“People ask me that question everywhere I go. Ifa books are available everywhere. I wrote several volumes from the 1960s but people don’t read them. That is the problem I am trying to point out.”
DO THE WHITE MEN USE YORUBA TO PRACTISE IFA?
“Do you have to practise Christianity in the white man’s language? The white men who practise Ifa have found a way of modifying it. They chant in Yoruba language but speak to the clients in the language they understand.”
HIS CHILDREN PRACTISE IFA?
“Olodumare (God) blessed me with many sons and daughters including three sets of twins and they are either Babalawo or Iyanifa. They all followed in my footsteps. Let me clarify however that I am not saying that they might not follow other religions. All I am saying is that it is wrong to discard your own culture. My son, Taiwo, studied in Cuba. He is a Babalawo. He is known in all Spanish speaking world.”
IS HIS WHITE WOMAN PRACTISING IFA?
“I married other wives as well who are Nigerians. I had three wives before I married the American, we met in the US. I live more in the US and come home constantly. Some people will marry 10 wives and hide nine. Part of our culture is not to maltreat women.
“My American wife speaks seven languages. She is an Iyanifa. She knows all the Ifa chants that I know and she will render them in Yoruba. I travel with her all over the world to meet world religious leaders like the Pope, Archbishop of Canterbury, leaders of Hindus all over the world and so on.”
DOES HE PREACH RELIGION TO HIS WIVES?
“We don’t preach. There should be a law to regulate preaching all over the world. Why should someone come and stand in front of my house to preach that anyone who is not a Christian or Muslim will go to hell? You don’t condemn people’s religion. Whatever your religion teaches, do it with dignity.
“I was in a church during a programme in the 1970s and the preacher said Babalawos would go to hell. I stood up and told him that I would not go to hell. I asked if his forefather who once practised indigenous religion was in hell. After the service, he came to apologise. Babalawo will never condemn Christianity or Islam. If you see what we are doing and you want to follow our way of life, you are welcome.”
IN IFA PRACTICE, DO THEY BELIEVE IN LIFE IN HEAVEN OR HELL
“We believe that if you do something wrong, when you get to heaven, you will be punished. From our literature, there is nowhere where hell is mentioned. At the gate of heaven and earth, people will be questioned.”
ANY LINK BETWEEN IFA AND RELIGIONS
“Christianity and Islam call God by various names. We Yoruba people call Him Olorun or Olodumare. When Christians and Muslims want to call God in Yoruba, they call Him Olorun.”
DOES A BABALAWO HAVE POWERS TO DO SUCH THINGS?
“There are people we call Onisegun, they are not Babalawo. Babalawo does not do evil.”
HOW CAN WE GET THE AUTHENTIC HISTORY OF YORUBA PEOPLE
“Ifa will tell you the authentic history. Everybody knows that human lives started in Africa. The Yoruba claim that it starts in Ile-Ife. How then can someone say that Yoruba are from. Egypt or Mecca?
HOW HE GOT THE TITLE OF ELEMESO OF KETU IN BENIN REPUBLIC
“I don’t like accumulating titles. The late king of Ketu in Benin Republic, Adiro Adetutu, was my friend. He gave me the title. The title means the protector of Ketu.
“But I don’t let people pile titles on me. Those who do so call themselves chiefs. What does that mean? What it means is an uncivilised person. If you go to Europe or England and call yourself a chief, they might ask you to come and dance for them. Nobody in the civilised world bears the name chief.”
Source: Punch
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