09/12/2023
How Does One Become A Babalawo?
The Babalawo is the trained dedicated Ifa priests and diviners in the Yoruba community of Nigeria. In Yoruba traditional society, a Babalawo is a ‘doctor’, a ‘pharmacist’, a herbalist, and the most popular diviner who the people consult for advice, guidance, and medical treatment. When a pregnant woman is in labor when a person is seriously sick, or when there is a breakout of epidemic disease, the Babalawos’ help is sought personally or on behalf of the victim. However, the Babalawos’ unique position in the Yoruba society is neither attained through lineage nor honor. The status of a Babalawo can only be acquired after many years of rigorous training and experience. The detail of the training follows later.
At any point in time, no practicing Babalawo divines without using either the opele (the divining chain) or the ikin (the sacred palm nut). The use of these instruments would enable him, to know, the nature of his client’s problem. The diviner relies on the dictate of the gods. The diviner, therefore, serves as a link between two worlds: the ephemeral and eternal, the material and the spiritual. Just as a medical doctor always takes with him a stethoscope, a technician has a screwdriver and pliers ready with him for emergency work, and a Babalawo pockets his portable opele when he is invited to a nearby town or village for divine consultation.
There are two major categories of Babalawo in Yorubaland: the Awo Olodu and the Awo Elegan. The Oluawo is the most recognized and the most knowledgeable class of Babalawo in the Yoruba society of Nigeria. They are not only diviners but also the worshippers of Orunmila, the god of divination and wisdom.
The Awo Elegan on the other hand, are those Babalawo who is not fully engaged in Ifa divination. These consist of Agbamole and Sawosesegun.
The Agbamole a Babalawo who either inherited the divining chain or are partially trained in the art of Ifa divination but uninitiated into the Ifa cult. When this class of Babalawo feels like doing so, they can divide for themselves or any member of their family, but never an outsider. The area of specialization attached to Ifa literature includes the Ifa divination art, healing, and chanting of Iyere (the ifá songs).
A Babalawo may specialize in one or two of the areas. The Asawosesegun, the second sub-category of Awo Elegan mentioned above, are those Babalawo with combined honor degrees in Ifa literature. They combine divination with the healing of serious illnesses such as leprosy, epilepsy, and mental disorder.
Usually, they are more popular as a healer than a diviner. Chief Idowu Obayomi (alias Afinju Babalawo) of Ijagba compound, Sagamu in Ogun State of Nigeria, and late Aladokun of Ikirun Oyo State of Nigeria are two examples of Asawosesegun. To whichever category of Babalawo one may belong, the code of conduct that binds them all must be preserved.
A Babalawo is always generous, faithful, Knowledgeable, and a good traditional counselor to the members of his community. A Babalawo in discharging his duty, always believes he has an obligation to fulfill in respect of his client (s) and this he does willingly.
The Babalawo is highly respected, not only for their wisdom and intelligence but also for their faithfulness and generosity to the members of the society. Under normal circumstances, no one insults or fights with them.
