The Oyugbonakán, a Role of TrustWhile attending a wemilere recently, I was chatting with an iyawó that was all pumped up about having been singled to be an oyugbonakán as soon as the year in white was over. I tried to keep my opinions to myself while listening to the ego trip of this new initiate go in overdrive as he yakked on and on about how great a job
he could do. When I asked some basic questions to find out the level of knowlege obtained by the iyawó on his nearly finished year, I realized he did not even know his moyugba yet, not to mention his ancestry. So the conversation went on with me mainly listening while wondering, what is wrong with this person’s godparents? Why has he not learned this basic stuff? Where in the world is his oyugbonakán and what role has she this person taken to educate this clueless iyawó?
And there I am trying to chill the Aganjú explosiveness in me while hearing a question pounding on my temples… what is wrong with some of our religious leaders? Why are we not allowing new initiates to mature in knowledge and practice before us trusting them with the development of others? Yes, I know, some will argue that they have seen iyawós crowning others even during their year. Yes, there is precedent of that, but I argue that only people with extraordinary capacity and extremely responsible elders to support them should assume such risks. For handling someone else’s religious life is not without peril during and after Kariosha.
It all boils down to maturity and understanding of the role of the oyugbonakán.
First let us look at the meaning of the word. Functionally it means nursemaid, but the oyugbonakán it is much more than a person to bear the brunt of the demanding work inside and outside of an igbodu.
Firstly, the oyugbonakán must have a relationship as deep with the neophyte as the one that hopefully has been established between the neophyte and the main godparent. Why do we need a relationship of trust and of mutual respect and admiration? The reason is because the oyugbonakán is in charge of the upbringing of the iyawó and serving as support in years to come under the guidance of the godparent.
In some houses the oyugbonakán is imposed on the neophyte by the main godparent. I disagree with them 100%. No one should have an elder imposed on them. Sometimes this is done because the godparent wants to make an allegiance with another house, or to honor someone of respect or simply because it is time to train someone…and the opportunity arises. There could be endless reasons, but there is none at all to justify imposing an elder on anyone.
Iyawós-to-be, wake up!! Select with your eyes open and knowing that an oyugbonakán is not a disposable item in your spiritual life. Study the person, make sure there is solid knowledge to help you grow and that the person indeed is a good teacher, someone you can count on when you need it.
Speaking about the selection of the oyugbonakán, it is important to consider carefully the stability of a marriage when selecting the spouse of your main godparent as oyugbonakán. We all know that spouses share most things. What if you are upset at either of them? Will you feel free to trust your issues to one of them and know the person will not side with his/her spouse? What happens if your godparents get separated? While some may argue that husband and wife team communicate better…and they are naturally equipped to be mother and father, I say, consider your options carefully. If they move away from the city where you live, you lose both in proximity at once. Consider your reasons carefully and only commit once you are reasonably certain of your choice.
Perhaps one of the best ways to make this choice is to fully understand all the aspects of the life of an iyawó in which the oyugbonakán has an impact.
Oyugbonakán: A Role of Command and Trust (Pt. 2)
An oyugbonakán can be either male or female.The traditional ilé orisha structure dictates that a new initiate, no matter their level of initiation, must be sponsored by two people, a godmother and a godfather.
However, the selection of a sponsor from each gender although practical, because it mimics the biological structure where we come from, is not always feasible. For the purposes of explaining the role of the oyugbona or oyugbonakán, let’s understand that the pair of main godparent and oyugbonakán can be made of two males, two females or a couple not necessarily married to one another.
The first time the oyugbonakán comes to the life of an aborisha (uninitiated person) is when the person receives the elekes and becomes an aleyo (a person initiated but not to a priesthood rank like an olosha), from the time this happens to the moment a person decides to make Kariosha, the relationship with both godparents should have significantly matured and the future iyawó should be able to make an informed choice and know the good and the bad aspects of these important religious models.
