Àjàlémògún
Pronunciation
Meaning of Àjàlémògún
Àjàlémògún, a powerful androgynous Èkìtì earth deity whose name, related to the Yorùbá god Ògún, may mean "The market of the house knows Ògún," or "The warrior of the house knows Ògún."
Extended Meaning
Àjàlémògún is worshipped in disjuncted towns in the traditional Èkìtì homeland, Èmúré-Èkìtì, Èmúré-Ilé, and Ìlárá-Mọ̀kín (the last two are in Oǹdó State). My great-great-great grandfather Àjílúyì-Ẹkùn as the Sẹ́lẹmọ of Ìlárá-Mọ̀kín was the chief priest of the deity and other gods. Àjàlémògún, who resides in the forbidden grove/forest, is as an androgynous god who, in Ìlárá-Mọ̀kín it is represented by an extremely large stature with a ṣùkù (a female hairstyle), but also a beard. Àjàlémògún is a powerful deity associated with fertility, peace, and the earth. It is also believed to be a purifying god that cleans the land of evil. Àjàlémògún is often only worshipped periodically. The deity is praised as òdío "king," Ọlọ́fin, or Ajìgùnsẹ̀. The exact etymology of the name is unclear, the last part is almost certainly in reference to Ògún, local indigenes often believe it means "The dog is the one who owns Ògún," but this likely a folk etymology based on the tonal patterns of the name. It may be a slight variation of the name Ọ̀jàlémògún, and may mean "the warrior of the house knows Ògún." Many old terms associated with Ògún have a similar name pattern, see Ìrèmògún (a praise name for the people of Ìrè-Èkìtì), Ẹkímògún (nickname for the people of Oǹdó).
Morphology
à-jà-ulé-mọ-ògún
Gloss
à - we/one whojà - to fight
ulé - house, home (ilé)
mọ - know, recognize
ògún - Ògún, Yorùbá god of iron, war, hunting, and technology; a type of sacred tree
Geolocation
Common in:
AKURE
EKITI