Yoruba people
Ga · Kposo |
Person | Ọmọ Yorùbá |
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People | Ọmọ Yorùbá |
Language | Èdè Yorùbá |
Country | Ilẹ̀ Yorùbá |
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Yorùbá people |
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The Yoruba people (US: /ˈjɒrəbə/ YORR-ə-bə,[24] UK: /ˈjɒrʊbə/ YORR-uub-ə;[25] Yoruba: Ìran Yorùbá, Ọmọ Odùduwà, Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire)[26] are a West African ethnic group who mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by the Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute more than 48 million people in Africa,[27] are over a million outside the continent, and bear further representation among members of the African diaspora. The vast majority of the Yoruba population is today within the country of Nigeria, where they make up 20.7% of the country's population according to Ethnologue estimations,[28][29] making them one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. Most Yoruba people speak the Yoruba language, which is the Niger-Congo language with the largest number of native or L1 speakers.[30]
In
Outside Africa, the
Etymology
The oldest known textual reference to the name Yoruba is found in an essay (titled – Mi'rāj al-Ṣu'ūd) from a manuscript written by the Berber[38] jurist Ahmed Baba in the year 1614.[39] The original manuscript is preserved in the Ahmed Baba Institute of the Mamma Haidara Library, while a digital copy is at the World Digital Library.[40] Mi'rāj al-Ṣu'ūd provides one of the earliest known ideas about the ethnic composition of the West African interior. The relevant section of the essay which lists the Yoruba group alongside nine others in the region as translated by John Hunwick and Fatima Harrak for the Institute of African Studies Rabat, reads:
We will add another rule for you, that is that whoever now comes to you from among the group called Mossi, or Gurma, or Bussa, or Borgu, or Dagomba, or Kotokoli, or Yoruba, or Tombo, or Bobo, or K.rmu – all of these are unbelievers remaining in their unbelief until now. Similarly kumbe except for a few people of Hombori[41]
This early 1600's reference implies that the name Yoruba was already in popular demotic use as far back as at least the 1500s. Regarding the source and derivation of this name, guesses were posited by various foreign sociologists of external sources. These include;
Names
As an
In comparison, the phrase of intraethnolinguistic origin used by the Yoruba people is "Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire", literally meaning, "The People who ask 'Good morning, did you wake up well?" This is in reference to the culture of greetings identifiable within the Yoruba culture.[53] Through parts of coastal West Africa, where Yorubas have been found, they have carried their culture of lauding one another with greetings of different forms, applicable in different situations, along with them. Another term used is, "Ọmọ Oòduà", meaning "The Children of Oduduwa", referencing the semi-legendary king who is believed to be the founder and ancestor of the modern Yoruba people.[54] The Yorubas are also called Alaata in some Akan-speaking communities.
History
By the
The historical Yoruba develop in ṣitu, out of earlier Mesolithic
The Yoruba are among the most urbanized people in Africa. For centuries before the arrival of the
Archaeologically, the settlement of Ile-Ife showed features of urbanism in the 12th–14th century era.
Oyo, Ile-Ife and Lagos
Ife continues to be seen as the "spiritual homeland" of the Yoruba. The city was surpassed by the Oyo Empire[67] as the dominant Yoruba military and political power in the 11th century.[68]
The Oyo Empire under its oba, known as the
Most of the city states
In more recent decades, Lagos has risen to be the most prominent city of the Yoruba people and Yoruba cultural and economic influence. Noteworthy among the developments of Lagos were uniquely styled architecture introduced by returning Yoruba communities from Brazil and Cuba known as Amaros/Agudas.[74]
Yoruba settlements are often described as primarily one or more of the main social groupings called "generations":[75]
- The "first generation" includes towns and cities[73] known as original capitals of founding Yoruba kingdoms or states.
- The "second generation" consists of settlements created by conquest.[73]
- The "third generation" consists of villages and municipalities that emerged following the internecine wars of the 19th century.
Language
The Yoruba culture was originally an oral tradition, and the majority of Yoruba people are native speakers of the Yoruba language. The number of speakers is estimated at 30 million in 2010.[80] Yoruba is classified within the Edekiri languages, and together with the isolate Igala, form the Yoruboid group of languages within what we now have as West Africa. Igala and Yoruba have important historical and cultural relationships. The languages of the two ethnic groups bear such a close resemblance that researchers such as Forde (1951) and Westermann and Bryan (1952) regarded Igala as a dialect of Yoruba.
