Moremi Ajasoro ( Yoruba: ''Mọremí Àjàṣorò'') was a legendary Yoruba queen and folk heroine in the

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 Niger ...

region of present-day southwestern Nigeria who assisted in the liberation of the Yoruba kingdom of Ife from the neighbouring Ugbo Kingdom. Moremi was married to Oranmiyan, the son of

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 orig ...

, the first king of Ile-Ife.

Biography

The Ayaba (Queen Consort) Moremi lived in the

12th century The 12th century is the period from 1101 to 1200 in accordance with the Julian calendar. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages and overlaps with what is often called the Golden Age' of the ...

, hailed from the area of

Offa Offa ( 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death in 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of ...

, and was married to Oramiyan, the heir to the king of Ife and son of the founding father of the

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 outsid ...

. Ile-Ife was a kingdom that was said to have been at war with an adjoining group who were known to them as the ''Forest people'', Ugbò in the

Yoruba language Yoruba (, ; Yor. ) is a Niger–Congo languages, Niger-Congo language that is spoken in West Africa, primarily in South West (Nigeria), Southwestern and Middle Belt, Central Nigeria, Benin, and parts of Togo. It is spoken by the Yoruba people. ...

. Scores of Ife citizens were being enslaved by these people, and because of this they were generally regarded with disdain by the denizens of early Ife. Although the people of Ile-Ife were furious about their raids, they did not have the means to defend themselves. This is because the invaders were seen as spirits (Ará Ọ̀rùn) by the people of Ife, appearing as masquerades completely covered in raffia palm fronds. Queen Moremi was a courageous, brave and beautiful woman who, in order to deal with the problem facing her people, pledged a great sacrifice to the Spirit of the Esimirin river so that she could discover the strength of her nation's enemies. Following the incessant raids and with Ife under siege, she took the heroic step of offering herself to be captured by the raiders. She was then taken as a slave by the

Ugbo Ugbo is one of the few aborigines east of the River Niger, Nigeria, and has existed in its current location dating back to the Ancient History (3000 BC – AD 500). The town is known for its natural habitat, including serene hills, caves, large ro ...

, due to her beauty and Esimirin's help, she married their ruler as his anointed queen. After familiarizing herself with the secrets of her new husband's army, she escaped to Ile-Ife and revealed this to the

Yorubas 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 outsid ...

, who were then able to subsequently defeat them in battle using the intelligence she provided. Following the war she returned to her first husband, King Oramiyan of Ife (and later Oyo), who immediately had her re-instated as his queen. Moremi returned to the Esimirin river to fulfill her pledge. The river demanded she sacrifice her only son, Oluorogbo. The demand was inconceivable and Moremi pleaded with the god for a less terrible offering to be accepted. In the end, however, she kept her promise and paid the price. The offering of Oluorogbo to the river god grieved not only Moremi but the whole kingdom of Ifẹ. The people of Ifẹ consoled Queen Moremi by offering to be her eternal children as a replacement for the child she lost - a promise kept by them until today.

Legacy

The Edi Festival was started shortly after Moremi's death to celebrate the sacrifice she made for the Yoruba people. More recently, Queen Moremi: The Musical - a theatrical story of love, faith, honour and the ultimate sacrifice - has also been produced. Various public places are named after her in the contemporary

region of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, such as Moremi High School and the female residence halls at the

University of Lagos The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is a Public university, public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria, which was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the education in Nigeria#First generation universities, first generation universities in ...

and

Obafemi Awolowo University Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a federal university in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife by the regional government of Western Nigeria, which w ...

. In 2017, Oba Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ile-Ife,

Osun State Osun (; ), is a state in southwestern Nigeria; bounded to the east by Ekiti and Ondo states for 84 km and for 78 km respectively, to the north by Kwara State for 73 km, to the south by Ogun State for 84 km and to the wes ...

, erected a statue of Moremi in his palace. The statue is the tallest in

, displacing the previous holder of that record (a statue in

Owerri Owerri ( , ) is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Nigeria, Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Loc ...

, the

Imo State Imo () is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its name from the Imo R ...

capital). It is also the fourth tallest in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. The Custodian and Chief Priest of the Moremi Ajasoro shrine is Oba Isoro Sunday Oluwagbeileke Obisanya Owa Yekere of Ife.

In literature and media

Moremi's story has inspired many literary adaptations and dramas. A unique adaptation is a comic book titled "Moremi: An African Legend" under the 'An African

Legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

' comic series. It was published in 2021 using the popular

bande dessinee Bande may refer to: People * Bande Ali Mia (1906–1979), Bangladeshi poet * Bande Nawaz, Indian centenarian * Hassane Bandé (born 1998), Burkina Faso football player Places * Bande, Belgium * Bande, Niger * Bande, Ourense, Galicia, Spain Othe ...

style to appeal to younger audiences. An episode of '' Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire'' titled "Moremi" is loosely based on the story with it acting as a loose uplifting conclusion to the original tale. Moremi is depicted as a scientist who was forced to use her son Olu, most likely a shortened version of Oluorogbo, to act as a power source to fend off dangerous creatures that inhabited the land. This resulted in the creation of Luo, a mute spirit-like being, existing. Moremi rescues Luo and tries to reunite him with his original body. In doing so, the creatures are defeated and Moremi is finally reunited with her son. Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, a

feminist activist The feminist movement, also known as the women's movement, refers to a series of social movements and political campaigns for radical and liberal reforms on women's issues created by inequality between men and women. Such issues are women's l ...

, wrote a story about Moremi Ajasoro. * History of Early Ife * History of The Ugbo

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ajasoro, Moremi History of the Yoruba people Yoruba queens Nigerian royalty African women in war Nigerian princesses Yoruba princesses History of women in Nigeria Women in 12th-century warfare 12th-century Nigerian women 12th-century Nigerian people People from Ife People from Kwara State Princesses by marriage