An Ifa priest and member of the Oro cult has explained that the restriction placed on women during the Oro festival is a safety measure rather than an act of violence.
Speaking on Pulse Hot Takes on Tuesday, the priest said the annual Yoruba tradition, celebrated by male descendants in specific communities, is a community cleansing rite aimed at banishing negativity, not a practice designed to harm women.
“The part about Oro killing women is not true. You know, when you tell a lie too many times, it becomes the truth. Oro, according to ancient history and what history has said, is a woman. She is a female deity who does not want to see women, and they should not see her either,” he said.
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The priest explained that women are usually asked to stay indoors during the festival to prevent bad elements from taking advantage of the event to cause harm. “People with different motives might use the avenue of Oro to do negative things and cause havoc; this is why they make announcements all the time,” he added.
According to him, every community has an Oro grove, and members patrol to ensure women stay indoors during the period. “They’re like security details, and are the ones you see, but you’d never see Oro because she’s in the grove. They just send the women back. No place on earth does not conduct cleansing rites, even in urban areas,” he said.