The
Group identity
Yoruba people have a sense of group identity around a number of cultural concepts, beliefs and practices recognizable by all members of the ethnic group. Prominent among these, is the tracing of the entire Yoruba body through dynastic migrations to roots formed in Ile-Ife, an ancient city in the forested heart of central
Beyond the historical accounts surrounding
, which are not only religious societies, but also actual ethnic societies for those who sought to maintain their unique heritages over time, although anyone could join as long as they became immersed in the Yoruba worldview.Linguistically, the Yoruboid languages, and in particular the Edekiri subgroup, form a closed group of mutually intelligible dialects which strongly bound the people who speak them together as members of the same linguistic community. This dialectal area spans from the lands of the Ana-Ife people in central Togo and eastern Ghana eastwards to the lands of the Itsekiri people in the western Niger Delta around the Formosa (Benin) and Escravos river estuaries. This span of land, inhabited by geographically contiguous and culturally related subgroups, were divided into separate national and subnational units under the control of different European powers as a result of the Berlin Conference in 19th century Europe and the resultant administration. The Yoruba also notably developed a common identity under the influence of Oyo, a regional empire that developed in the northwestern savanna section of yorubaland as a result of a kingdom founding migration from Ife. As opposed to Oyo which was a highly militaristic grassland polity, the Ife Empire was forest based and spread its influence rather through religion, politics, philosophical Ideology and commerce between 1200 and the mid 1400s. With the decline of Ife, Oyo expanded as the new Yoruba power and established its own influences over Kingdoms stretching from central Togo in the west to central Yorubaland in the east, and from the Niger river in the north to the Atlantic coast in the south, taking in the whole of Dahomey, southern Borgu, the Mahi states, southern Nupe and the Aja people. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Oyo had numerous campaigns in the region and established a reputation among the neighbouring kingdoms of; Ashanti, Dahomey, Borgu, Nupe, Igala and Benin as well as further afield in the lands of the Songhai, Hausa Kingdoms and others, solidifying its place in the greater region as a powerhouse strategically placed between the forest and the Savanna and representative of a cultural unit it powerfully defended and stood in association with. During the 18th century, in the days of Ajagbo, an Oba of Oyo, the rulers of the Yoruba-speaking kingdoms of Oyo, Egba, Ketu, and Jebu styled each other "brothers" while recognizing the leadership role Oyo plays amongst them.[87]
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Yoruba community was made up of the following principal units; The British colony of Lagos, traditionally called Eko; Ketu, a western Yoruba state bordering the kingdom of Dahomey; Egba, with its capital at Abeokuta; Jebu, a southern Yoruba kingdom in the immediate vicinity of an inland lagoon; A confederation of Ekiti sub-tribes in the hilly country to the northeast; Ibadan, a successor republican state to Oyo; Ijesha; The historic kingdom of Ife which continued to maintain its sacred primacy; Ondo, on the east; The littoral Mahin/Ilaje on the southeastern maritime coast, and several other smaller states such as the Egbado, Akoko groups, Yagba, Awori as well as independent townships, consisting of a town and its outlying dependent villages such as Oke odan, Ado, Igbessa.[88]
Various other cultural factors which bind the Yoruba people include historic dynastic migrations of royals and the micro migrations of people within the Yoruba cultural space which has led to the mixing of people evidenced by the duplication and multiplication of place names and royal titles across Yoruba country. Today, places with names containing; Owu, Ifon, Ife, Ado Etc, can be found scattered across Yorubaland regardless of subgroup. Same can be observed of certain localized royal titles e.g; Ajalorun, Owa, Olu. Olofin, the original title of Oduduwa in Ife is remembered in the lore of most places in Yorubaland. Occupational engagements like farming, hunting, crafting, blacksmithing, trading as well as fishing for the coastal or riparian groups are commonplace. Joint customs in greeting, birth, marriage and death, a strong sense of community, urbanism, festivities and a respect for the elderly are also all universal Yoruba concepts.[89]
Pre-colonial government of Yoruba society
Government
Monarchies were a common form of government in Yorubaland, but they were not the only approach to government and social organization. The numerous Ijebu kingdom city-states to the west of Oyo and the Egba people communities, found in the forests below Ọyọ's savanna region, were notable exceptions. These independent polities often elected a king though real political, legislative, and judicial powers resided with the Ogboni, a council of notable elders. The notion of the divine king was so important to the Yoruba, however, that it has been part of their organization in its various forms from their antiquity to the contemporary era.
During the
Leadership
Traditionally kingship and chieftainship were not determined by simple
City-states
The monarchy of any
Groups, organizations and leagues in Yorubaland
Occupational guilds, social clubs, secret or initiatory societies, and religious units, commonly known as Ẹgbẹ in Yoruba, included the Parakoyi (or league of traders) and Ẹgbẹ Ọdẹ (hunter's guild), and maintained an important role in commerce, social control, and vocational education in Yoruba polities. There are also examples of other peer organizations in the region.[99][100][101][102] When the Ẹgba resisted the imperial domination of the Ọyọ Empire, a figure named Lisabi is credited with either creating or reviving a covert traditional organization named Ẹgbẹ Aro. This group, originally a farmers' union, was converted to a network of secret militias throughout the Ẹgba forests, and each lodge plotted and successfully managed to overthrow Ọyọ's Ajeles (appointed administrators) in the late 18th century. Similarly, covert military resistance leagues like the Ekiti Parapọ and the Ogidi alliance were organized during the 19th century wars by often-decentralized communities of the Ekiti, Ijẹsa,
Society and culture
In the city-states and many of their neighbours, a reserved way of life remains, with the school of thought of their people serving as a major influence in West Africa and elsewhere.
