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Yoruba
Olusegun Obasanjo • King Sunny Adé • Peter Akinola
Total population
Upwards of 30 million (CIA Estimate, 2005 ) ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1923x1888, 391 KB) Summary Olusegun Obasanjo (*1937), president of Nigeria, Brasília, 6 September 2005 Photo: José Cruz/ABr. ... This work is copyrighted. ... Peter Jasper Akinola, Anglican Primate of Nigeria Wikipedia received permission from the Anglican Church in Nigeria to publish their photos under the GFDL. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... General (rtd. ... Sunny Patel (Sunday Adeniyi, born 1992) is by far the most popular performer of South Lake Tahoe]]n Jùjú music. ... The Most Revd Peter Akinola The Most Reverend Peter Jasper Akinola (born 1944) is the current Anglican Primate of Nigeria. ...
Regions with significant populations
Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Togo, Brazil (Bahia), The Caribbean, UK
Languages
Yoruba
Religion
Yoruba religion, Christianity, Islam
Related ethnic groups
Nago, Itsekiri, Igala, Nupe

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 (èdèe Yorùbá; èdè = language). The Yoruba constitute approximately 21 percent of Nigeria's total population,^[1] and around 30 million individuals throughout the region of West Africa.^[2] They share borders with the Borgu (variously called Bariba and Borgawa) in the northwest, the Nupe and Ebira in the north, the Ẹsan Afemai and Edo to the southeast, the Igala and other related groups to the northeast, and the Egun, Fon, and other Gbe-speaking peoples in the southwest. While the majority of the Yoruba live in western Nigeria, there are also substantial indigenous Yoruba communities in Benin, Ghana and Togo. The Yoruba are the main ethnic group in the states of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo, which are subdivisions of Nigeria; they also constitute a sizable proportion of Kwara and Kogi states as well as of the Benin. Capital (and largest city) Salvador Demonym Baiano Government  -  Governor Jacques Wagner  -  Vice Governor Edmundo Pereira Santos Area  -  Total 564. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... Yoruba (native name èdè Yorùbá, the Yoruba language) is a dialect continuum of West Africa with over 22 million speakers. ... Yoruba legends redirects here. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... The Itsekiri (also called the Jekri, Isekiri or Ishekiri) are an ethnic group of Nigerias Niger delta area, particularly the city of Warri. ... The Igala or Igara are a people of Nigeria. ... The Nupe are an ethnic group located primarily in the middle belt and northern Nigeria. ... Yoruba (native name èdè Yorùbá, the Yoruba language) is a dialect continuum of West Africa with over 22 million speakers. ...  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... Borgu was a country in Africa, partitioned between the British and French colonialists by the Anglo-French Convention of 1898. ... The Nupe are an ethnic group located primarily in the middle belt and northern Nigeria. ... Ebira is a language spoken in Nigeria. ... Esan is one of the major ethnic groups from Edo State in Nigeria. ... Afenmai or Afemai is an ethnic language of the group of people living in the northern part of Edo State south south geo political zone of Nigeria. ... Edo State is an inland state in central southern Nigeria. ... The Igala or Igara are a people of Nigeria. ... // FON Wireless Ltd. ... The Gbe languages (pronounced )[1] form a cluster of about twenty related languages stretching across the area between eastern Ghana and western Nigeria. ... Ekita State is one of the states of Nigeria. ... Lagos State, Nigeria was created on May 27, 1967. ... Ogun State, Nigeria was created in February 1976 from the former Western region. ... Ondo State, Nigeria was created on February 3, 1976 from the former Western region. ... Osun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. ... Oyo State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria, with its capital at Ibadan. ... Kwara can mean: Qwara in Ethiopia Kwara State in Nigeria This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | States of Nigeria ...

A significant percentage of Africans enslaved during the Atlantic slave trade in the Americas managed to maintain the Yoruba spiritual religion known as Aborisha. The Atlantic slave trade, also known as the transatlantic slave trade, was the trade of African people supplied to the colonies of the New World that occurred in and around the Atlantic Ocean. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas in an equal-area projection The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. ...

History

Main article: History of the Yoruba people

General history

The African peoples who lived in the Nigeria area, at least by the 4th Century BC, were not initially known as the Yoruba, although they shared a common ethnicity and language group. Both archeology and traditional Yoruba oral historians confirm the existence of people in this region for several millennia.

