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Glite Dictionary
🌳 A hardwood tree 🧙 A forest spirit
iroko

iroko

9.9
A sacred spirit believed to live in a large West African tree and protect people
  • noun
  • Literature
translation icon : iroko
  • He gave them an important message: if at any time they were having problems, they could come to the forest and pray to a specific iroko tree that houses his spirit.

Examples

  • The sacred iroko tree, in which the orixa of the same name resides, is an example of this process.

    Academic text (1990)

  • In Yorubaland and in Bahia, the iroko serves as a focal point for devotional ceremonies.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Candomblé and Yoruba superstition dictate that the iroko should not be cut with an axe and should not be burned.

    Academic text (1990)

  • In Yoruba tradition, the iroko is revered as a spirit that inhabits the sacred tree in the forest.

  • During the festival, many people came to pray at the iroko tree, believing it held a powerful spirit.

  • The villagers gathered around the iroko to honor the spirit they believed resided within it.

Synonyms

orisha
vsiroko
  • Literature
1 9.9

A spirit or god from Yoruba and West African religions that people worship

is a spirit specific to one sacred tree rather than a general deity
nkisi
vsiroko
  • Literature
1 9.9

A carved object in Central African belief that holds a spirit and protects or heals people

is a sacred spirit tied to a living tree in Yoruba religion not an object

Surface Forms

iroko singular
irokos plural

Etymology

Iroko also comes from Yoruba and can mean the sacred 'spirit' believed to live in the tree, which is why people make offerings and treat the tree with special respect.