wood and carved into designs. The tray is used to communicate the insights of the
deities to the Babalawo and symbolizes the desire for balance in the Yoruba culture
(Bascom, 1969). The tray is used in for the Ikin, also known as the 16 palm nuts. The
Babalawo takes the Ikin, shakes them in his hands and then tosses them onto the
board. If more than two nuts fall, the process must be repeated. If one nut falls, he
makes two marks on one quadrant on the board but if two nuts fall he makes a single
mark on the board. After eight throws the ending arrangement of these nuts and the
marks made allows the Babalawo to identify the exact Odu that corresponds. The
Odu is an oral and written Yoruba corpus of wisdom teachings from the orisa Ifa,
which the Babalawo must understand in order to interpret the given illness, cause
and treatment in each unique case. These interpretations help the Babalawo direct
each individual to actively participate in their recovery as well (Zeitlyn, 2001). The
process of Ifa divination is crucial in maintaining balance and harmony in the Yoruba
culture through traditional healing by first identifying the current issues and their
possible solutions.
Yoruba Traditional Healing Process in Response to Ifa Divination
Once the Ifa divination process is completed, the Babalawo is able to identify
the issue, cause and possible remedies. The Babalawo establishes a course of action
based upon the individuals needs in relation to the wisdom of Ifa. The Babalawo takes
his knowledge of Odu and determines a treatment based on the specific circumstances
of the individual. The process of traditional healing in the Yoruba culture is carried
out in a typically holistic manner (Ng, 2003). Holistic health is described as the
treatment of the whole person, taking into consideration mental, spiritual and social
factors rather than just the physical symptoms of the disease (Crotte 2008). The
practice of Yoruba traditional healing has been referred to as a form of alternative
medicine by some because it is often not accepted by western Orthodox medical
science, because traditional healing practices rarely involve western style clinical
trials. Classifications of alternative medicine include homeopathy, Osteopathy,
Chiropraxis, acupuncture and herbal medicine (Adekson, 2003). Yoruba traditional
36 Imhotep Journal
healers make use of exclusively natural resources to produce healing remedies.
Herbal medicine is the most common approach to healing in the Yoruba
tradition. Herbalists are experts in the use of herbal remedies for healing and are
referred to as Onisegun in Yoruba traditional language (Rinne, 2001). Herbalists are
extremely respected in the Yoruba culture for their extensive knowledge of a plethora
of illnesses and diseases and the unique combinations of herbs that can serve as
remedies (Adekson, 2003). Some examples of herbal remedies include bitter kola for
respiratory disease and even cocoa for hypertension and diabetes (Sawandi, 2008).
Onisegun and their use of nature, herbal remedies are significant characteristics of
traditional Yoruba healing.
Processes of traditional Yoruba healing can also come in the form of
psychological remedies. Many of the illnesses in the Yoruba culture require
psychological attention alone and also in correlation to physical remedies as described
above. Some Psychological treatments practices in Yoruba traditional healing include
dances, spiritual baths, symbolic sacrifice, songs and prayers (Crotte, 2008). The
Yoruba people ultimately believe the only absolute and complete remedy derives
from a change in “consciousness,” in which the individual can recognizes the root of
their problem and fixes it (Offiong, 1999).
Conceptualization of Health and Illness in the Yoruba Culture
The overall health and well being of the Yoruba people is crucial in maintaining
order, balance and harmony of the entire function of Yoruba Culture. In Yoruba
culture, diseases and illnesses are seen as a disruption of the connection between
the people and the earth. Ill health is sometimes believed to be the consequence
of the misalignment between a person’s thoughts and behaviors and their destiny.
Disease and illness are thought to cast a negative reflection on the sufferer’s family
and overall participation in the community (Adekson, 2003). The goal of Yoruba
traditional healing is to prevent and treat illness to maintain harmony between the
people, the earth and the Supreme Being.
Conceptualization of Health and Illness in the Yoruba Culture
Yoruba Traditional Healing 37
Yoruba medicine and western medical practitioners take different approaches
in the healing of people and are often critical of one another’s practices. Yoruba
healers don’t agree with the western medicine approach of masking the symptoms
of problems with unnatural drugs, rather than addressing the treatment of the body
as a whole, in relation to the earth and the cosmos. According to the healers of the
Yoruba people, if we listen to our bodies they will provide us with the preparation
and appropriate knowledge we need to regain our balance with the Earth. Western
medicine is equally as critical of traditional Yoruba medicine consistently and
inaccurately describing it as witchcraft and sorcery (Offiong, 1999). As of now there
are very few compromises between Yoruba traditional forms of healing and western
medicine.
Yoruba Traditional Healing in Relation to the African Worldview: Cosmology
and Axiology
Yoruba traditional healing relates in many ways to the African worldview
particularly African cosmology and axiology. African cosmology is based on the
assumption that everything in the world in interconnected. In the Yoruba culture it is
believed that everything, the people, the earth and God are all connected and in order
to thrive individually, harmony and balance must be achieved with the universe.
Yoruba traditional healing is essential in preventing disturbances in this balance
through treating illnesses and diseases. African axiology is a value system that
emphasizes cooperation and communalism. The Yoruba traditional healing practices
performed are a direct reflection of communalism and the attempt to maintain
harmony among all people in order to continuously work together for the greater
good of the entire group.
The Traditional healing practices of the Yoruba people are extremely unique.
Traditional healers are crucial to the overall survival of the Yoruba culture and play a
significant role in maintaining harmony, balance and order within the Yoruba culture.
The practices of Yoruba traditional healing relate directly to the African Worldview
particularly African cosmology and axiology. The distinct processes and practices of
Yoruba traditional healing are exclusive to the Yoruba tribe, but are valuable to the
38 Imhotep Journal
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