What is a Bõkɔ́nɔn?
What is a Bokɔ́nɔn in the Afrikan Vodún Tradition?
𞤦𞤮𞥇𞤳𞤽𞥇𞤲𞤽𞥇𞤲 Bõkɔ́nɔn (bow-ko-known) is the title of a trained Fá (Ifá in Yorùbá) "priest" in the West Afrikan Vodún tradition found among the Ajã people. This title bõkɔ́nɔn is like that of Babaláwo/Ìyánífá in the Ìṣẹ̀ṣè tradition of the Yorùbá except that this title is gender neutral. It means "one who possesses bõ". This means someone who has been properly trained and initiated to serve the Oracle that we call Fá/Ifá.
At the root of the title is the word 𞤦𞤮𞥇 bõ. Physically, a bõ is simply a sacred talisman/object used for spiritual purposes. These objects usually contain concoctions of various ingredients infused with the power of Fá through proper ritual (chants, ceremonies, kwk). They can be in the form of a "talisman" (as above) worn on the person but kept out of view, kept in the domicile, car, kwk. Statues (as below) are famously used in Vodún infused with Bõ. In these cases, these statues are referred to as bõcyo (boccio). All bõ are used as spiritual tools of empowerment. Additionally, the bõ represents the sacred esoteric and medicinal knowledge of Fá.
The bõkɔ́nɔn engages in what is called 𞤦𞤮𞥇𞤱𞤭𞥊𞥅𞤱𞤢𞥈 bõwíwà which refers to actions taken to make sacred talismans for healing, spiritual defense when engaged in spiritual warfare, to consecrate houses/buildings, protection, and the like.
The responsibility of the bõkɔ́nɔn is to properly consult the 256 Kpólí Fá (Odù Ifá) through means of the sacred 16 𞤣𞤫𞥇𞤳𞤱𞤭𞥊𞥅𞤲 děkwín (ikin among the Yorùbá) or through the 𞤢𞤺𞤵𞥇𞤥𞤢𞤺𞤢𞤲 agŭmagan chain (ọpẹlẹ chain among the Yọrùbá). The Kpólí Fá are filled with thousands of sacred stories, verses, chants, and medicines related to every aspect of life. It contains the worldview of the Ajã and other related people like the Yọrùbá. One of the primary duties of a truly qualified bõkɔ́nɔn is to consult Fá in order to reveal a person's destiny to them so that they may act accordingly in life. However, it should be noted that the Ajã have their own stories and verses which most often read different from the Yọrùbá. Yet, both of these combined, as a Maroon Vodún, provides for a powerful arsenal.
The trained bokonon is responsible for extracting the and chanting the proper 𞤍𞤢𞥉𞤩𞤫𞤧𞤭𞤧𞤢 Fágbesisa during readings. Fágbesisa are incantations or chants. It is like what we call ese, or verse, in the Ìṣẹ̀ṣè tradition of the Yorùbá people. The term is a morpheme made up of "Fá" plus 𞤩𞤫𞤧𞤭𞤧𞤢 gbesisa- incantatory speech. The term gbesisa or 𞤩𞤫𞤧𞤢 gbesa formed by elision means "the voice of effective speech". This is the mantra of sorts. It is the effective, active, activating and amazing speech of Fá. It’s an incantatory poem, a noema, a motto or a moral maxim.
Finally, a bõkɔ́nɔn holds a central position in an Afrikan community for they are the primary healers and problem solvers. They are also responsible for maintaining the moral code of the community. People consult them for all aspects of life: the stage o pre-birth, the stage of birth, the stage of living, and the stage of death. From our Maroon perspective of Vodún, the bõkɔ́nɔ́n is about the business of ReAfrikanization, family development, nation building and sovereignty. He/she has a political approach to culture that is Afrikan ("black") first at its center.
This concludes Part 1 of "What is a Bõkɔ́nɔn?"