ORÒ AND ELUKU FESTIVALS

ORÒ AND ELUKU FESTIVALS IN YORUBA LAND

Orò is a traditional festival celebrated annually in Remo, Ogun state and some parts of Yoruba land and it is said to be used to cleanse the land from all kinds of misfortune. Orò festival is celebrated mainly by men, women are said to be excluded because of their inability to keep secret. According to a follower of Oro, He said some women do partake in the Orò festival but are not allowed to see the deity physically .

 A week to the Orò festival, the town crierswill go round informing people about the festival, the date ,the time and the ‘Dos and Don’ts’ of the festival.

In Sagamu, a town in Ogun state,Orò festival is done for seven days and on the seventh day of the festival,Eluku,a morepowerful deity usually comes out.

Orò is a male entity cult connected to the Ogboni or Osugbo fraternity which is a secret and a powerful cult in Yoruba land.

During its festival, Orò normally comes out from its abode known as ‘igbóorò’, this is where all necessary rites would be performed before Orò goes into the community. Oro comes out in the thick hour of the night, by this time all women must have been in their house hence, refrainingthem from seeing Orò. Due to the secrecy in Orò festival, it is highly prohibited for all women to participate. It is believed that any woman that sees Oro may sleep and never come back tolife again. Orò has the ability to perceive a woman.When the rites is being performed and a woman is nearby, the traditional priests following Orò will make an announcement ‘ògbòńrùn’ i.ea woman is nearby or smelling’.

Some men take part in the Oròfestival, they usually sing and make beats from bamboo planks and other materials that can produce a nice melody. The men sometimes use this opportunity to address what is going on in the community by calling names of individuals that has done either good or bad in the community using a voice entirely different from theirs.

As the whirling of the Orò is heard, all women and immatured men must retract to their bed in other to avoid the wrath of the deity. The whirling of the deity is known as bullroarer in English, it is made out of a bamboo tree with a rope of a definite length attached to it.

 A bullroarer

Source: orisaimage.com

Eluku is a very powerful deity that cannot be ordinarily seen by people. Eluku normally comes out on the seventh day of Oro festival, on this day no one is allowed to come out to see the deity except you want to risk your life. Elukuis indescribable , according to his followers,they said Eluku is faceless and only carry a cutlass. When it is time for the deity to come out, a traditional priest will lead the Eluku deity maintaining a good distance from the deity in other to avoid getting killed.

Check out the Oro sound in the Video below: