Òwe on Death, the Ancestors and the Beyond
Twenty-six Yorùbá proverbs on mortality, ìkú (death), and ọ̀run (the beyond), drawn from Owomoyela's dedicated section on the subject, showing how ordinary speech treats death as certain, undodgeable, and impartial.
Di collection of Owomoyela give mortality im own special section, "On mortality," page 388-393, wey long reach twenty-six proverbs, and dis file reproduce am full . Ikú, death, and ọ̀run, di place beyond or heaven, na di two terms wey arrange di set: death as event wey no sacrifice, medicine, or high level for society fit postpone once dem don call am, and ọ̀run as destination wey everybody dey reach and nobody dey return from. Di way dem dey use di proverbs, according to wetin Owomoyela write on usage, na mostly for consolation, as warning make person no relax too much, and as argument to accept wetin person no fit change; none of dem dey serve as instruction for funeral rite or ancestor worship, wey dem document separately for 06-orisa/24-ancestors-and-the-dead.md .
Di proverbs
1. A kì í pẹ́ láyé ká má fi ilẹ̀ bora.
Literal: A kì í pẹ́ láyé one does-not live-long on-earth ká má fi ilẹ̀ bora and not with earth cover-oneself.
Idiomatic: "One does not live so long on this earth that one does not eventually cover oneself with earth."
Meaning: Everybody must die for di end, no matter how long di life be.
Used when: Note wey Owomoyela put: "Everybody dies in the end"
Notes: Fi ilẹ̀ bora, to cover body with sand, na polite way to talk about burial wey turn grave to wetin di person wey die do by imself instead of wetin dem do to am, a grammatical way to soften word wey other entries for dis file repeat for different forms.
Source: Owomoyela 3979.
2. A kì í sunkún a-nìkàn-para-ẹ̀.
Literal: A kì í sunkún one does-not weep-for a-nìkàn-para-ẹ̀ one-who-took-his-own-life.
Idiomatic: "One does not weep for a person who took his or her own life."
Meaning: Person wey kill imself loose di normal right to make people cry for am.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Do not pity anyone who invites disaster on his or her own head"
Notes: Di proverb hard by design, as e deny di pity wey dem suppose normally give dead person, and make person read am as attitude wey dem document, no be wetin dis collection support as advice.
Source: Owomoyela 3980.
3. Àgbà kì í ṣubú yẹgẹ kó da ti ikùn-un rẹ̀ síle; ohun a bá jẹ ní ḿbá ni lọ.
Literal: Àgbà kì í ṣubú yẹgẹ an-elder does-not stumble suddenly kó da ti ikùn-un rẹ̀ síle and spill what-is-in his-stomach; ohun a bá jẹ ní ḿbá ni lọ what-one-has-eaten is-what accompanies-one [to the grave].
Idiomatic: "An elderly person does not stumble and spill what is in his stomach; what one has eaten goes with one."
Meaning: Wetin person chop and enjoy for life na di only ting wey genuinely belong to person when death reach.
Used when: Note wey Owomoyela put: "All that one will take to heaven is what one has eaten on this earth," wey dem explain further as advice make person enjoy life while di chance still dey [S1, note 1].
Notes: Dis na one of di small group of proverbs inside di set (compare entry 4) wey use food wey person don chop as example for di only property wey dey last, wey dey argue indirectly against to keep plenty wealth wey person no fit carry pass death.
Source: Owomoyela 3981, with note 1.
4. Àìdé ikú là ḿbọ Ògún; àìdé ikú là ḿbọ òrìṣà; bíkú bá dé ikú ò gbọ́ bọ.
Literal: Àìdé ikú it-is-when-death-has-not-come là ḿbọ Ògún that-one sacrifices-to-Ògún; àìdé ikú là ḿbọ òrìṣà it-is-when-death-has-not-come that-one sacrifices-to-gods; bíkú bá dé ikú ò gbọ́ bọ when death comes, death does-not heed sacrifice.
