Esu is not a Satan -The Generational Blunder Of Bishop Ajayi Crowther Must Be Rectify By Babalawo Obanifa –Obanifa extreme documentaries

Esu is not a Satan -The Generational Blunder Of Bishop Ajayi Crowther Must Be Rectify By Babalawo Obanifa –Obanifa extreme documentaries

            Haruna Ishola -Owe leshin Oro 

 “If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.”     - Marcus Aurelius
                                

'Esu whose mother's name is Adin,whose historical home town is traceable to Ketu and Ijelu Ekiti in Yoruba land, whose contemporaries are Orunmila,Ogun,Obatala, and Other  Irunmole is not in any way the same thing with the Satan or Lucifer of Jew s tradition or Shayṭān of Arab Islamic tradition ,Bishop Ajayi Crowther committed a generational error, history can never forgive his mistake, but history will correct it. '  -    Babalawo Obanifa.

Christianity Description And Historical Account Of Who A Satan Is, In comparison With Esu ,Why The Two are not The same.

The Hebrew word satan  means "an adversary, one who resists." In mainstream Christianity, the Devil (or Satan) is a fallen angel who rebelled against God. Satan was expelled from Heaven and sent to Earth. The devil is often identified as the serpent in the Garden of Eden, whose persuasions led to the two corresponding Christian doctrines: the Original Sin and its cure, the Redemption of Jesus Christ. He is also identified as the accuser of Job. According to Christian scripture,what caused Satan to be cast from Heaven? He fell because of pride that originated from his desire to be God instead of a servant of God. Satan was the highest of all the angels, but he wasn’t happy. He desired to be God and rule the universe. God cast Satan out of heaven as a fallen angel.

Observing the description above closely, it did not in any way correlate with Esu odara, who is a part of Irunmole,Olodumare (God) did not send Esu in Yoruba cosmology away from heaven, according to Ifa scripture.Esu in Ifa cosmology  is an intermediary between Orunmila and Olodumare, Esu is Errant messenger for Orunmila and Orunmila normal reward him  with ebo(sacrifice).Esu in Yoruba Cosmology have not in any Ifa scripture try to compete with Olodumare (God) with the way the Christian tradition has give their own account of their own Satan they trying to terms as Esu.The time is coming in future that African will realize how much damage Colonialism has done to our mentality. Esu is not the same thing as Biblical satan of Jewish or Christian tradition.

Muslim Description And Historical Account Of Who A  Shayṭān is, In comparison With Esu ,Why The Two are not The same

In Islam, the devil is called Shayṭān (Arabic: شيطان‎‎, plural: شياطين shayāṭīn) and refers to all evil forces under leadership of the arch devil known as Iblīs (or Eblis), who was cast out of heaven after he refused to prostrate before Adam.

The primary characteristic of Iblis is hubris; not only did he deem himself a superior creation to Adam, he also demonstrated arrogance by challenging God's judgment in commanding him to prostrate. His primary activity is to incite humans and jinn to commit evil through deception, which is referred to as "whispering into the hearts. “The Quran mentions that devils are the assistants of those who disbelieve and commit immorality.

Satan in Islam is not the same Satan in the bible.  The Satan of Islam was a "Jinn", created from fire as all Jinns were and still are.  Angels were and still are created from light.  While Angels and Jinns are considered "Angels" in Islam, because they were created from the same material (fire is light, and light is fire), but Jinns are lower than the Angels, because Jinns are like humans; they do sin, while the Angels are perfect and Sinless.

I will not go into controversy of while the Biblical Jewish account and description of who a Satan is, is slightly different from that of Islam or Quranic account.It is not the purpose of this work. The purpose of this work is to clear the misconception of regarding Esu as a Satan.From the Islamic description of Satan above, you will see that
Shayṭān is clearly different from Esu.Esu in Yoruba tradition is never an Arch angel. And he is not made from fire according to Quranic or Isamic account of who a Shayṭān
is. Esu mother is Adin,His home town is ketu,but he choose Ijelu Ekiti as his permanent last home, the two town mention still exist today in western part of present Nigeria for those who care to visit and find out. The description by Quran and Islam of Satan  as all evil forces under leadership of the arch devil known as Iblīs (or Eblis,fall in the category of what is known as Ajogun(Malevolence forces) In Yoruba tradition,Olodumare cast away Ajogun(Malevolence forces away from heaven) and they are negative entities, and every one do make sacrifice to overcome them,Esu is even one of the messenger that is normally use to overcome all these Ajogun,through Ifa divination. In Yoruba cosmology is not Esu is not  the same thing as
Shayṭān

Esu  Description In Ifa cosmology and Spirituality.

