The Yoruba Ile-Ori and its Cowries

A complex example of a complex world view of money

The multicultural perspective of African arts show them to have an interdependent

nature; where the verbal and visual components link through references and allusions providing a support system where knowledge of both is needed to gain insight.1 Within each example of art from Africa, individual minutiae can be researched to show that they too have their own narratives that independently add interest but as a whole create a literal and figurative puzzle for Art Historians to solve. Belief systems, iconography, imagery

and composition all vary from region to region within the continent itself, only being even more complicated by a vast system of ornate spoken languages that number in the hundreds. The definition of power in Africa is one that is difficult to come by considering how unique each region is in terms of believe systems. Based on unique perspectives, power does not always come from beauty or importance, value or great wealth. The

distinctive aspects of objects considered both artistic and religious and why they are so powerful to African people is a complex issue; an amalgam of political, psychological,

sociological, and religious and world views collectively. It is near impossible to define wealth as seen by all African eyes as there is no singular collective acceptance. To focus on one self described group would help outline how and why certain objects are seen as beautiful, valued, sources of wealth and power concurrently. A good example of the complexity of the definition of wealth can be found by examining the Yoruba peoples and their cultural object known as the ile-ori or house of the head that has proven itself to be almost ubiquitous in the life of Yoruba.2 Yoruba art

has been documented throughout many art journals and by many Art Historians and

Abiodun, Akande. "Issues on Yoruba Aesthetic Terminologies." Nigerian Art REFLECTIONS: A Journal of The Society of Nigerian Artists 3 (2003): 34. 2 Abiodun, Rowland. "Verbal and visual metaphors: mythical allusions in Yoruba ritualistic art of Ori." WORD IMAGE: African Art and Literature 3, no. 3 (1987): 257.

Anthropologists to the extent that some might say that the culture has a dominant role in the amount of information circulating about Africa in general.3 Which is an odd realization to come to considering the Yoruba people, though widespread, are generally only heavily populated in the country of Nigeria and comprise a minute portion of a vast population of cultures. The truth about the world-view of Africa is sadly the definition of

the word vague because much of its culture is hidden within the barely studied or even heard languages spanning its landscapes. For every language that exists and every culture that is either thriving or dying there are probably hundreds more that have been lost. As a

result of the focused and ample information about a limited number of cultures there may be a tendency to take the meanings of the objects at surface value failing to appraise the object from a holistic approach. It is impossible to give appraisal to Yoruba art without reference to their views. Looking deeper at ile-ori in terms of its purpose and its use of

cowry shells reveals a Yoruba view where wealth is built of spiritual power. Ile-ori keeps the physical representation of the ori or head and refers to the presence of the inu-ori or inner head. Note that here the use of the word head in In Yoruba The outer is the

Yoruba language refers to the spirit as recognized in Western cultures. thought, all people are comprised of two heads; the inner and the outer.

literal appearance of a person but it is never fully forward and often hiding truth and masking intentions. The inner head is thought to be directly linked to spiritual energy as Made of pure potential power or ase these parts of According to

it is part of that spirit world itself.

ourselves are the key links to who we are and to our very life essence.4

Yoruba social norms the inu-ori is so crucial to a successful life that it is propitiated
3 4

Picton, John. "Yoruba: A Celebration of African Art." African Arts 25, no. 1 (1992): 82. Drewal, Margaret and Henry John. "Composing Time and Space in Yoruba Art." WORD IMAGE: African Art

frequently and its support or guidance is sought before undertaking any task that can lead to change in ones life. For this reason, Ori shrines featuring the ile-ori are present in most homes regardless of particular religious belief.5 The Ori is created by a leather-craftsman in the shape of a cone that is on average 5 inches tall with a base diameter of 4 inches. An Ifa Divination priest who is also an

herbalist pours fine dry sand infused with Olfun-Biret to praise the ori and then offers prayer and specialized incantation to speak directly to not only the spirits but ancestor spirits as their presence is always believed an important aspect of any undertaking. The