Idiomatic: "It is when death has not called that one sacrifices to Ògún; it is when death has not called that one sacrifices to gods; when death comes calling, death does not heed sacrifices."
Meaning: Sacrifice dey prevent, e no dey cure; once death don really arrive, no offering fit reverse am.
Used when: Note wey Owomoyela put: "There is no medicine or sacrifice to stop death when its time comes" Owomoyela link am to entry 3492, one proverb wey use di same logic with charms wey dem tie for neck instead of sacrifice.
Notes: Dis proverb state clearly di limit wey dey on top ẹbọ wey file 74 document well well; here di limit na death specifically, wey dem set as di one situation wey no sacrificial system, to Ògún or to any òrìṣà, fit settle once e don arrive.
Source: Owomoyela 3982.
5. Àìsàn kan ò lè kó ọgbọ̀n ikú lọ.
Literal: Àìsàn kan one illness ò lè kó ọgbọ̀n ikú lọ cannot carry-away thirty deaths.
Idiomatic: "One illness cannot bear thirty deaths away."
Meaning: One person sickness or death no dey protect other people from di same fate.
Used when: Note wey Owomoyela put: "One person's illness or death will not indemnify others against death"
Notes: Di image of sickness wey dey "carry go" fixed number of death treat mortality almost like resource wey one single case fit finish, wetin no make sense at all and wetin di proverb reject.
Source: Owomoyela 3983.
6. Ajá kú ó fi eegun sílé ayé; adìẹ funfun-ún kú ó tú ìhùùhù gbugbu; ìgbín kú ó gbàgbé ìkàràun.
Literal: Ajá kú the-dog dies ó fi eegun sílé ayé it-leaves bones on-earth; adìẹ funfun-ún kú the-white-chicken dies ó tú ìhùùhù gbugbu it-loses its-down entirely; ìgbín kú ó gbàgbé ìkàràun the-snail dies and-forgets its-shell.
Idiomatic: "The dog dies and leaves bones on earth; the white chicken dies and loses its down; the snail dies and forgets about its shell."
Meaning: No physical ting, no matter how important e be to creature for life, dey follow am travel pass death.
Used when: Note wey Owomoyela put: "One cannot take anything with one to heaven"
Notes: Dem list three creatures, three kinds of body cover, bone, feather, shell, to make di point complete instead of ordinary story; di structure na di same adding technique wey dem use for other places inside di proverb collection to make one single observation apply generally.
Source: Owomoyela 3984.
7. Ajogún-Ifá ní kí òun má kù-ú; ẹni tó kọ́ọ́ tẹ́lẹ̀ dà?
Literal: Ajogún-Ifá the-inheritor-of-the-Ifá-priesthood ní kí òun má kù-ú prays that-he not die; ẹni tó kọ́ọ́ tẹ́lẹ̀ dà? where-is the-one-who taught-him before?
Idiomatic: "He who inherited the Ifá priesthood prays that he not die; where is his predecessor as priest?"
Meaning: Evri pesin wey dey do any work or practice, no mata how knowledge or office protect am, go still die at last, just as wetin happen to all di people wey first am show.
Used when: Owomoyela: "Evribodi dey die, wheda dem like am or not"
Notes: Dis proverb match direct with wetin dey file 72 about di babaláwo: even pesin wey dem train for di system wey dey handle mata with di spiritual realm no get special exemption from death, and di proverb make dis point wen e point to di clear fact wey evribodi see say di teacher sef die.
Source: Owomoyela 3985.
8. Bí a bá dàgbà, tí a gbó, bó pẹ́ títí ojú á ká ìjọ.
Literal: Bí a bá dàgbà, tí a gbó if one grows-up and grows-old, bó pẹ́ títí ojú á ká ìjọ in-time one's-eyes will-encompass everyone.
Idiomatic: "If one lives long and grows old, in time one's eyes will encompass all."
Meaning: Long life dey bring di experience to see as evri oda pesin dey pass through dia life condition, di good and di bad.