Esu is the right hand divinity of Orunmila. He run errands for him and see to the completion of orunmila desire. He takes ebo(sacrifice as his own dividends. Esu is the bearer of sacrifice to orun (the spirit world).he is the enforcer of Olodumare will to the divinities and man. He report to Olodumare GOD on timely bases on the deeds of human being and other divinities. It is the babalawo that understand Esu well through divination reading.as an enforcer of the will of Olodumare Esu do bring good or bad things to people depending on the frequency they maintain with GOD( Olodumare) this I may say account for the reason why people who have shallow spiritual knowledge of this deity misconstrued him as devil or Lucifer of other religion tradition that is absolutely different from our what is obtainable in Yoruba Ifa spirituality.

Odu Ifa made it clear that the earlier home of Esu is Ketu. Esu symbol can be carved in wood, clay, a piece of rock,laterite, will also do.

As I said earlier Esu is orisa of cross road (orita) orita is a T junction where one chooses which route one will take when road is divided to three or more. Esu as divinity of cross road symbolize the point of making decision or choices. So the original seat of Esu is not the orita (cross road as many people mistakenly think) but the original seat of Esu is in the heart of human being where decision whether good or bad is been made.

You may still choose to disagree with me, thinking that Babalawo Obanifa is sentimental, he is writing in favor of African traditional spirituality, because he is one the propagator of ifa religion. But what of the people in academic who are not practicing Babalawo like me ,but have taken their time to seek the truth. I will here share the views of  some scholars and professor who have discover the truth, through their own effort. Example of such scholars are Professor Aiyejina  and Remi Oyeyemi,  Remi Oyeyemi share and adopt most of Professor Aiyejina  views in  his work title 'Esu: The Revenge Of Bishop Ajayi Crowther'  he opine thus:

''Initially, I was going to write on the mistake of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther (1806-1891) in giving a bad name to Esu in his titanic task of translating the Euro-Christian holy book – The Bible, into Yoruba Language for his converts. This had been triggered by some Christian friends who kept blaming Esu for everything that has gone wrong in their lives as well as Nigeria as a nation.

In the course of writing, I had to do a little research to be able to explain the role and character of Esu in Yoruba cosmology and how he has been unfairly slandered by overzealous Christians and their sympathizers. I found out that what I had thought to be a “mistake” on the part of Bishop Crowther, was not actually a mistake but an act of vengeance against his own Yoruba people whom he felt had sold him into slavery.

Esu, in Yoruba cosmology is not the Devil or Satan as has been and is being portrayed by Euro-Christian religious school of thought. Esu, in the authentic Yoruba concept, is the enforcer of the Will of Olodumare and not the equivalent of the Euro-Christian Devil/Satan who is out to undermine the work of the Almighty God. According to Ayodele Ogundipe as quoted by Professor Funso Aiyejina in his work “Esu Elegbara: A Source of an Alter/Native Theory of African Literature and Criticism,” the following is the brief concept of Esu in Yoruba Philosophy:

“In Yoruba philosophy, Esu emerges as a divine trickster, a disguise- artist, a mischief-maker, a rebel, a challenger of orthodoxy, a shape-shifter, and an enforcer deity. Esu is the keeper of the divine ase with which Olodumare created the universe; a neutral force who controls both the benevolent and the malevolent supernatural powers; he is the guardian of Orunmila’s oracular utterances.

Without Esu to open the portals to the past and the future, Orunmila, the divination deity would be blind. As a neutral force, he straddles all realms and acts as an essential factor in any attempt to resolve the conflicts between contrasting but coterminous forces in the world. ….He supports only those who perform prescribed sacrifices and act in conformity with the moral laws of the universe as laid down by Eledumare….. Without his intervention, the Yoruba people believe, no sacrifice, no matter how sumptuous, will be efficacious. Philosophically speaking, Esu is the deity of choice and free will.”

