What is Moforibale? Honoring the Orishas

Pay foribale it is to salute or honor an Orisha. 

foribale It is the greeting that is given directly to the orishas and to an Olorisha / Iworo who has been consecrated in the Osha Rule.

Of course, it is a greeting that anyone who has started in this religious cult can do, as it indicates respect and devotion to the protective deities.

foribale It literally means "putting your head on the ground" and refers to the act of prostrating yourself in front of the Orishas in a religious ritual. And it is that when a ceremony begins, the initiates must first greet the Orishas out of respect and gratitude.

The word "foribale" comes from "foribale” that encloses in itself the phrase “fi orí ba ilè”:

• "Fì" means "bend or throw forward",
• "ori" is "head",
• “bà” means “to strike or touch”, and
• “ilè” is “floor”.

The entire word is translated "to touch the floor with the forehead to honor", and if it is añafrom the pronoun “mo”, which is equivalent to “yo”, moforibale it indicates "I touch the ground with my head to honor."

How is Foribale done?

In a ceremony of The Rule of Osha, the initiate first greets the Orishas and pays devotion to them by bringing his head to the ground. Then he should greet his godparents in the same way, and then all the priests present in order of age in the religion.

moforibale It can be done in two ways depending on whether the person's tutelary orisha is male or female.

• If the orisha is male, the person lies face down on the floor, and the sons of Obatalá, Shangó and Eleguá raise their right leg, face down and their arms at the sides of the body.

• If the orisha is female, the initiate lies on his side on the floor, first on the left side leaning on the elbow, and then turns on the right side.

After the initiate is lifted from the floor by the elders, he greets the Olorisha or Iworo by crossing his arms on his chest and saying "Ashe".

Then he leans first to the left and then to the right, touching shoulders with the Major.

Render Moforibale, Act of faith

moforibale It implies paying homage and homage to a king or queen, thus indicating a reverence before the Orishas.

It is emphasized that the person making that salute is not reverence for an equal or a person, but surrendering moforibale to the deities.

Therefore, even if it is done in front of an Iyalósha or Babalósha they must be clear that they should not accept the greeting, but that through their body and their hands, they will transfer Ashe to the person on behalf of the Orishas.

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