Culture is
perceived as a way of life or
the totality of all human efforts and
achievements in the struggle for survival
in the midst of unfriendly and militant
forces of nature‟.
A people’s way of life refers
to such characteristics as customs, traditions,
ceremonies, rites, rituals, language and
style of dressing. These ways of life
envelopes, guides, governs and demarcates
each society from another.
Cultural practices such as
festivals, funerals, traditional theatre, storytelling,
initiation, and so on become ceremonial.
Some come up annually; daily or
periodically. One common thing about these
African traditional performances is that
they involve the whole community.
It is generally accepted that tradionally, Ile-Ife is the cradle
of Yorubas, the city of survivors, spiritual seat of the Yorubas and land of
the ancients.
Ile-Ife has diverse cultural festivals that they celebrate
annually, which among them is OLOJO festival. There are also prominent
ancestors that are also deified and worshiped like Oduduwa, Oranmiyan and
Oluorogbo. There were 401 deities that resided in the ancient city of Ile-Ife.
Olojo Festival is the remembrance of Ogun, god of iron. It is
the biggest annual festival of the Ifes. This is in remembrance of Ogun, the
god of iron. Ogun was the first son of Oduduwa.
No one has been able to determine the inception of Olojo
festival but it is said to be between 11th and 15th century and the celebration
usually begins in the middle of October each year.
Olojo literally means “Owner of the day”. The Olojo festival is
a programme, marked with great pomp and pageantry. It is celebration occasioned
by prayers, songs, dancing and merry-making.
However, before the festival commences proper, the reigning
king, Ooni of Ife would go incommunicado or into seclusion for a period of
seven days to communicate with the 401 deities that resided in the ancient city
of Ile-Ife.
On this day, the Ooni (king of Ife) appears after several days
of seclusion and denial communing with the ancestors and praying for his
people. This is to make him pure and ensure the efficacy of his prayers.
Before the Ooni emerges, women from his maternal and paternal
families sweep the Palace, symbolically ridding the Palace of evil.
The Ooni later appears in public with the Are crown (King’s
Crown), which is believed to be the original crown used by Oduduwa to lead a
procession of traditional Chiefs and Priests to perform at the Shrine of Ogun.
Ooni wears this crown once in a year only during this Olojo festival to lead
his people to Okemogu shrine.
The LOKOLOKOs are his body guards during the Olojo Festival.
Time for the festival is indicated by the sun’s movement in the month of
October from the West to the East. Only the Olojo chief priest identifies the
particular day to celebrate the festival.
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