103-463: Oriade is a Local Government area in the northeastern part of Osun State . It is predominantly occupied by the Ijesa people. Its capital is Ijebu-Jesa (or Ijebu Ijesha) in the north of the area at 7°41′00″N 4°49′00″E / 7.68333°N 4.81667°E / 7.68333; 4.81667 . It has an area of 465 km and a population of 148,617 at the 2006 census. The postal code of
206-1274: A certain amount of traditional religion is still practiced. 2.2% Catholic in the Diocese of Osogbo (1995) with 74,440 followers in 56 parishes under Bishop John Akinkunmi Oyejola (2016), a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ibadan . The Anglican Province of Ibadan within the Church of Nigeria includes the Dioceses of Oke-Osun (1993) led by Bishop Oluwagbemiro Fabuluje (2021), Osun (1987) led by Bishop Foluso Olugbenga Babatunji (2019), Osun North led by Bishop Abiodun Olaoye , Osun North East (2009) led by Bishop Ebenezer Akorede Okuyelu (2019), Ife led by Bishop Olubunmi Akinlade , Ife East (2008) led by Bishop Oluseyi Oyelade (2010), Ijesa North East (2009) led by Bishop Joseph Olusola (2009), Ijesha North Missionary Diocese led by Bishop Isaac Oluyamo (2015), Ilesa led by Bishop Samuel Olubayu Sowale (2000), and Ilesa South West led by Bishop Samuel Egbebunmi (2009). A list of tertiary institutions in Osun state includes: The state
309-510: 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
412-475: 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
515-672: 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, Ìgbómìnà and Okun Yoruba to resist various imperial expansionist plans of Ibadan, Nupe, and
618-702: A federal civilian and military council that represented the city as a whole. Commander Frederick Forbes , a representative of the British Crown writing an account of his visit to the city in the Church Military Intelligencer (1853), 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
721-431: A few people of Hombori " 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; Ya'rub (son of Canaanite, Joktan ) by Caliph Muhammed Bello of Sokoto , Goru Ba by T.J Bowen , or Yolla Ba ( Mande word for
824-599: A means to celebrate their people's history, and boost tourism in their local economies. The Yorubas were one of the first groups in West Africa to be introduced to Christianity on a very large scale. Christianity (along with western civilization) came into Yorubaland in the mid-19th century through the Europeans , whose original mission was commerce. The first European visitors were the Portuguese, they visited
927-475: A member of one of the royal families from any given realm, and the selection is then confirmed by an Ifá oracular request. The Ọbas live in palaces that are usually in the center of the town. Opposite the king's palace is the Ọja Ọba , or the king's market. These markets form an inherent part of Yoruba life. Traditionally their traders are well organized, have various guilds, officers, and an elected speaker. They also often have at least one Iyaloja , or Lady of
1030-671: A part of the post-independence Western Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became part of the Western State . In 1976, the Western State was split and the state's west became Oyo State . Fifteen years later, Oyo State's east was broken off to form Osun State. Economically, Osun State is largely based around agriculture, mainly of cocoa , cassava , millet , maize , potato and yam crops. Other key industries are services, especially in urban areas, along with artisanal mining and livestock herding. Osun
1133-475: A second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government Areas. Yoruba people The Yoruba people ( / ˈ j ɒr ʊ b ə / YORR -uub-ə ; Yoruba : Ìran Yorùbá , Ọmọ Odùduwà , Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire ) are a West African ethnic group who mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria , Benin , and Togo . The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by
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#17327799644041236-462: 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 Yorubaland and its acceptance as the spiritual nucleus of Yoruba existence. Following this linkage to
1339-410: A wet and dry season. It has a yearly average temperature of 64 °F and receives approximately 596 inches of rainfall. It is dry for 59 days throughout the year, with an average moisture in the air of 77% and a UV index of 7. Located at an elevation of 266.33 meters (873.79 feet) above sea level, Osun has a Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate (Classification: Aw). The city's yearly temperature