Yoruba spiritual heritage maintain that the Yoruba ethnic groups are a unique people who were originally created at Ile-Ife. Legend holds that the creation was delegated by the supreme spiritual force, Olodumare. This task attributed to orisha-nla Obatala, may have actually been conducted by orisha Oduduwa, who was assisted by orisha Eshu, the divine messenger. The name "Yoruba" is most likely an adaptation of 'Yo ru ebo', meaning "will venerate (make offerings to the) Orisha". This refers to the Aborisha spiritual religion of the Yoruba prior to invasion and indoctrination by Islamic and Christian influences. A bronze cast depicting the head of an Ooni, or king, from 1100s-1200s Ife. ... This article is about a type of spirit. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ...

Some contemporary historians contend that some Yoruba are not indigenous to Yorubaland, but are descendants of immigrants to the region. This version of history contends that Oduduwa was a mortal king, probably from northeast Africa, under whose leadership the Oyo region of Yorubaland was conquered sometime in the 11th century AD and the kingdom of Ife was established. Oduduwa's relatives established kingdoms in the rest of Yorubaland. One of Oduduwa's sons, Oranmiyan, took the throne of Benin and expanded the Oduduwa Dynasty east-wards. Further expansion led to the establishment of the Yoruba in what are now Southwest Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, with Yoruba city-states acknowledging the spiritual heritage primacy of the ancient city of Ile Ife. The southeastern Benin Empire, ruled by a dynasty that traced its ancestry to Ifẹ and Oduduwa but largely populated by the Edo and other related ethnicities, also held considerable sway in the election of nobles and kings in eastern Yorubaland. This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Between 1100 AD and 1700 AD, the Yoruba Kingdom of Ife experienced a golden age. It was then surpassed by the Kingdom of Oyo as the dominant Yoruba military and political power between 1700 AD and 1900 AD, The nearby splinter Yoruba kingdom of Benin was also a powerful force between 1300 and 1850 AD. Yoruba civilization also has strong historical exchanges with Nok civilization, which may date to 900 BC, as with other neighbouring African settlements. The exchanges have been both genetic and cultural. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Oyo (Ọyọ in Yoruba orthography, pronounced ) is the name of a Yoruba city in modern-day Nigeria and also of the loose empire which that city controlled in the 17th and 18th centuries. ...

Most of the city states were controlled by Obas (elected monarchs) and councils made up of Oloye, guild of noble leaders or chiefs, and merchants. Different states saw differing ratios of power between the kingship and the chiefs' council. Some such as Oyo had powerful, autocratic monarchs with almost total control, while in others such as the Ijebu city-states, the senatorial councils were supreme and the Ọba served as a figurehead. Oba, (pronounced Or-ba), King in Yoruba, is the supreme traditional head of a Yoruba town. ... A guild is an association of craftspeople in a particular trade. ... A merchant making up the account by Shiatsus Hokusai Merchants function as professionals who deal with trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves, in order to produce profit. ...

In all cases, Yoruba monarchs were subject to the continuing approval of their constituents, and could be easily compelled to abdicate for demonstrating dictatorial tendencies or incompetence. The order to vacate the throne was usually communicated through a symbolic message or aroko, of parrots' eggs delivered in a covered calabash bowl by the senators. Systematics (but see below) Family Cacatuidae (cockatoos) Subfamily Microglossinae (Palm Cockatoo) Subfamily Calyptorhynchinae (dark cockatoos) Subfamily Cacatuinae (white cockatoos) Family Psittacidae (true parrots) Subfamily Loriinae (lories and lorikeets) Subfamily Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) Tribe Arini (American psittacines) Tribe Cyclopsitticini (fig parrots) Tribe Micropsittini (pygmy parrots) Tribe Nestorini (kakas and...

The Yoruba eventually established a federation of city-states under the political ascendancy of the city state of Oyo located on the Northern fringes of Yorubaland in the savanna plains between the forests of present Southwest Nigeria and the Niger River. Following a Jihad led by Uthman Dan Fodio and a rapid consolidation of the Hausa city states of present northern Nigeria, the Fulani Sokoto Caliphate annexed the buffer Nupe Kingdom and began to press southwards towards the Oyo Empire. Shortly after, they overran the Yoruba city of Ilorin and then sacked Ọyọ-Ile, the capital city of the Ọyọ Empire. The Yorùbá are the largest ethnic group in Nigeria, comprising approximately 26 percent of that countrys total population, and numbering about close to 100 million individuals throughout the region of West Africa. ... This article is about grassland. ... For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ... Shaihu Usman dan Fodio (also referred to as Shaikh Usman Ibn Fodio; alternative spelling, Shehu), 1754-1817 was a writer and Islamic reformer. ... Categories: Africa-related stubs | Burkina Faso | Cameroon | Ethnic groups of Africa | Fulani Empire | Mali | Nigeria ... This article is in need of attention. ... The Nupe are an ethnic group located primarily in the middle belt and northern Nigeria. ... Oyo (OÌ£yoÌ£ in Yoruba orthography, pronounced ) is the name of a Yoruba city in modern-day Nigeria and also of the loose empire which that city controlled in the 17th and 18th centuries. ... Location of Ilorin in Nigeria Ilorin is one of the largest cities in Nigeria and is the capital of Kwara State. ...

