AN ASSESSMENT OF THE WORSHIP OF AYELALA (GODDESS OF JUSTICE) DEITY AND THE ILAJE KINGDOM OF ONDO STATE

Abstract

The worship of deities has always been a major religious preoccupation among the Ilaje kingdom of Ondo State. Among these deities is Ayelala, a water goddess, who is not only worshiped with pomp and pageantry but also highly revered and respected for its judicial powers. As a deity of retribution and justice, Ayelala is believed to possess great powers which she uses against varying forms of social vices, such as armed robbery, sexual offences, and witchcraft, etc. Ayelala is reputed for seeking vengeance when the offender has forgotten his or her crime, and strikes her victims by inflicting on them bodily swelling and in few cases, dryness. The study employed the qualitative research design, to provide the general background of the worship of Ayelala (goddess of justice) among the people of Ilaje kingdom. Data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. The primary sources involved the use of unstructured oral interviews with resource persons. The secondary sources involved the use of text books, scholarly journals, specialized magazines and the internet. The data were analysed using the historical and expository tools. The historical method was used to evaluate the historical evolution of Ayelala among the Ilaje. The expository method presented a vivid portrayal of the Ayelala Deity in Ilaje kingdom. The study found out that the worship of Ayelala is widespread in Ilaje kingdom despite the mysterious myths surrounding the origins of the deity. The studyestablished that Ayelala’s role as an arbiter of justice underscores the importance of civic values held within communities where the deity is worshipped – which are also values that undergird intergroup relations in Ilaje and other African communities.