Introduction
To a proper Yoruba individual, Orisa Aje Olokun represents the energy of wealth and market profitability. customers and neighbours in traditional Yoruba market settings, whether in rural, semi-urban, or urban communities would greet traders using Aje based on their belief that it is effective. You’ll hear words like “Aje a wa o or “Ajé á wọgbá o” or Aje a bu igba je o,” which can be translated to you will enjoy better sales has become a normal greeting in commercial places.
It is also a truism that some cognomen, lineage panegyric, such cognomen include: Aje ti so eru d’omo. Meaning Aje, the goddess of commerce, that turns a slave into an heir. Yet another is a special request and plea to Aje such as “Aje dakun ma na mi ni pasan re ko se nani” Meaning Aje, the goddess of commerce, I implore you not to use your whip on me for it’s it has dire consequences; And many other sayings like that.
Many Yoruba people, as part of their daily routine, recite Aje’s panegyrics while opening up their business with the belief that it will boost sales for the day. You’ll hear some say: “Aje Olokun gbere temi wa leni o,” meaning Aje, the goddess of commerce, bring my goodies or business fortunes today is a common prayer in the Yoruba setting.
Some families in Yorubaland are classified as adherents of the Aje deity. Some of these families named their children in honour of their chosen deity, i.e., Aje. Such names include Ajewole, Ajebandele, Ajewumi, Ajifowobaje, etc. not to mention those who dedicate time to worship the deity.
Orisa Aje Olokun is said to be a woman who mastered the Water Body called Okun (Sea), the source of other water masses. It’s why the deity is referred to as Aje Olokun (Aje, the owner/master of the seawater). There’s a shell used in the symbolism of Aje. It is the bigger version of Cowries. Aje is eulogized as: “Aje ogugunisọ. Aje onisọ iboji” Meaning: “Aje, the one looking for where to reside. Aje, the one who resides with those who create a space for her.” While Aje Olokun is the feminine energy of wealth, water itself is a masculine element.
The Origin of Orisa Aje Olokun
According to Yoruba mythology, Aje is the founder of the world’s oldest market known as Ejigbomekun located in Ile-Ife. He was and still remains the custodian of the market. The significance of Aje to the people of Ile-Ife is that the deity was an ancestor who lived in the town where her shrine is domiciled to date. It is believed that Aje was one of the 401 deities sent to the earth by the Almighty God (Olodumare) to form the world’s first society called Ife Oodaye.
Aje is said to be the daughter of Olokun, the Yoruba deity of seawater. Nevertheless, Olokun himself respects Aje, which is why she is sometimes referred to as Aje Olokun (Goddess of wealth). In fact, in Yoruba traditional religion, some are of the belief that it is essential to praise Orisa Aje Olokun before anyone can get favour from Olokun, this is due to the fact that Aje is the only daughter of Olokun and Olokun loves her dearly. Also, Aje is believed to inhabit waters, this was the source of spending cowries before the advent of present currencies.
Describing Aje, an Ifa Verse says: “Sare sese, ko maba tayo’re, Rin gbere gbere ko ma ba da ire wonyi nu”. This verse is to explain how a man should react to wealth, how to take care of the goddess, and lastly, its benefits. The verse is an illustration of the experience of Orunmila when he went searching for the goddess of wealth at Oja Ejigbomekun.
Orunmila, like others, was in search of the goddess but he did not rush; he took his time and followed the instructions given to him. Others went in search of the goddess of wealth but the goddess hid from them, seeing their desperation.
When they left, Orunmila came as directed by the ifa divination and the goddess of wealth chose to follow him. On getting home, Orunmila offered her bananas and other special foods she liked. The goddess of wealth was so pleased and she became the great source of wealth for Orunmila.
The Ifa verse above describes the nature of wealth and how the acquisition of wealth cannot be achieved forcefully. There are principles to be mastered before one can get rich and not through desperation and forceful behaviour. Just like Orunmila mastered the Orisa Aje Olokun and was able to win her.
Further appreciation and emulation displayed by Yorubas, is being seen, by endearing the name Aje to describe a woman of African ancestry deified as Aje Olokun. A woman who wields a myriad of creative spirituality and cosmic power. It is also being given as names to kids, perhaps to portray the exact virtue of Orisa Aje Olokun.
In Yorubaland, there is also Ojo Aje (Monday) as the name beginning the first working day of the week, a significant day with a significant name. A better comprehension of Aje makes one realize it is important not to just be of lip service alone, but its evident activation tested, sometimes by a first buyer of an item or patronage in the day.
