Aṣẹ

Aṣẹ, àṣẹ, aṣe, ase, or ashe is a Yoruba philosophy that is defined to represent the power that makes things happen and produces change in the Yoruba religion. It is believed to be given by Olódùmarè to everything — gods, ancestors, spirits, humans, animals, plants, rocks, rivers, and voiced words such as songs, prayers, praises, curses, or even everyday conversation. Existence, according to Yoruba thought, is dependent upon it.

In addition to its sacred characteristics, ''àṣẹ '' also has important social ramifications, reflected in its translation as "power, authority, command." A person who, through training, experience, and initiation, learns how to use the essential life force of things to willfully effect change is called an .

Rituals to invoke divine forces reflect this same concern for the autonomous ''ase'' of particular entities. The recognition of the uniqueness and autonomy of the ''ase'' of persons and gods is what structures society and its relationship with the other-world.

Àṣẹ and Yoruba art

The concept of ''ashe'' influences how many of the Yoruba arts are composed. In the visual arts, a design may be segmented or seriate - a "discontinuous aggregate in which the units of the whole are discrete and share equal value with the other units." Such elements can be seen in Ifá trays and bowls, veranda posts, carved doors, and ancestral masks.

Regarding composition in Yoruba art as a reflection of the concept of ''àṣẹ '', Drewal writes:

The head as the site of ase

The head, or '' orí'', is vested with great importance in Yoruba art and thought. When portrayed in sculpture, the size of the head is often represented as four or five times its normal size in relation to the body in order to convey that it is the site of a person's ''ase'' as well as his or her essential nature, or ''iwa''. The Yoruba distinguish between the exterior (''òde'') and inner (''inú'') head. ''òde'' is the physical appearance of a person, which may either mask or reveal one's inner (''inú'') aspects. Inner qualities, such as patience and self-control, should dominate outer ones.

The head also links the person with the other-world. The ''ìmorí'' ceremony (which translates to ''knowing-the-head'') is the first rite that is performed after a Yoruba child is born. During ''imori'', a diviner determines whether the child comes from his or her mother's or father's lineages or from a particular '' òrìṣà''. If the latter is the case, then the child will undergo an orisa initiation during adulthood, during which the person's ''ori inu'' becomes the spiritual vessel for that òrìṣà's ''àṣẹ''. To prepare for these ceremonies, the person's head is shaved, bathed and anointed.

Various types of ase

* Máyẹhùn
* Àfọ̀ṣẹ
* Gbétùngbétùn
* Olúgbohùn

Modern usage in the diaspora

Since at least the time of the Afrocentricity movement in the Anglophone diaspora during the late 20th century, the term "Àṣẹ" has become a relatively common term in the United States, with the general connotation being of affirmation and hopeful wishes. It has also come to be used in the Black Christian religious context as an equivalent (or replacement) of the word "Amen."

In popular culture

*Actress Viola Davis formed a company called "Àṣẹ Audio" which signed a deal with Audible for podcast.

See also

* Energy (esotericism)
* Itutu

References

Further reading

* Bascom, W. R. 1960. "Yoruba Concepts of the Soul." In ''Men and Cultures''. Edited by A. F. C. Wallace. Berkeley: University of California Press: 408.
* Prince, R. 1960. "Curse, Innovation and Mental Health among the Yoruba." ''Canadian Psychiatric Journal'' 5 (2): 66.
* Verger, P. 1864. "The Yoruba High God- A Review of the Sources." Paper presented at the ''Conference on the High God in Africa'', University of Ife: 15–19.
* Ayoade, J. A. A. 1979. "The Concept of Inner Essence in Yoruba Traditional Medicine." In ''African Therapeutic Systems''. Edited by Z. A. Ademuwagun, et al. Waltham, Mass.: Crossroad Press: 51.
* Fagg, W. B., and J. Permberton 3rd. 1982. ''Yoruba Sculpture of West Africa''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf: 52ff.
* Drewal, M. T., and H. J. Drewal. 1983. ''Gelede: A Study of Art and Feminine Power Among the Yoruba''. Bloomington: Indiana University Press: 5–6, 73ff.
* Jones, Omi Osun Joni L. 2015. ''Theatrical Jazz: Performance, Àse, and the Power of the Present Moment''. Columbus: Ohio State University Press: 215–243.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ase
Yoruba words and phrases
Yoruba culture
Yoruba religion
Yoruba art
Nigerian art
Energy (esotericism)
Vitalism
African philosophy