The ethnic group now commonly referred to as the ‘Yoruba’ have
been identified by different names spanning millenniums and
centuries. Pacheco Pereira identified them in 1500 as the Lucumi
while early missionary accounts of the 19th Century referred to
them as the Aku. Yoruba, which originally referred to the Oyo,
began to be used for the generality of the group by the Europeans
and it has caught on. The earliest known account of their
existence in the region according to archaeological evidence dates
to around 9000 BCE as revealed by human remains at Iwo Eleru.
However, their inability to develop arts of writing early in
their history gave rise to fables and conflicting accounts of their
origin.
R.C.C. Law traced the first written account of Yoruba origin
to the second Sultan of the Sokoto Caliphate, Sultan Mohammed Bello. In his writing, Infaq al Maisuri, Bello in his version
in 1812 stated that the Yoruba derived from Nimrod, a descendant
of the cursed Ham who fled Mecca while resisting Islam. This
account was later appropriated by new Oyo palace historians who
expanded it to identify Nimrod as Lamurudu whom they now referred
to as the father of Oduduwa, the acclaimed progenitor of the
Yoruba. Samuel Johnson on his part adapted this account but
replaced the Meccan origin with Egyptian Coptic Christians.
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| Southwest Nigeria, predominantly populated by Yorubas. |
Another
myth of the Yoruba origin alleged that Oduduwa descended from
heaven sent by God to create the earth. That Oduduwa’s first
point of arrival on earth was Ile-Ife, hence the notion that
Ile-Ife is the centre of the earth. What is however certain is
the fact that the Yorubas are indigenous to Southwest Nigeria. The
Itsekiri are their kins. They constitute a sizeable population of
Middle Belt states of Kwara and Kogi.
There are indigenous Yoruba
in Edo state. Until the colonial conquest of Africa, the Yoruba
region extended from Benin Republic to parts of Togo. A sizeable
number also settled in Sudan en route to or from Mecca
In
Nigeria, the Yoruba constitute a homogenous socio-linguistic and
cultural group. Their language belongs to the Niger-Congo language
family and shares basic characteristics with the Igbo, Edo, Fulani,
Bariba, Efik, Jukun, among other groups. Ile-Ife developed a
centralized state system, complex artistic and craftsmanship
abilities, socio-cultural and religious practices, as well as
economic versatility. It became a cultural and political model for
other Yoruba communities which began to replicate the Ife model in
their domains. Ile-Ife became the spiritual
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| Ooni of Ife and Alaafin of Oyo |
motherland of the Yoruba.
However, Oyo soon developed a more complex political and military
system.
The Yoruba political system is
very complex. The Oba (king) is an absolute ruler with divine
authority, yet his powers are checked by various institutions
such as the council of chiefs (the Oyomesi – hereditary advisers
in Oyo in particular and Ilu in other Yorubalands), the Ogboni
society, Ifa divination, and sometimes by mass rebellion or
rejection of his authority or person. Any member of the council
of chiefs could in turn be deposed by the king. Kingship rotates
among several royal houses, hence, the son of a reigning king
cannot succeed his father. A paramount ruler (the king) seldom
appeared in public and was not commonly accessible to his
subjects. His subordinate chiefs administered the quarters,
villages, the towns and other domains on his behalf. Yet, each of
the chiefs has specific traditional duties limited to each of them
alone. Yoruba settlement had the Oba’s palace in the centre.
Village heads (Baale) are subject to the king through his
chiefs, while lineage heads (baale and mogaji in Ibadan)
administer the quarters and the wards but are subjected to the
immediate higher head. Youths and quarter children have their
roles and rights. The rights of women are assured as their leader
is an official member of the council of chiefs.
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| royal crown for the oba in yoruba land |
Marriage
among the Yoruba was exogenous, hence, it was not a mere event
between two individuals but an event involving two previously
unrelated families. After betrothal, a man must not only give
presents to his future wife, but also should help her father
on his farm or when building a house. The would-be in-law also
plays important role in funeral rites. The Yoruba operate
patrilineal societies. Polygamy is a common feature among the
Yoruba. Apart from farming, the Yoruba were also traders and
craftsmen. Cooperative efforts used in farming include ‘aaro’ and
‘owe’. The ‘aaro’ form of labour mobilisation was reciprocal in
that farmer who was assisted to weed his farm or build his house
today would be called upon tomorrow to render similar service.
While the ‘owe’ was not reciprocal. Drumming and feasting would
normally follow after the execution of an ‘owe’ or an ‘aaro’ task
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| yoruba masqurades |
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