The first buyer upon the starting of a day especially a Monday, Ojo Aje, shouldn’t be a debtor, Aside from the fact that it is not advised in the Yoruba cultural setting, it’s a very bad business practice which affects business growth greatly. If not curbed, such may keep repeating itself, resulting in not making profits.
Yoruba’s Beliefs About Orisa Aje Olokun
Commerce, the cowry (Owoeyo) had been the Yoruba medium of exchange long before the Europeans came. Hence the decoration of Sekere drum with cowries in appreciation and honour of Aje deity is, to say the least, instructively abominable for anybody, no matter how highly placed to put any tribe above the Yoruba race as far as legitimate trading business is concerned. This is because Aje remains one of the early deities of the Yoruba whose imagery creation is the popular Sekere music played everywhere in Yorubaland.
Alaafin Onisile 1738 – 1750: Alaafin Onisile was remarkable for his indomitable courage and lion-hearted spirit. He was moreover very artistic and was said to have made seven silver doors to the entrances of his sleeping apartment. During his reign, the Sekere (Calabash) drum was ornamented, not only with cowries but also with costly beads e.g., Iyun (Corals), Okun (Stone beads, Benin), Erinla (stripped yellow pipe beads), and Segi (blue pipe beads), strung with silk thread dyed red; all of native manufacture. He was a great warrior and for his exploits was nicknamed “Gbagida! Wowo I’ewon ab’esin fo odi (Gbagida, an expression of admiration), a man with clanging chains (for prisoners) whose horse can lead over a town wall).
Download MP3 Song of Aje Olokun
Coming back to modern trade, it is pertinent to say that different past Alaafins (kings) of Old Oyo Empire were very resourceful in opening the Yorubas to Trans-Sahara trade with West African Countries as early as the fifteenth century. Trade routes led from Timbuktu in Mali, Goa, Tuareg, and Tripoli. Still, as far as (Oceanic) Coastal trade was concerned, the Alaafin used the Port of Allada in Wema to control European shippers.
“By the middle of the 18th century, when Oyo had grown into an empire in the full bloom of life, Oyo was bounded to the north by the Niger, to the West by Modern Togoland, to the east by its sister Kingdom of Benin and to the South by the Gulf of Guinea, and Porto Novo and Badagry were its main coastal outlets. Dahomey, it may be recalled, became a tributary state of Oyo in 1730.
One other imperative of Yoruba in the pursuit of commerce is that any such pursuit must be legitimate with the norms of the society. It is on this note that Yorubas believe it’s unavoidable to sweat and labour to make ends meet; The tribe does not encourage cheating and unlaboured wealth. they work very hard to be wealthy, Yorubas are very industrious from the beginning with a strong emphasis on legitimacy. There is a popular Yoruba saying that is an extraction from a verse in the Ifa Corpus that goes thus:
“Ise ni Oogun ise Eni ti ise nse Ko ma bo orisa Oro kokan torisa Ibaa bo orisa Ibaa bo obatala O di ojo ti o ba sise ko to jeun”
It Translates Thus:
“Work is the medicine for poverty Whoever is poor Let him not worship divinities Nothing concerns the divinities He may worship the divinities He may worship Obatala It is not until he does a profitable job that he would eat”
Panegyric/Eulogy Of Orisa Aje Olokun
Download MP3 Song of Aje Olokun
Aje Olokun Ogugu luso, Aje Oniso Iboji Asewe dagba Asagba dewe
Eni ti Eru ati Omo nfi ojojumo wa Kiri Iwo ni labomon ti bori aye Aje Iwo lajiki Aje iwo lajige Aje Iwo lajipe Eni amusokun Eni amusede
Iwo lani ra opolopo aran Aso Oba ti n kona yanranyanran. Aje Agba Orisha Jeki ni e lowo, Maje kin ni e lorun. Aje fi ile wa se ile, fi odede wa se ibugbe oo.. Aje ojire loni ooo.... Ase
Download MP3 Song of Aje Olokun
Oriki Aje (Panegyric/Praises/Eulogy of Aje)
Aje is usually praised this way in the morning:
Aje Karo o
Aje olokun
Ogugu luso
Aje oniso booji
Asewe dagba
Asagba dewe
Eni ti eru ati omo n fi ojojumo wa kiri
Iwo ni labomon ti bori aye
Aje Iwo lajiki
Aje Iwo lajige
Aje Iwo lajipe
Eni amusokun
Eni amusede
Iwo lani ra opolo aran aso oba ti kona yanranyanran
Aje agba orisha je ki ni lowo maje ki ni e lorun
Aje fi Ile MI se ibugbe, fi odede MI se ibura, aje o jire loni oo
Translation
Aje good morning
Aje you are the owner of sea
One who has shelter
Aje you are the ones who people seek solace under your shield or umbrella
You are the ones who promote younger person to the position of elders
You make old look younger
You are the force and power that rule the world
Aje is you that every human being around every day they wake up
Aje is you we wake up to greet
Aje is you we wake up to praise
Aje is you we wake up to call upon
Aje it is through you we acquired beaded jewelries and golden jewelries
Aje it is through you we acquired expensive clothes
Aje you are the the elderly of all orisha
Aje let me have you in form of money in my pocket not in form of debt on my name
***
If you look at the translation, it seems that Aje is thought to be the owner of the sea ie Olokun. It seems that what I heard about Aje being Olokun’s daughter is incorrect.
