THE YORUBA KINGDOM PART 1

To know the truth of history is to realize its ultimate myth and its inevitable ambiguity - Roy P. Basher.

On this note series of my post on this Topic will deal with the African history,the Africa culture so we could know where we once were and realized the good and the bad civilization has brought upon us.

In the precolonial era Africa used to be a very peaceful abode for its inhabitants and her tradition is one beauty to uphold for humanity. Majority of the Africa cities operate what is known as the monarchical mode of rulership where the king is the Primus inter pares and his subjects are loyal to the tradition.
Delving into the history of major African cultures,I will start with the history of the earlier Yoruba

kingdom.

The Yorubas earlier occupy the land to the south and west of the lower Niger. They form one of the leading tribes in Nigeria. Their neighbors are the Hausas and Fulanis to the North,and shared International Border to the west with the Dahomeyans - now referred to as the Republic of Benin,which was a vassal state of the old Oyo Empire between (1724 - 1823), and to the east is Edo state which was initially known as the Benin Kingdom.

ORIGINS
The Yoruba ancestors belonged to the Quresh tribe of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Their first father,according to history was Lamrud or Namrud. He had an idol-priest called "Ya-harba" from where the tribe got its name who also double as his son. The word "Ya-harba" is an Arabic word meaning 'warrior' or 'army-general'.
When Islam was introduced in Mecca in the 7th century, Lamrud, Ya-harba and their supporters refused to embrace the religion. Soon,the newly converted Muslims were forced to take arms against Lamrud and his pagan supporters. The pagans were defeated after which they fled the city,crossing the Red Sea to Africa. They got to Egypt in 648AD. Soon they moved to Tripoli,Algeria and Morocco. During this Journey the Idol-priest, Ya-harba, Consulted his oracle ,and he was told that he and his people should go to wherever the oracle directed them. They followed the Oracle's direction until they eventually arrived at Ile-Ife.

History related that Lamrud and Ya-harba died on the way. It was Oduduwa who led the Yorubas to Ile-Ife. This is why Oduduwa,and not Lamrud or Ya-harba, is referred to today as the father of the Yorubas. But even though Ya-harba could not reach Ile-Ife his people decided to immortalise his name by calling their settlement 'Ya-harba', which was later transformed to 'Yoruba'.

There were some who left Mecca with the Yorubas but who did not get to Ile-Ife. Some stopped at the bank of the Red Sea. These now form part of the ethnic groups of the eastern provinces of the Republic of the Sudan. They are known as the Bejas and the Adandawa in Eritrea and Ethiopia. Others are the Shajia (also in the Sudan). They, like the Yorubas, carry tribal marks. In the Chad Republic, there is also another group called the Wadai, who claimed the same historical background as the Yorubas. There are the Bagarinus and the Kanuris of Bornu who said that their ancestors came from the same place as those of the Yorubas.

THE CULTURES OF THE YORUBAS

The Yorubas are very rich in cultures. These include carving, painting, bronze and brass casting,dancing and a host of others. Excavations made around Ile-Ife have uncovered some of the carvings and other works of the early Yorubas. Some of these are at present preserved at Ife museum,Lagos museum while some have mysteriously got to other parts of the world,particularly to the European countries and America.
The beauty of the Yorubas is embedded in the social aspect of her culture. Festivals like the Egungun festival,King's coronation, Wedding ceremony,and celebration of respective Yoruba gods like Ogun,Sango,Osun and Esu etc.
During the celebration of this festivals,local and traditional attires are often on display for competition, drummers alike and dancers lights up the occasion with varying kind of dance steps.
The Yoruba also lay claim to local drums like the Gangan,Dundun,Bembe,Sekere and many others. Vocal praises like the Ewi,Ijala-always performed by the hunters,are also on show whenever there is celebration around.
Yoruba musics and songs are not only fantastic but also philosophical, proverbial and educative. This explains why people of other lands are often carried away whenever they hear the Yorubas beat their drums or sing their songs.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OTHER YORUBA TOWNS
As stated earlier, when Oduduwa decided to end their journey,the place they established their settlement was Ile-Ife which is widely regarded by the Yorubas as their cradle. Oduduwa and his people were not the aborigines of the land. This was because they found that there were some people already living there before their arrival. These people were headed by an Ifa priest called 'Agbonniregun'. But they were soon absorbed and Agbonniregun became Oduduwa's consultant. For example,he always consulted him on vital issues affecting the life of the city.
Oduduwa had a son called Akanbi or Okanbi who, in turn, had seven sons from his legal wife.These were 
Onipopo of Popo, Onisabe of Sabe, Olowu of Owu,Ajero of Ijero,Orangun of Oke-
Ila, Owa Obokun Ajibogun of Ijesaland and Oranmiyan who happens to be the youngest. The Ooni who succeeded Okanbi as the ruler of Ile-Ife was begat by a favorite female slave of Okanbi whose name is Orunto.

The story of how each towns are formed to make up the entire Yoruba land will be discussed on the next episode. Ema fi Okan Balo