1442-516: Is one of the richer and more developed ones in Nigeria and has a low incidence of extreme poverty (around 4% of the population against a national average of 31%) according to World Bank data from 2018. Federal Highway: Other major roads include: During Governor Aregbesola ’s term 2010-18 his administration completed 368 km of state roads and built five bridges where none existed before, and 216 km of local council roads. Railways: Osogbo
1545-474: Is 28.35 °C (83.03 °F) and it is -1.11% lower than Nigeria's averages. Osun typically receives about 127.75 millimeters (5.03 inches) of precipitation and has 237.62 rainy days (65.1% of the time) annually. It is located at 4.5199593 longitude and 7.5628964 latitude . The State of Osun is home to a lot of tourist attractions based on its rich history and the cultural base of the Yoruba. This place
1648-460: Is additionally noted for having the second highest literacy rate in the country. The modern State of Osun was created on 27 August 1991 from part of the old Oyo State . The state's name is derived from the River Osun , the venerated natural spring that is the manifestation of the Yoruba goddess of the same name. The former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola launched and laid the foundation for
1751-628: Is commonly described as a "golden age" of Ife. The oba or ruler of Ile-Ife is referred to as the Ooni of Ife. Ife continues to be seen as the " spiritual homeland " of the Yoruba. The city was surpassed by the Oyo Empire as the dominant Yoruba military and political power in the 11th century. The Oyo Empire under its Oba, known as the Alaafin of Oyo , was active in the African slave trade during
1854-683: Is considered as an heritage site. It is located along the Osun river and it is home to the goddess of fertility, Yemoja. Erin-Ijesha Waterfalls is located in Erin-Ijesha. It is a tourist attraction located in Oriade local. The fall features seven floors. The following are the mineral resources in Osun State Osun State was created from the old Oyo State in August 1991, has a large population of both Muslims and Christians. Among
1957-499: Is derived from local long grass called "Eni" in the local dialect. Olashore International School is located in the area. This Osun State , Nigeria location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Osun State Osun State ( / ˈ oʊ ʃ uː n / ; Yoruba : Ìpínlẹ̀ Ọ̀ṣun ), occasionally known as the State of Osun by the state government, is a state in southwestern Nigeria ; bounded to
2060-490: Is formed of diverse traditions and has no single founder. Yoruba religious beliefs are part of itan , the total complex of songs, histories, stories, mythologies, and other cultural concepts that make up the Yoruba society. Next to the Veneration of ancestors , one of the most common Yoruba traditional religious concepts has been the concept of Orisa . Orisa (also spelled Orisha) are various gods and spirits, which serve
2163-756: Is found in an essay (titled – Mi'rāj al-Ṣu'ūd ) from a manuscript written by the Berber jurist Ahmed Baba in the year 1614. 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 . 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
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#17327799644042266-687: Is home to several of Nigeria's most famous landmarks, including the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University , one of Nigeria's pre-eminent institutions of higher learning. The university is located in the ancient town of Ile-Ifẹ , an important early center of political and religious development for Yoruba culture. Other important cities and towns include the ancient kingdom-capitals of Ila Orangun , Iragbiji , Ada , Ikirun , Oke-Ila Orangun, Ipetu-Ijesha , Ijebu-Jesa , Erin Oke, Ipetumodu , Ede , Iwo , Ejigbo , Ibokun , Ode-Omu , Otan Ayegbaju , Ifetedo, Esa-Oke , Ilesa , Okuku , Otan-Ile and Igbajo . Osun State
2369-491: Is led by a democratically elected governor who works closely with members of the state's house of assembly. The capital city of the state is Osogbo The electoral system of each state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two -third of the State local government Areas. If no candidate passes threshold,
2472-475: 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
2575-510: Is on the 1067 mm Cape Gauge the Western Line north from Lagos to Kano. Osun State is divided into three federal senatorial districts, each of which is composed of two administrative zones. The state consists of thirty Local Government Areas and Area offices, the primary (third-tier) unit of government in Nigeria. Osun State's 30 Local Government Area headquarters: List of current Local Government Area Chairmen. The state government
