Moremi Ajasoro
Moremi Ajasoro (
Moremi was married to
Biography
The
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.[9][10] 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, 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, who were then able to subsequently defeat them in battle using the intelligence she provided.[11]
Following the war she returned to her first husband, King
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 Yorubaland region of Nigeria, such as
In 2017, Oba Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Osun State, erected a statue of Moremi in his palace. The statue is the tallest in Nigeria, displacing the previous holder of that record (a statue in Owerri, the Imo State capital). It is also the fourth tallest in Africa.[12]
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' comic series. It was published in 2021 using the popular
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.
See also
References
- ^ "Did you know about the courageous Queen Moremi whose statue is the tallest in Nigeria?". www.pulse.ng. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
- ^ Suzanne Preston Blier. "Art in Ancient Ife, Birthplace of the Yoruba" (PDF). Harvard University. p. 83. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ a b Dele Layiwola (1991). "The Radical Alternative and the Dilemma of the Intellectual Dramatist in Nigeria" (PDF). Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies: 67–68. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
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(help) - ISBN 978-9-788-1250-75.
- ^ "Queen Moremi Folk Opera". Mount Holyoke College. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ISBN 978-9-782-4495-35.
- )
- ^ "Did you know about the courageous Queen Moremi whose statue is the tallest in Nigeria?". www.pulse.ng. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
- ^ "Remembering Moremi Ajasoro". Tribune Online. 2021-09-26. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
- ^ Nwakunor, Gregory (2019-05-05). "Hope, betrayal and woman in 'Moremi The Musical'". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
- ISBN 978-0-791-4588-53.
- ^ Bodunrin, Sola (2018-05-31). "Moremi Ajasoro: The woman who used her beauty to save her people where men failed". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
External links