The oyugbonakán is not a servant, even if many define it as such. The oyugbonakán is more like a lieutenant. Before Kariosha the oyugbonakán will take the iyawó to do the ebbó de entrada or the beginning ebbó. The oyugbona will also be responsible for taking the iyawó to ilé ibú or the river, where the iyawó will be purified in an act that means a breaking with the past. The oyugbonakán will be in charge of paying respects to Oshún by offering, among other things, ochinchín, one of Oshún’s favorite treats and one made by the oyugbonakán herself.
The work of the oyugbonakán is far from over, she must make sure to bring the secreto del río and the tinaja (a secret procured at the river and a clay jar filled with river water) both are crucial to the ceremonies to come. Once the iyawó is settled for the evening, the oyugbonakán needs to make sure that all items for the ceremonies are organized and in place, afterwards she retires to prepare the ashé in a ceremony called machuquillo (grinding of ashé).
During Kariosha day, the oyugbonakán will not only be in charge of keeping an eye on the iyawó at all times, but also will be in charge of all the work done in the igbodu. No detail must escape from the eyes of the oyugbona and her duties and ceremonies should not be delegated to others.
I have seen plenty of lazy oyugbonakán delegating to others the rogación de ordón (prayers over the head done to the iyawó while sitting on the ordón or ceremonial rock, mortar or an almond tree trunk depending on the Orisha being crown), the obí after that rogación and many other things. I have seen oyugbonakán barely moving their lips to sing when the lavatorio (washing ceremony) was in progress or during the shaving and crowning of the iyawó.
Then again, I have seen plenty of oyugbonakán work with zeal to make sure their iyawós was treated like royalty and where the rooms were pristine and ran with martial precision. These oyugbonakán knew the power of each of their acts and the power their hands and words carry in each of their actions.
Either the main godparent or the oyugbonakán have mat duty or sleeping on the floor with the iyawó for the next 7 days. But invariably every morning, the oyugbona wakes up before anyone else, makes a ceremonial breakfast for the iyawó and also bathes and dresses the iyawó for the ceremonies and day to unfold. The oyugbonakán must know how to paint the lerí (head) and is in charge of hosting any elders coming to visit the iyawó on during the 7 days of ceremonies.
There are many other ceremonies performed on these days, the oyugbona organizes all of them. On the Día del Medio, the oyugbona will not leave the side of the iyawó, will take care of the change of ceremonial clothes and will sit with the iyawó during the ceremonial dinner. After every guest is gone, the oyugbonakán will prepare the iyawó for bed.
On the day of itá the oyugbonakán is in charge of assisting the oriaté with the ceremonies but she will not take notes on the itá notebook, nor will the main godparent, only the afeicitá (scribe) will record a lifetime worth of advice from each of the orishas and oloshas present at the ceremony.
On the last day, the iyawó must visit the marketplace and in some houses, a church. The oyugbonakán is the person in charge of this outing and must guide the iyawó through certain challenging actions. When the oyugbonakán returns, it is her duty to prepare a meal for the orishas with the items obtained at the market.
She will perform the last rogación for the 7 day period and then accompany the iyawó to her home along with her main godparent. The orishas will be brought to the house of the initiate by the oyugbonakán who will then be in charge of setting up the orisha on a mat at an appropriate place.
For the following year, the oyugbonakán will be in charge of doing a rogación each month for the iyawó and of paying surprise visits to the iyawó, functions that could be alternated with the main godparent. Either the main godparent or the oyugbonakán or both will also take the iyawó to visit the house of each of the oloshas who participated in the Kariosha to thank them for their help. This social call is important because the iyawó will start to put in practice social behavior and skills while honoring the guardian orisha of each of the priests who came forth to contribute their ashé in the iyawó’s life.
The oyugbonakán will be key during the ebbó meta (3 month ebbó) and in the process of presenting the iyawó to Anyá or the consecrated batá drums and, eventually, during her introduction to the igbodu.
As you can see the oyugbonakán has a many duties during and after the year in white, and for the rest of the life of this priest, the oyugbonakán will always be there to support the main godparent and to watch over the olosha. The oyugbonakán are hardly disposable, their role is one of great honor and respect.