2678-796: Is the conduit between Òrunn (Heaven) and Ayé (Earth). Oshumare is a god that manifests in the form of a rainbow, also known as Òsùmàrè in Yoruba, while Obatala is the god of clarity and creativity.These gods feature in the Yoruba religion, as well as in some aspects of Umbanda , Winti , Obeah , Vodun and a host of others. These varieties, or spiritual lineages as they are called, are practiced throughout areas of Nigeria, among others. As interest in African indigenous religions grows, Orisa communities and lineages can be found in parts of Europe and Asia as well. While estimates may vary, some scholars believe that there could be more than 100 million adherents of this spiritual tradition worldwide. Oral history of
2781-469: The Ijẹsa and other groups, which saw a corresponding rise in the social influence of military adventurers and successful entrepreneurs. The Ìgbómìnà were renowned for their agricultural and hunting prowess, as well as their woodcarving, leather art, and the famous Elewe masquerade. Occupational guilds, social clubs, secret or initiatory societies, and religious units, commonly known as Ẹgbẹ in Yoruba, included
2884-753: 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 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 . 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 elected their most capable members to join
2987-690: The 16th to 19th centuries , notably to the Caribbean (especially in Cuba) and Brazil, and the second consisting of a wave of relatively recent migrants, the majority of whom began to migrate to the United Kingdom and the United States following some of the major economic and political changes encountered in Africa in the 1960s till date. The oldest known textual reference to the name Yoruba
3090-457: The Alaafin consulted on all political decisions with the prime minister and principal kingmaker (the Basọrun ) and the rest of the council of leading nobles known as the Ọyọ Mesi . Traditionally kingship and chieftainship were not determined by simple primogeniture , as in most monarchic systems of government. An electoral college of lineage heads was and still is usually charged with selecting
3193-515: The British colonial administration most Yoruba already lived in well-structured urban centers organized around powerful city-states ( Ìlú ) centered around the residence of the Oba (king) . In ancient times, most of these cities were fortresses, with high walls and gates. Yoruba cities have always been among the most populous in Africa. Archaeological findings indicate that Òyó-Ilé or Katunga, capital of
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3296-704: The New World as divinities brought across the Atlantic by people of Yoruba descent. There in their new ex-situ environment, they serve as a mechanism of maintaining group identity, as well as a powerful connection to the Yoruba homeland among people of Yoruba descent and others. Examples of such new world practices are: Santeria , Candomble , Umbanda , Kélé and Trinidad Orisha , 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
3399-661: The Niger river ) etc. These guesses suffer a lack of support by many locals for being alien to (and unfounded in) the traditions of the Yorubas themselves. In his work, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains c.1863, the English ethnologist Richard F. Burton reports of a Yoruba account in 1861, noting that the name "Yoruba" derives from Ori Obba , i.e. -The Head King . It was applied ex-situ originally in reference to
3502-674: The Orisa (the traditional deities of the Yoruba people ), travel from all over the world to attend the annual Osun-Osogbo festival in August. Visitors include nationals of Brazil , Cuba , Trinidad , Grenada , and other nations in the Americas with a significant Yoruba cultural heritage. Annual traditional festivities and invocations of the Osun goddess are held along the banks of the river bearing her name into which – according to Yoruba Oratory traditions – she transformed. Ọsun-Ọsogbo Grove,
3605-523: The Oyo Empire derives the Yoruba as an ethnic group from the population of the City State of Ile-Ife. Ile-Ife, as the capital of the former empire, held a prominent position in Yoruba history. The Yoruba were the dominant cultural force in southern and northwestern Nigeria as far back as the 11th century. The Yoruba are among the most urbanized people in Africa. For centuries before the arrival of
3708-552: The Oyo Empire . From 1877 to 1893, Western Yoruba states fought the Kiriji War alongside other Eastern Yoruba groups against Eastern Yoruba groups; the war ended in a British-brokered stalemate before the area was colonized and incorporated into the British Southern Nigeria Protectorate which later merged into British Nigeria in 1914. After independence in 1960, the area of now-Osun was
3811-511: 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
