The naming, on the seventh day.
Water, salt, honey, palm oil, kola, bitter kola, pepper, sugar cane and dried fish are touched to the newborn's lips one at a time, each with a spoken wish about the life ahead. Then the names — and a Yoruba child will have several, one recording the circumstances of the birth and one often saying which ancestor has come back.
Ikomojade, the naming ceremony, takes place on the seventh, eighth or ninth day depending on the child's sex and local custom, and it is the most widely retained Yoruba rite — kept by Christian and Muslim families who have abandoned everything else. Symbolic substances are touched to the infant's lips in sequence with a spoken wish for each: water, which has no enemy; salt, for savour; honey, for sweetness; palm oil, for smoothness; kola and bitter kola, for long life; pepper, for fruitfulness; sugar cane, for sweetness of temper; and dried fish, for the ability to swim through difficulty. Names follow, and a Yoruba child receives several: an oruko amutorunwa, brought from heaven, given by the circumstances of the birth, such as Taiwo and Kehinde for twins; an oruko abiso, given by the family and frequently declaring its religion, trade or gratitude; and an oriki, a praise name. Elders each contribute names, so the count can rise.
The same ground, other faiths
rites that share this one's ideasSign in to open the first thread. Everything here is attributed.