Today, most contemporary Yoruba are
Traditional Yoruba religion
The
Next to the
Name | Deity Of | Ethnic Group | Religion | Member Of | Homeland |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agemo | Chameleon, Servant | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Aganju | Volcanoes, Wilderness, Desert, Fire | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Ajaka | Peaceful, Love, Equality | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Akògún | Warrior, Hunter,Wear Straw | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Ayangalu | Drummer, Gángan | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Ara Ara | Weather, Strom, Thunder | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Ayelala | Punishes Crime | Yoruba People (Part)
|
Yoruba Religion (Part)
|
Orisha | Yorubaland (Part) |
Aroni | Beauty Of Nature, Sipirt Of The Forest, Herb, Plant, Tree | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Alaafia | Peace, Humble, Patience | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Arun | Diseases, Affliction | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Aje | Wealth, Property, Prosperity, Fortune, Success | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Aye | Passion, Environmentalism, Nature | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Aja | Wild, Herb, Plant, Leaf | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Biri | Darkness, Night, Midnight | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Babalu Aye
|
Smallpox, Epidemic Diseases, Healing | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Bayanni (Dada) | Children, Dread Heads, Prosperity | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Dada | Mischief & Stubborn | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Ela | Passion For Charity & Giving | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Edi | Spirit Of Evil, Whisperer Of Undoing And Corruption) | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Egungun | Sainted Dead | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Erinle
|
Hunter, Earth, Natural Force Of Universe | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Eshu | Trickery, Crossroads, Misfortune, Chaos, Death, Travelers, Messenger | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Ibeji | Twins | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Iroko | Tree, Wilderness | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Iya Nla | Primordial Spirit | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Iku | Death | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Imole | Sunlight, Soothsayer | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Logunede | War & Hunting | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Moremi | Saviour | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Oba | River | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Obba | Passion For Homemaking, Domestic Policies | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Obatala
|
Creation | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Oduduwa | Progenitor, Warrior | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Ogun | Warriors, Soldiers, Blacksmiths, Metal Workers, Craftsmen | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Oke | Mountain, Hill | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Oko | Agriculture, Farming, Fertility | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Olokun | Water, Health, Wealth | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Olumo | Mountain | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Ọranyani | Progenitor | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Orò | Justice, Bullroarers | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Oronsen
|
Progenitor | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Wisdom, Knowledge, Ifa Divination, Philosophy, Fate, Destiny, Prophecy, Babalawo | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland | |
Ori | Beforelife, Afterlife, Destiny, Personal Identify | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Osanyin
|
Herb, Plant, Nature, Herbalist, Magician | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Oshosi | Hunt, Forest, Warrior, Justice | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Goddess of Water, Purity, Fertility, Love, and Sensuality | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland | |
Oshunmare | Rainbow, Serpent, Regeneration, Rebirth | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Otin | River, Fighter | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Oya
|
Storms, Wind, Thunder, Lightning, Dead | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Shango | Thunder, Lightning, Fire, Justice, Dance, Virility | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Shigidi | Guardian Of Home & Environment | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Yemoja
|
Goddess Of Creation, Water, Moon, The Motherhood, Protection | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Yewa | Yewa River | Yoruba People
|
Yoruba Religion
|
Orisha | Yorubaland |
Mythology
Oral history of the Oyo-Yoruba recounts
He came from the east, understood in Ife traditions to be the settlement of Oke Ora, a hilltop community situated to the east of Ife.
After the death of Oduduwa, there was a dispersal of his children in a series of kingdom founding migrations from Ife to found other kingdoms. Each child made his or her mark in the subsequent urbanization and consolidation of the Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms, with each kingdom tracing its origin due to them to Ile-Ife.
After the dispersal, the aborigines became difficult, and constituted a serious threat to the survival of Ife. Thought to be survivors of the old occupants of the land before the arrival of Oduduwa, these people now turned themselves into marauders. They would come to town in costumes made of raffia with terrible and fearsome appearances, and burn down houses and loot the markets. Then came
deified. The Edi festival celebrates this feat amongst her Yoruba descendants.[110]
Philosophy
Yoruba culture consists of cultural philosophy, religion and folktales. They are embodied in Ifa divination, and are known as the tripartite Book of Enlightenment in Yorubaland and in its diaspora.
Yoruba cultural thought is a witness of two epochs. The first epoch is a history of cosmogony and cosmology. This is also an epoch-making history in the oral culture during which time Oduduwa was the king, the Bringer of Light, pioneer of Yoruba folk philosophy, and a prominent diviner. He pondered the visible and invisible worlds, reminiscing about cosmogony, cosmology, and the mythological creatures in the visible and invisible worlds. His time favored the artist-philosophers who produced magnificent naturalistic artworks of civilization during the pre-dynastic period in Yorubaland. The second epoch is the epoch of metaphysical discourse, and the birth of modern artist-philosophy. This commenced in the 19th century in terms of the academic prowess of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther (1807–1891). Although religion is often first in Yoruba culture, nonetheless, it is the philosophy – the thought of man – that actually leads spiritual consciousness (ori) to the creation and the practice of religion. Thus, it is believed that thought (philosophy) is an antecedent to religion. Values such as respect, peaceful co-existence, loyalty and freedom of speech are both upheld and highly valued in Yoruba culture. Societies that are considered secret societies often strictly guard and encourage the observance of moral values. Today, the academic and nonacademic communities are becoming more interested in Yoruba culture. More research is being carried out on Yoruba cultural thought as more books are being written on the subject.