Following this, Ọyọ-Ile was abandoned and the Ọyọ retreated south to the present city of Oyo (formerly "Ago d'Oyo", or "Oyo Atiba") in a forested region where the cavalry of the Sokoto Caliphate was less effective. Further attempts by the Sokoto Caliphate to expand southwards were checked by the Yoruba who had rallied to resist under the military leadership of the City State of Ibadan which rose from the old Oyo empire, and of the Ijebu city-states. However, the Oyo hegemony had been dealt a mortal blow. The other Yoruba city-states broke free of Oyo dominance, and subsequently became embroiled in a series of internecine wars, from which prisoners feed the slave trade conducted by Arab and European traders. These wars weakened the Yoruba in their opposition to British colonial and military invasions. Military defeat at Imagbon of Ijebu forces by the British ensured a tentative European settlement in Lagos which was gradually expanded by protectorate treaties. Defeat of Yoruba forces at the Battle of Imagbon, by the British military and the protectorate of Lagos, proved decisive in eventual annexation of the rest of Yorubaland and eventually of southern Nigeria and the Cameroons. In 1960, greater Yorubaland became subsumed into the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This article is in need of attention. ... This article is in need of attention. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... EKO is the IATA code for Elko Regional Airport Eko can also refer to: Lagos - Nigerias largest city and former capital. ...

Different names and slavery-era diaspora

During the 19th century, the term Yoruba or Yariba came into wider use, first confined to the Ọyọ. The term is often believed to be derived from a Hausa ethnonym for the populous people to their south, but this has not been substantiated by historians. The Hausa are a people of northern Nigeria and south-eastern Niger. ...

As an ethnic description, the word first appeared in a treatise written by the Songhai scholar Ahmed Baba (1500s) and is likely to derive from the indigenous ethnonyms Ọyọ (Oyo) or Yagba, two Yoruba-speaking groups along the northern borders of their territory. However, it is likely that the ethnonym was popularized by Hausa usage and ethnography written in Arabic and Ajami. Under the influence of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba clergyman, subsequent missionaries extended the term to include all speakers of related dialects. For the empire, see Songhai Empire. ... Ahmad Baba redirects here. ... 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. ... The Hausa are a people of northern Nigeria and south-eastern Niger. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Ajam in Arabic means non-Arab, or in particular non-Arabic-speaker. ... Samuel Adjai Crowther, Bishop, Niger Territory, Oct. ...

Aside from "Yoruba" and its variant "Yariba", this ethnic group was in different times and places known by a variety of other names, including "Yorubo", "Akú", "Okun", "Nago", "Anago" and "Ana" and "Lucumi".

Before the abolition of the slave trade, some Yoruba groups were known among Europeans as Akú, a name derived from the first words of Yoruba greetings such as Ẹ kú àárọ? ‘good morning’ and Ẹ kú alẹ? ‘good evening.’ A variant of this group is also known as the "Okun", Okun being also a form of "A ku". These are Yorubas found in parts of the states of Kogi - the "Yagba", Ekiti and Kabba. Categories: Africa geography stubs | States of Nigeria ... Ekiti State is an inland south-western state of Nigeria. ... Kabba is a town in Kogi State of southern Nigeria that lies near the Osse River. ...

The terms "Nago", "Anago" and "Ana" were widely used in Spanish and Portuguese documents to describe all speakers of the language. They derive from the name of a coastal Yoruba sub-group in present-day Benin. Yoruba in Francophone West Africa are still sometimes known by this ethnonym today. Nago (名護市; -shi) is a city located in Okinawa, Japan. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Look up ana, Ana, ANA in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In Cuba and Spanish-speaking America, the Yoruba were called "Lucumi" after the phrase "O luku mi", meaning "my friend" in some dialects. This term is at present used mainly to refer to an Afro-Caribbean religion derived from the traditional Yoruba religion, more often known as Santería. Lucumi is another common name for the Yoruba religion. ... Yoruba legends redirects here. ... For other uses, see Santeria (disambiguation). ...

