ORISA AGEMO –ORISA AGEMON IS NOT AN INDIGENOUS YORUBA ORISA- obanifa extreme documentaries

ORISA AGEMO –ORISA AGEMON IS NOT AN INDIGENOUS YORUBA ORISA- obanifa extreme documentaries

 This work was written by Omo Awo  Ofunagbe an Ifa apprentice under the auspices of Babalawo Obanifa. Orisa Agemo is one of the Orisa in Yoruba land known as Orisa Adugbo.Orisa Adugbo is any orisa that its devotee and worship is prevalent and restricted to certain town or cities ,but not cut across Yoruba land. Orisa Agemon is one of the orisa that fall into this category. Orisa Agemo is not one of the real typical indigenous Orisa of Yoruba people. This Orisa is a domesticated orisa that was incorporate into the practice of Yoruba spirituality, hence is devotee are not spread across Yoruba land and it worship is restricted to the People of Ijebu land  In Yoruba land.  Oral historical account from the elders made available to us make us known that Agemo is not one of the indigenous Orisa  of the Yoruba.Agemo is an Immigrant Orisa. History made us known that Agemo is been worship as god in ancient Egypt in one town known as Wadai some thousands of years back. It is from this Wadai that Agemo was brought to Ijebu land.It is one Bilikisu Sungbo that bring the practice and worship of Orisa Agemo to Ijebu Bilikisu Sungbo that is the popular biblical queen Sheba, her real name is said to be Bilikisu Sungbo though Bible didn’t record it as such. This woman was barren despite her gigantic wealth that is part of her reason for visiting and courting King Solomon, though Bible did not through more light on that the bible only record the aspect where this queen exchange numerous gift  with the queen and how she was marvel at the magnificent floor of Solomon palace and how Solomon was able to convince her through his wisdom to practice his religion with him. But there are more than that to this woman that the bible did not recorded for the best reason known to writer of scroll then to remove whatever may tarnish the image of their work and religion. The people who wrote  Quran adopt same version of this story in Quran too. But the fact is this this woman was barren, he has no child ,that is part of the reason of visiting King  Solomon and she even have relationship affair with King Solomon whish did not result into any pregnancy. History have it that when this woman depart from Solomon when he got to Jerusalem he met these Agemo priests in their spiritual costume, she feel attracted to them  and explain the issue of her childlessness to them. She pleaded with them to help her. Five of this Agemo priests in costume told her that he will get pregnant. They told her to go and settle in the part of the earth where the sun set. She implore these priests to  accompany her  to the said predict location to carry out necessary rites for the fruition of such prediction .But these priests instruct her to go in advance that they will come and meet her. History have it that  Bilikisu sungbo arrive with his entourage and slaves and settle in in place known as Oke-Eri   in the present day Ijebu land. History have it that the Ijebu led by the Ajẹbu and the Olóde predates the Agẹmọ and  coming of Bilikisu Sungbo Bilikisun Sungbo settled at Oke-Eri. When the Agemo priests arrived   at the kingdom of Bilikisun Sungbo rather for her to accommodate them, she directedthem to king Awujale of Ijebu. Thogh some people have opine that Bilikisun sungbo have embrace Islam before the arrival of the Agemo priests hen he did not accommodate them to perform the rites. History have it the she remain barren till death and die childless. On sighting the Agẹmọ grotto, the Awujale of  Ijebu Ode sent the Ogi Alawo Oba there and the Olujagbori was installed as the high priest of Agẹmọ. The Agemo priests spread across almost sixteen town in Ijebu land the linage of each of this priests remaining  the king of each domain they established.

The  list Agẹmọ masquerades of Ijebu land

Àwọn alágẹmọ mẹ́rìndínlógún ti Ìjẹ̀bú oníjó – The sixteen prominent Agẹmọ masquerades of Ijebuland who have priestly duties along with dancing at the festivals. There are more than sixteen but these are the main personalities of the Agẹmọ cult.

Tàmì  (from) Òdoógbolú
Olúmọ̀rọ̀ olórí (traditional ruler) Ìmọ̀rọ̀
Ṣeréfùsì(from) Ìgbílẹ̀

Pòósà (from) Imọsàn
Olúmokò (from) Ọkùn Ọwá
Alófèé  (from) Ìjẹ̀ṣà Ìjẹ̀bú
Ònúgbó  (from) Òkénugbò
Ìjà Olóko Ògún olórí (traditional ruler) Imọsàn
Láṣẹ̀n Àjágà L'órù from) Orù
Màgòdò (from) Aiyépé
Lúbamísan  (from) Àgọ́ Ìwòyè
Petu láti (from) Ìṣíwọ̀
Ògegbó (from) Ìbọ̀nwọ̀n
Ìdẹ́bì (from) Àgọ́ Ìwòyè
Nọ́pà (from) Imushin

Àwọn alágẹmọ aláìjo - Agẹmọ priests who do not dance but handle rituals.

Olújàgbórí láti Imọsàn - High Priest of Agẹmọ
Adùẹ láti Àgọ́ Ìwòyè
Ogí Aláwọ Ọba láti Ìdogì ní Ìjẹ̀bú Òde

Agemo Festival 

Agemo Festival is a masked or masquerade festival traditionally held in many Yoruba cities but more popularly linked with the Ijebu people of Ogun State. The festival and accompanying rituals are celebrated to honor the spirit deity, Agemo who is believed to be a protector of children and who safeguards Ijebus future through its blessing.The festival is linked with the traditional African religion, in particular, the practices of the Agemo cult and as such, issues like restriction of movement during certain periods of the festival do occur.^[

The festival is mostly celebrated during between the months of June and August,and historically coincided with the harvesting of maize by Ijebu farmers. The period of the festival takes seven days and the beginning period is fixed after a consultative meeting between the Awujale of Ijebu and the heads of the sixteen recognized or titled agemos also called Olofas. The festival was historically preceded by seven days of chants by the Oro cult and the beating of drums to 'gbedu' music.Thereafter, sixteen agemo masquerades from different villages proceed to their shrine at Imosan, via Ijebu-Ode on an annual pilgrimage. Each agemo carries items such as feathers and ram's horns on the head and are followed by some agemo followers. It is considered a taboo for a woman to see the agemo masquerade during their procession to Imosan.On their pilgrimage, the agemo masquerade stops to receive gifts and offer prayers to residents.

At Imosan, the masquerades receive additional gifts sent by the Awujale, they spend three days at the Agemo shrine performing traditional religious rites and appeasement of the agemo deity. On their last day at Imosan, a traditional agemo ritual dance is performed this time, it can be witnessed by both men and women.The masquerades will then move to Ijebu-Ode to perform the final rites of the festival. The festival ends with the dance by the leader of the agemo, 'Tami Onire' before the Awujale and further public dances by the other agemos.

The agemo festival is an old ritual performance among the Ijebus, historically, the agemo priests were part of the intellectual life of Ijebu and over the years, conflicting ideas about how many titled agemos are recognized or how the rituals should be performed emerged. Though, many recognize 16 agemo titles, there exist more, while the Awujale's in modern times are either Muslims or Christians and doesn’t stop them from fulfilling many historical role.