3914-549: The Sokoto Caliphate . Cities indigenous to the Yoruba people include but are not limited to Ibadan, Lagos, Abeokuta, Ilorin, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Osogbo, Ile Ife, Okitipupa, Ijebu Ode, Akure, Offa, among others. 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 Muslims or Christians. Be that as it may, many of
4017-624: The 14th century, as a result of trade with Wangara (also Wankore) merchants, a mobile caste of the Soninkes from the then Mali Empire who entered Yorubaland (Oyo) from the northwestern flank through the Bariba or Borgu corridor, during the reign of Mansa Kankan Musa . Due to this, Islam is traditionally known to the Yoruba as Esin Male or simply Imale i.e. religion of the Malians. The adherents of
4120-433: The 1800s by a polyglot group of refugees, soldiers, and itinerant traders after the fall of Ọyọ, 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 power through their election by popular acclaim and the respect of their peers. Similar practices were adopted by
4223-491: 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 among them. 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
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4326-549: The 18th century. The Yoruba often demanded slaves as a form of tribute of subject populations, who in turn sometimes made war on other peoples to capture the required slaves. Part of the slaves sold by the Oyo Empire entered the Atlantic slave trade . Most of the city states were controlled by Obas (or royal sovereigns with various individual titles) and councils made up of Oloye , recognized leaders of royal, noble and, often, even common descent, who joined them in ruling over
4429-409: The Americas were already Muslim. 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. Iwo led, its first mosque built in 1655, followed by Iseyin in 1760, Eko/Lagos in 1774, Shaki in 1790, and Osogbo in 1889. In time, Islam spread to other towns like Oyo (the first Oyo convert
4532-759: 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. 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. The same can be observed of certain localized royal titles, e.g. Ajalorun, Owa, and Olu. Olofin,
4635-512: The Islamic faith are called Musulumi in Yoruba to correspond to Muslim, the Arabic word for an adherent of Islam having as the active participle of the same verb form, and means "submitter (to Allah)" or a nominal and active participle of Islam derivative of "Salaam" i.e. (Religion of) Peace. Islam was practiced in Yorubaland so early on in history, that a sizable proportion of Yoruba slaves taken to
4738-521: 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
4841-464: The Market, who is expected to represent their interests in the aristocratic council of oloyes at the palace. The monarchy of any city-state was usually limited to a number of royal lineages. A family could be excluded from kingship and chieftaincy if any family member, servant, or slave belonging to the family committed a crime, such as theft, fraud, murder or rape. In other city-states, the monarchy
4944-543: The Oyo-Yoruba recounts Odùduwà to be the progenitor of the Yoruba and the reigning ancestor of their crowned kings. 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
5047-633: The River Osun which bisects the state's interior before forming much of the state's southwestern border with Oyo State and flowing south. Other important rivers are the Erinle and Oba rivers, both Osun tributaries which flow from the north before meeting the Osun along the southwestern border. Among the state's fauna are mona monkey , common kestrel , purple heron , and royal antelope , along with some of Nigeria's last remaining Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee and African forest elephant which inhabit
5150-640: The Yoruba are known by across West Africa include; Alata in southern Ghana, Eyagi in Nupe which produced descendant terms such as; Ayagi (the pre-modern Hausa word for the Yoruba people) and Iyaji in Igala. The Yoruba people also refer to themselves by the epithet "Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire", literally meaning, "The People who ask 'Good morning, did you wake up well?". This is in reference to the mode of greeting associated with Yoruba culture . Through parts of coastal West Africa where Yorubas can be found, they have carried
5253-435: The Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland . The Yoruba constitute more than 50 million people in Africa, 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, making them one of
