BÍBÍ-IRE (NOBLE BIRTH/REBIRTH)
By Kehinde Adepegba, PhD.
I have been considering this topic for a while. We really need to understand the broad nature of bíbí-ire otherwise the Yorùbá’s intention of the subject will be misunderstood.
Bíbí-ire is about giving birth to a child and taking care of the child to expected degree of worthiness. So it is not enough for a child to be born but to becoming a thorough breed. A child that attains this pedigree through his parents or by himself is, ọmọ tí a bíire (a child of noble birth/rebirth).
Ọmọ tí a bíire or ẹni tí a bíire ìs By implication a child of light. Such people do not romance nor have association with darkness and all it’s elements. Hence, the Yorùbá will say: Ijakumo kii rode ọ̀sán, ẹni a bíire kii rìn òru (Ijakumo, typical nocturnal animal is not found in broad day light, ẹni tí a bíire does láyà out in the night). In this world of multitude of people, ọmọ tí a bíire (are in short supply.
As far as the Yorùbá are concerned, ìbí (birth or breed) is same, from the poor to the rich. Of course, the quality of birthing or breeding a child is not directly proportional to the place or circumstances of birth, the name or the wealth of the people involved. This is why they often stress that ìbí kò ju ìbí, bí a ṣe bí ẹrú la bí ọmọ (birth are same, the birth of a slave is same with a true child). Also, they say bíbí-ire kò ṣeé fowó ra (a noble birth/rebirth is not buyable with money).
This truism to the Yorùbá indicates that every child born anywhere is capable of guaranteeing a noble nurturing for himself or herself in spite of his or her state of birth. Why you can blame a parent for not bringing up their child in the expected ways, the Yoruba believe the child has a pivotal roles to play in his or her own upbringing.
Therefore, they have created a dichotomy of àbíìkọ and àkoìgbà to apportion blame to both the parent and the child respectively depending on who is possibly responsible for the child’s inability to exhibit the values of bíbí-ire.
The concept of rebirth is, however, entrenched in the Yorùbá’s belief about personal development. They are convinced that no one has an excuse for not becoming ẹni-a-bí-ire. As such they say, bí a bíní, kò tó kí a tún ara ẹni bí (tó bẹ given birth to is little compared to giving oneself a rebirth).
The Yorùbá is of the opinion that everyone who do not imbibe the values of Ọmọlúwàbí, which include ìwà ìrèlè, sùúrù, òtítọ́, ifarabale, etc. are not products of bíbí-ire also because this implies that they will not have regard for other people who are equally important in humanity.
Such people are violent, proud, abusive, aggressive, disrespectful, irritable, irresponsible, blaming others for their mistakes, not accepting their limitations, hateful, troublesome, noisome, to mention a few.
Everybody, in line with the Yoruba concept of bíbí-ire is presented with the privilege of personal rebirth (títún ara-ẹni bí).
Ire ó.
Photo by Sikemi Adepegba
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