Nobody discussed politics or the prevailing economic situation. Even the scorching sun and the rains that are now unpredictable seemed not to bother the residents and guests. What mattered most was how to have fun as the excitement that usually descends during the festivals of Ariginya and the Ijeroba enveloped the whole of Ikare-Akoko in Ondo State. Indigenes both at home and in the Diaspora converged on the streets of Ikare-Akoko town for the yearly Ariginya and Ijeroba festivals. The ancient town was simply agog.
There were wining, dining and backslappings in celebration of another year gone by. It was a day when people converge one more time to appease the goddess of fertility. A moment of renewal of faith and belief, it was in the tradition of the land. Besides, it spelt a time of renewal of acquaintances and as well, a time to reassert one’s purity and innocence in the presence of families, friends and relatives and horde of visitors from all over the world. This year’s event was not in any way different from previous ones. One week before the event, tell-tale signs of the big event were in the air. There were banners, signposts and posters with various inscriptions welcoming visitors, tourists, sons and daughters of the land to yet another occasion of the wonderful Ariginya festival. All roads leading to the town were also ‘bathed’ in bright colours, indicating the gaiety of the occasion.
The dance outing was the climax of the one-week long festivities which included even the king, his queens and all the chiefs of the land. The people on the other hand, were quite willing. Right from the palace of the traditional rule, the Owa Ale of the town, His Royal Highness, Oba S.K.A. Adedoyin, down to the market place, everyone was simply in a celebration mood. Foreigners were not left out as some of them, according to the Owa, were around to capture the year’s scene while policemen were also on ground for security purpose. More vehicles had entered the rustic town more than ever before; with the dwellers experiencing an unusual traffic jam from taxi drivers and commercial motorcycle operators, otherwise known as okada riders.
Although pictures of the dancers were strictly forbidden, their sights were both shocking and beyond imagination. The ladies who were just in their teens were simply a delight to watch. Demonstrating their several months of rehearsals and chastity, they painted the streets red and got jaws of even the elderly dropped ajar with spectacular dance steps as if there was a million naira prize money at stake. Unmindful of their full but naked breasts and barely covered waists, they moved amidst the crowd with untold pride and joy. With just heavily made traditional beads wrapped around their naked buttocks, they wriggled their bodies in calculated moves to the beat of the music, to the delight of the crowd that could barely control their thrills. More excited amidst the crowd were women this reporter thought would be reserved. One thing is unique about the rustic town of Ikare- Akoko in the heart of Ondo State. It is the Ariginya festival where maidens dance naked. Rather than being a celebration of nudity, Ariginya celebrates the virtues of vírgínity. Even the scorching sun and the rains that are now unpredictable seemed not to bother the residents and guests.
What mattered most was how to have fun as the excitement that usually descends during the festivals of Ariginya and the Ijeroba enveloped the whole of Ikare-Akoko in Ondo State. Indigenes both at home and in the Diaspora converged on the streets of Ikare-Akoko town for the yearly Ariginya and Ijeroba festivals. The ancient town was simply agog. There were wining, dining and backslappings in celebration of another year gone by. It was a day when people converge one more time to appease the goddess of fertility. A moment of renewal of faith and belief, it was in the tradition of the land. Besides, it spelt a time of renewal of acquaintances and as well, a time to reassert one’s purity and innocence in the presence of families, friends and relatives and horde of visitors from all over the world. This year’s event was not in any way different from previous ones.
One week before the event, tell-tale signs of the big event were in the air. There were banners, signposts and posters with various inscriptions welcoming visitors, tourists, sons and daughters of the land to yet another occasion of the wonderful Ariginya festival. All roads leading to the town were also ‘bathed’ in bright colours, indicating the gaiety of the occasion. The dance outing was the climax of the one-week long festivities which included even the king, his queens and all the chiefs of the land. The people on the other hand, were quite willing. Right from the palace of the traditional rule, the Owa Ale of the town, His Royal Highness, Oba S.K.A. Adedoyin, down to the market place, everyone was simply in a celebration mood. Foreigners were not left out as some of them, according to the Owa, were around to capture the year’s scene while policemen were also on ground for security purpose. More vehicles had entered the rustic town more than ever before; with the dwellers experiencing an unusual traffic jam from taxi drivers and commercial motorcycle operators, otherwise known as okada riders. Although pictures of the dancers were strictly forbidden, their sights were both shocking and beyond imagination.
The ladies who were just in their teens were simply a delight to watch. Demonstrating their several months of rehearsals and chastity, they painted the streets red and got jaws of even the elderly dropped ajar with spectacular dance steps as if there was a million naira prize money at stake. Unmindful of their full but naked breasts and barely covered waists, they moved amidst the crowd with untold pride and joy. With just heavily made traditional beads wrapped around their naked buttocks, they wriggled their bodies in calculated moves to the beat of the music, to the delight of the crowd that could barely control their thrills. More excited amidst the crowd were women this reporter thought would be reserved.