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#17327799644045356-430: The Yoruba empire of Oyo (fl. between the 16th and 19th centuries CE), had a population of over 100,000 people. For a long time also, Ibadan , one of the major Yoruba cities founded in the 1800s, was the largest city in the whole of Sub Saharan Africa . Today, Lagos ( Yoruba : Èkó ), another major Yoruba city, with a population of over twenty million, remains the largest on the African continent. Archaeologically ,
5459-527: The Yoruba grammar compiled in the 1850s by Bishop Crowther , who himself was a Sierra Leonean Recaptive of Oyo origin. This was exemplified by the following remark by Adetugbọ (1967), as cited in Fagborun (1994): "While the orthography agreed upon by the missionaries represented to a very large degree the phonemes of the Abẹokuta dialect, the morpho-syntax reflected the Ọyọ-Ibadan dialects" Yoruba people have
5562-532: The Yoruba people as members of the same ethnicity include the universal recognition of a number of spiritual concepts and chief divinities ( Orisha ), who have achieved pan-Yoruba statuses. These divinities are venerated as embodiments of natural forces and divine power. They are also the mediators between the common people and Olodumare , God. They include some now well-known divinities as; Obatala, Ogun , Orunmila , Osun , Eshu , Olokun , Yemoja , Osanyin , and Shango , Among others . These are now recognizable in
5665-540: The Yoruba sociolinguistic group as a whole. Centuries later however, it evolved to be applied exclusively to the Ọ̀yọ́ subgroup when this subgroup rose to attain imperial status, particularly at its apogee (c.1650 – c.1750) until in the mid-1800s when this trend was reversed back to the original context. The name Yoruba is the most well known ethnonym for the group of people that trace a common origin to Ife , but synonymous terms have been recorded in history such as; Nago/Anago , Lucumi/Olukumi and Aku/Oku . Some Exonyms
5768-709: The Yoruba word for "method or process") started missions in Agbadarigi / Gbegle by Thomas Birch Freeman in 1842. Agbadarigi was further served by E. C. Van Cooten , E. G. Irving, and A. A. Harrison. Henry Townsend , C. C. Gollmer, and Ajayi Crowther of the CMS worked in Abeokuta , then under the Egba division of Southern Nigeria in 1846. Hinderer and Mann of CMS started missions in Ibadan / Ibarapa and Ijaye divisions of
5871-630: 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
5974-678: The Yorubas as Ijo Aguda, so named after returning former Yoruba slaves from Latin America, who were mostly Catholic, and were also known as the Agudas or Amaros ) started the race, followed by Protestants, whose prominent member – Church Mission Society (CMS) based in England made the most significant in-roads into the hinterland regions for evangelism and became the largest of the Christian missions. Methodists (known as Ijo-Eleto, so named after
6077-409: The ancient city of Ife is the acknowledgement of an historic crowned king, Oduduwa, a personage nominally considered the 'father' of the Yoruba people. According to Ife's own account, Oduduwa 'descended' into the originally thirteen semi-autonomous proto-Ife communities which existed in a state of confederacy based around a swampy depression surrounded by seven hills that would later on become Ife from
6180-497: The area is 233. The area covers various cities and towns, including parts of Ilesa , Ijebu-Jesa , Ipetu-Ijesha , Erinmo, Erin-Ijesa, Iloko, Ijeda, Iwaraja , Erin-oke , Ipo Arakeji , Ikeji-Arakeji , Ikeji-Ile, Ira-Ikeji, Orisunbare, Iwoye, Owena, Dagbaja, Omo-Ijesa, Ilo-Ayegunle, Ere, Eti-Oni, Apoti, Ijinmo etc. There are tourists sites such as Oluminrin Water Falls among others Women in towns like Ipetu Ijesa, Ikeji Ile, Ipo Arakeji , Ikeji-Arakeji work are mat weavers. This
6283-420: The city of Osogbo . Of the 36 states of Nigeria , Osun is the ninth smallest in area and 25th most populous state with an estimated population of about 4.7 million as of 2016. Geographically, the state is divided between the Nigerian lowland forests in most of the state and the drier Guinean forest–savanna mosaic in the north. The major geographical features are rivers including the state's namesake,
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#17327799644046386-461: The community of Oke Ora , an elevated abode located at the summit of a hill to Ife's East. The intervention of Oduduwa, a native of Oke Ora and considered an outsider in the politics of the Ife valley, is widely acknowledged in Ife to be the turning point that revolutionized the politics of the confederacy which was at the time, led by Obatala Beyond the historical accounts surrounding Ife and its ancient rulership, more cultural markers which unite
