Mushrooms in yoruba mythology and medicinal practices

Abstract

The Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria (Oso, 1975) are rich in culture and have a lot of myths, which explain the origin and behavior of many things in their environmet and daily life. The Yoruba name for God is Olodumare (Olomn, i.e., the owner of Heaven). It is the belief of the Yoruba that in matters pertaining to omniscience and wisdom, Olodumare has a deputy on earth known as Orunmila. Traditionally, the Yoruba believe that Olodumare has endowed Orunmila with special wisdom and foreknowledge to the end that he may be His accredited representative on earth in matters relating to man's destiny. Oral traditions emphasize the part played by Orunmila in guiding the destinies both of the divinities and of men. One reason given for his intimate knowledge of matters affecting a man's destiny is that he is present when that man is created and his destiny sealed. Therefore he knows all the secrets of the man's being. Thus he can predict what is coming to pass or prescribe remedies against any eventuality. He is in a position to plead with Olodumare on behalf of man so that unhappy issues may be averted or rectified. Hence the Yoruba usually consult Orunmila to find out about the future or what the outcome of an enterprise may be, or when in trouble, what they could do to get out of it. Also, when the Yoruba are urgently in need of certain things they consult Orunmila to find out what they could do in order to get them. Ifa, the god of divination, is one of Orunmila's messengers, the messenger of light, through whom Orunmila communicates with men and they with him. Ira is consulted through the diviner known as Babalawo (the priest of Ifa), who understands the lan