However, their political and social system varies significantly, depending largely on regions. Thus more and more researches are being carried out on Yoruba cultural thought, as more and more books are being written on it—embossing its mark and advancing its research amongst non-African thinkers such as the political philosophers and political scientists who are beginning to open their doors to other cultures, widening their views. Reference to hills is found in the saying "Gboningbonin ni t'oke, oke Gboningbonin". But what are some of the notable facts about the Yoruba People? This is an accretion to the fact that one can find a sculptor, a weaver, a carver or a potter in every household in Yoruba land. 2. Lagos State: People, Logo, Postal Code & Map, Rivers State: Population, Postal Code & Map, Top 5 African Cities With The Worst Traffic Congestion, Azman Air: Online Flight Booking, Services, Customer Care Contact, Nigerian Civil War With Biafra: The Untold Story. What is The Meaning of IPOB, Who is The Leader and What Are They Fighting For? This is to prevent any mishap. The man's parents arrange to pay a visit to the prospective bride's parents. While this is the only marital ceremony that is practiced by the more traditional members of the tribe, Christian and Muslim members generally blend it with a church wedding and registry wedding (in the case of Christians) or a nikkah and registry wedding (in the case of Muslims). Such customs are often derived from their profession or religion. This commenced in the 19th century when the land became a literate land through the diligence and pragmatism of Dr. Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the first African Anglican Bishop. The standard language incorporates several features from other dialects.[19]. Apart from Nigeria, the Yoruba people are also found in Togo, Benin, Ghana, North America, and even the UK in large numbers. These are praise names, and they are used to suggest what the child's family background is or to express one's hope for the child: Akanbi- (one who is deliberately born); Ayinde (one who is praised on arrival); Akande (one who comes or arrives in full determination); Atanda (one who is deliberately created after thorough search). A Detailed Look Into Her Biography, Zubby Michael Has No Wife or Son And Here Is The Story Behind It. If he doesn't, she and her parents are disgraced and may be banished from the village where they live. The ogberis (ignorant folks) fear death because it marks the end of an existence that is known and the beginning of one that is unknown. Just as their men, the Yoruba women are expected to be respectful of their elders, and when the time for marriage comes, the women just as the men are expected to marry. This page contains a course in Yoruba phrases and daily expressions as well as a list of other lessons in grammar topics and common words in Yoruba. While their primary concentration is in Nigeria, they are also found in other West African countries and throughout the entire world as well. In addition to that, they are also good porters, weavers, and metalsmiths. Since attaining independence (1960), Nigeria has set a high priority on education. The child that is named will grow to adulthood. 3:33pm On Apr 07 (Hellraiser77) American From 4chan With Some Questions by Ulmius. Dada is the child born with locked hair; and Ajayi (nicknamed Ogidi Olu) is the one born face-downwards.[7]. Culture. Music and dance have always been an important part of their culture; used in the many different forms of entertainment.Musical instruments includes Bata, saworo, sekere, gangan etc. Twin-births when they are male and female are usually named on the eighth day but on the seventh or ninth day if they are same-sex twins. There she is prayed for and her legs are washed. The wedding day is a day of celebration, eating, drinking and dancing for parents, relations, the new husband and wife and their friends and, often, even foes. After a specified number of days have elapsed, a naming ceremony is held where close relatives are invited. Olorun is the creator and the high god. Hence some of them are referred to as artist-philosophers. Yes, cynics, skeptics, doubters, and cowards will begin to emerge with their fear. Whilst many profess the Yoruba school of thought; many more profess other faiths e.g. Violence and Politics in Nigeria: The Tiv and Yoruba Experience, 1982. Marriage is not considered to be only a union of the husband and wife, it is also seen among the Yoruba as the union of the families on both sides. Later, several rituals are performed to ensure that the deceased is reborn. Christianity, Islam etc. In 1893, the Yoruba Kingdom became part of the British Protectorate. Their philosophy of naming is conveyed in a common adage, ile ni a n wo, ki a to so omo l'oruko ("one pays attention to the family before naming a child"): one must consider the tradition and history of a child's relatives when choosing a name. The Yoruba people (Yoruba: Ìran Yorùbá) are an ethnic group that inhabits western Africa, mainly the countries of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.The Yoruba constitute around 30 million people Africawide. 1:54pm On Apr 07 (WorldAutomobile) Trade Nigeria Organisation In addition, there are three gods available to all. He pondered the visible and invisible worlds, reminiscing about cosmogony, cosmology, and the mythological creatures in the visible and invisible worlds. Thus thought/philosophy is antecedent to religion. In many cases, the relative will subsequently call the child by the name they give to him or her, so a new baby may thereafter have more than a dozen names. The first epoch is an epoch-making history in mythology and cosmology. This page was last edited on 15 January 2021, at 22:12. This is to identify the first twin as the one sent by the other one to first go and taste the world. For instance, the art of passage of rite is still rife among the Yoruba and is still a common practice even to date. On the wedding night she and her husband have their first meeting and he is ordinarily expected to find her to be a virgin. Shango, major deity of the religion of the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria. Some less well known meals and many miscellaneous staples are arrowroot gruel, sweetmeats, fritters and coconut concoctions; and some breads such as yeast bread, rock buns, and palm wine bread. The culture and people were very interesting: Asa ati awon eyan yi daa gan ni: This falls into several categories. For instance, twins (ibeji) are believed to have natural-birth names. Contrary to what many people believe, the Yoruba are, in fact, not a single ethnic group. Yoruba The Yoruba are one of Nigeria’s most urban ethnic groups. Title associations play an important role when it comes to balancing and assigning power to different cities. Yes, Yoruba agitation for autonomy is … Based on the definition of the Yoruba Idealism, which is the search for the meaning of life and the yearning for the best in life, Yoruba Idealism is a kind of Enlightenment Movement in its own right, as every scion in the land endeavors to reach the height or the acme of his idealistic ambition. Kosoko (there is no hoe anymore). Once their consent is secured, the wedding day may be set. According to the Yoruba Mythology, it is believed that they descended from an area called Odua. This secures the final consent of the bride's parents, and the wedding day is fixed. 