Second Oriki Aje (Panegyric/Praises/Eulogy of Aje)
Aje iwo lobi Ogun ilu
Aje iwo lobi Olufa
Aje iwo lobi onipasan owere
Oyale asin win bear asin win dolowo
Oyale asi were oso asi were di aniyan-pataki
Aje pe le oa kin lOrisas
Agede ni wo Ajenje lotu Ife ti o fi njo koo ti ni
Aje dakun wa jo koo temi ki or ma kuro lodo mi
Translation
Aje gave light to the war of the city
Aje gave the light to the boa
Aje you gave the light to Onipasan owere
He went to the madman’s house and made him rich
He went to the crazy man’s house and made him a character
Aye, I greet you, the last one who arrived among the Orisas
Aje, eat banana fruit in Ifá so that you can come with one
Aje please, come to me, stay with me and do not leave me
IWURE AJE — Prayer for Wealth (From Ejiogbe)
EJIOGBE says:
Aromogege
Aromogege
Oji ni kutukutu mokun ola dani
Olomo siju pee wole Aye loruko IFA
Eni ti o ba siju rere re wo nii lowo
IFA kio siju rere re woo mi ki nlowo…
Translation:
He who robes the child to befit the child
He who robes the child with the utmost of care
The one who wakes early in the morning, holding the robes of prosperity
The one who looks after the Earth is the name of IFA
Whoever you look to with your eye of compassion is blessed with prosperity
IFA, please look at me with compassion and let me be blessed with riches…
IFA, please look at us with your compassion and let us be blessed with riches! Ase Ase Ase O!
Ire O
Annual Aje Festival, Ile-Ife
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi explaining the essence of Aje festival said: “Aje is the spirit of market profitability. That is why this festival is very important to all humanity because nobody can survive without it. We do business, profit is expected, if you work you expect stipends at the end of the month, so that is simply Aje.”
Since his ascension to the throne as the 51st Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) has been at the forefront of reawakening the consciousness of the people to the tremendous roles that Yoruba deities and gods play in creating an enabling atmosphere for the sons and daughters of Yorubaland, both in Ile-Ife, Yorubaland, Nigeria and in the Diaspora.
Apart from leading the campaign for peace, unity, building the bridge of cooperation and friendship within the Yoruba race and other ethnic nationalities, including the extension of such agenda beyond the shores of Nigeria, Oba Ogunwusi, regarded as the Arole of Oodua is passionate about celebrating the gods, with the conviction that it would go a long way in preserving African culture and tradition and also help in developing the economy of the people.
Once, a year, Ile-ife, Osun State, the cradle of Yoruba civilization, is always agog for Aje Festival celebration. The celebration usually in honour of Orisa Aje Olokun, the Yoruba deity of wealth and market profitability. The annual event is usually held at the Afewonro Park in front of the Ile Oodua, the Ooni’s Palace, amid fanfare with cultural displays and traditional rites. Indigenes of the ancient city within the country and in the Diaspora habitually pour in to pay homage to Orisa Aje Olokun.
Download MP3 Song of Aje Olokun
On the first day, the festival usually climaxes with a party and entertainment which usually commence by 6.00 pm and dovetailed into the early hours of the next day. It witnessed traditional rites and cultural displays. They sang praises of the deity, the gods of the land as well as the economic and cultural endowments of the town.
