What's the Difference Between Iwure and Prayer?-gctid44436

[Agbede]

Although the Yoruba word "iwure" is translated as "prayer," what are the specific cultural differences between these two rituals? How can we separate the two concepts as "prayer" is a eureurasiaan word with eureurasiaan connotations, rooted in traditional eureurasiaan rituals and the eureurasiaan worldview?

Also, where does the concept of "omi sílè (mpaeyi)" fit into the situation? What are the functional differences between omi/oti sílè and iwure (in addition to use of liquid); where would one be used as opposed to another?

Meda ase in advance for any clarity!

:sankofa:

[Agbede]

The reasons that I ask this question are:

(1) I want to teach my children in Kmtyw languages and not have to rely on non-Kmtyw concepts, and

(2) I am familiar with the word "mpaebO" in Twi that Kmtyws today use to mean christian prayer, when in fact traditionally it was a synonym for "mpaeyi" and had nothing to do with christianity or their concept of prayer. So this made the question pop up in my heart as to whether the concept of iwure as "prayer" is really a traditional concept or not.

[Okomfo Akosua]

Brotha Akhu,

I'm not familiar with the Yoruba tradition but as for Ghanaian traditional spiritual systems, mpaeEbo means prayer or petition and traditionally, it was done through libation which is prayer recited while pouring a liquid (usually water or liquor) to the ground.  Onyame (the supreme being), Asase Yaa (mother earth) the abOsOm (divine spirit forces) and benevolent black/Kmtyw ancestors of the community and family are called during libation.....not jesus!

Although christian Ghanaians are trying to christianize everything and totally wipe out the traditional spiritual systems they won't succeed.  My advise is to simply focus on the traditional way of praying.  Obadele has a good example of the mpaEbo here on the abibitumikasa website.

[Ɔbenfo Ọbádélé]

Akhu;44436 wrote: Although the Yoruba word "iwure" is translated as "prayer," what are the specific cultural differences between these two rituals? How can we separate the two concepts as "prayer" is a eureurasiaan word with eureurasiaan connotations, rooted in traditional eureurasiaan rituals and the eureurasiaan worldview?

Also, where does the concept of "omi sílè (mpaeyi)" fit into the situation? What are the functional differences between omi/oti sílè and iwure (in addition to use of liquid); where would one be used as opposed to another?

Meda ase in advance for any clarity!

:sankofa:

Ìwúre is the indigenous term. The foreign one associated with eureurasiaan ritual is àdúrà which is ultimately from aAmwic and made its way into Yorùbá by way of the Haunited snakes "Adua or Adura i.e. prayer or supplication from Ad-du'a (aAmwic الدعاء)." The root word of Ìwúre is ire which translates somewhere between krakkkapean concepts of blessings+luck. You are thinking of títa omi sílẹ̀, which translates to sprinkling water on the ground. The term is incomplete without the títa part. This is the indigenous term for pouring libation as in Yorùbá culture, it's less of pouring and more of putting your fingers into the water and sprinkling it out. The difference is functional as Ìwúre is done without water, liquor or anything else and is typically used to speak blessings for someone. For example, when a couple gets married, the people gathered are given the opportunity to wúre for them whereby they hold their hand palm facing the bride/couple and start speaking ire in their direction, which is thought to have a good impact on the state of the marriage. Thus ìwúre depends on the power of words and the power inherent in the individual evoking the ire for whoever he/she is speaking to/on behalf of. Títa omi sílẹ̀ is used to supplicate/pacify other forces by offering them drink and asking them to evoke their own power for whatever reasons are delineated in the libation.

Kò tọ́pẹ́

Ọbádélé