To simplify the above concept for objective readers, the following are the differences between the Esu in Yoruba cosmology and the “New Esu” created by Bishop Crowther and his overzealous, vengeance-seeking and indoctrinated past and present followers of  Euro-Christianity:

Esu in Yoruba religio-philosophy seeks at all times to fulfill the Will of Eledumare while the New Esu of Ajayi Crowther seeks to undermine and destroy Eledumare’s work at all times and at every opportunity.

·      Esu in Yoruba concept intervenes on behalf of the afflicted as long as the afflicted is willing to obey the laws of Eledumare while the New Esu seeks to further afflict the afflicted and draw such further away from Eledumare.

·      Esu in Yoruba belief is a “straddler,” “a neutral force,” and a factor “in any attempt to resolve conflicts between contrasting but coterminous forces in the world;” while the New Esu  is NOT neutral, seeks total devotion to himself and his ways and creates rather than resolves conflicts.

·      Esu in Yoruba philosophy is an “enforcer” – “keeper of the divine ASE” with which Eledumare created and runs the world. The New Esu has no such responsibility or authority.


It should be clear that except it could be established that Ajayi Crowther suffered from serious morphological limitations as far as Yoruba Language is concerned, it is difficult to overlook his disingenuous machination to bastardize and demonize a revered deity of the Yoruba people. The seminal brilliance demonstrated by Bishop Crowther to translate the Bible to Yoruba Language is more than enough evidence that this equation of Esu, a Yoruba deity, to Devil/Satan was a deliberate act of vengeance rather than an unbiased intellectual exercise.

As Professor Aiyejina contended, how come the translators of the Bible who “saw nothing wrong with equating Satan with Esu did not find a near equivalent  Yoruba deity for Jesus Christ, instead of Yorubanising his name into Jesu Kristi?” Further asserting, he said: “If Satan translates into Esu because of perceived incidental similarities between the two, how come Jesus does not translate into Orunmila, given the fact that Orunmila is a proverbial, wise, calm, peaceful and forbearing as Jesus?

How come he does not translate to Ela, the divinity of regeneration?”

I share the conclusion of the Professor that such a logical approach would have suggested “a cultural equity” between the West and Africa that Europe was not willing to concede. I agree that the overzealous, newly converted Ajayi Crowthers of this world seemed to be willing tools in the hands of their masters because of their anger towards their kinsmen who sold them into slavery. It is my contention that if the Ajayi Crowthers of this world were not willing tools of their colonialist and imperialist white masters, how come their anger was one way directed? If someone was willing to sell, it meant that someone on the other end was willing to buy. Rather than engage in intellectual corruption and seek to destroy and undermine the belief(s) of a people, how come they were not broadminded enough to examine their situation and use it to teach positive lessons through objective acts of intellectual enquiry?

Samuel Ajayi Crowther and his ilk “acting as priests, interpreters, translators, policemen, postmasters, and school teachers were key players in the process of the religious, psychological  and mental enslavement of African peoples.”

Professor Aiyejina further clarified the situation as follows: “….. in their psychological disdain for, and rejection of, African culture, which was, in part, a response to the African involvement in their enslavement, they became a new generation of middle-men and –women who functioned as arrowheads for the denigration of African cultures.”

The negative connotation given to the concept of Esu is essentially the handiwork of Bishop Ajayi Crowther. Considering all the circumstantial evidences and the Historical context of his life and times, it is evident that Bishop Crowther was out to take vengeance and in the course of doing so, he employed all tools at his disposal. His deliberate falsification of the Esu concept remains a stain on his brilliance and his legacy. He provided a tool for those who never had any understanding of Yoruba beliefs to continue to demonize, denigrate and defame such.

Bishop Crowther’s disparaging definition of Esu has been persistent in popular imagination having been proselytized for more than hundred years. This, in part, is as a result of the Yoruba belief that does not practice or encourage proselytism as opposed to other faiths. It is a matter of historical regret that Africans, in their relationship with the Europeans, were too trusting. They ought to have been more cynical and suspicious. '

How to Harnesses And Invoke Esu Odara Of Yoruba Tradition To Act In Your favors.

