Yorùbá Moral Philosophy - The Ethics of Ìwà (Character)

It is not an overstatement to say the Yorùbá are master wordsmiths when it comes to poems, proverbs, aphorisms etc.

After all, Òwe lẹshin ọ̀rọ̀, ọ̀rọ̀ lẹshin òwe, bì ọ̀rọ̀ ba sọnù, òwe la fi nwaa.

Literally - “Proverb is the horse on which the word rides and word is the horse on which the proverb rides. If the word is missing, we use proverb to find it.”

i.e - It is through proverbs that the meaning of words can be understood and vice versa.

The philosophical concept of Ìwàpẹ́lẹ́ (Good Character) cannot be fully understood without the basic knowledge of Ìwà and what other way can this be explained other than through a beautifully crafted Yorùbá poem...

Tọ́jú ìwà rẹ ọ̀rẹ́ mi
Ọlá a máa ṣí lọ nílé ẹni
Ẹwà a sì máa ṣí lára ènìyàn
Ṣùgbọ́n ìwà ní í bá ‘ni dé sàárè

Èéfín nìwà, rírú ní í rú
Ènìyàn gb’ókèèrè níyì
Ṣùgbọ́n súnmọ́ ni, l’a fi ń mọ̀’ṣe ẹni
Ìwà kò ní í foníwà sílẹ̀

Ìwà ọmọ l’ó ń sọmọ lórúkọ
Ọmọ dára ó ku ìwà
Ara dára ó ku aṣọ
Ẹsẹ̀ dára ó ku bàtà

B’énìyàn dára tí kò níwà
Ó padanù ohun ribiribi
Ìwà rere l’ẹ̀ṣọ́ ènìyàn
Ṣùúrù baba ìwà, ìwà baba àwúre

English Translation…

Preserve your character my friend
Honour can depart from a house without notice
Beauty can be lost from a once beautiful body
However, our character follow us to the grave

Character is synonymous to smoke, it will ultimately rise to the surface
Somebody far away may be perceived as honourable
But proximity exposes a person’s true actions
Character stays with its owner forever

A child's character is what gives the child a befitting name
No matter how good a child is, character is still needed
No matter how gorgeous the body is, clothes are still needed
No matter how good the feet are, shoes are still needed

If a person looks good but lacks character
The person is missing a very precious thing indeed
Good character is like a personal bodyguard
Patience is the father of character, character is the father of blessings

Hard work pays - a Yoruba poem

Iṣẹ́ Lógún ìṣẹ

Múra si iṣẹ́ rẹ ọ̀rẹ́ mi
Iṣé la fi ndẹni gíga 
Bi a ko ba rẹ́ni fẹ̀yìntì
Bi ọ̀lẹ la nri
Bi a ko ba rẹ́ni gbẹkẹle
A tẹra mọ́ ṣẹ ni
Ìyá rẹ lẹ lówó lọ́wọ́
Bàbá rẹ le leṣin lekan
Ti o ba gbojule wọn,
O tẹ tan ni mo sọ fun ọ!

Apá lara igupa ni ye kan
Bi ayé ba nfẹ ọ loni
Ti o ba lówó lọ́wọ́, wọn a tun fẹ́ ọ lọla
Abi ko wa nipo àtàtà
Ayé a yẹ ọ si tẹrin tẹrin
Jẹ ki o dẹni ti nra ngo
Ko ri bi wọn ti nyinmu si ẹ

Ìyà mbẹ fọmọ ti ko gbọn
Ẹkùn mbẹ fọmọ to nsare kiri
Ma fowurọ ṣeré ọ̀rẹ́ mi
Múra si ṣẹ ọjọ́ nlọ.

No European language is deep enough to bear the full weight of this poem without doing irreparable damage to it. Nevertheless, below is the bẹ́ẹ̀bẹ́ẹ̀ ni English Translation:

Hard work is the only solution for poverty
Focus on your work, my friend
Hard work brings good result
When there is no one to depend on
We look as if we are indolent
When there is no one to trust
We should focus more on our work
Your mother may be wealthy
Your father may have a thousand and one horses
If you rely on them,
I tell you my friend, you will be disappointed!