Yoruba origin mythology

The mythology of the origin of the Yoruba, who refer to themselves as "Omo O'odua" (Children of Oduduwa), revolves around the mythical figure of Oduduwa or Odudua . The meaning of the name may be translated as "the Spiritual One ("O/Ohun") who created the Knowledge ("odu") of Character ("iwa")." There are two variants of the myth of how Oduduwa became the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba. Oduduwa (sometimes contracted as Odudua, Oòdua) is generally assumed to be the ancestor of the Yoruba kings. ... Oduduwa (sometimes contracted as Odudua, Oòdua) is generally assumed to be the ancestor of the Yoruba kings. ... In Yorùbá mythology, Odùduwà was the son of Olorun, sent by him from heaven to create the earth. ... Oduduwa (sometimes contracted as Odudua, Oòdua) is generally assumed to be the ancestor of the Yoruba kings. ...

Cosmogonic origin mythology

"Orisa'nla" (The Great Divinity) also known as Ọbatala was the arch-divinity chosen by Olodumare, the supreme deity, to create solid land out of the primordial water that constituted the earth and populating the land with human beings. Ọbatala descended from heaven on a chain, carrying a small snail shell full of earth, palm kernels and a five-toed chicken. He was to empty the content of the snail shell on the water after placing some pieces of iron on it, and then to place the chicken on the earth to spread it over the primordial water. In Yoruba mythology, Obàtálá (alternatively Obatala) was a creator god; he made human bodies, and his father, Olorun (husband of Olokun), breathed life into them. ... In Yoruba mythology, Oloddumare is a creative force that drove the establishment of existence and the entire universe. ... In Yoruba mythology, Obàtálá (alternatively Obatala) was a creator god; he made human bodies, and his father, Olorun (husband of Olokun), breathed life into them. ...

According to the first variant of the cosmogonist myth, Ọbatala completed this task to the satisfaction of Olodumare and he was then given the task of making the physical body of human beings after which Olodumare would give them the breath of life. He also completed this task and this is why he has the title of "Obarisa" (King of all Deities). In Yoruba mythology, Obàtálá (alternatively Obatala) was a creator god; he made human bodies, and his father, Olorun (husband of Olokun), breathed life into them. ... In Yoruba mythology, Oloddumare is a creative force that drove the establishment of existence and the entire universe. ...

The other variant of the cosmogonic myth does not credit Ọbatala with the completion of the task. While it concedes he was given the task, it claims that he got drunk before he got to the earth and was thus unable to do the job. Olodumare got worried when he did not return on time and sent Oduduwa to investigate. When Oduduwa found Ọbatala in a drunken state, he took over the task and completed it. In Yoruba mythology, Obàtálá (alternatively Obatala) was a creator god; he made human bodies, and his father, Olorun (husband of Olokun), breathed life into them. ... In Yoruba mythology, Oloddumare is a creative force that drove the establishment of existence and the entire universe. ... Oduduwa (sometimes contracted as Odudua, Oòdua) is generally assumed to be the ancestor of the Yoruba kings. ... Oduduwa (sometimes contracted as Odudua, Oòdua) is generally assumed to be the ancestor of the Yoruba kings. ... In Yoruba mythology, Obàtálá (alternatively Obatala) was a creator god; he made human bodies, and his father, Olorun (husband of Olokun), breathed life into them. ...

The spot on which he landed and which he redeemed from water to become land is called Ilė-Ifę and is considered the sacred and spiritual home of the Yoruba. Olodumare later forgave Ọbatala and gave him the responsibility of molding the physical bodies of human beings. A bronze cast depicting the head of an Ooni, or king, from 1100s-1200s Ife. ... In Yoruba mythology, Oloddumare is a creative force that drove the establishment of existence and the entire universe. ... In Yoruba mythology, Obàtálá (alternatively Obatala) was a creator god; he made human bodies, and his father, Olorun (husband of Olokun), breathed life into them. ...

According to Idowu, 1962, the making of land is a symbolic reference to the founding of the Yoruba kingdoms and this is why Oduduwa is credited with that achievement.

