ARTS

A LOCAL FESTIVAL IN MY TOWN-By Fadeyi Bolanle

           

Oore and his wife during the fiesta period

 The Oore of moba land ,Oba (Dr) James Adedapo Popoola JP,CON, Odundun 1 Adimula, is a first class traditional ruler and former chairman of the new yam festival, a popular annual cultural fiesta linked with the ancestry of the people and in which sons and daughters of the kingdom within and in the Diaspora converged in  the town to participate.

           

     The new yam festival marks the beginning of a year in Otun. The festival is usually celebrated eighteen days after the “Orogbo” Festival. It is made up of series of event lasting three days. The first day is the “Aye day”, which affords everybody the opportunity to display the new yam publicly for the first time in the year. Before this day, it is a taboo for the Oore to see the new yam. On that day, the Oore will give the yearly blessing to the people of various religious beliefs to practice their faith according to the beliefs. (Adimula a ta epo si aro).

        People will rise very early and go their various farms and bring the new yam in large quantity. They gives some to their loves ones, especially female adults who have helped them in one way or the other in the year that ran out. They also gives to their in-laws as a sign of appreciation and love. In the afternoon, each household prepares pounded yam and eat to their satisfaction. It is also a taboo for anybody to complain of hunger during the fiesta period. The second day after the new yam festival is the “Awo” or Aguntan je Oja”. It is a day in which everybody, young and old, male and female, will go to the special market located in a special place different from the location of the regular market to buy and sell.

          The commercial activities of that day is usually unprecedented in the year. All the goods brought to the market must be sold and those ones left unsold are confiscated by the “Eyemotika”( the custodian of the market affairs). People leave the market and go home to prepare food and eat to their satisfaction from that period; people are free to carry the new yam all about as they like. The third day after the new yam festival is the “Atapo day”, where all daughters of the town visit the Oore palace and dance with their king and obtain blessings for the new year. During this visit, the Oore without his chiefs in attendance offer the annual sacrifice of a ram, water and kolanut to his predecessors.

In the evening of that day, the Oore will dance with the people carrying a life Horse. The second is the Ketekete dance, where the Obas will dance only with wrapper tied around his waist without any other dress but adorned with heavy beads. In all the events, the Obas is accompanied with the Oloris to dance except the very old ones who will stay back in the palace.

The eight day after the new yam harvest celebration, Otun Chiefs with special rank will assembled at the first and most spacious palace court called “Otun Kekun” to pay homemage to Oore on the throne. Spectators were usually large, made up of various age groups. This is called “Otun n ki Oore”. The chiefs performed various rhythmic exercises before the king. After that, they knelt down and praised the king. In response, the king thanked the chiefs for their services and support for the past year and called upon the whole populace for greater support in the current year. Then the offered blessings upon the great assembly which thereafter dispersed with acclamations.

On the ninth day after the new yam harvest,the yearly festival were brought to an end by “Moba n ki Oore” which followed the same activities as performed during “Moba n ki Oore” and took place in the same “Otun Kekun”. On this occasion, Oore’s address was usually more elaborate. His royal majesty ( Oba Adedapo Popoola) called attention to the  necessity for hard toward all neighbours. The kings of Ekiti remained as his brother was emphasised and offered prayers for them. The Oore further thanks the people for all previous gifts brought to the palace, reminding them that no gift would be considered unimportant, infact ordinary palm kernels would be appreciated.

 Before the close of Oore address, the losses and gains of the past year were also reviewed. Changes in the traditional laws and conventions were also announced and more importantly, new rates, tax and dowries due to fathers and mothers respectively were announced. Finally, His Royal Majesty offered blessings upon the people who dispersed with the words: “Aseyi se Amodun, Asodun Gbogbo “. 

The new yam festival is of great importance to Otun people, because it is the only time of the year when the constituent villages are brought together by the celebration. Also, it is a time of thanksgiving when the town expresses their thanks and gratitude to the supereme deity.