Honoring the ancestors allows the lineage to heal the past and strengthen destiny.
Orixá Egúngún
A moment of learning with Iyànìfà Talabi
We all carry our ancestral heritage in our physical form (DNA), our personality, and our spiritual form. These characteristics are legacies left by our forebears and can be positive or negative.
Take, for example, a family with a habit of deceiving people or creating discord. Such problems are corrected by Egúngún through Ebó or initiatory processes that benefit the devotee. Since the ancestors who experienced these problems on Earth want their descendants to have a more favorable existence, they work to change inappropriate attitudes and behaviors. These corrections benefit not only the initiate but their entire lineage. Egúngún corrects a person’s Orí to benefit their existence.
A healthy practice in the worship of Egúngún is respect for the Orí of others: not lying, speaking ill of others, deceiving, betraying, being false, or manipulating. These character flaws destroy Axé. We all make mistakes; that is inherent in being human. What we cannot do is neglect to correct them.
Just as Iyami Osoronga represents feminine strength, Egúngún represents a collective of venerable ancestors. African culture holds a deep respect for forebears. In many Nigerian villages, ancestors are buried in the home itself — in the yard, living room, or bedrooms — reinforcing the belief that they work tirelessly to protect us, bless us, and watch over our well-being.
In Ebó and initiation into Egúngún, the ills of past generations are eliminated. Initiates gain a new outlook on life by changing their attitudes toward their destiny. Egúngún also works to defend against attacks from enemies, being an Orixá with great fighting power.
Myths and Truths about Egúngún
False: Egúngún is an evil spirit or a spirit without light.
True: Egúngún is not a wandering spirit. Anyone who says so does not understand traditional Yoruba worship or the foundations described here.
False: Only men can be initiated into this worship.
True: Both men and women can and should be initiated. After all, women also have male ancestors, and everyone should honor their ancestry.