Used when: Wetin Owomoyela write: "Age na experience"
Notes: As dem put am among di proverbs about death, dis one gentle pass dem, e dey treat long life as advantage position to see how oda people life be instead of to dey focus on di elder own death wey dey near.
Source: Owomoyela 3993.
9. Bí a bá forí sọ́lẹ̀ tí a kò kú, ohun tí a ó ṣe-é kù.
Literal: Bí a bá forí sọ́lẹ̀ tí a kò kú if one dives-headfirst to-the-ground and does-not die, ohun tí a ó ṣe-é kù there-remains something one-is-yet-to-do.
Idiomatic: "If one dives headfirst onto the ground and does not die, one must still have things to accomplish in life."
Meaning: To survive wen pesin try kill imself dey show say destiny still get work wey di survivor never finish.
Used when: Wetin Owomoyela write: "Destiny get plan for pesin wey try kill imself but e no die"
Notes: Wen you compare am with entry 2, wey refuse make people mourn pesin wey kill imself succeed, dis proverb look di opposite side, wen di person try but fail, and e see di survival as sometin wey get purpose instead of just ordinary luck.
Source: Owomoyela 3994.
10. Bí ikú bá dé, kò sí lóyà tó lè ṣojú ẹni.
Literal: Bí ikú bá dé when death comes, kò sí lóyà there-is-no lawyer tó lè ṣojú ẹni who-can represent-one.
Idiomatic: "When death comes, no lawyer can represent us."
Meaning: No lawyer or middleman fit stand or plead for pesin against death.
Used when: Wetin Owomoyela write: "We no fit hide behind people wey wish us well to escape death"
Notes: Lóyà, lawyer, na borrowed word wey show di colonial and post-colonial court system, wey dey mark dis one as modern way to explain old mata, say death no dey hear appeal at all, wey dem express through contemporary institutional image.
Source: Owomoyela 3995.
11. Ẹbọ-ọ́ le, kò ju òkú lọ.
Literal: Ẹbọ-ọ́ le the-sacrifice is-formidable/demanding, kò ju òkú lọ it-does-not exceed a-corpse.
Idiomatic: "The sacrifice is formidable; it is not worse than death."
Meaning: No mata how sacrifice or ritual obligation take hard reach, e still beta pass death.
Used when: Owomoyela: "No suffer dey pass death" Di footnote wey Owomoyela put record anoda meaning: say no sacrifice for protection fit get power pass di protection wey dead people fit give, wey dey follow di belief say ancestors wey don die dey protect di people wey dem leave behind with clear eye [S1, note 2].
Notes: Di two meaning wey Owomoyela give dey important to keep together, because dem dey point to different direction: one dey talk about how hard sacrifice be wen you compare am with death, while di oda one dey talk say ancestor protection strong pass any sacrifice. Di second meaning connect dis proverb direct to ancestor worship, wey dey documented for 06-orisa/24-ancestors-and-the-dead.md.
Source: Owomoyela 3996, with note 2.
12. Ẹní fẹ́ rí òkú kó sùn; àtúnrarí dojú àlá.
Literal: Ẹní fẹ́ rí òkú whoever wants to-see the-dead kó sùn should sleep; àtúnrarí dojú àlá seeing-them-again happens-only-in the-realm-of-dream.
Idiomatic: "Whoever wants to see the dead should go to sleep; such encounters happen only in the realm of dreams."
Meaning: Na only inside dream pesin fit see dead people again, no be for normal waking life.
Used when: Wetin Owomoyela write: "Once pesin die, dem no fit see am again for dis life"
Notes: Dis proverb put di only proper way to encounter dead people inside dream specifically, and e separate am clearly from any claim say pesin see dem with clear eye wen dem dey awake, a distinction wey dey important to keep because popular stories dey often mix di two together.
Source: Owomoyela 3997.
13. Ẹni tó kú àti ẹni tó sọnù: wọ́n lè pàdé.