Families are like the arms, while extended family are like the elbows
If you are loved by the world today
If you are still wealthy, they will love you tomorrow too
If you are in a respectable position
You will be admired with smiles
If you unfortunately lose your wealth or position
They will shun you

There is agony for the stupid child
And there is sadness for the child that have no plan or vision
Don't waste your formative years, my friend
Work hard and plan well now, because time waits for no one.

Yoruba Moral Philosophy - The Allegory of the thief.

Honesty and Integrity are the cornerstones of Yoruba philosophical concept of Ìwàpẹ̀lẹ́ (Good conduct). This is exemplified in the following aphorism...

“Ọjọ́ gbogbo ni t’olè, ọjọ́ kan ni t’oninkan.”

i.e No matter how successful a thief is over a prolonged period of time, one day his luck will run out. Literally - everyday is for the thief however, one day belongs to the owner.

To buttress this further, in Ogundabede Ifá says…

Èké a maa pa eleke, ọ̀dàlẹ̀ a si maa pa ọ̀dàl̀ẹ̀; ohun ti mbẹ ni ìsàlẹ̀ ilẹ, oju Olódùmarè ni nto, a d’ifá fun amokun ṣ'ole ti o wipe Ọba aiye ko le ri ohun.
Bi Ọba aiye ko ri ọ iwọ ko mọ pe Ọba ọrun nri ọ?

i.e
Lying kills the liar, treachery kills the traitor; that which is done in secret is not hidden from Olodumare’s (God's) sight. This was revealed for the thief by night who is using the cover of darkness to conceal his action and said earthly king could not see him, if the earthly king does not see him, surely, the heavenly King sees him.

The Yoruba Binary (Base 2) Numeral System

For several millennia, the Yoruba have been using the binary system before the German mathematician - Gottfried Leibniz formalised in 1679.

It is based on the Yoruba philosophical duality of Ibi and Ire (Evil and Good)

These days, the Binary Numeral System (Base 2) is well known in Mathematics and digital electronics and the system underpins how computers work by representing numeric values using just two digits - zero (0) and one (1)

In Computing, a Bit (i.e. BInary digiT) is the smallest unit of storage and can either be 1 or 0

A Nible (also called half Byte or semi-octet) is the grouping of four Bits e.g 0 1 0 1

Below are the first sixteen: Decimal == Nible == Yoruba
numbers...

00 == 0000 == Ogbè
01 == 0001 == Ọ̀̀ṣá
02 == 0010 == Òtúrá
03 == 0011 == Ọ̀̀wọ́nrín
04 == 0100 == Ìrẹtẹ̀
05 == 0101 == Ọ̀̀fún
06 == 0110 == Èdí
07 == 0111 == Ọ̀̀kànràn
08 == 1000 == Ògúndá
09 == 1001 == Ìwòrì
10 == 1010 == Ọ̀̀sẹ́
11 == 1011 == Òtúrúpọ̀n
12 == 1100 == Ìrosùn
13 == 1101 == Ìká
14 == 1110 == Ọ̀̀bàrà
15 == 1111 == Ọ̀̀̀̀yẹ̀kú

A Byte (also known as an octet) is the grouping of eight Bits (or two Nibbles) together e.g 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1
In Yoruba, a Byte is called "Odù"

On most computers, one Byte is required to store one letter of the English Alphabet and with 8 Bits, we can easily make up to 256 different patterns.

To represent the letter "A" (i.e. 65 in decimal) on a computer, we use the binary digits 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 which is also "Ọ̀̀sá-Ìrẹtẹ̀" in Yoruba.

This is the foundation of the Ifá́ Philosophy created by Òrúnmìlà thousands of years ago.

The Yoruba Vigesimal (Base 20) Numeral System

The vigesimal or base 20 numeral system is not new to the Yoruba. The Yoruba version was created by the philosopher/priest genius Ọ̀rúnmìla (The father of classical Yoruba philosophỳ) who lived around 500 BC and later deified by the Yoruba of that time. He was a contemporary of Socrates as they both lived during the same epoch. Just like Socrates, he did not write down anything but his disciples (named after the main Odu Ifa) codified his teachings into the Yoruba oral traditions.