Christianity and Islam
The Yoruba are traditionally very religious people, and are today pluralistic in their religious convictions.[111] The Yoruba are one of the more religiously diverse ethnic groups in Africa. Many Yoruba people practice Christianity in denominations such as Anglicanism[112] while others are Muslims practicing mostly under Sunni Islam of the Maliki school of law. In addition to Christianity and Islam, a large number of Yoruba people continue to practice their traditional religion. Yoruba religious practices such as the Eyo and Osun-Osogbo festivals are witnessing a resurgence in popularity in contemporary Yorubaland. They are largely seen by the adherents of the modern faiths as cultural, rather than religious, events. They participate in them as a means to celebrate their people's history, and boost tourism in their local economies.[103]
Christianity
The Yorubas were one of the first groups in West Africa to be introduced to Christianity on a very large scale.
Islam
Islam came into Yorubaland around the 14th century, as a result of trade with
The mosque served the spiritual needs of Muslims living in Ọyọ. Progressively, Islam started to gain a foothold in Yorubaland, and Muslims started building mosques.
Traditional art and architecture
Medieval Yoruba settlements were surrounded with massive mud walls.
The Yorubas worked with a wide array of materials in their art including; bronze, leather, terracotta, ivory, textiles, copper, stone, carved wood, brass, ceramics and glass. A unique feature of Yoruba art is its striking realism that, unlike most African art, chose to create human sculptures in vividly realistic and life sized forms. The art history of the nearby Benin empire shows that there was a cross–fertilization of ideas between the neighboring Yoruba and Edo. The Benin court's brass casters learned their art from an Ife master named Iguegha, who had been sent from Ife around 1400 at the request of Benin's oba Oguola. Indeed, the earliest dated cast-brass memorial heads from Benin replicate the refined naturalism of the earlier Yoruba sculptures from Ife.[131]
A lot of Yoruba artwork, including staffs, court dress, and beadwork for crowns, are associated with palaces and the royal courts.[132][133][134][135] The courts also commissioned numerous architectural objects such as veranda posts, gates, and doors that are embellished with carvings. Yoruba palaces are usually built with thicker walls, are dedicated to the gods and play significant spiritual roles. Yoruba art is also manifested in shrines and masking traditions.[136] The shrines dedicated to the said gods are adorned with carvings and house an array of altar figures and other ritual paraphernalia. Masking traditions vary by region, and diverse mask types are used in various festivals and celebrations. Aspects of Yoruba traditional architecture has also found its way into the New World in the form of shotgun houses.[137][138][139][140][141][142] Today, however, Yoruba traditional architecture has been greatly influenced by modern trends.
Masquerades are an important feature of Yoruba traditional artistry. They are generally known as
After getting married themselves, neither Gelede or Efe's partner could have children. The Ifa oracle suggested they try the same ritual that had worked for their mother. No sooner than Efe and Gelede performed these rituals – dancing with wooden images on their heads and metal anklets on their feet – they started having children. These rituals developed into the Gelede masked dance and were perpetuated by the descendants of Efe and Gelede. This narrative is one of many stories that explains the origin of Gelede. An old theory stated that the beginning of Gelede might be associated with the change from a
The
Festivals
One of the first observations of first time visitors to Yorubaland is the rich, exuberant and ceremonial nature of their culture, which is made even more visible by the urbanized structures of Yoruba settlements. These occasions are avenues to experience the richness of the Yoruba culture. Traditional musicians are always on hand to grace the occasions with heavy rhythms and extremely advanced percussion, which the Yorubas are well known for all over the world.[146] Praise singers and griots are there to add their historical insight to the meaning and significance of the ceremony, and of course the varieties of colorful dresses and attires worn by the people, attest to the aesthetic sense of the average Yoruba.
The Yoruba are a very expressive people who celebrate major events with colorful festivals and celebrations (Ayeye). Some of these festivals (about thirteen principal ones)
Another very popular festival with spiritual connotations is the Eyo Olokun festival or Adamu Orisha play, celebrated by the people of Lagos. The Eyo festival is a dedication to the god of the Sea Olokun, who is an Orisha, and whose name literally mean Owner of the Seas.[147] Generally, there is no customarily defined time for the staging of the Eyo Festival. This leads to a building anticipation as to what date would be decided upon. Once a date for its performance is selected and announced, the festival preparations begin. It encompasses a week-long series of activities, and culminates in a striking procession of thousands of men clothed in white and wearing a variety of coloured hats, called Aga. The procession moves through Lagos Island Isale Eko, which is the historical centre of the Lagos metropolis. On the streets, they move through various crucial locations and landmarks in the city, including the palace of the traditional ruler of Lagos, the Oba, known as the Iga Idunganran. The festival starts from dusk to dawn, and has been held on Saturdays (Ojó Àbáméta) from time immemorial. A full week before the festival (always a Sunday), the 'senior' Eyo group, the Adimu (identified by a black, broad-rimmed hat), goes public with a staff. When this happens, it means the event will take place on the following Saturday. Each of the four other 'important' groups – Laba (red), Oniko (yellow), Ologede (green) and Agere (purple) — take their turns in that order from Monday to Thursday.