Ori is then decorated with 41 cowries(at least) organized into ten rows of four each and equally spaced leaving one shell to mark where the face should be.6(see. figure 1) The belief in the power of the spoken word coupled with the belief in the inu-ori has presented us with myths and taboos unique to the Yoruba that warn against mixing the spoken word with the information about ones own inu-ori. Drewal states using Bascoms writings

from 1960 that the knowledge of an enemys itan iponri or history of the spiritual head gives you the power to kill them but not without risking your own death in this life and the next.7 In other cultures this knowledge of a true name or true form is ultimate. Invoking

such power, you risk angering the eleda iponri or ancestral guardian soul who is directly associated with the inner head, destiny and reincarnation. The ori is thought to be more

important to the Yoruba community as a whole, more so than each of their own individual

and Literature 3, no. 3 (1987): 228. 3. Abiodun, Rowland. "Verbal and visual metaphors: mythical allusions in Yoruba ritualistic art of Ori." WORD IMAGE: African Art and Literature 3, no. 3 (1987):257. 6 Abiodun, Rowland. "Verbal and visual metaphors: mythical allusions in Yoruba ritualistic art of Ori." WORD IMAGE: African Art and Literature 3, no. 3 (1987): 257-258. 7 Drewal, Margaret and Henry John. "Composing Time and Space in Yoruba Art." WORD IMAGE: African Art and Literature 3, no. 3 (1987): 225

assigned deities.8

Such a powerful item linked to life itself would need to be protected

and its energies controlled somehow.9 The power of the Ori is not complete or controlled until it has been honored by the creation and elaborate decoration of its house via an expensive and time-consuming process that often involves the same leather-craftsman responsible for its own creation. The decoration is often postponed until the owner has saved enough funds to secure a higher number of cowry shells in order to placate the spirits.10 Considering the vast

numbers of possible leatherworkers within the large Yoruba territory it is no wonder why there is amazing variability in styles and techniques found in many modern day ile-ori (See Figures 2-4) Regardless of techniques and differences in color or size, the presence of cowries seems to be mandatory as they balance the line between spiritual and monetary power. The value of the cowry is quite complex as it is not limited to its original function as currency when used on the ori and ile-ori.11 The two most common cowries used were

the large Cypraea annulus and the smaller Cypraea moneta but there are hundreds of others that circulate. Counter intuitively to the Western mindset of consumerism characterized by an opinion of the larger the better; the Cypraea Moneta was and is still more valuable than its larger sister based on the ease of collection, processing and transportation. Refer to Figure 8 for a general understanding of size differences.

Bascom,William R.. Sixteen Cowries: Yoruba Divination from Africa to the New World. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1980. 34. 9 Drewal, Margaret and Henry John. "Composing Time and Space in Yoruba Art." WORD IMAGE: African Art and Literature 3, no. 3 (1987): 225 10 Abiodun, Rowland. "Verbal and visual metaphors: mythical allusions in Yoruba ritualistic art of Ori." WORD IMAGE: African Art and Literature 3, no. 3 (1987): 257. 11 Falola, Toyin and, Lawuyi, O.B.. "Not Just a Currency: The Cowrie in Nigerian Culture." West African Economic and Social History, 1990, 36.

Throughout Yoruba and Yorubahinterland the cowry seems to be a symbolic Jack of all Trades as it is used as money, elements of music for ritual, decoration, gifts, payments of dowries, protection for hunters and warriors against the spiritual prowess of enemies, methods of coded communication and symbols of social status within the Yoruba society.12 Throughout many cultures the cowry is thought to symbolize fertility and a

hold a direct connection to the aspects of the Gods responsible for sexuality, birth, death and regeneration. Its womb like round surface coupled with a slatted and ridged

underside mimicking the form of a vagina seem to be valued for both its beautify and its symbolism. The criminalization of the female form as publically expressed imagery can It can be difficult for any one individual to

complicate the interpretation of the cowry.

understand the implicit power that the feminine forms especially the vagina can have in outlying cultures without turning an ethnocentric glance at first experience. association The

of the divine with the feminine forms of the vulva, vagina and womb is

reoccurring theme in a lot of art dating back to the prehistoric age.13(See Figure 5.) Myths exist to this day attempting to explain the spiritual origins of the cowry and also help us date the appearance of the shells into Yoruba culture. Oral history suggests

that the Oba of Benin, Oranmiyan was one of seven children born to the God King Oduduwa. When he came of age it was said that his father blessed him with immense

wealth said to be multitudes of cowry shells which were direct creations of the Gods themselves. So, as Falola and Lawuyi suggest, the cowry shell was already an integral

part of Yoruban economy and mythology at least as early as the beginning of the Benin

Falola, Toyin and, Lawuyi, O.B.. "Not Just a Currency: The Cowrie in Nigerian Culture." West African Economic and Social History, 1990, 32 13 Eisler, Riane Tennenhause. Sacred Pleasure: Sex, Myth, and the Politics of the Body - New Paths to Power and Love. 1996