On the third day, the grand finale, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the custodian of the Yoruba culture and tradition, usually lead the traditional proceedings in the company of the chief priest known as Oba Isoro. The Ooni-in-Council led the procession of a huge crowd of participants from the Ooni’s Palace to the Aje’s Shrine also known as Ile Aje.
The shrine is about half a kilometer away from the point where the Ooni and his chiefs usually offer prayers to Olodumare to bless Ile-Ife, the entire state and Nigeria. The prayers always centres on economic advancement.
Aje’s relevance goes beyond Ile-Ife and the Yorubas. Records show that it is a deity that influences every aspect of income-generating activities across the globe. The deity is believed to give very strong support to anybody involved in profit-making ventures.
People always come from different parts of the world to join the Ooni who is believed to be the head of all the 401 deities and the representative of Oduduwa to celebrate the festival. Orisa Aje Olokun was one of the 401 deities sent to the earth by the Almighty God (Olodumare) to form the world’s first society called Ife Oodaye.
An Ife indigene, Adekunle Idowu, quoted a palace chief as saying that since Aje Festival came to the limelight, industries had started springing up, small and medium scale businesses had started improving. He enthused that hotels and other hospitality businesses had witnessed huge patronage, thereby boosting the economy of the town and the state:
“The Ife Grand Resorts and Conference Centre built by our monarch, the Ooni, is a major improvement in the hospitality sector in Ife. Petty traders are making more sales motivated by the surging human traffic to the festival. This is due to the cultural tourism revolution and other developmental programs that our Kabiyesi has put in place. He repackaged the Aje festival. What we are witnessing in the reign of Ooni Ogunwusi is a redefinition of the monarchy.”
In a remark, Oba Ogunwusi believed that Africa’s survival rested heavily on the sustainability of the culture and tradition of the people. He called on the people and the government to collectively cherish and develop the culture and tradition for economic advancement.
Download MP3 Song of Aje Olokun
He added that Nigeria was abundantly blessed with a rich culture and tourism potentials capable of turning the country’s economy around. He called on the people to maximize the potentialities:
“As Christians or Muslims, we all need to respect our cultural heritage. In 2017, we prayed during the Aje Festival and we centered our prayers on the economic recession. Within one week, we surprisingly experienced the dollar crash from about N480 to N350. This year, we have prayed again and very soon, the economy will improve tremendously.
“Aje is the spirit of market profitability. That is why its festival is very important to all humanity because nobody can survive without it. If we do business, profit is expected. If you work you expect stipends.” He urged the youths to be industrious to fulfill their destinies and not to take a short-cut route to success that would not last.
Oba Ogunwusi who is the co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), also called on youths to be agents of peace and should never engage in brigandage during the forthcoming governorship election in the state. He prayed for the peace and progress of Ile-Ife, the state, Nigeria, Africa, and the world over:
“Don’t let politicians use you for thuggery or election violence as you too can be in their positions if you discover your potentials and remain focused. As we are gathered here today to celebrate Aje Festival of wealth, the Almighty Olodumare (God) will answer our prayers. He would give us abundant peace and economic progress in Ile-Ife, the State of Osun, entire Nigeria, Africa and the world at large:”
Iyalaje of Apapa, Lagos, Princess Toyin Kolade, said that Yoruba culture is too important and rich to be ignored if we must be seen as serious people who care for the future generations because it depicts a significant perspective. She enjoined Nigerians to value their cultural heritage rather than ignoring it in preference for foreign culture and religion.
REFERENCE
- Rev, Samuel Johnson, “The History of the Yorubas”, 1921.
- Adu Boahen, Ph.D., “Topics in West African History” 1966.
- Ayilara Oluwaseun, “Aje Olokun, the Energy of Wealth”, babayooba.org, Accessed August 2021.
- Idowu Oyinkansola Genesis, “An Exegesis Of Aje Olokun {Yoruba Goddess Of Wealth}”, ncboaucom.wordpress.com, Accessed August 2021
- Oyasogo Abiodun, “Facts About Aje Olokun (The Goddess Of Wealth)”, themomentumtv.com, Accessed August 2021.
- “Oral Discussion with Chief Falola Okunade”, Ifa priest, Akoda Awo of Lanlate, Atunfase Awo Adimula of Oyo state, the Alaga Egbe Orunmila Afopesoro and the Olofin Awo of Ibarapa & Oke-Ogun
- IKU BABA YEYE – Oba (Dr.) Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, “Aje: An Early Yoruba Deity with no Second Fiddle“, 2019.
Written by Okunade Johnson, an enthusiast of Yoruba Indegineous Culture
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