Recently, historians have attributed this cosmological mythology to a pre-existing civilization at Ilė-Ifę which was invaded by a militant immigrants from the east, led by a king named Oduduwa. Oduduwa and his group had been persecuted on the basis of religious differences and forced out of their homeland. They came to Ilė-Ifę where they subjugated the pre-existing Ugbo inhabitants (often erroneously rendered as Igbo but unrelated to the present Igbo people of Eastern Nigeria), under the leadership of Oreluere (Ọbatala). A bronze cast depicting the head of an Ooni, or king, from 1100s-1200s Ife. ... Oduduwa (sometimes contracted as Odudua, Oòdua) is generally assumed to be the ancestor of the Yoruba kings. ... Oduduwa (sometimes contracted as Odudua, Oòdua) is generally assumed to be the ancestor of the Yoruba kings. ... The Ibo are a group of people living in what is now Nigeria. ... In Yoruba mythology, Obàtálá (alternatively Obatala) was a creator god; he made human bodies, and his father, Olorun (husband of Olokun), breathed life into them. ...

After Oduduwa

Upon the death of Oduduwa, there was a dispersal of his children from Ilė-Ifę to found other kingdoms (Owu, Ketu, Benin, Ila, Sabe, Popo, and Oyo). Each made a mark in the subsequent urbanization and consolidation of Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms, with each kingdom tracing its origin to Ile-Ife. A bronze cast depicting the head of an Ooni, or king, from 1100s-1200s Ife. ...

Precolonial social organization

See also Oyo Empire#Political structures Oyo (Ọyọ in Yoruba orthography, pronounced ) is the name of a Yoruba city in modern-day Nigeria and also of the loose empire which that city controlled in the 17th and 18th centuries. ...

Monarchies were a common form of government in the Yoruba-speaking region, but they were not the only approach to government and social organization. The numerous Ijebu city-states to the west of Oyo and the Ẹgba communities, found in the forests below Ọyọ's savannah region, were a notable exceptions. These independent polities often elected an Ọba, though real political, legislative, and judicial powers resided with the Ogboni, a council of notable elders. Ijebu was a Yoruba kingdom in pre-colonial Nigeria. ... Egbado tribe (or now Yewa, a sub-group of the larger Yoruba people), inhabit the eastern area of Ogun West Senatorial District, Ogun State, in south-west Nigeria, Africa. ... Ogboni (also known as Osugbo in Ijèbú) is a fraternal institution indigenous to the Yoruba-speaking polities of western Nigeria and eastern Republic of Bénin. ...

During the internecine wars of the 19th century, the Ijebu forced citizens of more than 150 Ẹgba and Owu communities to migrate to the fortified city of Abeokuta, where each quarter retained its own Ogboni council of civilian leaders, along with an Olorogun, or council of military leaders, and in some cases its own elected Obas or Baales. These independent councils then elected their most capable members to join a federal civilian and military council that represented the city as a whole. Location of Abeokuta in Nigeria Abeokuta is a city of southwest Nigeria, situated at , on the Ogun river, 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. ...

Commander Frederick Forbes, a representative of the British Crown writing an account of his visit to the city in an 1853 edition of the Church Military Intelligencer, described Abẹokuta as having "four presidents", and the system of government as having "840 principal rulers or 'House of Lords,' 2800 secondary chiefs or 'House of Commons,' 140 principal military ones and 280 secondary ones." He described Abẹokuta and its system of government as "the most extraordinary republic in the world." Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Gerontocratic leadership councils that guarded against the monopolization of power by a monarch were a proverbial trait of the Ẹgba, according to the eminent Ọyọ historian Reverend Samuel Johnson, but such councils were also well-developed among the northern Okun groups, the eastern Ekiti, and other groups falling under the Yoruba ethnic umbrella. For other persons named Samuel Johnson, see Samuel Johnson (disambiguation). ... Ekiti State is an inland south-western state of Nigeria. ...

Even in Ọyọ, the most centralized of the precolonial kingdoms, the Alaafin consulted on all political decisions with a prime minister (the Basọrun) and the council of leading nobles known as the Ọyọ Mesi.

Ibadan, a city-state and proto-empire founded in the 18th century by a polyglot group of refugees, soldiers, and itinerant traders from Ọyọ and the other Yoruba sub-groups, largely dispensed with the concept of monarchism, preferring to elect both military and civil councils from a pool of eminent citizens. The city became a military republic, with distinguished soldiers wielding political powers through their election by popular acclaim and the respect of their peers. Similar practices were adopted by the Ijẹsa and other groups, which saw a corresponding rise in the social influence of military adventurers and successful entrepreneurs. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

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. 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 to overthrow Ọyọ's Ajeles (appointed administrators) in the late 1700s.