The Eyo masquerade essentially admits tall people, which is why it is described as Agogoro Eyo (literally meaning the tall Eyo masquerade). In the manner of a spirit (An Orisha) visiting the earth on a purpose, the Eyo masquerade speaks in a ventriloquial voice, suggestive of its otherworldliness; and when greeted, it replies: Mo yo fun e, mo yo fun ara mi, which in Yoruba means: I rejoice for you, and I rejoice for myself. This response connotes the masquerades as rejoicing with the person greeting it for the witnessing of the day, and its own joy at taking the hallowed responsibility of cleansing. During the festival, Sandals and foot wear, as well as Suku, a hairstyle that is popular among the Yorubas – one that has the hair converge at the middle, then shoot upward, before tipping downward – are prohibited. The festival has also taken a more touristic dimension in recent times, which like the Osun Osogbo festival, attracts visitors from all across Nigeria, as well as Yoruba diaspora populations. In fact, it is widely believed that the play is one of the manifestations of the customary African revelry that serves as the forerunner of the modern carnival in Brazil and other parts of the New World, which may have been started by the Yoruba slaves transplanted in that part of the world due to the Atlantic slave trade.[153][154][155][156]
Music
The music of the Yoruba people is perhaps best known for an extremely advanced drumming tradition,
Yoruba drums typically belong to four major families, which are used depending on the context or genre where they are played. The
Today, the word Gbedu has also come to be used to describe forms of Nigerian Afrobeat and Hip Hop music. The fourth major family of Yoruba drums is the Bàtá family, which are well-decorated double-faced drums, with various tones. They were historically played in sacred rituals. They are believed to have been introduced by Shango, an Orisha, during his earthly incarnation as a warrior king.
Traditional Yoruba drummers are known as Àyán. The Yoruba believe that Àyángalú was the first drummer, one who became the patron Orisha of drumming following his demise. As a result, he is believed to be the spirit or muse that inspires contemporary drummers during renditions. This is why some Yoruba family names contain the prefix 'Ayan-' such as Ayangbade, Ayantunde, Ayanwande.
Within each drum family there are different sizes and roles; the lead drum in each family is called Ìyá or Ìyá Ìlù, which means "Mother drum", while the supporting drums are termed Omele. Yoruba drumming exemplifies West-African cross-rhythms and is considered to be one of the most advanced drumming traditions in the world. Generally, improvisation is restricted to master drummers. Some other instruments found in Yoruba music include, but are not limited to; The
Twins in Yoruba society
The Yoruba present the highest
Twins are very important for the Yoruba and they usually tend to give special names to each twin.[165] The first of the twins to be born is traditionally named Taiyewo or Tayewo, which means 'the first to taste the world', or the 'slave to the second twin', this is often shortened to Taiwo, Taiye or Taye.[166] Kehinde is the name of the last born twin. Kehinde is sometimes also referred to as Kehindegbegbon, which is short for; Omo kehin de gba egbon and means, 'the child that came behind gets the rights of the elder'.[167]
Twins are perceived as having spiritual advantages or as possessing magical powers.[168] This is different from some other cultures, which interpret twins as dangerous or unwanted.[168]
Calendar
Time is measured in "ọgán" or "ìṣẹ́jú-àáyá" (seconds), ìṣẹ́jú (minutes), wákàtí (hours), ọjọ́ (days), ọ̀sẹ̀ (weeks), oṣù (months) and ọdún (years). There are 60 (ọgọta) ìṣẹ́jú in 1 (okan) wákàtí; 24 (merinleogun) wákàtí in 1 (okan) ọjọ́; 7 (meje) ọjọ́ in 1 (okan) ọ̀sẹ̀; 4 (merin) ọ̀sẹ̀ in 1 (okan) oṣù and 52 (mejilelaadota) ọ̀sẹ̀ in 1 (okan)ọdún. There are 12 (mejila) oṣù in 1 ọdún.[169]
Months in Yoruba calendar: | Months in Gregorian calendar:[170] |
---|---|
Ṣẹrẹ | January |
Erélé | February |
Erénà | March |
Igbe | April |
Èbìbí | May |
Okúdù | June |
Agẹmọ | July |
Ògún | August |
Owérè (Owéwè) | September |
Ọwàrà (Owawa) | October |
Belu | November |
Ọ̀pẹ | December |
The Yoruba week consists of four days. Traditionally, the Yoruba count their week starting from the Ojó Ògún, this day is dedicated to Ògún. The second day is Ojó Jákúta, the day is dedicated to Sàngó. The third day is known as the Ojó Òsè - this day is dedicated to Òrìshà ńlá (Obàtálá), while the fourth day is the Ojó Awo, in honour of
Yoruba calendar traditional days |
---|
Days: |
Ojó Ògún (Ògún) |
Ojó Jákúta (Shàngó) |
Ojó Òsè (Òrìshà ńlá / Obàtálá) |
Ojó Awo (Òrúnmìlà / Ifá) |
