Recalling the history and importance of one of the greatest masquerades in Ibadan and Yorubaland as a whole, the head of Aje family in Ode Aje, Ibadan, where the Oloolu masquerade originated, Chief Oyerinde, disclosed that their great forefather, Ayo̩rinde Aje, who was a warrior along with Ogunmo̩la, Ajayi Ogbori-e̩fo̩n, Ibikunle, O̩de̩rinde, O̩de̩rinlo̩ went on a war expedition in O̩gbagi in Akoko local government in Ondo State and Oloolu was a great war masquerade in that town and was so powerful such that no one could confront him during the war…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
”Nobody could defeat Oloolu during that war but it was our father, Ayo̩rinde Aje that fought him and removed his regalia and costumes, before he was brought to Ibadan as a slave.
His eyes caught the Egungun’s outfit that attracted him. But as he moved towards the shrine where the outfit was kept, the war captive warned Aje Ayo̩rinde not to go near it because it could put his life in jeopardy.
Hence the name Oloolu, that is, O-LU-NKAN, meaning ‘you will put your life in peril. Ayo̩rinde took the advice but ordered his captive to take the outfit along with him back to Ibadan. He also ordered the wife of the captive to accompany her husband to Ibadan. The woman refused. In his annoyance, Ayo̩rinde beheaded her and ordered the captured husband to carry the woman’s head along to Ibadan in addition to the Oloolu outfit.
That woman’s head is what is permanently placed on the masquerade. It is the original one. It is because of the head that every woman is barred from setting eyes on the Oloolu. Any woman who sees the real Oloolu – not his pictures – will surely die. It is also true that the first person the Ololu sees on his first day in an annual Egungun festival will die. The Olubadan usually warns the populace to take precautions.
During an ancient time in Ibadan, there was famine, ill-health and crisis in the land and all the elders and chiefs were looking for a way out, that was how Ayo̩rinde Aje suggested that Oloolu should carry the rituals to appease the gods, immediately he carried the rituals, there was rain and everything got back to normal in Ibadan.
Oloolu helped Ibadan to be what it is today. Since then anybody that is the head of the Aje family becomes the custodian of Oloolu masquerade.
No other Egungun must be seen on the streets whenever the Oloolu is out. That Egungun will certainly perish. During the reign of Olubadan Dada, and Egungun called Ipo̩nri-Iku tried it, I was then a small boy, quoted Chief Oyerinde. “Ipo̩nri-Iku came out on the same day the Oloolu was out. He challenged the Oloolu to do his worst.
Oloolu then dropped a special cowry on the ground and challenged Ipo̩nri-Iku to pick it up. Ipo̩nri-Iku bent down to pick the cowry. He could not. His backbone was broken instantly. Ipo̩nri-Iku could no longer stand up.
According to Chief Oyerinde, ”any area in Ibadan where the people try to fight the Oloolu anytime he is out, such areas will continue to experience bloodshed, and that is what is happening in Opopo Yeo̩sa area till date, because they tried to beat Oloolu there sometimes ago.
Oloolu is so great that he gives the barren children, he provides for the needy, he prospers business among other good things he can give an individual who is ready to serve him”
The Oloolu masquerade is an individual masquerade. It has its unique attire which looks like an elongated pyramid made from different pieces of clothes and a net.
The most bizarre piece of the Oloolu masquerade is that it has the skull of a woman as its crown. As the Oloolu dances round the city in its strange rhythm with a female skull dangling on its head, the bearer proudly displays the human bone while accompanying the dreaded cult figure.
The bearer of Oloolu must not wear shoes nor carry any kind of load on his head. Also, he must not go to bed with any of his wives 30 days before coming out.
In fact, a few days before the festival opens, all females must vacate his compound and return after the Oloolu festival is over. Besides, he must not carry a child on his shoulders with his feet slung round his neck.
Of all the Egunguns worshipped in Ibadan and probably in all of Yorubaland, none is as dreaded as the Egungun Oloolu (Oloolu Masquerade).
This cult figure is believed to have immense supernatural powers and one of these is the ability to mysteriously kill the first person, man or woman who sets his or her eyes on the Oloolu (in his weird costume which is usually kept inside its own special shrine
We need to be careful in what we eat and not only physically, but also spiritually and psychologically. If we eat healthy food physically, we will have a proper growth and development, and our body will be supplied with good ingredients for its normal functioning.
But, we also need to be careful what we insert into our bodies. Sometimes people accidentally swallow something they shouldn’t. This was not the case with this drunk man.
An unnamed man was reporting stomach pains for several days and no treatment seemed to work, despite seeing multiple doctors, according to The Post. He then saw Dr. Lal, who did an X-ray and discovered the cup inside him. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
The man was then rushed to surgery where surgeons successfully removed a cup the size of a hand from what appears to be an incision in his stomach.
According to The Post, video shows the procedure which begins with one doctor cleaning the stomach area before carefully removing the silver cup with the bottom of the object facing up. Medical staff appears to be in disbelief as the surgeon holds up the tumbler for the camera.
