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Oduduwa
Odùduwà (Ooduwa, Odudua or Oòdua) was a Yoruba divine king, a creator deity (orisha) in the Yoruba religion, and the legendary figure who ushered in the classical period that later led to the foundation of the Ife Empire. His earthly origins are from the village of Oke Ora. According to tradition, he was the holder of the title of the ''Olofin'' of Ile-Ife, the Yoruba holy city. He ruled there briefly and also served as the progenitor of a number of independent royal dynasties in Yorubaland, with the praise names Olofin Adimula and Olofin Aye. While archaeologists and historians estimate Oduduwa's kingly existence to the ''Late Formative Period'' of Ife (800-1000CE), indigenous Yoruba oral chronology more properly places Oduduwa's as well as Obatala's era somewhere in between the 9th and 7th centuries BCE much closer to the founding of Ile-Ife, as well as explains the name Oduduwa an Obatala are powerfully symbolic names, so many would be princes within the Yoruba medi ...
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Oke Ora
Oke Ora (Yoruba language, Yoruba: ''Òkè Ọ̀rà'') is an ancient community and archaeological site situated on a hill about east of Ifẹ̀, Ufẹ̀ (Ilé-Ifẹ̀), in between the city and the small village of Itagunmodi. Two important characters in the early history of Yorubaland; Oranfe, Oranife (Oramfe) and Oduduwa came from Oke Ora. Several stories and legends of the Yoruba people surround the site. In the Yoruba creation legend, it was the first mound of earth formed from the soil in a snail shell and from which Ife, the first settlement was built. Today, it continues to play an important role in certain religious rites of the Ife people, most significantly, in the coronation rituals of the List of rulers of Ife, Ọwọni (Ooni), king of Ifẹ̀. Name The name ''Oke Ora'' owes its etymology to two separate words; ''Òkè'' and ''Ọ̀ra''. In the Yoruba language, ''Òkè'' means a mountain or hill, while ''Ọ̀ra'' is a deity, who is one of the highest ranking in Ife, a ...
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Yoruba People
The Yoruba people ( ; , , ) are a West African ethnic group who inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, which are collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute more than 50 million people in Africa, are over a million outside the continent, and bear further representation among the African diaspora. The vast majority of Yoruba are within Nigeria, where they make up 20.7% of the country's population according to Ethnologue estimations, making them one of the largest List of ethnic groups of Africa, ethnic groups in Africa. Most Yoruba people speak the Yoruba language, which is the Niger–Congo languages, Niger-Congo language with the largest number of native or L1 speakers. Geography In Africa, the Yoruba culture, Yoruba are contiguous with the Yoruboid languages, Yoruboid Itsekiri to the south-east in the northwest Niger Delta, Bariba people, Bariba to the northwest in Benin and Nigeria, the Nupe people, Nupe to the north, and the Ebira to the northeast in ...
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Ooni
The Ooni of Ile-Ife (Ọọ̀ni of Ilè-Ifẹ̀) is the traditional ruler of Ifẹ, Ilé-Ifẹ̀. The Ooni dynasty existed before the reign of Oduduwa which historians have argued to have been between the 7th-9th centuries A.D. After the demise of Oduduwa and Ogun’s fail attempt to take over the throne, Oduduwa's support base dispersed out of Ifẹ, Ile-Ife. Another account, but not in tandem with existing evidences, states that Ogun purposely sent all Oduduwa's children on different journeys to effect Yoruba territory expansion. Whatever the case, after Oduduwa's short reign, Ọbàtálá re-emerged as the king of Ile-Ife and the throne was rotated between Obatala and Obalufon houses until the return of Ọranyan, Oranmiyan who briefly interrupted the succession pattern. Popular history identifies Ooni Lajamisan to have been a son or grandson of Oranmiyan. Meanwhile Ife tradition remains unclear about his ancestry. Lajamisan is often said to have opened the modern Ife his ...
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Yorubaland
Yorubaland () is the homeland and cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa. It spans the modern-day countries of Nigeria, Togo and Benin, and covers a total land area of . Of this land area, 106,016 km2 (74.6%) lies within Nigeria, 18.9% in Benin, and the remaining 6.5% is in Togo. Prior to European colonization of Africa, European colonization, a portion of this area was known as Yoruba country. The geo-cultural space contains an estimated 55 million people, the majority of this population being ethnic Yoruba people, Yoruba. Geography Geo-physically, Yorubaland spreads north from the Gulf of Guinea and west from the Niger River into Benin and Togo. In the northern section, Yorubaland begins in the suburbs just west of Lokoja and continues unbroken up to the Ogooué River tributary of the Mono River in Togo, a distance of around 610 km. In the south, it begins in an area just west of the Benin and Osse River (Nigeria), Osse (Ovia) river occupied by the Ilaj ...
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Yoruba Religion
The Yorùbá religion (Yoruba language, Yoruba: Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), West African Orisa (Òrìṣà), or Isese (Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in present-day Southwestern Nigeria and Southern Benin, which comprises the majority of the States of Nigeria, states of; Oyo State, Oyo, Ogun State, Ogun, Osun State, Osun, Ondo State, Ondo, Ekiti State, Ekiti, Kwara State, Kwara, Lagos State, Lagos and parts of Kogi State, Kogi in Nigeria, the Departments of Benin, Departments of; Collines Department, Collines, Ouémé Department, Oueme, Plateau Department, Plateau in Benin, and the adjoining parts of central Togo, commonly known as Yorubaland (). It has become the largest indigenous African tradition / belief system in the world with several million adherents worldwide. It shares some parallels with the Vodun practised by the neighbouring Fon people, Fon and Ewe people, Ewe peoples to its west ...