Everything revolves around 20 (Ogún) primarily hence we have:
40 (Ogójì) - Ogún-meji (2 * 20)
60 (Ọgọ́ta) - Ogún-mẹ̀ta (3 * 20)
80 (Ọgọrin) - Ogún-mẹ̀rin (4 * 20)
100 (Ọgọrun) - Ogún-màrún (5 * 20)
120 (Ọgọfa) - Ogún-mefa (6 * 20)
140 (Ogoje) - Ogún-meje (7 * 20) etc

The highest number in this system is 20,000 which is called Ọ̀kẹ́ kan (one Ọ̀kẹ)́. Thereafter, larger numbers are reckoned as multiples of one Ọ̀kẹ́ e.g
100,000 is Ọ̀kẹ́ màrún (5 * 20,000),
1,000,000 is àádọ́ta ọ̀kẹ́ (50 * 20,000) and 2,000,000 is ọgọ́rùn ọ̀kẹ (100 * 20,000)

The uniqueness of the Yoruba version is that it augments mental arithmetic whereby addition and subtraction are performed mentally while counting e.g
15 - Marun- dín-lógún (20 minus 5)
16 - Mẹ́rin-dín-lógún (20 minus 4)
17 - Mẹ́ta-̀dín-lógún (20 minus 3)
18 - Méjì-dín-lógún (20 minus 2)
19 - Okan-din-logun (20 minus 1)
21 - Mọ́kàn-lé-lógún (20 plus 1)
22 - Mejì-lé-lógún (20 plus 2)
23 - Mẹta-lé-lógún (20 plus 3)
24 - Mẹ́rìn-lé-lógún (20 plus 4)

Otura Owonrin

The Omniscient One knows those who wickedly shoot others. 

People of the farm knowing people of the town;

Travelers of earth and travelers of heaven; we will see each other again.

Termites do not scatter unless they reassemble again was the one who cast Ifa for us humans who are mourning one who has died.

Where the people of earth have come from is where they are returning to. What are tears for? What is sorrow for? What is raising oneself up and down for? What is fasting for? He who sends one to come is he who is calling him to return home. That which pleases us on earth does not please Olodumare. The people on earth sit on earth and they do evil. Olodumare does not like it; Olodumare does not accept it. Well then, if they say come, you come.

If a child does not know his father, the earth is not right. Death is the one who takes a child to know heaven. Who is thinking of Olodumare? If there were no Esu, who would think of those who eat sacrifices? Everyone is thinking of themselves; they are looking for food and drink. You know darkness; a child does not know his father. Speak to me that I may speak to you; by our voices we recocgnise each other in the darkness. If a child does not know his farther, the earth is not right.

Sacrifice: four white pigeons, four ewes and two cowries. They heard and they sacrificed so that they might remain long on earth and that they might see blessings.

Eji Ogbe Intro

Orunmila says it should be done bit by bit; 

I say it is bit by bit that we should eat the head of the rat; 

it is bit by bit that we should eat the head of the fish.
The one who comes from the sea, who comes from the lagoon to receive the head of the cow was not unimportant at Ife long ago.
We are not as large as the elephant nor as stout as the buffalo.
The sash that is worn underneath is not as fine as the sash that is tied on top.
No king is as great as the Ooni. No string cowries is as long as that of Yemideregbe; 

Yemideregbe is what we call the Sea Goddess.

Orunmila says that we should measure the length and measure the breadth. 

The hand reaches much higher than the head; young palm fronds reach much higher than the old palm fronds.
No forest is so dense that the iroko tree cannot be seen; no music is so loud that the gong cannot be heard. "Mine is important, mine is important" is the cry of the Grey Heron.
Well then, whose affair is most important?
Clearly Palm Tree's affair is most important, clearly.
Okan sprouts, it reaches the road;
Clearly Palm Tree's affair is most important, clearly.
Okan sprouts, it reaches the road;
Clearly Palm Tree's affair is most important, clearly.
"Mine is important, mine is important" is the cry of the Grey Heron;
Clearly Palm Tree's affair is most important, clearly.