The man, who works as a laborer, has recovered well, according to reports. The medical professionals have hypothesized that the cup reached his stomach after being inserted up the man’s ‘behind’. Doctors said the man got extremely drunk with three strangers after returning from a grocery store, where he had gone to get vegetables. By the time he sobered up, the unknown people were not present, and doctors aren’t sure if the man shoved the cup up his rectum himself or if he was assaulted.
The love of a child is priceless, so when that child passes away, it is a very devastating thing to intake. It is hard on the parents as well as the family. However, the love and joy for that child never goes away and they live forever through memories of happiness.
Three-year-old Sadie Grace Andrews is will forever be remember and honored after she was killed accidentally while outside of an ice cream parlor.
In Auburn, Alabama, Sadie was outside playing with her other siblings when by accident she ended up slipping into a grease trap and drowned.
“She had more faith than any child I’ve ever seen,” Sadie’s mother, Corrie Andrews, told AL.com. “And I’m not just saying that because she was my child.”
“We know without a shadow of a doubt, our baby is with Jesus,” Corrie added.
Corrie says that her daughter’s name means, “God’s Thoughtful Princess,” and that is exactly what Sadie was. She was the perfect princess, the best reflect of what her name embodies.
“And she really was that—always expressing gratefulness and love for God and other people. She would light up a room with her smile; she walked with a skip in her step. I’ve never met a more joyful child who loved God with all her heart.”
Sadie’s father, Tracy Andrews, said that he’s happy, appreciative and grateful for the three years that he along with their family got with spend with their precious Sadie, and reflected on the many lessons his daughter was able to teach him about life and love.
“She taught me about being happy and loving life and loving people,” Tracy said. “At 3 years old, there’s no preconceived notions. To her, everybody was good. She didn’t see the bad. She just loved people and it didn’t matter what they did.”
Lance and Kara Latham are the owners of Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, the shop where Sadie tragically drowned on Saturday. They released a Facebook statement on Sunday, extending their deepest condolences for the family’s loss. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
“As the owner of the Auburn Bruster’s, our deepest condolences go to the family of the child who tragically died Saturday. They are acquaintances of ours and have been regular customers. We are truly heartbroken that this happened. Our thoughts also are with our young crewmember who tried to revive the child. Like all of us, he is quite shaken. The entire Bruster’s family is horribly saddened by this tragic accident.”
They encouraged others in the community to continue praying for the Andrews family.
Sadie’s uncle, Chad Vermillion, also organized a YouCaring campaign on the family’s behalf.
“The body of Christ is powerful when we act together and if we can help alleviate their burden let’s do so,” Vermillion wrote in the fundraiser’s description. “Above all else, please pray for my dear sister Corrie and brother-in-law Tracy. The pain is insurmountable right now.”
Corrie says God used Sadie the morning that she died, to prepare the mother of six for the grief that lay ahead.
Sadie was attached to a blanket from her grandmother, that she slept with every single night. On Saturday morning though, Sadie put the blanket in a bag and told her mom that she no longer needed it, and wanted to give it away.
“Looking back, it’s as if she knew she wouldn’t need it anymore.”
One thing is certain, Sadie Grace brought more joy to this world in her three short years than many of us can fathom in our entire lifetime. She exuded the love of Jesus, and her family takes comfort in knowing that she is Home with Him now.
Praying for peace that surpasses all understanding, and healing for every single person whose life was touched by this beautiful little angel.
Melanie Biggins, a 42-year-old woman from Missouri, found herself in a situation that ended in tragedy. She was married to Ettienne L. McEwan for nine years, but their relationship had been struggling. For the last year and a half of their marriage, Melanie had been having an affair. She wanted to leave her husband, but she felt trapped because she didn’t have the money to file for a divorce. Instead of finding another way out, she made a terrible decision that changed everything.
On August 31, 2022, Melanie called 911 in the early hours of the morning. She told the police that an intruder had broken into their home and shot her husband while they were both asleep in bed. When the police arrived, they found Melanie trying to save her husband by performing CPR. She claimed that she had woken up to the sound of a gunshot and saw her husband had been shot under his chin. She said she ran downstairs and saw the front door open but didn’t see anyone…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
At first, the police believed her story, but things didn’t add up. Melanie initially told them that the only gun in the house was her husband’s rifle. However, as the investigation continued, she admitted that she had bought a handgun from a pawn shop. The police also found a pillow and blanket with bullet holes on the floor, and they discovered a .38 Special handgun hidden under a bunk bed in another room. These clues made it clear that Melanie’s story about an intruder wasn’t true. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Eventually, Melanie broke down and confessed. She admitted that she had shot her husband. She explained that she had been unhappy in their marriage and wanted to end it but felt she couldn’t afford a divorce. In a moment of desperation, she made the tragic choice to kill him instead.
Melanie was originally charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, which could have led to a life sentence. However, she made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. Because of this plea deal, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison instead of facing a much harsher punishment.
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