12

Dynasty.14 On the surface they are valued as wealth through their status as currency even though they have not been official monetary units for hundreds of years. This change doesnt undermine the Yoruba respect for them, I argue that the Yoruba people were

forced to dismiss the cowry as their own functional currency and reconceptualize their entire view on trade in the effort to secure a competitive role in the gradual Westernization of African economy as the British currencies gained official status.15 In many cases, the

force of the British and other cultures through the African lands was overwhelming and to adapt ones mode of business was a method of survival plain and simple. To put the

original value of the cowry into perspective consider that during the slave trade a detailed and complex credit system16 was in place between Yoruba traders and Europeans where cowries were actually exchanged in return for human lives.17 This explains why the main documented cowry routes used to transport the shells from the Maldives and Indian Ocean through Africa seem eerily similar to the basic patterns of Europeans focusing on the Western slave trade.(See Figure 6 in comparison to Figure 7) In short; the Europeans learned quickly of the vast majority and high population of cowries within African cultures and recognized their potential as exchanged currency. Whether the Europeans

themselves valued the cowries for their intrinsic power and cultural importance has no value when you consider just how dominant they eventually would become over African
14

Falola, Toyin and, Lawuyi, O.B.. "Not Just a Currency: The Cowrie in Nigerian Culture." West African Economic and Social History, 1990, 31 15 Adebayo,Akanmu G.. Idealism and Contradiction in the Yoruba View of Money. CREDIT, CURRENCIES AND CULTURE: African Financial Institutions in Historical Perspective. J.I. Guyer, E. Stiansen. Stockholm: Elanders Gotab, 1999. 171. 16 Webb,James L.A.. On Currency and Credit in the Western Sahel, 1700-1850. CREDIT, CURRENCIES AND CULTURE: African Financial Institutions in Historical Perspective. J.I. Guyer, E. Stiansen. Stockholm: Elanders Gotab, 1999. 45. 17 Hogendorn, Jan & Johnson, Marion. The Shell Money of the Slave Trade. African Studies Series. 49, J. Dunn,

trade and the peoples themselves. In terms of its role as money the cowry has many personalities via numerous vocabulary and definitions that seem to intentionally humanize it. Again, the importance

of language plays a major role if you consider how value in terms of spoken word can be lost in translation from tongue to ear. Regardless of what could possibly be lost, the

known definitions of the terms used to describe the cowry are well understood According to Akanmu G. Adebayo there are certain ideals that must be known in order to understand the role of money in the Yoruban society. money as emi Firstly, Yoruba peoples view their

or spirits and often refer to them as alejo which translates literally to The language is set up so that money is not spoken of in terms of what

visitor or stranger.

people do with it but rather what the money chooses to do with itself as an active participant in in human life.18 As varied and fickle as human beings can be one can

imagine the potential that lies there in with a powerful object created by the Gods. Money is capable of coming and going; good fortune chooses to visit and possibly settle down with someone. is said that Money sleeps over When that fortune is leant by one person to another it Money that is kept within the house and not In order to attract money to

permitted to fly or crippled somehow can be said to die.

your life you must be patient and you need not worry because your age or social status has no bounds when money is involved because it has no eyes for bias against the elderly or the young, rich or the poor. You mustnt gather debt, especially bad debt as it will ruin Yoruba people believe that having good credit

your respected credit with your neighbors.

J.M. Lonsdale, A.F Robertson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986. Adebayo,Akanmu G.. Idealism and Contradiction in the Yoruba View of Money. CREDIT, CURRENCIES AND CULTURE: African Financial Institutions in Historical Perspective. J.I. Guyer, E. Stiansen. Stockholm: Elanders Gotab, 1999. 156.
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is the same as having wealth.

Once you convince the emi to stay, you must understand Yoruba peoples

that its presence should not be the only significant aspect in your life.

teach that your wealth could possibly have nothing to do with your actions as it has links to your destiny. This view of cowries as money ay be difficult to comprehend by the mind of someone raised in the Western world of monetary exchange where religion, mythology, and spirituality really seems to have no place within economic issues. There are basis of comparisons within the Christian world where bodily ornamentation of crucifixes and crosses and ritual items like rosary beads are often made of the valuable precious metals silver, gold or platinum. Idols made during the 15th century of Catholic saints had been This mixing of art with items of value to help highlight

adorned with gold leaf filigree.