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, Ìgbómìnà and Okun Yoruba in order to resist various imperial expansionist plans of Ibadan, Nupe, and the Sokoto Caliphate.

The monarchy of any city state was usually limited to a number of royal lineages. A family could be excluded from kingship and chieftancy if any family member, servant, or slave belonging to the family committed a crime such as theft, fraud, murder or rape. Louis XIV, king of France and Navarre (Painting by Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1701). ...

In other city-states, the monarchy was open to the election of any free-born male citizen. There are also, in Ilesa, Ondo, and other Yoruba communities, several traditions of female Ọbas, though these were comparatively rare.

The kings were almost always polygamous and many had as many as 20 wives and often married royal family members from other towns/city states. The term polygamy (a Greek word meaning the practice of multiple marriage) is used in related ways in social anthropology, sociobiology, and sociology. ...

Yoruba religion and mythology

Yoruba religion and mythology is a major influence in West Africa, chiefly in Nigeria, and it has given origin to several New World religions such as Santería in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Candomblé in Brazil.  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... Frontispiece of Peter Martyr dAnghieras De orbe novo (On the New World). Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, 1722. ... For other uses, see Santeria (disambiguation). ... Ilê Axé Iya Nassô Oká - Terreiro da Casa Branca Candomblé is an African-inspired or Afro-Brazilian religion or cult, practiced chiefly in Brazil. ...

Itan is the term for the sum total of all Yoruba myths, songs, histories, and other cultural components. Itan is how the Yorùbá peoples of Africa call the sum total of all the myths, songs, histories and other cultural concepts which make up their religion and society. ... The mythology of the Yorùbá is sometimes claimed by its supporters to be one of the worlds oldest widely practised religions. ... This article is about the musical composition. ... For other uses, see Culture (disambiguation). ...

After the Ọyọ empire collapsed and the region plunged into civil war, ethnic Yoruba were among the largest in number of African peoples who were enslaved and taken by European traders to Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Trinidad and the rest of the New World (chiefly in the 19th century). The enslaved Africans carried their Orisha religious beliefs with them. These concepts were combined with preexisting African-based religions, Christianity, Native American mythology, and Kardecist Spiritism into various New World lineages: Oyo (OÌ£yoÌ£ in Yoruba orthography, pronounced ) is the name of a Yoruba city in modern-day Nigeria and also of the loose empire which that city controlled in the 17th and 18th centuries. ... For other uses, see Trinidad (disambiguation). ... This article is about a type of spirit. ... Various Religious symbols, including (first row) Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Bahai, (second row) Islamic, tribal, Taoist, Shinto (third row) Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jain, (fourth row) Ayyavazhi, Triple Goddess, Maltese cross, pre-Christian Slavonic Religion is the adherence to codified beliefs and rituals that generally involve a faith in a spiritual... World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second_largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... For other uses, see Native Americans (disambiguation). ... Kardecist Spiritism or Kardecism is a spiritualistic doctrine created in the 19th century by Allan Kardec. ...

• Santería (Cuba) (Puerto Rico)
• Oyotunji (U.S.)
• Idigene (Nigeria)
• Anago (Nigeria)
• Candomblé (Brazil)
• Umbanda (Brazil)
• Batuque (Brazil)
• Kaaro oojire (Nigeria)

The popularly known Vodou religion of Haiti combines the religious beliefs of the many different African ethnic nationalities taken to the island with the structure and liturgy from the Fon-Ewe of present-day Benin and the Congo-Angolan culture area, but Yoruba-derived religious ideology and deities also play an important role. For other uses, see Santeria (disambiguation). ... Oyotunji African Village is a village located near Sheldon, Beaufort County, South Carolina that was founded by the late Oba Efuntola Oseijeman Adelabu Adefunmi I in 1970, as part of a New World Yoruba initiative. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Ilê Axé Iya Nassô Oká - Terreiro da Casa Branca Candomblé is an African-inspired or Afro-Brazilian religion or cult, practiced chiefly in Brazil. ... Umbanda is a religion that blends Catholicism, Kardecist Spiritualism, and Afro-Brazilian religions . ... Ilê Axé Iya Nassô Oká - Terreiro da Casa Branca Candomblé is an African religion practiced chiefly in Brazil but also in adjacent countries. ... This article is about the West African religion. ...

