Iyami Aje
[5][6][7][8] In The Architects of Existence: Àjẹ́ in Yoruba Cosmology, Ontology, and Orature, Teresa N. Washington defines Àjẹ́ as "a force that is beyond definition, but English approximations for Àjẹ́ would be Power, Creation, Cosmos, All.
"[9] Iyami Aje are known by many praise names which include, but are not limited to, Iyami Osoronga, Awon Iya Wa (Our Mothers),[10] Eleye (Owner(s) of the Sacred Bird), Iyanla, Awon Agbalagba (The Wise and Formidable Elders), Elders of the Night, Old and Wise One(s),[4] the "Gods of Society,"[11] Ayé (Earth), Yewájọbí (The Mother of All the Òrìṣà and All Living Things),[12] and Àjẹ́, as the latter term signifies both the power and the individual wielding it.
Opeola states that "any Òrìṣà regarded [as essential] in creation, childbirth, protection of a town also possesses the power of Àjé" (including Ọbàtálá, Ọbalúayé, Ògún, to name a few orisha).
"[14] Henry and Margaret Drewal wrote that "Any elderly woman, her longevity implying secret knowledge and power, may be regarded as an aje, as are all who hold important titles in cults for the gods and ancestors.
[16] In some cases, to protect the bearers of power and avoid confusion, terms such as "Elders of the Night," Ayé, and Awon Iya Wa may be used euphemistically.
"[19] Washington defines the meaning of Odùduwà, as "The Immense Womb or Pot (Odù) of Infinite Depths and Blackness (Dúdú) that contains all Attributes, Characteristics, and Identities.
"[30] The Onímọlẹ̀ (also known as Imọlẹ̀ and Mọlẹ̀) way of life was grounded and structured by Àjẹ́, balance, and reciprocity rather than the hierarchical stratification and ritual obeisance for which many African cultures, including that of the contemporary Yoruba, are known.
The Mother-son dynamic of Àjẹ́ also signifies egalitarianism, because Mother has milk, love, and protection for all of her offspring, and all of her progeny, ọmọ Onílẹ̀, are working for the fortification and glorification of Onílẹ̀, who fortifies and glorifies humanity.
Yoruba cultural historians Bade Ajuwon and Samuel M. Opeola confirm that before the colonization of Africa, with its attendant racism and religious hypocrisy, there was no concept of hierarchically tiered "white," (funfun) "red," (pupa) or "black" (dudu) Àjẹ́.
They are the gynecologists, obstetricians, general practitioners, counselors, psychologists, diviners, physicists, mathematicians, architects, scientists, navigators, and agriculturalists of their communities.
This is undertaken by a collective (ẹgbẹ́) that includes members of Ògbóni, a Yoruba sacred society of elders intricately connected with Àjẹ́, and Oṣó, empowered males who may or may not have Àjẹ́.
"[34] Àjẹ́, Ògbóni, and Oṣó have been described as "partners of progress,"[34] and their individual and collective works are all overseen by Ẹdan, the Orisa of justice, whose eyes never close and, thus, bear witness to everything, and Onílẹ̀, the Owner of the Earth/Mother of the Earth, who is also known as Ayé.
Because of the seriousness of the Ẹgbẹ́ Àjẹ́ 's work, the secrecy and silence that shields the Ẹgbẹ́, and the formidable checks and balances that ensure the accurate dispensation of justice, Yoruba historian and artist Adebayo Faleti describes Àjẹ́ as "the most disciplined cult in the world.
Similarly, the Ẹgbẹ́ Àjẹ́, a timeless consortium with unimaginably deep responsibilities, does not publicize, solicit, recruit, or advertise: it is necessarily both a secret and a sacred society.
[36] In Ìgbàgbọ́ àti Ẹ̀sìn Yorùbá, C. L. Adeoye states that the Ẹgbẹ́'s members take their work so seriously that they all adhere to the following diktat: "That the eyes should see / That the ears should hear / That the mouth should be silent.
This acknowledgement of a communal inheritance of a power that is diverse and as unique as each individual bearer is what prompts Olatubosun Oladapo, a renowned Yoruba poet and lyricist who is known as Odídẹrẹ́ Ayékòótọ́ (or the sacred grey parrot of Àjẹ́), to ask of his audience in one of his verses, "Emi Lo Ó Máa Fàjẹ́ẹ̀ Rẹ Ṣe?
One can even find individuals touting what they claim are "Aje" products (such as soaps, oils, medicines, rocks, and pots) and "initiation" into Àjẹ́: it is important here to refer to the principles of Àjẹ́ detailed above.