The Yoruba calendar (Kojoda) year starts from 3 to 2 June of the following year.[171] According to this calendar, the Gregorian year 2021 is the 10,063th year of Yoruba culture, which starts with the creation of Ìfẹ̀ in 8042 B.C.[172] To reconcile with the Gregorian calendar, Yoruba people also often measure time in seven days a week and four weeks a month:
Modified days in Yoruba calendar | Days in Gregorian calendar |
---|---|
Ọjọ́-Àìkú | Sunday |
Ọjọ́-Ajé | Monday |
Ọjọ́-Ìṣẹ́gun | Tuesday |
Ọjọ́-'Rú | Wednesday |
Ọjọ́-Bọ̀ | Thursday |
Ọjọ́-Ẹtì | Friday |
Ọjọ́-Àbámẹ́ta | Saturday[173] |
Cuisine
Solid food, mostly cooked, pounded or prepared with hot water, are basic staple foods of the Yoruba. These foods are all by-products of crops like
Some common Yoruba foods are iyan (pounded yam), amala, eba, semo, fufu,(Generally called."Okele"), moin moin (bean cake) and akara.[145] Soups include egusi, ewedu, Efo, okra, vegetables are also very common as part of the Yoruba diet. Items like rice and beans (locally called ewa) are also featured. Some dishes are prepared for festivities and ceremonies, such as jollof rice and fried rice. Other popular dishes are ekuru, stews, corn, cassava and flours – e.g. maize, yam, plantain and beans, eggs, chicken, beef and assorted forms of meat (ponmo is made from cow skin). Some less well known meals and many miscellaneous staples are arrowroot gruel, sweetmeats, fritters and coconut concoctions; and some breads – yeast bread, rock buns, and palm wine bread to name a few.[174]
-
Ofada rice is a Yoruba dish.[177]
-
Ofada rice is traditionally in a leaf.[177]
-
A collection of foods eaten by Yorubas in general
Dress
The Yoruba take immense pride in their attire, for which they are well known.[citation needed] Clothing materials traditionally come from processed cotton by traditional weavers.[183] They also believe that the type of clothes worn by a man depicts his personality and social status, and that different occasions require different clothing outfits.
Typically, the Yoruba have a very wide range of materials used to make clothing,
- Alaari – a rich red Aṣọ-Oke,
- Sanyan – a brown and usual light brown Aṣọ-Oke, and
- Ẹtu – a dark blue Aṣọ-Oke.
Other clothing materials include but are not limited to:
- Ofi – pure white yarned cloths, used as cover cloth, it can be sewn and worn.
- Aran – a velvet clothing material of silky texture sewn into Danṣiki and Kẹmbẹ, worn by the rich.
- Adirẹ – cloth with various patterns and designs, dye in indigo ink (Ẹlu or Aro).
Clothing in Yoruba culture is gender sensitive, despite a tradition of non-gender conforming families. For menswear, they have Bùbá, Esiki and Sapara, which are regarded as Èwù Àwòtélè or underwear, while they also have Dandogo, Agbádá, Gbariye, Sulia and Oyala, which are also known as Èwù Àwòlékè / Àwòsókè or overwear. Some fashionable men may add an accessory to the Agbádá outfit in the form of a wraparound (Ìbora).[189][190]
They also have various types of Sòkòtò or native trousers that are sewn alongside the above-mentioned dresses. Some of these are Kèmbè (Three-Quarter baggy pants), Gbáanu, Sóóró (Long slim / streamlined pants), Káamu and Sòkòtò Elemu. A man's dressing is considered incomplete without a cap (Fìlà). Some of these caps include, but are not limited to, Gobi (Cylindrical, which when worn may be compressed and shaped forward, sideways, or backward), Tinko, Abetí-ajá (Crest-like shape that derives its name from its hanging flaps that resembles a dog's hanging ears. The flaps can be lowered to cover the ears in cold weather, otherwise, they are upwardly turned in normal weather), Alagbaa, Oribi, Bentigoo, Onide, and Labankada (a bigger version of the Abetí-ajá, and is worn in such a way as to reveal the contrasting color of the cloth used as underlay for the flaps).
Women also have different types of dresses. The most commonly worn are Ìró (wrapper) and Bùbá (blouse-like loose top). Women also have matching Gèlè (headgear) that must be put on whenever the Ìró and Bùbá is on. Just as the cap (Fìlà) is important to men, women's dressing is considered incomplete without Gèlè. It may be of plain cloth or costly as the women can afford. Apart from this, they also have ìborùn (Shawl) and Ìpèlé (which are long pieces of fabric that usually hang on the left shoulder and stretch from the hind of the body to the fore). At times, it is tied round their waists over the original one piece wrapper. Unlike men, women have two types of underwear (Èwù Àwòtélè), called; Tòbi and Sinmí. Tòbi is like the modern day apron with strings and spaces in which women can keep their valuables. They tie the tòbi around the waists before putting on the Ìró (wrapper). Sinmí is like a sleeveless T-shirt that is worn under before wearing any other dress on the upper body.