Yoruba deities include "Ọya" (wind/storm), "Ifá" (divination or fate), "Ẹlẹda" (destiny), "Ibeji" (twins), "Ọsanyin" (medicines and healing) and "Ọsun" (goddess of fertility, protector of children and mothers), Sango (God of thunder) In Yoruba mythology, Oya, is the Goddess of the Niger River. ... For the 1934 film, see The Goddess (1934 film). ... ‹ The template below (Citations missing) is being considered for deletion. ... For other uses, see Divination (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Destiny (disambiguation). ... Eshu represented in concrete with his features made with cowrie shells. ... For other uses, see Destiny (disambiguation). ... The orisha Ibeji is the protector of twins in Yoruba mythology. ... Fraternal twin boys in the tub The term twin most notably refers to two individuals (or one of two individuals) who have shared the same uterus (womb) and usually, but not necessarily, born on the same day. ... For the chemical substances known as medicines, see medication. ... For the Todd Rundgren album, see Healing (Todd Rundgren). ... In Yoruba mythology, Oshun (or Oschun) is a spirit-goddess (Orisha) who reigns over love, intimacy, beauty, wealth and diplomacy. ... A Cucuteni culture statuette, 4th millennium BC. A mother goddess is a goddess, often portrayed as the Earth Mother, who serves as a general fertility deity, the bountiful embodiment of the earth. ... A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ... -1... In Yorùbá mythology, Shango (Xango, Shango), or Changó in Latin America, is perhaps the most popular Orisha; he is a Sky Father, god of thunder and lightning. ...

Human beings and other sentient creatures are also assumed to have their own individual deity of destiny, called "Ori", who is venerated through a sculpture symbolically decorated with cowrie shells. Traditionally, dead parents and other ancestors are also believed to possess powers of protection over their descendants. This belief is expressed in worship and sacrifice on the grave or symbol of the ancestor, or as a community in the observance of the Egungun festival where the ancestors are represented as colorfully masquerade of costumed and masked men who represent the ancestral spirits. Dead parents and ancestors are also commonly venerated by pouring libations to the earth and the breaking of kolanuts in their honor at special occasions. Ori is a metaphysical concept important to Yoruba spirituality and mythology and Orisha worship. ...

Today, many contemporary Yoruba are active Christians and Muslims, yet retain many of the moral and cultural concepts of the Aborisha. For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ...

Yoruba calendar

Time is measured in isheju (minutes), wakati (hours), ojo (days), ose (weeks), oshu (months) and odun (years). There are 60 isheju in 1 wakati; 24 wakati in 1 ojo; 4 ojo in 1 ose; 7 ose in 1 oshu and 93 ose in 1 odun. There are 12 oshu in 1 odun.

The days are: Ojo-Orunmila/Ifa, Ojo-Shango/Jakuta, Ojo-Ogun, and Ojo-Obatala. The months are: Sere (January), Erele (February), Erena (March), Igbe (April), Ebibi (May), Okudu (June), Agemo (July). Ogun (August), Owere(Owewe) (September), Owara(Owawa) (October), Belu (November), and Ope (December).

The Yoruba calendar (Kojoda) year starts from 3rd June to 2nd June of the following year. According to this calendar, the Gregorian year 2008 A. D. is the 10050th year of Yoruba culture. To reconcile with the Gregorian calendar, Yoruba people also measure time in seven days a week and four weeks a month. The days are: Ojo-Aiku (Sunday), Oko-Aje (Monday), Ojo-Ishegun (Tuesday), Ojo-Riru (Wednesday), Ojo-Bo/Alamisi (Thursday), Ojo-Eti (Friday) and Ojo-Abameta (Saturday).