These words are in recognition of the services and sacrifices made by all of those who selflessly gave themselves to the role of oyugbonakán.
Omimelli
Oní Yemayá Achagbá
The Oyugbonakán, a Role of TrustWhile attending a wemilere recently, I was chatting with an iyawó that was all pumped up about having been singled to be an oyugbonakán as soon as the year in white was over. I tried to keep my opinions to myself while listening to the ego trip of this new initiate go in overdrive as he yakked on and on about how great a job he could do. When I asked some basic questions to find out the level of knowlege obtained by the iyawó on his nearly finished year, I realized he did not even know his moyugba yet, not to mention his ancestry. So the conversation went on with me mainly listening while wondering, what is wrong with this person’s godparents? Why has he not learned this basic stuff? Where in the world is his oyugbonakán and what role has she this person taken to educate this clueless iyawó?
And there I am trying to chill the Aganjú explosiveness in me while hearing a question pounding on my temples… what is wrong with some of our religious leaders? Why are we not allowing new initiates to mature in knowledge and practice before us trusting them with the development of others? Yes, I know, some will argue that they have seen iyawós crowning others even during their year. Yes, there is precedent of that, but I argue that only people with extraordinary capacity and extremely responsible elders to support them should assume such risks. For handling someone else’s religious life is not without peril during and after Kariosha.
It all boils down to maturity and understanding of the role of the oyugbonakán.
First let us look at the meaning of the word. Functionally it means nursemaid, but the oyugbonakán it is much more than a person to bear the brunt of the demanding work inside and outside of an igbodu.
Firstly, the oyugbonakán must have a relationship as deep with the neophyte as the one that hopefully has been established between the neophyte and the main godparent. Why do we need a relationship of trust and of mutual respect and admiration? The reason is because the oyugbonakán is in charge of the upbringing of the iyawó and serving as support in years to come under the guidance of the godparent.
In some houses the oyugbonakán is imposed on the neophyte by the main godparent. I disagree with them 100%. No one should have an elder imposed on them. Sometimes this is done because the godparent wants to make an allegiance with another house, or to honor someone of respect or simply because it is time to train someone…and the opportunity arises. There could be endless reasons, but there is none at all to justify imposing an elder on anyone.
Iyawós-to-be, wake up!! Select with your eyes open and knowing that an oyugbonakán is not a disposable item in your spiritual life. Study the person, make sure there is solid knowledge to help you grow and that the person indeed is a good teacher, someone you can count on when you need it.
Speaking about the selection of the oyugbonakán, it is important to consider carefully the stability of a marriage when selecting the spouse of your main godparent as oyugbonakán. We all know that spouses share most things. What if you are upset at either of them? Will you feel free to trust your issues to one of them and know the person will not side with his/her spouse? What happens if your godparents get separated? While some may argue that husband and wife team communicate better…and they are naturally equipped to be mother and father, I say, consider your options carefully. If they move away from the city where you live, you lose both in proximity at once. Consider your reasons carefully and only commit once you are reasonably certain of your choice.
Perhaps one of the best ways to make this choice is to fully understand all the aspects of the life of an iyawó in which the oyugbonakán has an impact.
Oyugbonakán: A Role of Command and Trust (Pt. 2)
An oyugbonakán can be either male or female.The traditional ilé orisha structure dictates that a new initiate, no matter their level of initiation, must be sponsored by two people, a godmother and a godfather.
However, the selection of a sponsor from each gender although practical, because it mimics the biological structure where we come from, is not always feasible. For the purposes of explaining the role of the oyugbona or oyugbonakán, let’s understand that the pair of main godparent and oyugbonakán can be made of two males, two females or a couple not necessarily married to one another.
The first time the oyugbonakán comes to the life of an aborisha (uninitiated person) is when the person receives the elekes and becomes an aleyo (a person initiated but not to a priesthood rank like an olosha), from the time this happens to the moment a person decides to make Kariosha, the relationship with both godparents should have significantly matured and the future iyawó should be able to make an informed choice and know the good and the bad aspects of these important religious models.
