yoruba core. Ìsèse is central to my existence. Ìsèse is the kernel that holds my core.
All esteem and praises to the Most-High Olodumare and to my ancestors for the gift of Ìsèse.
Thank you to my Father and my Mother for raising me and my siblings as Yoruba. I want to publicly acknowledge them and give them their roses.
E seun púpò o. May life be kind to you both. May you be happy through and through. E o ni ku lai lai. 🙇🏾
To you, my esteemed reader, thank you for reading this and I hope and pray that you will tread carefully and prudently in the corridors of culture. May it be well with you and yours.
Yours sacredly,
Àkànjí
Beautiful