Prayer  to Esu can be done with necessary items like :igba omi tutu (a bowl of cold water) epo pupa (palm oil) eja gbigbe (dry fish) iyan tabi amala (pounded yam or yam flour food),obi abata (kolanut) Ako Ewure tabi obuko Esu (He - goat) some people use Dog as well. After the libations has been done and homage pay as necessary. The prayer can be offered in the following way with one or more of the material needed depending on capacity or divination instructions. You can offer prayer to Esu in the following way.

Esu onile orita
Esu laalu
Areyinju le ogun lo
Bakere Odada
Egbe leyin elebo
Enini leyin Eni ti o n ko oro Olodumare
Bakere ko lorokun ejo
Esu odara ko lori a gbe eru ka
A fi sonso Abe
Esu Beleke Oku Igbona
Bakere Olowo eyo
Esu iwo lo n sowo
Esu iwo ni se omo
Ayingbin Oba ebora nile Ketu
Asana
Ayena
Ogirigiri a tu ona se
Orisa ti n pon omo re ilu ilaje
Orisa ti n pon omo re ilu iloro
Esu ni ko ire wale
Elegbera ni gbe ebo re okun
Elegbara ni gbe ebo re osa
Elegbara ni ko gbogbo ibi rokun
Onibode ti n de ona ibi
Toto o Esu
Esu ti ko ja ijakadi
Sugbon to mu opolopo ja ijakadi
Epo lo n fe
Epo re ni mo muwa i oo
Obi lo n fe
Obi re ni mo mu wa iooi
Eja lo fe eja re ree oo
Gbogbo ohunje ti o ku fun o ree oo
Emi babalawo Obanifa ni mo wa fun o ni ohunje re loni
Esu dakun dabo ma ba tiwa je oo
Maje ka subu danu
Maje ki Ile wa o daru
Esu iwo lo ni owo Maje ki owo tan ni owo wa
Esu Eni ti o ba te
Iru Eni be in aye n te
Esu Bakere Odada ma je ki a te laye

Esu iwo loni ni gbogbo ise lodo
Je ki a se asejere lenu ise wa
Je ki a pa apamowo aje
Ka se owo, ka ba ode pade
Esu tari aje ati owo fun wa
Maje ki a pa odun je
Ki odun ma pa awa na je
 Maje ka ku iku ojiji
Ki ku ma pa awon eleye wa
Ki iku ma pa egbon niwaju
Ki iku ma pa Aburo ti be leyin
Esu baba orisa
Je ka to baba se fun awon omo ati aya wa
Fun wa ni aje ati iyi lati se egbon awon Aburo wa
Maje ki a ri ogun ajakale Orun
Maje ki a ri ija awon eleye ati awon orisa to ku
MA je ka ri ija ologun abilu ibi
Ki Ile wa o ma gbona
Ki Ile ma le wa
Ki ona ki o ma na wa
Ki ona wa ko rorun
Ki a ma ri ode ire yun
Ki a rile de si
Elegbara ko so lilo ati bibo wa
Ki a le ma lo alobo bi ileke abiyamo
Esu ola ilu
Onile orita
A da giri giri re ibi ija
Gbengbeleku da ibi o wu
Okunrin Buruku
Eleyin oro
Seni Seni, a ba ni dena ire
O gbe koto fun omo araye se ebo si
Dakun dabo
Ma je ki a ri ija re oo
Ire re re ni ki o fi ba wa lo
Maje ki a rogun ejo ati akoba
Seni Seni
Dakun dabo ma se wa
Alega le kuru,
Ale kuru le ga
Dakun dabo oju ire ni ki o ko si wa
Ma ko oju ibi si wa

A bani dina ire
ma di ona ire mon wa
Oju ire ni ki o ko si wa
Ajigbekoto ebo fun araye
Dakun dabo ma je ki a di ohun ebo
Je  ki a gbo, je ki a to
Gbogbo Ota ti o ba ko oju ibi si wa
Awon ni won sigun fun o
Dindin ni ko din won gbe loro
Esu, Bakere Odada
Mase wa, omo elomi ni ko se
Ati wi ti wa na
Esu Dakun dabo
Tori Ewure abori kege
Tori epo pupa ero
Tori iyo ohun iyan funfun lele
Tori omi tutu ero
Dakun dabo
Fi ase si iwure wa
Kori bi a ti fe Kori
Ko gba bi a ti fe ko gba
Ki oro wa di ayo


