Encyclopedia of African Religion

believe that people have an Ori or destiny, which
may be reflected in their way of life, but a good
Ori does not automatically lead to its fulfillment if
unsupported by Iwa pele. A good Ori unsup-
ported by a good character is worthless. People
who claim to have good character and want their
goodOrito come to fruition must have a number
of good qualities.
Suuruor patience is usually referred to asBaba
Iwa. Another quality a person of good character
must have isIfarabale,which means to have con-
trol over the physical body and mind. It is a qual-
ity everybody strives to achieve. People with this
quality will have many blessings. Iluti(good hear-
ing) is another helpful quality. It is the ability to
listen, respond, and carry out instruction. Other
important qualities are Otito (truth), Iteriba
(respect), andiferan(love).
People with good character are referred to as
Omoluwabi, the child of the source of Iwa.
Omoluwabi is a person who embodies all the
qualities appreciated by Yoruba people. Those
who aspire to have good character must be pre-
pared to struggle with what the Yoruba call
Egbin, a filthy or an indecent thing. They must
understand that they will sometimes find them-
selves in unpleasant situations, which will
offend their sense of dignity and decency. Yet
they must not disengage themselves from the
path of good character lest they lose the essence
and value of their life.

Reward and Punishment

As the embodiment of good character, Olodumare
expects human beings to have good character as
well. It is a sin against the divine law of this Supreme
Being for anybody to deviate from the path of good
character; people who do so will be punished by the
divinities unless they offer sacrifice. This, then, is the
reason that the Yoruba regard good character as the
essence of religion. People with good character leave
good memories behind after death. The importance
placed on the principle ofIwaby the Yoruba shows
that African traditional religions are based on deep
moral value, which sustains the beliefs of the adher-
ents of those religions.
Iwais also important for life, after death. As a
result, the Yoruba usually think twice before they
act. There is the following saying:

Iro pipa ko wipe Lying does not debar one

k’a ma l’owo l’owo from becoming rich;

Ile dida ko ‘ wipe Convenant-breaking does

k’a ma d’agba not debar one from

reaching old age;

Sugbon ojo a-ti sun l’ebo but the day of death, there

awaits trouble.

The Yoruba believe they will have to give an

account of how they have used their Earthly life, par-

ticularly with reference to theirIwa.Gbogbo ohun ti

a base l’aye, l’ao kunle ro l’orun, it is said (“All that

we do on earth, we shall account for on our knees in

heaven”). Thus, people are allowed a place in the

good Orun, the Orun of the Father, or consigned to

the Orun of potsherds according to the verdict of

Olodumare, who judges people on their Iwa.

Kunbi Labeodan

SeealsoIwa; Maat

Further Readings

Abimbola, W. (1975). IWAPELE: The Concept of Good

Character in Ifa Literary Corpus. In W. Abimbola (Ed.),

Yoruba Oral Tradition(pp. 390–400). Ifè, Nigeria:

Department of African Languages and Literatures.

Abogunrin, S. O. (1989). Ethics in Yoruba Religious

Tradition. In C. Cromwell (Ed.),World Religions

and Global Ethics(pp. 268–270). New York: New

Era Book.

Idowu, E. B. (1977).Olodumare:God in Yoruba Belief.

London: Longman Group Limited.

IYALORISHA

The Iyalorisha is a medium of the gods or the

bride of the Orisha among the Yoruba of Nigeria.

Like the Babalorisha, who is normally a male, the

Iyalorisha is a key person in the Yoruba spiritual

hierarchy because she is married to the Orisha.

The Babalawo or the Iyawo represent counter-

parts of the spiritual priesthood of the Yoruba

people. In the form as Iyalorisha, the female

becomes the medium for translating the spiritual

truths to the community.

Iyalorisha 349