spiritual power and wealth isnt something unique to African culture as seen with the cowry use of the Yoruba people. Spending enormous amounts of money to construct

great Cathedrals became very popular methods for leaders in the European world to express their devotion to God and draw attention to their own great wealth and power. Because the Western form of monetary capital hasnt changed in its use and is still

recognized as official you dont often hear people referring to money spent on churches and religious items in terms of its power or mythology. The cowry on the other hand has changed in its defined value over time due to Westernization of the economy in both Lagos and Yorubahinterlands but it still maintains a substantial amount of social and religious value within the lives of indigenous peoples. Without researching the cowry one would see the ile-ori and think of it as a beautiful container to accent the power of the inu-ori statues or the ori figures. The focus of this

paper was to show that ritual and mythology are important factors in economic situations in Africa often tying into the art.19 Examining the role of the cowry in relationship to the

inu-ori sheds light on not just the aesthetic ideals of the culture but also their views that wealth is only present in a form made of both monetary and spiritual characteristics. In

order to understand any facet of a cultures art you must start with a basic observation of an object within that culture considering all of its components. You should be sure to

combine the information as it relates the possible meaning to the total power of the object. Researching as much as you can about each form of media used, the history behind them and their own meanings in the society is a daunting task but one that is necessary. An

amazing amount of value hidden in histories and lost meanings can be wasted leading to the degradation of an object of huge spiritual significance and societal importance down to a level of mundane beauty based on aesthetics defined by the eyes of a Western dominated interpretation.

FIGURES LIST FIGURE 1 Abiodun, Rowland. "Verbal and visual metaphors: mythical allusions in Yoruba ritualistic art of Ori." WORD IMAGE: African Art and Literature 3, no. 3 (1987): 259.

Falola, Toyin and, Lawuyi, O.B.. "Not Just a Currency: The Cowrie in Nigerian Culture." West African Economic and Social History, 1990, [29-36]. I.

19

FIGURE 2 http://www.famsf.org/imagebase_zoom.asp?rec=0105200110050019

FIGURE 3 http://www.spiritualtools.org/images//ileore_large.jpg

FIGURE 4 http://www.tribalarts.com/feature/lawal/4.html

FIGURE 5 http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/s/images/stoneag_willendorf.lg.jpg

FIGURE 6

Hogendorn, Jan & Johnson, Marion. The Shell Money of the Slave Trade. African Studies Series. 49, J. Dunn, J.M. Lonsdale, A.F Robertson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986. 87.

FIGURE 7 http://www.roadmaptolastbesthope.com/_images/_volume1/_chapter3/_maps/Map_SlaveTradeRoutes.jpg

FIGURE8 http://www.holubshop.cz/text/cypraea/Cowries%20of%20southern%20Sri%20Lanka.htm

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abiodun, Akande. "Issues on Yoruba Aesthetic Terminologies." Nigerian Art REFLECTIONS: A Journal of The Society of Nigerian Artists 3 (2003): [34-37]. Abiodun, Rowland. "Verbal and visual metaphors: mythical allusions in Yoruba ritualistic art of Ori." WORD IMAGE: African Art and Literature 3, no. 3 (1987): [252-261]. Adebayo,Akanmu G.. Idealism and Contradiction in the Yoruba View of Money. CREDIT, CURRENCIES AND CULTURE: African Financial Institutions in Historical Perspective. J.I. Guyer, E. Stiansen. Stockholm: Elanders Gotab, 1999. Bascom,William R.. Sixteen Cowries: Yoruba Divination from Africa to the New World. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1980. Drewal, Margaret and Henry John. "Composing Time and Space in Yoruba Art." WORD IMAGE: African Art and Literature 3, no. 3 (1987): [225-249]. Eisler, Riane Tennenhause. Sacred Pleasure: Sex, Myth, and the Politics of the Body - New Paths to Power and Love. 1996 Falola, Toyin and, Lawuyi, O.B.. "Not Just A Currency: The Cowrie in Nigerian Culture." West African Economic and Social History, 1990, [29-36]. Hogendorn, Jan & Johnson, Marion. The Shell Money of the Slave Trade. African Studies Series. 49, J. Dunn, J.M. Lonsdale, A.F Robertson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986. Picton, John. "Yoruba: A Celebration of African Art." African Arts 25, no. 1 (1992): [82-85]. Webb,James L.A.. On Currency and Credit in the Western Sahel, 1700-1850. CREDIT, CURRENCIES AND CULTURE: African Financial Institutions in Historical Perspective. J.I. Guyer, E. Stiansen. Stockholm: Elanders Gotab, 1999.