Translation

Esu  the orisa of the cross road
Esu the immense wealth of the city
One with strong eye ball to  wade off evil
Bakere, the initiator, the instigator
A pillar of support for those who offer sacrifice
You are the devil behind those who disregard the instructions of Olodumare
Bakere you have no kneel for litigation
Esu you have no head where load can be place on
You only have a pointed knife - edge like one
Esu Beleke, the dead man of igbona city
Bakere, you are the owner of money
Esu, you are the provider of money
Esu, you provide children
Ayingbin
You are the arch diety of Ketu city
You are the path clearer, the pathfinder
The path weeder
The path maintainance
You are the orisa that carry his child on your back to Ilaje city (city wealth making)
Esu you are the diety that brings fortune home
It is you Elegbara that carry sacrifice to the sea
It is you Elegbara that bear sacrifice to lagoon
It is you Elegbara that carries evil away to the ocean
You the gate keeper who repel evil
Esu I pay homage to you
Esu who don't engage in wrestling himself
But make a lot of people to wrestle
Palm oil is your favorite
We have bring you palm oil
Kola nut is your favorite
we have bring you kolanut
Fish is your favorite
We have bring you fish
All other items that is your favorite food are present here
It is me babalawo Obanifa that brings forth this food to you today
Esu we implore you, don't destroy our life
Don't let us become a failure in our undertakings
Let our home be peaceful
Esu you are the owner of money
Don't let us run short of money in life
Esu any body you subjected to disgrace and humiliation
It is such person that the world disgrace and humiliate
Esu  Bakere  Odada Don't fall us into humiliation in life

Esu you are the master and controller of all work of life
Esu let the our work be profitable
Let us to be able to make purposeful uses of our money
Let us be successful in our business adventure
Direct us to the path of monetary success
Don't let us loss our lives this year
Don't let this year be our last
Don't let us die prematurely
Don't let death take away our relative and children and love ones
The elder one before us should live long
The younger ones behind should not die prematurely
Esu you are father of dieties
Give us strength and mean to be a father to our children and wives
Give us wealth and honor to be elder to the younger ones behind us
Don't let us experience epidemic
Don't let us incure the wrath of the mysterious mother and other orisa
Don't let us incure the wrath of evil people
Let our home be peaceful
Our house should not become inhabitable for us
Don't let road or path turn against us
Let our way be easy
Allow us to travel on peaceful purpose and come back home to a peaceful home
Protect us to and fro
So that we can moving in and out safely
Like abiyamo beads
Esu the wealth of the city
The orisa of cross road
One who rush to a fighting spot
Gbegbenleku who behave the way he want
A wicked man
With poisonous teeth
The devil, who block fortune
One who dig hole for people of this world to to fill up with sacrifice
We implore
Don't let us incure your wrath
It is your positive side you should turn to us don't let us run into litigation and implications
It is your blessings we seek
The one who beseek people with evil
We implore you don't beseech us with evil
One can be tall and at same time be short
One who can be short and at same time be tall
We implore you to turn your eye of goodness to us
Don't turn your worse eye to us

One who can block blessings
We pray the don't block our blessings
Turn your eye of  goodness to us
One who dig pit of sacrifice for people of this world
We implore you don't let us become a sacrificial items
Let us live in longevity
All our enemies that think evil of us
The are the ones who incur your wrath and call for your war on them
Frying them up on standing
Esu Bakere Odada, don't afflict us with evil
But afflict our enemies
We have say our own part of the prayer alas!
Because of he - goat
Because of Palm oil because of salt and white pounded yam
Because of cooling cold water
We implore thee
Let our prayer be accepted
In the way we want it
Let everything results to joy
Ase.

Esu taboo is Adin(Palmkernel oil)
Copyright :Babalawo Pele Obasa Obanifa, phone and whatsapp contact :+2348166343145, location Ile Ife osun state Nigeria.

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