There are many types of beads (Ìlèkè), hand laces, necklaces (Egba orùn), anklets (Egba esè) and bangles (Egba owó) that are used in Yorubaland. These are used by both males and females, and are put on for bodily adornment. Chiefs, priests, kings or people of royal descent, especially use some of these beads as a signifier of rank. Some of these beads include Iyun, Lagidigba, Àkún etc. An accessory especially popular among royalty and titled Babalawos / Babalorishas is the Ìrùkèrè, which is an artistically processed animal tail, a type of Fly-whisk. The horsetail whiskers are symbols of authority and stateliness. It can be used in a shrine for decoration but most often is used by chief priests and priestesses as a symbol of their authority or Ashe.[192] As most men go about with their hair lowly cut or neatly shaven, the reverse is the case for women. Hair is considered the ' Glory of the woman '. They usually take care of their hair in two major ways; They plait and they weave. There are many types of plaiting styles, and women readily pick any type they want. Some of these include kòlésè, Ìpàkó-elédè, Sùkú, Kojúsóko, Alágogo, Konkoso, Etc. Traditionally, The Yoruba consider tribal marks ways of adding beauty to the face of individuals. This is apart from the fact that they show clearly from which part of Yorubaland an individual comes from, since different areas are associated with different marks. Different types of tribal marks are made with local blades or knives on the cheeks. These are usually done at infancy, when children are not pain conscious. [193][194] Some of these tribal marks include Pélé, Abàjà-Ègbá, Abàjà-Òwu, Abàjà-mérin, Kéké, Gòmbò, Ture, Pélé Ifè, Kéké Òwu, Pélé Ìjèbú etc. Not everyone back in the past had tribal marks and sometimes it was given to first borns of an household or for some reason or the other. So, many did not have one. This practice is near extinct today.[195]
The Yoruba believe that development of a nation is akin to the development of a man or woman. Therefore, the personality of an individual has to be developed in order to fulfil his or her responsibilities. Clothing among the Yoruba people is a crucial factor upon which the personality of an individual is anchored. This belief is anchored in Yoruba proverbs. Different occasions also require different outfits among the Yoruba.
Demographics
Benin
Estimates of the Yoruba in Benin vary from around 1.1 to 1.5 million people. The Yoruba are the main group in the Benin department of Ouémé, all Subprefectures including Porto Novo (Ajasè), Adjara; Collines Province, all subprefectures including Savè, Dassa-Zoume, Bante, Tchetti, Gouka; Plateau Province, all Subprefectures including Kétou, Sakété, Pobè; Borgou Province, Tchaourou Subprefecture including Tchaourou; Donga Province, Bassila Subprefecture.[196]
- Places
The chief Yoruba cities or towns in Benin are:
Ghana
There exists an old and thriving Yoruba community in Ghana tracing back to more than three centuries of establishment.[198] The presence of Yoruba people in Ghana traces back to before the concept of the modern Ghanaian nation and are therefore Ghanaian citizens by law. The Yoruba communities became established through various waves and layers for centuries before the colonial era. The earliest wave were long distance merchants, artisans, labourers and explorers who settled in both southern and northern Ghanaian locales such as Salaga, Sekondi-Takoradi, Kumasi, Accra (Jamestown, Ngleshie Alata, Tudu), Yendi, Tamale, Kintampo, Nandom. In Ngleshie Alata (A corruption of English ' Alata ', the Fante and Ga word for Yoruba people based on the region where the majority came from) and the area around the James Fort, the Yoruba presence dates back to 1673 when they were employed to build the fort and settled in large numbers on the eastern coastal region. It is on record that the first 'Alata Akutso Mantse ' or Alata division head, a Yoruba speaker named Ojo employed by the Royal African Company ascended an Accra royal stool becoming head of the Alata quarter of James Town in 1748.[199] - A position his descendants continue to hold to this very day.
In the popular 18th century Gonja Salaga Slave Market, the Yoruba residents of the town would not allow their fellow countrymen captured and brought to the markets to be sold to the Ashantis who would march them to the coast. Rather, they would barter for the release of the Yoruba captives who would in turn work for their benefactors as tradesmen until they earned their release.[200] This earliest wave was followed by an intermediate wave of slave returnees who were predominantly of Yoruba descent like the Taboms/Agudas who settled along the Ghanaian coast.[201][202] Then came the third wave who came during the Gold Coast colonial period. By this period, they had firmly entrenched themselves in the country's commerce and distribution systems and constituted a substantial percentage of merchants and traders in the country's large markets as proprietors of wholesale enterprises. They were the largest group of immigrants established in the pre-independence Gold Coast. In 1950 they constituted 15% of traders in Accra, 23% in Kumasi, and over a third in Tamale.[203] They were usually referred to in southern Ghana as; Yoruba, Lagosian, Alata, or Anago.[204] It was the early stream of this wave in the 1830s that established places like Accra New Town which was previously known as Lagos town and before then as Araromi.