6489-428: The culture of lauding one another with greetings applicable in different situations along with them. Another epithet used is, "Ọmọ Oòduà", meaning "The Children of Oduduwa ", referencing the semi-legendary Yoruba king. The historical Yoruba developed in situ, out of earlier Mesolithic Volta-Niger populations, by the 1st millennium BCE . By the 8th century, a powerful city-state already existed in Ile-Ife , one of
6592-429: 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
6695-407: The earliest in Africa. This City, whose oral traditions link to figures like Oduduwa and Obatala, would later become the heart of the Ife Empire , the first empire in Yoruba History. The Ife Empire, flourishing between roughly 1200 and 1420 CE, extended its influence across a significant portion of what is now southwestern Nigeria and eastern Benin and to modern-day Togo. Oral history recorded under
6798-415: The east are the Edo , Ẹsan , and Afemai groups in Mid-Western Nigeria. To the northeast and adjacent to the Ebira and Northern Edo, groups are the related Igala people on the left bank of the Niger River . To the south are the Gbe -speaking Mahi , Gun , Fon , and Ewe who border Yoruba communities in Benin and Togo, to the west they are bordered by the Kwa -speaking Akebu , Kposo of Togo, and to
6901-402: The east by Ekiti and Ondo states for 84 km and for 78 km respectively, to the north by Kwara State for 73 km, to the south by Ogun State for 84 km and to the west by Oyo State , mostly across the River Osun. Named for the River Osun —a vital river which flows through the state—the state was formed from the southeast of Oyo State on 27 August 1991 and has its capital as
7004-494: 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
7107-400: The fact that Southeast and Central Yoruba areas generally have older settlements, suggests a later date of immigration into Northwestern Yoruba territory. The area where North-West Yoruba (NWY) is spoken corresponds to the historical Oyo Empire. South-East Yoruba (SEY) was closely associated with the expansion of the Benin Empire after c. 1450. Central Yoruba forms a transitional area in that
7210-481: The famous religious leaders from Osun State is the London-based Muslim cleric Sheikh Dr. Abu-Abdullah Adelabu , who hails from the state's capital city, Osogbo and Pastor (Dr.) Johnson Ade Odewale of Christ Apostolic church, Calvary Assembly from Odeomu, who is based in Boston, USA. The popular Pastor E.A. Adeboye hails from Ifewara in Osun state. Also Pastor W. F. Kumuyi among others. The Osun State government claims to offer services to both Muslims and Christians in
7313-445: The groundbreaking of Osun State University with six campuses ( Osogbo , Okuku , Ikire, Ejigbo, Ifetedo, and Ipetu-Ijesha) strategically located across the state. Important cultural events in the state include the Ori Oke and Egungun festival (masquerade festival) in Iragbiji , Olojo in Ife, Iwude Ijesha in Ilesha, Agbeleku Festival in Erin Oke, and the Osun Osogbo festival. Every year, adherents and non-adherents of Osun , one of
7416-462: The heavily threatened forests along the southern borders with Ondo and Ogun states. Osun State is primarily inhabited by the Yoruba people , mainly of the Ibolo, Ifẹ , Igbomina , Ijesha , and Oyo subgroups. In the pre-colonial period, the area that is now Osun State was split up between various Western Yoruba states with some states being town-based as others were part of larger empires like
7519-463: 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
7622-506: The kingdoms through a series of guilds and cults. Different states saw differing ratios of power between the kingships and the chiefs' councils. Some, such as Oyo, had powerful, autocratic monarchs with almost total control, while in others such as the Ijebu city-states, the senatorial councils held more influence and the power of the ruler or Ọba , referred to as the Awujale of Ijebuland ,
7725-768: 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. In Africa, the Yoruba are contiguous with the Yoruboid Itsekiri to the south-east in the northwest Niger Delta , Bariba to the northwest in Benin and Nigeria, the Nupe to the north, and the Ebira to the northeast in Central Nigeria. To
7828-417: The legislation adopting it had been unconstitutional. The major sub-ethnic groups in Ọsun State are Ife, Ijesha, Oyo, Ibolo and Igbomina of the Yoruba people , although there are also people from other parts of Nigeria. Yoruba and English are the official languages. People of Osun State practice Christianity, Islam and the traditional faith. The climate of Osun is tropical savanna usually warm, with
7931-523: The lexicon has much in common with NWY, whereas it shares many ethnographical features with SEY. Literary Yoruba is the standard variety taught in schools and spoken by newsreaders on the radio. It is mostly entirely based on northwestern Yoruba dialects of the Oyos and the Egbas , and has its origins in two sources; The work of Yoruba Christian missionaries based mostly in the Egba hinterland at Abeokuta , and
