THE SOCIO-RELIGIOUS IMPLICATIONS OF ILE?? DI?DA? – COVENANT BREAKING IN THE CONTEMPORARY YORU?BA? SOCIETY

Abstract

Ìmùlè? – covenant - is one of the tools, mechanisms and techniques used in the olden days in Yoru?ba?land to run various spheres   of life in the society. These spheres of live include economy, politics   religion. Through Ìmùlè?, friendship, brotherly love, trust, justice and confidence are entrenched. However, in the society today, it is rare to find those things mentioned above. Brotherly love has been replaced with hatred, spouses no longer trust themselves, justice is perverted, and people do not have confidence even in things spiritual.  Promises are no longer kept as oath- taking has become mere window dressing. One no longer knows who is a friend or who is an enemy. The society is in disarray all because people no longer stick to Ìmùlè?. Failure or refusal to keep to any Ìmùlè? entered into is what the Yoru?ba? call “Ile?? di?da?.” – breaking of covenant.  Ile?? di?da?    is a sacrilegeous among the people. This paper addressed Ìmùlè? (making of covenant) and Ile?? di?da? (breaking of covenant) as understood by the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria.