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This is my first article on Hive, which is based on child naming among the Yoruba, this tribe is the most popular tribes in Nigeria, enjoy your reading.......
The arrival of new baby into a family among the Yoruba is usually greeted with joy. The reason is that the the Yoruba people believe that the family which has the new baby is expanding and prosperous. They regard the gift of a child from Odududwa, their progenitor, as a mark of the fact that the family have not be forgotten by its forefathers.
When ever a child is born. A message is sent to all the relations who are around in the village or town and to those who have gone to farm to come home for the naming ceremony of the baby. The naming ceremony for a male child usually comes up on the ninth ( 9th) day after his birth while female child is using named on-the eight (8th) day. The reason for this is that the Yoruba people believes that a man has nine bones while woman has eight. So,those relation at home and those at farm know the day a new baby will be named due to the sex of the new baby.
On the day of the naming ceremony the entire family will come together at the hose of the head of the family ( Olori-ebii), usually the eldest male member of the family. He is the one to preside over and direct the ceremony since everything concerning the affair of the family usually takes place in his place(house). The reason is that among the Yoruba, the family idol and shrine is located in the compound of the ( Olori ebii) the eldest male of the family. Before the naming ceremony commences The baby must have been bathed very early in the morning by the wives of the members of the family. The baby is carried to the house of the head of the wives of the family who's usually the oldest among the wives in the entire family, she will be the one to carry the baby to the house of the head of the of the family head ( Olori ebii) for the naming ceremony and while the ceremony lastes, she is the one to carry the baby before handing him/her over to his mother after the ceremony.
During the ceremony , a lot of prayer are offered for the new baby using the following items bitter cola (orogboo) sugar, honey, sugar-cane and palm oil. Those items must be presented by the father of the baby and they are used in praying for the baby. The items are taken one after the other with a little of each put in the mouth of the baby while the people attending the ceremony eat the rest,with part remaining to be offered to the family shrine.
The ceremony is not complete without taking the baby to the family shrine. The baby is given to the head of the family (Olori ebii) who is also the chief custodian of the family shrine for the remaining part of the ceremony. He would carry the baby to the shrine offer him/her to the idol for guidance throughout his/her (the baby) life. And use the remaining items to appease the gods and offer prayer for the new born baby of the family .
If the baby comes from the family of those with traditional tribal mark he/she(the baby) is branded with the family's tribal mark.
After this, the baby is then handed over to the eldest wife of the family amidst singing and dancing. At the end of the ceremony the baby is handed over to his mother.
Note:- this is how the Yoruba ( the most popular tribes and ethics in Nigeria ) goes about their naming ceremony in the olden days, but things have changed now because of education and civilization.
Watch out for my next article on " Recent Child Naming among the Yoruba people.