The oyugbonakán is not a servant, even if many define it as such. The oyugbonakán is more like a lieutenant. Before Kariosha the oyugbonakán will take the iyawó to do the ebbó de entrada or the beginning ebbó. The oyugbona will also be responsible for taking the iyawó to ilé ibú or the river, where the iyawó will be purified in an act that means a breaking with the past. The oyugbonakán will be in charge of paying respects to Oshún by offering, among other things, ochinchín, one of Oshún’s favorite treats and one made by the oyugbonakán herself.
The work of the oyugbonakán is far from over, she must make sure to bring the secreto del río and the tinaja (a secret procured at the river and a clay jar filled with river water) both are crucial to the ceremonies to come. Once the iyawó is settled for the evening, the oyugbonakán needs to make sure that all items for the ceremonies are organized and in place, afterwards she retires to prepare the ashé in a ceremony called machuquillo (grinding of ashé).
During Kariosha day, the oyugbonakán will not only be in charge of keeping an eye on the iyawó at all times, but also will be in charge of all the work done in the igbodu. No detail must escape from the eyes of the oyugbona and her duties and ceremonies should not be delegated to others.
I have seen plenty of lazy oyugbonakán delegating to others the rogación de ordón (prayers over the head done to the iyawó while sitting on the ordón or ceremonial rock, mortar or an almond tree trunk depending on the Orisha being crown), the obí after that rogación and many other things. I have seen oyugbonakán barely moving their lips to sing when the lavatorio (washing ceremony) was in progress or during the shaving and crowning of the iyawó.
Then again, I have seen plenty of oyugbonakán work with zeal to make sure their iyawós was treated like royalty and where the rooms were pristine and ran with martial precision. These oyugbonakán knew the power of each of their acts and the power their hands and words carry in each of their actions.
Either the main godparent or the oyugbonakán have mat duty or sleeping on the floor with the iyawó for the next 7 days. But invariably every morning, the oyugbona wakes up before anyone else, makes a ceremonial breakfast for the iyawó and also bathes and dresses the iyawó for the ceremonies and day to unfold. The oyugbonakán must know how to paint the lerí (head) and is in charge of hosting any elders coming to visit the iyawó on during the 7 days of ceremonies.
There are many other ceremonies performed on these days, the oyugbona organizes all of them. On the Día del Medio, the oyugbona will not leave the side of the iyawó, will take care of the change of ceremonial clothes and will sit with the iyawó during the ceremonial dinner. After every guest is gone, the oyugbonakán will prepare the iyawó for bed.
On the day of itá the oyugbonakán is in charge of assisting the oriaté with the ceremonies but she will not take notes on the itá notebook, nor will the main godparent, only the afeicitá (scribe) will record a lifetime worth of advice from each of the orishas and oloshas present at the ceremony.
On the last day, the iyawó must visit the marketplace and in some houses, a church. The oyugbonakán is the person in charge of this outing and must guide the iyawó through certain challenging actions. When the oyugbonakán returns, it is her duty to prepare a meal for the orishas with the items obtained at the market.
She will perform the last rogación for the 7 day period and then accompany the iyawó to her home along with her main godparent. The orishas will be brought to the house of the initiate by the oyugbonakán who will then be in charge of setting up the orisha on a mat at an appropriate place.
For the following year, the oyugbonakán will be in charge of doing a rogación each month for the iyawó and of paying surprise visits to the iyawó, functions that could be alternated with the main godparent. Either the main godparent or the oyugbonakán or both will also take the iyawó to visit the house of each of the oloshas who participated in the Kariosha to thank them for their help. This social call is important because the iyawó will start to put in practice social behavior and skills while honoring the guardian orisha of each of the priests who came forth to contribute their ashé in the iyawó’s life.
The oyugbonakán will be key during the ebbó meta (3 month ebbó) and in the process of presenting the iyawó to Anyá or the consecrated batá drums and, eventually, during her introduction to the igbodu.
As you can see the oyugbonakán has a many duties during and after the year in white, and for the rest of the life of this priest, the oyugbonakán will always be there to support the main godparent and to watch over the olosha. The oyugbonakán are hardly disposable, their role is one of great honor and respect.
