Oro Festival

Oro Festival (fo Yoruba: Orò) na traditional event wey dem dey celebrate for plenty Yoruba towns and areas. E dey happen every year, and na festival wey concern only men, as na only male pikin dem wey dey from di papa side of di area fit celebrate am. Di festival dey honour Orisha Orò, di Yoruba god of Bullroarers and communal justice. For di time of di festival, women and people wey no be indigenes go dey house because our papa papa talk say women and people wey no join di festival no suppose see Orò. Di way dem dey do di Oro Festival dey different from town to town, and sometimes dem dey do am after di Oba or important person for di area don die. When di Oba die, dem dey do special atonement and mourning period for di festival.

Orò dey always hide, except when di festival dey happen. When Orò dey show, e go make one kind high-pitched swishing sound. Dem talk say na im wife, wey dem dey call Majowu, dey make dat whirring sound.

Some people don talk say Oro festival no favour women because women must stay inside house throughout di festival. Women no fit commot for di whole day. Dem believe say any woman wey commot and jam Oro go face serious wahala, wey fit even include death.

This wan support am with Yoruba yarn:

Awo Egúngún l'obìrin le ṣe, Awo Gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ l’obìnrin le mọ̀. Bí obìnrin bá fi ojú kan Orò, Orò á gbe lọ.

Ee mean sey:

Women can participate in Egungun, a woman can experience Gelede. If a woman lays eyes on Oro, Oro would surely take her away.

For Yoruba society, di Gelede spectacle dey different from Oro, wey be all-men affair. Gelede dey celebrate di power and influence of women and mothers (Àwọn Ìyá) for di community.

Fo de festival dem dey hear de voice or sound of Oro fo inside and fo outside dem believe say anybodi wey hear am go dey bless.

Dem mention Oro festival for D.O. Fágúnwà 1954 novel **Ìrìnkèrindó nínú Igbó Elégbèje** (Expedition to the Mountain of Thought). For di story, di mama of Olojumajele run enter bush because she hear di sound of Oro bullroarers for front and back, and she dey fear say she fit jam di Oro spirit. But she no know say no be masquerade dey there; na bad spirits for di forest dey imitate di noise of di bullroarers.

Where we see am from

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