Human Deified: The Case of Behavioural Relationship between Èṣù and Ìdòwú in Yoruba Beliefs

Abstract

In Yoruba societies, names are associated with family, profession or occupation, religion among others. However, behaviours of an individual have not been established to be influenced by the behaviours of a deity. To date, individual behaviours such as Ìdòwú (a male or female child born after twins) have not been investigated as influenced by the behaviour of a divinity such as Èṣù (the divinity of justice), as undertaken in this study. That is, even though the Yoruba societies believe that Ìdòwú is troublesome, the causes of Ìdòwú’s behaviours have not been investigated or validated. This study fills this gap. The study adopts an empirical approach based on interviews, participant observation, and textual reports: oríkì- panegyrics or praise poetry, proverbs and aphorisms, ọfọ̀- incantations. These methods are tools for accessing the behaviours under examination. Adopting code, a semiotic mode which concentrates on the channel through which sign is communicated. The outcome of the study reveals that there is synergy in the behaviours of Èsù-divinity of justice in Ifá-divinity of wisdom and Ìdòwú. The behavioural relationships evolve as a result of profession, position, and sacrificial order, making Ìdòwú a deity. The work concludes that among the Yoruba, the mysteries surrounding some individuals’ behaviours are influenced by the relationship an individual has with a divinity. This development has increased our knowledge of the scary and hazy behaviours of Ìdòwú and has solved the Yoruba ideological and philosophical problems behind the beliefs about these behaviours. This development has unravelled the reasons behind the scary behaviours of Ìdòwú among the Yoruba.