These words are in recognition of the services and sacrifices made by all of those who selflessly gave themselves to the role of oyugbonakán.
Omimelli
Oní Yemayá Achagbá
The Oyugbonakán, a Role of Trust
he could do. When I asked some basic questions to find out the level of knowlege obtained by the iyawó on his nearly finished year, I realized he did not even know his moyugba yet, not to mention his ancestry. So the conversation went on with me mainly listening while wondering, what is wrong with this person’s godparents? Why has he not learned this basic stuff? Where in the world is his oyugbonakán and what role has she this person taken to educate this clueless iyawó?And there I am trying to chill the Aganjú explosiveness in me while hearing a question
pounding on my temples… what is wrong with some of our religious leaders? Why are we not allowing new initiates to mature in knowledge and practice before us trusting them with the development of others? Yes, I know, some will argue that they have seen iyawós crowning others even during their year. Yes, there is precedent of that, but I argue that only people with extraordinary capacity and extremely responsible elders to support them should assume such risks. For handling someone else’s religious life is not without peril during and after Kariosha.It all boils down to maturity and understanding of the role of the oyugbonakán.
First let us look at the meaning of the word. Functionally it means nursemaid, but the oyugbonakán it is much more than a person to bear the brunt of the demanding work
inside and outside of an igbodu. Firstly, the oyugbonakán must have a relationship as deep with the neophyte as the one that hopefully has been established between the neophyte and the main godparent. Why do we need a relationship of trust and of mutual respect and admiration? The reason is because the oyugbonakán is in charge of the upbringing of the iyawó and serving as support in years to come under the guidance of the godparent.
In some houses the oyugbonakán is imposed on the neophyte by the main godparent. I disagree with them 100%. No one should have an elder imposed on them. Sometimes this is done because the godparent wants to make an allegiance with another house
, or to honor someone of respect or simply because it is time to train someone…and the opportunity arises. There could be endless reasons, but there is none at all to justify imposing an elder on anyone. Iyawós-to-be, wake up!! Select with your eyes open and knowing that an oyugbonakán is not a disposable item in your spiritual life. Study the person, make sure there is solid knowledge to help you grow and that the person indeed is a good teacher, someone you can count on when you need it.
Speaking about the selection of the oyugbonakán, it is important to consider carefully the stability of a marriage when selecting the spouse of your main godparent as oyugbonakán. We all know that spouses share most things. What if you are upset at either of them? Will you feel free
to trust your issues to one of them and know the person will not side with his/her spouse? What happens if your godparents get separated? While some may argue that husband and wife team communicate better…and they are naturally equipped to be mother and father, I say, consider your options carefully. If they move away from the city where you live, you lose both in proximity at once. Consider your reasons carefully and only commit once you are reasonably certain of your choice.Perhaps one of the best ways to make this choice is to fully understand all the aspects of the life of an iyawó in which the oyugbonakán has an impact.
Oyugbonakán: A Role of Command and Trust (Pt. 2)
An oyugbonakán can be either male or female.
, a godmother and a godfather. However, the selection of a sponsor from each gender although practical, because it mimics the biological structure where we come from, is not always feasible. For the purposes of explaining the role of the oyugbona or oyugbonakán, let’s understand that the pair of main godparent and oyugbonakán can be made of two males, two females or a couple not necessarily married to one another.
The first time the oyugbonakán comes to the life of an aborisha (uninitiated person) is when the person receives the elekes and becomes an aleyo (a person initiated but not to a priesthood rank like an olosha), from the time this happens to the moment a person decides to make Kariosha, the relationship
with both godparents should have significantly matured and the future iyawó should be able to make an informed choice and know the good and the bad aspects of these important religious models. The oyugbonakán is not a servant, even if many define it as such. The oyugbonakán is more like a lieutenant. Before Kariosha the oyugbonakán will take the iyawó to do the ebbó de entrada or the beginning ebbó. The oyugbona will also be responsible for taking the iyawó to ilé ibú or the river, where the iyawó will be purified in an act that means a breaking with the past. The oyugbonakán will be in charge of paying respects to Oshún by offering, among other things, ochinchín, one of Oshún’s favorite treats and one made by the oyugbonakán herself.