There is no codification for the Yoruba ethnicity in the most recent Ghanaian censuses but in previous ones, they were considered an indigenous Ghanaian group with origins outside modern Ghana. In the 1960 Ghanaian population census, there were 109,090 Yorubas. Of this figure; 100,560 were Yoruba 'proper ' while 8,530 were Atakpame (Ana).[205] This represented 1.6% of the Ghanaian population.
Nigeria
The Yorubas are the main ethnic groups in the Nigerian states of
- Places
The chief Yoruba cities or towns in Nigeria are:
.Togo
Estimates of the Yoruba in
.West Africa (other)
The Yoruba in Burkina Faso are numbered around 77,000 people, and around 80,000 in Niger. In the Ivory Coast, they are concentrated in the cities of Abidjan (Treichville, Adjamé), Bouake, Korhogo, Grand Bassam and Gagnoa where they are mostly employed in retail at major markets.[216][217] Otherwise known as "Anago traders", they dominate certain sectors of the retail economy and number at least 135,000 people.[218]
The Yoruba diaspora
Yoruba people or descendants can be found all over the world especially in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Brazil, Latin America, and the Caribbean (especially in Cuba).[219][220][221][222] Significant Yoruba communities can be found in South America and Australia.
In the United States, similar to its status on the African continent, the Yoruba language is the most spoken African Niger-Congo language by native speakers. It is the most spoken African language in; Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia. It constitutes the second largest African linguistic community in; Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. with over 207,000 speakers in 2022.[6]
The migration of Yoruba people all over the world has led to a spread of the Yoruba culture across the globe. Yoruba people have historically been spread around the globe by the combined forces of the
The Yoruba left an important presence in Cuba and Brazil,
Between 1831 and 1852, the African-born slave and free population of Salvador, Bahia surpassed that of free Brazil born Creoles. Meanwhile, between 1808 and 1842 an average of 31.3% of African-born freed persons had been Nagos (Yoruba). Between 1851 and 1884, the number had risen to a dramatic 73.9%.
Other areas that received a significant number of Yoruba people and are sites of Yoruba influence are:
On 31 July 2020, the Yoruba World Congress joined the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).[246][247]
Genetics
Genetic studies have shown the Yoruba to cluster most closely with West African peoples, followed by Central and Eastern African groups speaking
Yoruba people belong largely to the E1b1a1 subclade of the E-M2 haplogroup along with the Ewe, Ga, and Bamileke peoples of West Africa and Cameroon. Genetic studies have also found evidence of West-Eurasian admixture in Yoruba populations, with up to 8.6% West-Eurasian ancestry being found among modern Yoruba samples.[249] This admixture may have been introduced 7,500–10,500 years ago from North Africa during the Green Saharan period.[250] Another full genome study on African populations found that the Yoruba (Yoruba/Esen cluster of West Africa) received varying degrees of West-Eurasian admixture, although generally at low frequency, indirectly through contact with Northern African pastoralists.[251]
Foreign representation
The Yoruba people have participated in more recent cultural exchange programs with members of the African diaspora in order to preserve shared cultural and identity relationships between the two parties. One of these programs is a cultural site, the Oyotunji African Village in Sheldon County, South Carolina, founded by Oba Efuntola Oseijeman Adelabu and established in 1970.[252][253]
More recent diplomatic efforts centered around Yoruba cross-cultural celebration include the voyage of the Ooni (King) of Ife to the city of Bahia in Salvador, Brazil, home of a large number of Yoruba descendants, to celebrate the city as the cultural capital of the Yoruba people in the Western Hemisphere.[254][255]
Notable people of Yoruba origin
Yoruba organizations
Issues
Along with people of other regions that are largely representative of ethnic enclaves within the country, Yorubas have faced growing concerns over increased insecurity and instability within the country. On 9 January 2020, the governors of 6 of the country's western states became associated with the formation of state security networks which would operate in each state. This security network is called
Prominent chiefs
See also
- Itsekiri people
- Igala people
- Nupe
- Ebira
Notes
- ^ Population figures not inclusive of pre-20th century diasporic communities who trace full or partial Yoruba heritage
- ^ This figure only accounts for people who indicate speaking Yoruba as the primary language of the home and not the total number of people with Yoruba ancestry.
- ^ Population figures only based on those who indicate Yoruba as their primary language. It is not a figure for the entire Yoruba population in Canada.
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Bibliography
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- Olumola, Isola; et al. Prominent Traditional Rulers of Yorubaland, Ibadan 2003.
External links
- Media related to Yoruba people at Wikimedia Commons
Books and Research
- Oshielle, Or, Village Life in the Yoruba Country book
- Seventeen Years in the Yoruba Country book
- The Yoruba-speaking Peoples book
- Yoruba Research
- The Yoruba City
Discussion
- Yoruba priest Baba John Mason talks about the Yoruba diaspora and culture and the Orisha religion (2017)
- Yoruba Blog
Representation