The Ariginya festival according to the Owa-Ale of the land is celebrated yearly and it is a festival for the goddess of fertility. During this occasion, all the maidens, the unmarried girls in the land would file out from the palace of the Owa Ale nakedly, to a stream known as the Ariginya stream just a few distance from the palace.
At the stream, there is a shrine where a particular sacrifice would be made. As soon as the sacrifice is made, some water from the stream would be sprinkled on these maidens and off they move to the town’s square which is also close to the stream.
While all these are going on, the drummers and traditional songsters are at their best, doing their thing, creating a festive wave in the atmosphere. All these however are made in the public; in the glare of everyone, young and old, male and female.
But the girls did not dance just for fun. At the village square, another segment of the festival is held, this time, for the unmarried men. A wrestling contest involving the eligible men ready for marriage that year was next.
The men, as usual annually, would fight vigorously to pick the girls of their choice. The Ariginya is a festival used to measure the moral standard of the Ikare maidens and prepare them pure and alluring to many men around.
Whether crude or not, it is an avenue to show those vírgíns in their natural and undefiled form to set the mouth of their male admirers watering. It is a platform where a vital foundation for a blissful marital life is made.
For a girl to have participated in this festival of nudity, she has achieved a lot by establishing her purity and a life free of promiscuity. She is therefore the pride of, not only her parents and family members, but of the entire community as a whole. Wherever she goes henceforth, she raises her head high.
Meanwhile, any Ikare maiden who is unable to take part in this festival is ostracised by her friends and family. She is dismissed as a girl of easy virtue and treated as such. This explains why every girl would always struggle to be part of the occasion that their vírgínity might be celebrated.
Bilikisu Ishola, a 15 year-old SS1 student who participated in the dance spoke on why she was one of the dancers: “There was nothing I could do to escape the dance even if I wanted to. My mother believed so much in the festival and the only way I could make her proud was to be one of the dancers.
As far as she and some other mothers were concerned, a young girl who is not able to participate in this dance is a disappointment to the family. I am a vírgín and the only way I could prove this to her is to be one of the dancers. Besides, I have seen other girls dance in the past, I knew how they were treated by everyone in the town, how men treasured them. I have envied them and wished to also be celebrated like them.”
Madam Ishola, Bilikisu’s mother also shared in her daughter’s success. “It is always a thing of pride for any mother especially, to have her daughter participate in the Ariginya dance. It shows you have worked hard in disciplining your child, it presents you as a good and disciplined mother and you are a role model to others who have failed in this wise.
Ever since Bilikisu took part in this dance, I have stood tall in the town despite the said civilisation and I tell you more men are looking the way of my girl,” she said. But will there not be pranks? “No”, said Chief Olabisi Babajide, the Asoju Oba of the town.
While it is mandatory and almost a thing of fashion for young ladies to be part of this festival particularly to establish their state of purity, not many of them were able to scale through the process. There are some who dare to play a fast one.
But, the oracle was also prompt to address the situation. According to records, on the day of the festival, it is an abomination for rain to fall, so, should rain dare fall on that day, the festival committee instantly would know that a defiler is amidst the group.
They then would try and pacify them to tell the truth. If none of them opened up, the oracle would be consulted and the offender on detection would be beheaded by an accompanying masquerade. “There is no how any of them can deceive us.
Although, we have soft-pedalled on what it used to be, they knew the risk that is involved. Nobody forces anyone to come out if she is not qualified and apart from the rain that will fall to show that there is a defaulter, a masquerade used to come to behead the person after the Ifa oracle has detected the person. But we don’t do this any longer. There is no point shedding the blood of someone who had already shed her own pure blood when she was deflowered.
All we do now, is to consult the oracle in the presence of all and get the person exposed. One thing that is sure is the fact that there is no hiding place for a liar,” he explained. However, a lot of ladies are no longer part of this festival.
Their number has drastically reduced, all thanks to the hightech civilisation that is infringing on their sèxual purity on a daily basis. On another hand are the parents who would not want to lose their wards to some rigid doctrine and its blood sucking masquerade all because of some sèxual immorality consciously or unconsciously committed. The age bracket has dropped from 18 and above that it used to be to majorly 15 downwards.
And whether or not it is acceptable, the festival remains the main festival that the town identifies with. Strange as this may sound, this exhibition of nudity remains the maidens’ pride any day. Their age range is from one year to any marriageable age of 18 and above. Even the barren, according to the Asoju, come during the festival. “It is not just a festival of fertility, but of progress and co-existence in the Ikare- Akoko town,” he said.
While the number of participants reduces every year, the Ikare-Akoko people especially, the elders wish to preserve the culture. “ Ariginya festival is one festival that is inclined to encouraging young girls to place a good value on their bodies until marriage.
The people believe in the chastity of the female. Their nude appearance, allows the men to see all the vital statistics and pick their choice. We are also making efforts to modernise it, but there are certain things that are fundamental that we don’t want to throw away as they are the dignity of the festival,” he said
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