The work
of the oyugbonakán is far from over, she must make sure to bring the secreto del río and the tinaja (a secret procured at the river and a clay jar filled with river water) both are crucial to the ceremonies to come. Once the iyawó is settled for the evening, the oyugbonakán needs to make sure that all items for the ceremonies are organized and in place, afterwards she retires to prepare the ashé in a ceremony called machuquillo (grinding of ashé).During Kariosha day, the oyugbonakán will not only be in charge of keeping an eye on the iyawó at all times, but also will be in charge of all the work done in the igbodu. No detail must escape from the eyes of the oyugbona and her duties and ceremonies should not be delegated to others.
I have seen plenty of lazy oyugbonakán delegating to others the rogación de ordón (prayers over the head done to the iyawó while sitting on the ordón or ceremonial rock, mortar or an almond tree trunk depending on the Orisha being crown), the obí after that rogación and many other things. I have seen oyugbonakán barely moving their lips to sing when the lavatorio (washing ceremony) was in progress or during the shaving and crowning of the iyawó.
Then again, I have seen plenty of oyugbonakán work with zeal to make sure their iyawós was treated like royalty and where the rooms were pristine and ran with martial precision. These oyugbonakán knew the power of each of their acts and the power their hands and words carry in each of their actions.
Either the main godparent or the oyugbonakán have mat duty or sleeping on the floor with the iyawó for the next 7
days. But invariably every morning, the oyugbona wakes up before anyone else, makes a ceremonial breakfast for the iyawó and also bathes and dresses the iyawó for the ceremonies and day to unfold. The oyugbonakán must know how to paint the lerí (head) and is in charge of hosting any elders coming to visit the iyawó on during the 7 days of ceremonies. There are many other ceremonies performed on these days, the oyugbona organizes all of them. On the Día del Medio, the oyugbona will not leave the side of the iyawó, will take care of the change of ceremonial clothes
and will sit with the iyawó during the ceremonial dinner. After every guest is gone, the oyugbonakán will prepare the iyawó for bed.On the day of itá the oyugbonakán is in charge of assisting the oriaté with the ceremonies but she will not take notes on the itá notebook, nor will the main godparent, only the afeicitá (scribe) will record a lifetime worth of advice from each of the orishas and oloshas present at the ceremony.
On the last day, the iyawó must visit the marketplace and in some houses, a church. The oyugbonakán is the person in charge of this outing and must guide the iyawó through certain challenging actions. When the oyugbonakán returns, it is her duty to prepare a meal for the orishas with the items obtained at the market
.She will perform the last rogación for the 7 day period and then accompany the iyawó to her home
along with her main godparent. The orishas will be brought to the house of the initiate by the oyugbonakán who will then be in charge of setting up the orisha on a mat at an appropriate place.For the following year, the oyugbonakán will be in charge of doing a rogación each month for the iyawó and of paying surprise visits to the iyawó, functions that could be alternated with the main godparent. Either the main godparent or the oyugbonakán or both will also take the iyawó to visit the house of each of the oloshas who participated in the Kariosha to thank them for their help. This social call is important because the iyawó will start
to put in practice social behavior and skills while honoring the guardian orisha of each of the priests who came forth to contribute their ashé in the iyawó’s life.The oyugbonakán will be key during the ebbó meta (3 month ebbó) and in the process
of presenting the iyawó to Anyá or the consecrated batá drums and, eventually, during her introduction to the igbodu.As you can see the oyugbonakán has a many duties during and after the year in white, and for the rest of the life of this priest, the oyugbonakán will always be there to support the main godparent and to watch
over the olosha. The oyugbonakán are hardly disposable, their role is one of great honor and respect. These words are in recognition of the services and sacrifices made by all of those who selflessly gave themselves to the role of oyugbonakán.
Omimelli
Oní Yemayá Achagbá