Literal: Ẹni tó kú the-one-who died àti ẹni tó sọnù and the-one-who is-lost: wọ́n lè pàdé they can meet.
Idiomatic: "The dead person and the lost person: both could meet."
Meaning: Pesin wey lose completely from im community, through exile or broken relationship, dey di same as dead pesin.
Used when: Wetin Owomoyela write: "Pesin wey im community don lose no different from dead pesin"
Notes: Dis proverb extend "death" pass biological death reach social death, wey mean say pesin don lose from im people, and e treat di two level as sometin wey fit stand on di same ground, wey be special Yorùbá understanding of exile wey Western frameworks dey always keep strictly separate from mortality.
Source: Owomoyela 3998.
14. Ẹni tó ń sùn-ún sàn ju ẹni tó kú lọ.
Literal: Ẹni tó ń sùn-ún the-one who is-sleeping sàn ju ẹni tó kú lọ is-better-off than the-one who died.
Idiomatic: "The sleeping person is better off than the dead person."
Meaning: Wetin look like say dem resemble for surface, sleep and death, actually dey very different, and dat difference matter.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "Conditions that superficially seem the same may in fact be very different; sleep is preferable to death"
Notes: Dis proverb dey softly challenge all dose sleep-death metaphor wey dem use for other places (entry 1, 9, 12 all dey use word wey touch sleep take describe death); e insist say di two must still dey clearly separated and one pass di other.
Source: Owomoyela 3999.
15. Ẹrú kú ìyá ò gbọ́; ọmọ kú ariwó ta.
Literal: Ẹrú kú a-slave dies, ìyá ò gbọ́ the-mother does-not hear-of-it; ọmọ kú ariwó ta a-freeborn-child dies, lamentation erupts.
Idiomatic: "A slave dies, and the mother does not learn of the death; a freeborn dies, and lamentations erupt."
Meaning: How society dey recognize death no dey equal, e dey depend on di status of di person wey die.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "People are not all equal, nor are they valued equally"
Notes: Dis proverb dey document di levels wey dey society for history, especially di matter of slave system inside Yorùbá society, without saying dat kind thing good, and how dis collection dey separate wetin tradition record from wetin e support for other places also apply fully here: dis na description of inequality, no be defense of am.
Source: Owomoyela 4000.
16. Ẹṣin ta ta ta ó kú; èèyán rìn rìn rìn ó sọnù.
Literal: Ẹṣin ta ta ta ó kú a-horse kicks kicks kicks and dies; èèyán rìn rìn rìn ó sọnù a-person walks walks walks and is-lost.
Idiomatic: "A horse kicks and kicks and kicks and dies; a person walks and walks and walks and gets lost."
Meaning: Both animal and human being dey hustle without stop until di end reach, whether na to kick or to waka, wey go overtake dem no matter wetin happen.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "The fate of humans, as of animals, is to keep striving until death"
Notes: Di double-double verb (ta ta ta, rìn rìn rìn) dey show di non-stop hustle wey di proverb dey describe, one style wey dis collection note for other place (compare owe-iwa-character entry 43) as regular way wey Yorùbá proverbs dey put how long or how strong something be direct inside dia grammar.
Source: Owomoyela 4001.
17. Gbèsè nikú; kò sẹ́ni tí kò níí pa.
Literal: Gbèsè nikú debt is-death; kò sẹ́ni tí kò níí pa there-is-no-one it-will-not kill.
Idiomatic: "Death is a debt; there is no one it will not kill."
Meaning: Na everybody owe death and na everybody death dey collect from.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "Death is a debt everyone owes and everyone must repay"
Notes: To present death as debt instead of event or person wey dey act na special style of speech; e make di coming of death be like obligation wey person don already carry instead of something wey fit happen or not happen, wey close any door say person go escape am.
Source: Owomoyela 4002.
18. Ìbí ò ju ìbí; bí a ti bí ẹrú la ti bí ọmọ.
