What Is In Oriki?

The western and racial supremacist had succeeded in taken many precious and treasurable virtues away from us in Africa, through the instrumentality of colonization and westernization, branded civilization. Africa has always been a civilized society. Infact, it is the mother of all civilization.

In the ancient Africa society, in which Yoruba society is an important element, people are motivated or awaken to the reality of their being in the chain of existence and continuity through the power of “Oriki”.

“Oriki” is not just any how words, it is a yoruba conceptual terminology that is coined from ‘Ori’-the spiritual essence of a being, and ‘Ki’-means to chant or praise a person or something. It’s an oral eulogy that is aimed at awaking the spiritual consciousness of a person to the reality of their being as a motivational strategy or a reminder of the good feat which one’s ancestors have make, and which one has the capacity to repeat or possible the evil one’s ancestor has done in the past, which one most not attempt to repeat. For examples, the writers ‘Oriki’ below speaks volume about the origin of his ancestors and who they are in the ancient time, and who the descendant are representing today;
Omo Olowu oduru
Omo ajifepe sire
Omo giri leyin ase ododo
Omo owu ajimuda
Owu ki ranro, awi mu enu kuro ni ti owu
In the same vein, the Oriki of Orunmila tells us more about him, and his capacity to change many things in ones life, and balance the good in one’s life.
However, the infiltration of African societies with Abrahamic religion, and western culture, norms, tradition and value system etc is having demeaning effect on African culture, norms, tradition and value system. Many Africans now see’s their native language and even their Oriki as something that is evil, which they must not align with.
This development is disheartening, and it is important we arrest the situation now before it degenerate to the level that will not be favourable to anyone.
Majority of Christians know the Oriki of Jesus christ, and chant such on a daily basis, saying;
Immanuel!
King of kings,
Lord of Lords,
The lion of the tribe of judah, etc, but perceived theirs as evil, which must bot be remembered.

CONCLUSION
Having critically explain the concept of Oriki and the pinpoint of its significance, it is the believe of the writer that he had succeeded in illuminating the mind of the potential readers that Oriki is the best strategic motivational platform of bring out the best in any man, and not money and materially induced one from the western world. Also, it should be noted that it is neither nor satanic to chant one’s Oriki.

Ire oo