8034-603: The markets. Then came Moremi Ajasoro into the scene; she was said to have played a significant role in the quelling of the marauder advancements. But this was at a great price; having to give up her only son Oluorogbo. The reward for her patriotism and selflessness was not to be reaped in one lifetime as she later passed on and was thereafter deified . The Edi festival celebrates this feat among her Yoruba descendants. Yoruba culture consists of cultural philosophy, religion and folktales. They are embodied in Ifa divination, and are known as
8137-446: 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
8240-846: The neighboring Bini kingdom in the late 16th century. As time progressed, other Europeans – such as the French, the British, the Dutch, and the Germans, followed suit. The British and the French were the most successful in their quest for colonies (these Europeans actually split Yorubaland, with the larger part being in British Nigeria, and the minor parts in French Dahomey, now Benin, and German Togoland ). Home governments encouraged religious organizations to come. Roman Catholics (known to
8343-577: The northwest, by the Kwa-speaking Anii , and the Gur speaking Kabiye , Yom-Lokpa and Tem people of Togo. Significantly Yoruba populations in other West African countries can also be found in Ghana , Benin , Ivory Coast , and Sierra Leone . Outside Africa, the Yoruba diaspora consists of two main groupings; the first being that of the Yorubas taken as slaves to the New World between
8446-569: 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. The Yoruba are traditionally very religious people, and are today pluralistic in their religious convictions. The Yoruba are one of the more religiously diverse ethnic groups in Africa. Many Yoruba people practice Christianity in denominations such as Anglicanism while others are Muslims practicing mostly under Sunni Islam of
8549-440: 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. Monarchies were
8652-622: The past, gives solutions to problems in the present, and influences the future through the Ifa divination system , which is practised by oracle priests called Babalawos . Olorun is one of the principal manifestations of the Supreme God of the Yoruba pantheon, the owner of the heavens, and is associated with the Sun known as Oòrùn in the Yoruba language. The two other principal forms of the supreme God are Olodumare —the supreme creator—and Olofin , who
8755-403: The patronage of King Obalufon II , the man who today is identified as the Yoruba patron deity of brass casting, weaving and regalia. The dynasty of kings at Ile-Ife, which is regarded by the Yoruba as the place of origin of human civilization, remains intact to this day. The urban phase of Ile-Ife before the rise of Oyo signifies, a significant peak of political centralization in the 14th century,
8858-689: The present Oyo state in 1853. Baptist missionaries – Bowen and Clarke – concentrated on the northern Yoruba axis – (Ogbomoso and environs). With their success, other religious groups – the Salvation Army and the Evangelists Commission of West Africa – became popular among the Igbomina , and other non-denominational Christian groups joined. The increased tempo of Christianity led to the appointment of Saros (returning slaves from Sierra Leone) and indigenes as missionaries. This move
8961-522: The principles of the traditional faith of their ancestors are either knowingly or unknowingly upheld by a significant proportion of the populations of Nigeria, Benin and Togo . The Yoruba religion comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practices of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in Southwestern Nigeria and the adjoining parts of Benin and Togo, a region that has come to be known as Yorubaland. Yoruba religion
9064-531: 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
9167-599: The settlement of Ile-Ife showed features of urbanism in the 12th–14th-century era. This period coincided with the peak of the Ife Empire, during which Ile-Ife grew into one of West Africa's largest urban centers. In the period around 1300 CE when glass bead production reached an Industrial scale, floors were paved with potsherds and stones. The artists at Ile-Ife developed a refined and naturalistic sculptural tradition in terracotta, stone, and copper alloy – copper, brass, and bronze many of which appear to have been created under
9270-602: The shrine of the annual rites of the deity and an important artistic center, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2005. The former semi-official flag and seal of the state, adopted in 2012, depicted the Ori Olokun . However, the flag and seal were officially relinquished in 2023 by act of the Osun State House of Assembly following a January 21, 2017 ruling by the Osun State High Court that
