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js1 Week 2, Lesson Note

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55 views1 page

js1 Week 2, Lesson Note

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angel
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Week 2:

IFE CULTURE AND TRADITION. THE PLACE OF IFE IN YORUBA


HISTORY.
Ile-Ife was (and is still) the Spiritual Headquarter of ancient Yoruba states which at that
time expanded eastward to Warri in the Niger Delta Area, and westward to Dahomey and
Togo now in the Republic of Benin and Togo respectively.
Ife is an ancient town located to the North-East of Lagos (218 kilometers away) and to the
East of Ibadan. The town is ruled by a Monarchical king or Oba called Ooni of Ife. Ile-Ife has
about 401 spirits called Orisha that are being worshiped.
The current Ooni of Ife is Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ojaja II.

The Ooni of ife is the chief priest and custodian of the holy city of Ife. This he holds on behalf
of the entire Yoruba nation (people).

THE IFE CULTURE AND TRADITION


The importance of Ile-Ife in Yoruba history is that Ile-Ife is believed to be the origin of life
on earth and the center of creation.
Ile-Ife is the father land of Yoruba people.
One of the oral traditions of Yoruba origin reveals to us that Yoruba people came from
Mecca.
Lamurudu was an important Chief in Mecca and he is believed to be the progenitor
(ancestor) of Yoruba people. After Mohammed killed Lamurudu in a religious war in Mecca,
his sons, one of whom was Oduduwa flew from Mecca and moved west-ward.
Oduduwa traveled for several years until he got to settle down in Ile-Ife after consulting the
gods through Setilu Agboniregun; the Ifa-Priest.
Odudwa gave birth to sons and daughters.
The seven sons of Oduduwa are: Orangun of Oke-Ila, Olowu of Owu, Alaketu of Ketu,
Onisabe of Sabe, Onipopo of Popo, Onibini of Benin and Oranmiyan of Oyo.

These sons of Oduduwa later left Ile-Ife to establish their own Yoruba kingdom. The above
tradition was captured by a British explorer of west Africa (Hugh Clapperton) when he had
contact with Mohammed Bello in Sokoto.

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