Oduduwa (sometimes contracted as Odudua, Oòdua) is generally assumed to be the ancestor of the Yoruba kings. Oral traditions of the Oyo recount the coming of Oduduwa from the east, sometimes understood by Muslim sources as the "vicinity" or direction of Mecca, but more likely signifying the region of Ekiti- and Okunland in northeastern Yorubaland/central Nigeria. A strong theory among the yorubas is that he came from Egpyt and may have been fleeing from relegious persecution or invasion This region is near the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers, and is where the Yoruba language is presumed to have separated from related ethno-linguistic groups like Igala, Igbo, and Edo. The Yoruba (Yorùbá in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the Yoruba language (ede Yorùbá). The Yoruba constitute approximately 30 percent of Nigerias total population[], and around 22 million individuals throughout the region of West... Oyo (OÌ£yoÌ£ in Yoruba orthography, pronounced ) is the name for a Yoruba city in modern-day Nigeria and also the loose empire which that city controlled in the 17th and 18th centuries. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... Yoruba (native name ede Yorùbá, the Yoruba language) is a dialect continuum of West Africa with over 22 million speakers. ... The Igala or Igara are a people of Nigeria. ... The Ibo are a group of people living in what is now Nigeria. ... EDO may refer to: EDO Corporation, an American technology company Equal Division of the Octave, a system of musical tuning Extended Data Out DRAM, a type of Dynamic random access memory Edo may refer to: Edo State, a province in Nigeria Edo language, a language spoken in Nigeria The historical...

The Ife oral traditions, on the other hand, tell that Odùduwà was the son of the supreme God Olodumare or Olorun, and was sent by him from heaven to create the earth. Descending from the heavens via a chain let down to Ile Ife, Odùduwà brought with him a chicken, some soil in a snail shell, and a calabash. After throwing the soil upon the waters, he set the cock on the soil who in turn scratched and scattered it around to create the rest of dry land that became the Earth's surface. Odùduwà subsequently became the first Ooni of Ife, and then sent his sons out with crowns to rule over all of the other Yorùbá kingdoms, which is why all royal Yorùbá lineages claim direct descent from Odùduwà and refer to the Ooni of Ife as first among equals (popularly rendered in the Latin phrase primus inter pares in Nigeria). Ifè (or Ilé-Ifẹ̀, as it is properly known) is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria. ... In Yoruba mythology, Oloddumare is a creative force that drove the establishment of existence and the entire universe. ... In Yorùbá mythology, Olorun is the Sky Father (though occasionally androgynous or female), and a god of peace, purity and harmony. ... Ifè (or Ilé-Ifẹ̀, as it is properly known) is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria. ...

Ile Ife continues to be considered the spiritual capital of the Yoruba.

References

• Ojuade, J. 'Sina (1992) 'The issue of 'Oduduwa' in Yoruba genesis: the myths and realities', Transafrican Journal of History, 21, 139-158.
• Obayemi, A. 1976. The Yoruba and Edo-speaking Peoples and their Neighbors before 1600 AD, in JFA Ajayi & M. Crowder (ed.), History of West Africa 1: 255-322