Literal: Ìbí ò ju ìbí one birth does-not exceed another birth; bí a ti bí ẹrú as one bore a-slave la ti bí ọmọ so-was-one bore a-scion.
Idiomatic: "No birth is worthier than another; just as the slave was born, so was the scion born."
Meaning: Every human being dey enter life on top di same ground, no matter di social status wey dem born dem enter.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "All humans start out equal"
Notes: When person put am side by side with entry 15, wey record say treatment for death no dey equal, dis proverb dey declare equality for birth, and di two together dey show say di proverb collection dey record both di ideal (equal for birth) and wetin dey actually happen (unequal for death and mourning) without trying to force dem agree.
Source: Owomoyela 4003.
19. Ikán ń jẹlé àgbà ń sọ̀; àgbà náà oúnjẹ ikán.
Literal: Ikán ń jẹlé termites are-eating the-house, àgbà ń sọ̀ the-elder complains; àgbà náà oúnjẹ ikán the-elder himself is-food for-termites.
Idiomatic: "Termites eat up the house, and the old person complains; but the old man or woman himself or herself is food for termites."
Meaning: Di person wey dey complain still dey under di same thing wey e dey complain about; nobody fit stand outside am.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "If a certain fate awaits one, one should not make futile efforts to protect others from it"
Notes: Di proverb comot di distance between person wey dey look and wetin e dey look: di elder wey dey worry say termites dey chop house go also become wetin di same insects go chop when e die, one heavy balance wey be di whole point of di proverb.
Source: Owomoyela 4006.
20. Ikú lorúkọ àjẹ́pọ̀kun.
Literal: Ikú death lorúkọ àjẹ́pọ̀kun is-the-name one-bears at-the-final-reckoning.
Idiomatic: "Death is the name one bears at the last."
Meaning: Death na everybody final title, no matter how many other names or titles person pack for life.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "Death is everybody's ultimate fate"
Notes: Yorùbá tradition of naming dey rich and e dey add up throughout person life (praise names, title names, circumstantial names); dis proverb state say all dat gathering dey end for one common, final name.
Source: Owomoyela 4007.
21. Ikú tí ń pa ojúgbà ẹni ń pòwe fúnni.
Literal: Ikú tí ń pa ojúgbà ẹni the-death that is-killing one's-age-mate ń pòwe fúnni is-speaking-in-proverb to-one.
Idiomatic: "The death that kills one's age mate is sending one a message in proverbs."
Meaning: Death wey happen inside person own age group na coded warning about di person own death.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "One should learn from others' fate" Owomoyela cross-reference entry 4010, where di death of di black monkey similarly "sends a proverbial message" to di colobus monkey, wey mean say wetin happen to person wey dey di same kind position fit happen to yourself too .
Notes: Dis proverb na one of di few for di collection wey describe die itself like act of communication, "dey talk for proverb," wey draw clear line between di proverb type wey dis whole corpus section dey document and di interpretation work wey die dey demand from people wey dey alive.
Source: Owomoyela 4009; compare 4010.
22. Ilẹ̀ ayé, à-fọwọ́-bà-fi-sílẹ̀.
Literal: Ilẹ̀ ayé this-world à-fọwọ́-bà-fi-sílẹ̀ [is] a-thing-to-be-touched-momentarily-and-then-let-go.
Idiomatic: "This world is something to be handled momentarily and then let go of."
Meaning: Life for dis world na temporary stay, no be permanent property.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "All life na temporary thing"
Notes: Di compressed nominal construction, wey be single hyphenated phrase wey stand for whole clause, na di same grammar pattern wey dem discuss for owe-iwa-character entry 33, wey dem apply here to di whole life for dis earth instead of to one particular training mistake.
Source: Owomoyela 4012.
23. Ọjọ́ a bá kú aṣọ ní ḿbani lọ.
Literal: Ọjọ́ a bá kú the-day one dies, aṣọ ní ḿbani lọ cloth is-what accompanies-one.
Idiomatic: "On the day one dies, only cloth accompanies one."
