Why Pounding Yam At Night, Hawking Palm Oil Is Forbidden In Osun Community
The African continent is notable for gobsmacking realistic and discoveries. It is more because the world is dynamic with
the realisation of various myths, customs, conventions, and traditions.
Predating the existence of man are many of these things best described as mysteries which a times develop into taboos, owing such much relevance to the traditions and conventions of the locations where they exist. Apart from mysteries, conventions, and traditions are innate in every society. It is further believed that the history of a people is replete without its unique belief systems and way of life - Culture. As the world changes, many traditions fade, but some remain strong. In Isokun, a community in Ilesa,Osun State, old customs, and taboos still thrive. One such tradition is the prohibition of hawking palm oil andpounding yam at night.
Though the exact origin of the belief is shrouded in mystery, it is deeply respected by the people of Isokun regardless of any religious affi nity.
Historical Background
Ilesanmi noted that the taboo came to be due to the death of a royal blood who sacrifi ced himself for the peace of Isokun, stressing that whoever is caught in the act would lose
either the pounded yam or palm oil to a sacrifice. He said, “The tradition truly exists. In the olden days, our people majorly worshipped idols and they don’t justworship them alone, they have reasons for doing so. A major incident happened in Isokun which
made a powerful individual lay his life for the cause.“He was from a royal family. The sacrifice made atier the incident led to the Prohibition of pounding yam at night and hawking palm oil a taboo.
“The powerful one sacrificed his life to prevent calamities in Isokun and it became a tradition that no one must hawk palmoil and pound yam at night in Isokun because of Bepoluju Omo Abida Sorosoro (a diety).
“Whoever hawks palm oil in the olden days, and is caught by the Youth group (Loriomo) would be disciplined. They will also seize the palm oil from the person and take it to the
Oke-Ado junction to offer it as a sacrifi ce to the diety.
“As for pounding yam at night, the Loriomo group will throw ashes into the mortal containing the pounded yam and order the person to pound it with the ashes. If they really want to enforce the discipline, they would force the contaminated pounded yam
down his throat or throw it away.“Taboos are not just enforced but to be adhered to. It is a mark of respect to the powerful ones who sacrificed their lives for the love of the
community,” the Leemi of Isokun noted.
The Repercussion For Contravening The Isokun Taboo corroborating him, a son of one of the former Leemi’s of Isokun, Pa.
Adebiyi Olatunde said anyone who wants to live in Isokun must adhere strictly to the tradition.
Pa Olatunde posited that anyone who is caught hawking palm oil three times would lose his/her product as an off ering to the deity. He added that whoever wants to
eating pounded yam at night in Isokun
must have concluded its preparation before 5 pm.
The elder stated that, “It is taboo to hawk palm oil in Isokun. No one can tell when the tradition started. It is as old as the town itself, we were born into the tradition because we can’t say the period the taboo started. It is a tradition peculiar to Isokun and whoever wants to live here must
adhere to it.
“Anyone nabbed thrice for hawking palm oil would have to pay the price of offering is palm oil to the diety. The Loriomo group would continue to do so as long as he is caught.
“The prohibition of yam pounding at night is an age-long practice, too. When my father was still alive, every pounding must be done by 4 to 5 p.m.
As an Ijesa man, we can eat pounded
yam thrice daily. If you’re not ready
to eat, you may keep it.
“I vividly remember an incident where a couple who used to live in Isokun disobeyed atier being warned several times, they spat into their pounded yam, and that was the end. The tradition is known to Isokun and anyone who can’t adhere would have to leave because all residents are aware of the taboo.”In his submission, the Loriomo of Isokun who leads the Youth group that enforces the punishment for the taboo, Agboola Oluwasola said anyone flouting the tradition will experience hardship in his/her lifetime.His words, “In our community, we dont hawk palm oil, whosoever flouts the
tradition would have his/her palm oil thrown away.
“Any Individual caught after being warned severally will experience hardship in is adventures, he will keep toiling with no results. That is why we sound the note of
warning.
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