Yoruba towns

The chief Yoruba cities are Ibadan, Lagos (Eko),Modakeke-Akoraye, Ijebu Ode (Ijẹbu Ode), Abeokuta (Abẹokuta), Akure (Akurẹ), Ilorin (Ilọrin), Ijebu-Igbo (Ijẹbu-Igbo), Ogbomoso (Ogbomọṣọ), Ondo, Ota (Ọta), Ìlá Ọràngún, Òkè-Ìlá Ọràngún, Ado-Ekiti, Ikare, Shagamu (Sagamu), Ikenne (Ikẹnnẹ), Ilisan, Osogbo (Osogbo), Ilesa (Ilesa), Oyo (Ọyọ), Ife (Ilé-Ifẹ), Saki, and Ago-Iwoye, Kabba, Omu-Aran and Egbe. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Lagos (disambiguation). ... Located in south-western Nigeria, Ijebu Ode with over 100,000 residents is the second largest city in Ogun State after Abeokuta. ... Location of Abeokuta in Nigeria Abeokuta is a city of southwest Nigeria, situated at , on the Ogun river, 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. ... Location of Akure in Nigeria Akure is a city in the southwestern region of Nigeria, and is the largest city and capital of Ondo State. ... Location of Ilorin in Nigeria Ilorin is one of the largest cities in Nigeria and is the capital of Kwara State. ... Ogbomosho City (also spelled Ogbomoso) is located in the present day Oyo state in south west Nigeria, and was founded in the 17th century. ... Ondo City is the largest city in Ondo State, Nigeria. ... Ila may refer to: Ila people, an ethnic group in Zambia Ila, Nigeria, a city Ila, Trondheim, a borough in Norway Ila, the first woman on Tutuila in Samoan mythology Ila, the wife of Commander Adama in the original Battlestar Galactica, played by Sophia Loren Ila may also refer to... Ã’kè-ÃŒlá Ã’ràngún (or Ã’kè-ÃŒlá) is an ancient city in Nigeria that was capital of an ancient Igbomina-Yoruba city-state of the same name in southwestern Nigeria. ... Location of Ado Ekiti in Nigeria Ado Ekiti is a city in southwest Nigeria, in the state of Ekiti. ... Sagamu is a city in southwestern Nigeria located in Ogun State near the Ibu River. ... Location of OsÌ£ogbo(Oshogbo) in Nigeria OsÌ£ogbo or Oshogbo is a city in Nigeria. ... Ilesa is a city located in west of Nigeria; it is also the name of a historic state (also known as Ijesa) centered around that city. ... 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. ... Ifè (or Ilé-Ifẹ̀, as it is properly known) is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria. ... Kabba is a town in Kogi State of southern Nigeria that lies near the Osse River. ...

Traditionally the Yoruba organized themselves into networks of related villages, towns, and kingdoms, with most of them headed by an Ọba [King] or Baale [a nobleman or mayor]. Kingship is not determined by simple primogeniture, as in most monarchic systems of government. An electoral college of lineage heads is usually charged with selecting a member of one of the royal families, and the selection is usually confirmed by an Ifa divination request. The Ọbas live in palaces usually in the center of the town. Opposite to the king's palace is the Ọja Ọba, the king's market. These markets form an inherent part of Yoruba life. Traditionally the market traders are well organized, have various guilds, and an elected speaker.

Yoruba Diaspora

See also: Nigerian American

There are large Yoruba communities around the world including the United States. Of such Diasporic communities include the "Egbe Omo Yoruba" society. ^[3] A Nigerian American is an American citizen of Nigerian ancestry, typically themselves or children of African immigrants. ...

See also

• Yoruba language
• Yoruba mythology
• Yoruba Medicine
• Yoruba twins
• Oyo Empire
• Samuel Johnson (Nigerian historian)
• Dr. Obadiah Johnson
• Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther
• Egba

Yoruba (native name èdè Yorùbá, the Yoruba language) is a dialect continuum of West Africa with over 22 million speakers. ... The mythology of the Yorùbá is sometimes claimed by its supporters to be one of the worlds oldest widely practised religions. ... Oyo (OÌ£yoÌ£ in Yoruba orthography, pronounced ) is the name of a Yoruba city in modern-day Nigeria and also of the loose empire which that city controlled in the 17th and 18th centuries. ... Dr. Obadiah Johnson was the second Nigerian ever to qualify as a medical doctor. ... Samuel Adjai Crowther, Bishop, Niger Territory, Oct. ... Egbado tribe (or now Yewa, a sub-group of the larger Yoruba people), inhabit the eastern area of Ogun West Senatorial District, Ogun State, in south-west Nigeria, Africa. ...

References

is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

External links

• Egbe Isokan Yoruba - promotes the cultural, social, economic and political welfare of Yoruba.
• Ọrọ èdè Yorùbá - promotes the digital presentation of Yorùbá orthography through the creation and modification of Opensource software.
• Yoruba Information - includes brief summary of language, religion, history, and art
• World of the Yoruba - ritual and performance in Yorubaland
• Talking About "Tribe" - looks at Yoruba identity
• [1]“ Art and Ashe in the Yoruba Tradition” by Brian George- Reality Sandwich