Meaning: For all di property wey person get, na only di burial cloth dey actually follow di body go; jewelry and other valuable things no dey follow am.
Used when: Part of di longer proverb: "Na cotton person suppose plant, no be brass; na cotton person suppose plant, no be beads; as for brass and beads, none of dem dey follow person go grave; di day person die, na only cloth dey follow am," with di note "When we die, our jewelry no get any use for us"
Notes: Dis proverb give specific, practical meaning to di general claim wey dey entry 6 (nothing physical dey cross pass death); e make one small exception, burial cloth, and explain am by comparing am with brass and beads, valuable things wey dey stay behind.
Source: Owomoyela 4024.
24. Ọjọ́ a bá kú là ń dẹ̀rẹ̀, èèyàn ò sunwọ̀n láàyè.
Literal: Ọjọ́ a bá kú the-day one dies là ń dẹ̀rẹ̀ is-when-one becomes-an-idol/is-esteemed, èèyàn ò sunwọ̀n láàyè a-person is-not-appreciated while-alive.
Idiomatic: "It is on the day one dies that one becomes an idol; no one is appreciated when alive."
Meaning: Respect and honour often dey come only after person don die, wey don late pass make e benefit di person wey work for am.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "People often dey get more glory for death pass when dem dey alive"
Notes: Dis na proverb of quiet protest against di pattern wey e dey describe instead of to support am; dem dey always quote am for modern Yorùbá commentary about honour wey dem dey give after death to criticize how dem dey neglect people wey dey alive.
Source: Owomoyela 4025. Dem also record am for .
25. Ọ̀run ò dùn; ẹni tó kú ò padà wáyé.
Literal: Ọ̀run ò dùn heaven/the-beyond may-not-be-sweet, ẹni tó kú ò padà wáyé one-who has-died does-not return to-earth.
Idiomatic: "Heaven may turn out not to be a pleasant place, but the dead cannot come back to earth."
Meaning: Anything wey di afterlife turn out to be, once person enter am, person no fit come back.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "Once person die, everything don finish"
Notes: Dis proverb no make any promise say ọ̀run go sweet, wey make am different from proper religious language wey dem dey take comfort person; di main power of di proverb dey inside di clause wey say person no fit come back, no be any claim about wetin dey wait for person there.
Source: Owomoyela 4026.
26. Tikú tikú là ń ro àgbà; àgbà ní ń pète àìkú.
Literal: Tikú tikú with-death with-death là ń ro àgbà is-how-one regards the-elder; àgbà ní ń pète àìkú the-elder is-who plots not-dying.
Idiomatic: "People always look at aged people with death in their eyes; the aged are the ones who strive to stay alive."
Meaning: Other people dey look old people like person wey death likely want catch next, while na di elders themselves dey do everything to push death go front.
Used when: Owomoyela note: "Each person na di most reliable guardian of im own well-being"
Notes: Di proverb notice difference between how outside people dey see things (say death don mark di elder) and wetin di elder dey experience (how e dey actively drag with death), wey close di set with point say self-preservation na action wey person dey take, no be just to fold hand wait for wetin go happen.
Source: Owomoyela 4028.
How to read dis set
Dis na di complete run of Owomoyela special section on mortality, and three things clear well well across am. Dem dey repeatedly call death by indirect name through euphemism (entries 1, 3, 9, 20), one pattern wey match di broader Yorùbá way of avoiding to call death and bad luck by direct name wey dis corpus note for other place. Di set record social inequality for how death dey meet people (entries 15, 24) without supporting am, together with another claim say everyone equal at birth (entry 18); di corpus maintain dis tension instead of to resolve am. Ancestral protection only show face small (entry 11 second reading), wey mean say di fuller discussion on wetin dey happen after death and how di dead dey relate with people wey dey alive belong to 06-orisa/24-ancestors-and-the-dead.md instead of dis proverb file: dis twenty-six proverbs dey talk about di fact and way person dey take die, no be about di ongoing role of ancestors among di living.