Isun and Iwale in the Yoruba Tradition

During Yorùbá wedding ceremony, we often hear people pray for the newly married couple by saying,

'Ìyàwó á bí ìsun, ìyàwó á bí ìwàlẹ̀'

Even though most of us corruptible expression is;

'Ìyàwó á bí iṣu (yam🤣), ìyàwó á bí ìwàlẹ̀'.

'Ìsun' here is used to represent a female child and 'Ìwàlẹ̀', male child.

This statement has its root in the activities carried out by both gender when a family member or kinsman dies.

In Yorùbá credence, the female gender is believed to be emotionally frail while every man is expected to be strong in all situations.

So, at the death of a family member or close fellow, women, ladies and girls often contribute their quota through crying profusely and mourning the departed soul (wọ́n máa ń sun ẹkún ni), men-only mourn for a while, and get themselves together in order to dig a grave for the departed fellow (wọ́n á wa ilẹ̀ láti sin òkú as there is a Yorùbá wise-saying that says 'ẹni tó ń wa ilẹ̀ ló ń sin òkú, ẹni tó ń sunkún, ariwo lásán ló ń pa)

This act of digging grave earns the male gender the appellation, Ìwàlẹ̀ (someone who digs the earth) and the female act of mourning earns them 'Ìsun' (ẹni tí ó ń sun ẹkún)