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Ife Empire
The Ife Empire was the first empire in History of the Yoruba people, Yoruba history. It was founded in what is now southwestern Nigeria and eastern Benin. A classical period starting from 1000 to 1420 CE, marked the age of its most well known sophisticated art pieces. Although Yoruba language, Yoruba was the main language of the empire, there were also various spoken dialects and languages. It rose to power through trade with Sahelian and forest states. Its capital city, Ife, Ilé-Ife, was one of the largest urban centers in 14th century West Africa. Formation and early history The Ife region began as a small collection of house society, house societies in mid-first millennium BCE, which over time grew to become “mega houses”, or mini-states, due to competition for resources. Over time, as managing resources, population, and conflicts presented opportunities for new organizational structures, several of the mega-houses started organizing themselves into confederacy-like ...
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Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi
Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (the ''Ọjájá II'') (born 17 October 1974) is the 51st and current ''Ooni'' of Ife. He is a traditional ruler and monarch of a Yoruba people of Ile-Ife. He ascended to the throne after the passing of Oba Okunade Sijuwade in August 2015. Ancestry Ọba Ọjájá II was born Prince Adeyeye Enitan of Giesi ruling house, one of the four royal families of the House of Oranmiyan. His paternal grandfather was Prince Joseph Olagbaju Adewole Ogunwusi, whose grandfather was Ọba Ọ̀ráyẹ̀gbà (also known as Ooni Orarigba or Orasigba) Ọjájá I, who was the 44th Ooni of Ife and ruled from 1878 to 1880. Through him, he is a direct descendant of Ooni Agbedegbede, who was a descendant of Ooni Giesi (the progenitor of the Giesi royal house), and thus a descendant of Ọọni Lajodogun. Lajodogun was a son of Ọọni Lajamisan (or Lajemisin), who was a grandson of the legendary founder of the Oyo Empire and Benin Empire, Oranmiyan. Oranmiyan ...
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Oyo Empire
The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba people, Yoruba empire in West Africa. It was located in present-day western Nigeria (including the South West (Nigeria), South West zone, Benin Republic, and the western half of the North Central (Nigeria), North Central zone). The empire grew to become the largest Yoruba language, Yoruba-speaking state through the organizational and administrative efforts of the Yoruba people, trade, as well as the military use of cavalry. The Oyo Empire was one of the most politically important states in Western Africa from the late-16th to the early 18th century and held sway not only over most of the other kingdoms in Yorubaland, but also over nearby African states, notably the Fon people, Fon Kingdom of Dahomey in the modern Republic of Benin on its west. History Legend of origin The legendary origins of the Oyo Empire lie with Ọranyan (also known as Ọranmiyan), the last prince of the Yoruba Kingdom of Ile-Ife (Ife). According to oral traditions, Ọranmiyan ...
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Orisha
Orishas (singular: orisha) are divine spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Haitian Vaudou, Cuban Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. The preferred spelling varies depending on the language in question: òrìṣà is the spelling in the Yoruba language, orixá in Portuguese, and orisha, oricha, orichá or orixá in Spanish-speaking countries. In the Lucumí tradition, which evolved in Cuba, the orishas are synchronized with Catholic saints, forming a syncretic system of worship where African deities are hidden behind Christian iconography. This allowed enslaved Africans to preserve their traditions under colonial religious persecution. According to the teachings of these religions, the orishas are spirits sent by the supreme creator, Olodumare, to assist humanity and to teach them to be successful on ''Ayé'' (Earth). Rooted in the native religion of the Yoruba people, mos ...
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Adesoji Aderemi
Oba (ruler), Oba Sir Titus Martins Adesoji Tadeniawo Aderemi (Atobatele I), alias Adesoji Aderemi (15 November 1889 – 3 July 1980), was a Nigerian Politician, political figure and Yoruba people, Yoruba traditional ruler as the Ooni (Monarch, King) of Ifẹ, Ife (or ''Ilé-Ifẹ̀'', as it is properly known) from 1930 until 1980. He served as the governor of Western Region, Nigeria between 1960 and 1962. Adesoji Aderemi was known as a wealthy man and had a large family of many wives and children. One of his children was the civil servant Tejumade Alakija. During the colonial era, the Oba Ooni gained a considerable amount of power due to the colonial policy of indirect rule and being labelled a first class Oba among traditional rulers in Yorubaland. The policy of indirect rule was used to ensure native awareness and consultations about colonial policies affecting the regions. The British leaned on existing native political structures and hierarchy, particularly the Nigerian trad ...
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Olubuse II
Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade Order of the Federal Republic, CFR (1 January 1930 – 28 July 2015) was the fiftieth Nigerian traditional rulers, traditional ruler or List of rulers of Ife, ''Ooni'' of Ife from 1980 to his death in 2015, taking the regnal name Olubuse II. He was a traditional ruler of Ile-Ife, Yoruba town in Osun State, Nigeria. He was crowned on 6 December 1980 in a ceremony attended by the Emir of Kano, Oba of Benin, Amayanabo of Opobo and Olu of Warri, as well as by representatives of the Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom. Early life Oba Okunade Sijuwade was born in 1930 to the ruling House of Sijuwade which is a fraction of the Ogboru ruling house, Ilare, Ile-Ife. His paternal grandfather was Adelekan Olubuse I, Ooni Adelekan Sijuwade - Olubuse I the 46th List of rulers of Ife, Ooni of Ife who ruled from 1884 - 1910. While his father was Omo-Oba Adereti Sijuade (1895 - 11 May 1949) and his mother was, Yeyeolori Emilia Ifasesin Sijuwade (nee Osukoti ...
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