Female-Oriented Cults and Ritual Practices in Ijebuland, Ogun State, Nigeria

Existing research on Ijebu indigenous beliefs has concentrated more on male dominated cults, but no significant attention has been paid to female cults their ritual practices among the Ijebu people despite the influence of Christianity and Islam. This paper, therefore, investigated the nature of traditional rituals and cultic activities performed by women in the area with a view to identifying the types of rituals, how they are carried out and their benefit to people.
This study was centred on modernism, which highlights the persistence of certain cultural practices in spite of social change. Three major cults in Ijebuland were selected, namely Iyemule, Iyemoji and Imale, two indigenous rituals were performed by these cults, namely: initiation –into-priesthood and rites of passage rituals. All the cults performed the initiation rituals the same way: pouring of libation, divining with kolanuts, offering prayers, taking unobstructed procession to the river side, collecting water for therapeutic purposes and returning to the shrine for final ritual dance. The Imale initiates were distinguished by the scraping of their leads and the making of the divinity symbols on their heads. Those of Iyemoji and Iyemule were distinguished by the traditional hair –weaving. All the cults performed the rites of passage at pregnancy, birth, marriage and death. These were characterised by ritual killing of animals, ingestive of sacred foods and drinks.
Women religious rituals still persist in Ijebuland despite the popular assumption that women are irrelevant in the socio-religious sphere. Many Christians and Muslims in Ijebuland patronised the cults because of the benefits and potency associated with the rituals. Women have continued to play leading roles in traditional rituals despite the incursion of foreign religions.