Ìwà Pẹ̀lẹ́, the work of time and the search for prosperity: contributions of traditional Yoruba culture to ethnographic research in the anthropological field

Abstract (English)

This paper deals with one of the guiding concepts of all traditional Yoruba culture, known as Ìwà Pẹ̀lẹ́, for which there is no exact translation in Portuguese, but which can be understood as good character; about the work of time involved in religious processes of Yoruba culture; and the search for prosperity. The African philosophy of the followers of the Yoruba traditional religion, or simply RTY, establishes a series of dogmas and parameters with the ultimate aim of becoming a person of good character or having Ìwà Pẹ̀lẹ́. In addition, there is a Yoruba proverb that says Sùúrú ni Baba ìwà and its translation says that patience is the father of character. Through this proverb, Yoruba culture builds its value through the work of time, starting from patience as an element of great wisdom. This is therefore the path pursued by the Yoruba in order to be worthy of receiving the axé of the orixás in their lives in the physical world, Àiyé. From an ongoing investigation into experiences in a traditional Yoruba religious temple, I could see that the adoption of this philosophy was a watershed for devotees and, reflecting on the ethnographic work, I believe that there are significant contributions to a reflection on the research methodologies and new ways of being in the field and producing ethnographic text, especially when dealing with subjectivities, beliefs, emotions or immaterial experiments.