9373-1032: The state, especially through Pilgrims Welfare Boards. The major traditional rulers in Osun State acclaim either the Faith of Islam or Christianity. While, for instance, Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) and Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland Oba Gabriel Adekunle (Aromolaran II) , Oba Samuel Oyebode Oluronke II (Olokuku of Okuku) , and Oba Sunday Olatokun (Olotan of Otan Ile) ascribe to Christianity, Orangun of (Ile) Ila-Orangun Oba Wahab Kayode Adedeji Oyedotun (Arutu-Oluokun Bibiire I) , Ataoja of Osogbo Oba Jimoh Olaonipekun Oyetunji (Larooye II) , Timi of Ede Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal (Laminisa I) , Aragbiji of iragbiji (Oba Abdulrasheed Ayotunde Olabomi) , Owa of Otan Ayegbaju Oba Lukman Ojo Fadipe (Olatanka III) and Oluwo of Iwo Oba Abdul Rasheed Adewale Akanbi (Ilufemiloye Telu I) practiced Islam. The dominant religions in Osun State are Islam and Christianity although
9476-517: 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
9579-506: 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
9682-521: 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 Yoruboid languages are assumed to have developed out of an undifferentiated Volta-Niger group by the first millennium BCE. There are three major dialect areas: Northwest , Central , and Southeast . As the North-West Yoruba dialects show more linguistic innovation, combined with
9785-408: The ultimate creator force in the Yoruba religious system (Ase). Some widely known Orisa are Ogun , (a god of metal, war and victory), Shango or Jakuta (a god of thunder, lightning, fire and justice who manifests as a king and who always wields a double-edged axe that conveys his divine authority and power), Esu Elegbara (a trickster who serves as the sole messenger of the pantheon , and who conveys
9888-534: 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
9991-529: The wish of men to the gods. He understands every language spoken by humankind, and is also the guardian of the crossroads, Oríta méta in Yoruba) and Orunmila (a god of the Oracle). Eshu has two forms, which are manifestations of his dual nature – positive and negative energies; Eshu Laroye, a teacher instructor and leader, and Eshu Ebita, a jester, deceitful, suggestive and cunning. Orunmila, for his part, reveals
10094-415: The world." Gerontocratic leadership councils that guarded against the monopolization of power by a monarch were a trait of the Ẹgba, according to the eminent Ọyọ historian Reverend Samuel Johnson . Such councils were also well-developed among the northern Okun groups, the eastern Ekiti , and other groups falling under the Yoruba ethnic umbrella. In Ọyọ, the most centralized of the precolonial kingdoms,
10197-551: Was Solagberu), Ibadan, Abẹokuta , Ijebu Ode , Ikirun , and Ede . All of these cities already had sizable Muslim communities before the 19th century Sokoto jihad. Medieval Yoruba settlements were surrounded with massive mud walls. Yoruba buildings had similar plans to the Ashanti shrines, but with verandahs around the court. The wall materials comprised puddled mud and palm oil while roofing materials ranged from thatches to corrugated iron sheets. A famous Yoruba fortification,
10300-474: Was initiated by Venn, the CMS Secretary. Nevertheless, the impact of Christianity in Yorubaland was not felt until the fourth decade of the 19th century, when a Yoruba slave boy, Samuel Ajayi Crowther, became a Christian convert, linguist and minister whose knowledge in languages would become a major tool and instrument to propagate Christianity in Yorubaland and beyond. Islam came into Yorubaland around
10403-466: Was more limited. 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 . Yoruba settlements are often described as primarily one or more of the main social groupings called "generations": The Yoruba culture
10506-413: Was open to the election of any free-born male citizen. In Ilesa , Ondo , Akure and other Yoruba communities, there were several, but comparatively rare, traditions of female Ọbas . The kings were traditionally almost always polygamous and often married royal family members from other domains, thereby creating useful alliances with other rulers. Ibadan, a city-state and proto-empire that was founded in
10609-502: Was originally an oral tradition , and the majority of Yoruba people are native speakers of the Yoruba language . The number of speakers was estimated to be about 30 million as of 2010. 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
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