2:27pm On Apr 07 ; Trade Nigeria Organisation by WorldAutomobile. The waist bead bears different names in different tribes. This complexity has led westerners to compare their religion to that of ancient Greek. [8] Such names reflect the frustration of the poor parents: The Yoruba also have pet names or oriki. Examples of names given with reference to the family tradition include Ogundiran (Ogun has become a living tradition in the family); Ayanlowo (Ayan drumming tradition is honorable); Oyetoso (Chieftaincy is ornament); Olanrewaju (Honor is advancing forward); Olusegun (God has conquered the enemy). They are given in accordance with significant events at time of birth or with reference to the family tradition as has been mentioned above. Well, here is a look at the top things you need to know about them. The Yoruba are said to be religious people, but they are also pragmatic and tolerant about their religious differences. The uniqueness of Yoruba thought is that it is mainly narrative in form, explicating and pointing to the knowledge of the causes and nature of things, affecting the corporeal and the spiritual universe and its wellness. While generally found under the umbrella as Yorubas, different areas have their separate dialects that are all closely related. A New Political Philosophy for Nigeria and Other African Countries, 1967. Once the day has been fixed through either consultation of the Orishas by a babalawo (in the case of followers of the Yoruba religion) or the decision of a man of God (in the case of the Christians or Muslims), the bride and bridegroom are warned to avoid travelling out of town, including to the farm. YORUBA leaders have condemned a purported plan to arrest Yoruba activist, Mr Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, through an invitation letter dispatched to … Without their various contributions, Yoruba land could have been lost in a hay of confusion. The parents have the responsibility for his/her socialization into the norms of the larger society, in addition to giving him a means of livelihood. This derives from the phenomenon of the tragic incidents of high rate of infant mortality sometimes afflicting the same family for a long time. This suggests a somewhat cynical attitude in the parent(s). The important thing is a good life and a good name. Today the city is the centre of Nigeria's rubber trade, and a sprawling metropolis. But he is more of a psychologist than a philosopher. Beautiful sculptures of wood, brass, and terracotta are common things among the Yoruba. Most of what survived of this legal code has been assimilated into the customary laws of the sovereign nations that the Yoruba inhabit. There is also a council of elders which assists the Oba with decision-making. Other natural names include Abiodun (one born on a festival day or period),"Abiona"(one born on a journey) Abidemi or Bidemi (one born without the presence of its father) i.e the child's father didn't witness his baby's naming ceremony but not dead, maybe he just traveled, Enitan (one of a story) this child might have had any of its parent dead before its birth, Bosede (one born on a holy day); Babatunde/Babatunji (meaning father has come back) is the son born to a family where a father has recently passed. In a sharp contrast, they are a collection of diverse people who are bound together by a common language, culture, and history. Adult men who are not closely related to the deceased, but who belong to the deceased’s clan are allowed to attend the burial. (if we die young, and a horse is killed in celebration of one's life; it is better than dying old without people killing even a chicken in celebration.). Both male and female babies are circumcised within the first month. [21], Yoruba people traditionally speak the Yorùbá language, a member of the Niger–Congo language family. (I have become an aged ose tree; I will no longer die; I have become two hundred hills rolled into one; I am immovable.) As such, Yoruba people put considerable effort into naming a baby. Virtually nothing of the historic city survives: it was destroyed by the British in an epic act of vandalism in 1897. Isha, on the other hand, is the god of divination. Universal primary education has become the norm in southern Nigeria, where the Yoruba live. The museum was the first to be established in Nigeria when it opened in 1945. The Yoruba people believe that people live out the meanings of their names. They constitute about 21% of Nigeria’s total population, making them one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. Second, the Yoruba are realistic and pragmatic about their attitude to death. The young man identifies a young woman that he loves. See Also: Yoruba Movies and How To Watch Them Free Online. He is regarded as the cultivator of modern Yoruba idealism. Other popular dishes include Asaro, Efokore, Ekuru and Aro, stews, corn, cassava, and flours (such as maize, yam and plantain flours), eggs, chicken, and assorted meat and fish). This refers to the hoe that is used to dig the grave. Among the most popular Yoruba women right now are media mogul Mo Abudu who has been recognized by the Forbes magazine as the most successful African woman, and one of the richest woman in the world, Folorunsho Alakija. In Nigeria, the northern part of the country calls it Jigida while the Yorubas (the people of Southwestern Nigeria) call it Bebedi. "ajewole" (wealth as being the family). Iyabode, Yeside, Yewande, and Yetunde, ("mother has come back") are female counterparts, names with the same meaning. The group disclosed that its action was … While their primary concentration is in Nigeria, they are also found in other West African countries and throughout the entire world as well. Jollof rice, fried rice and Ofada rice very common in Nigeria (especially in the southwest region, which includes Lagos). Esiẹ Museum is a museum in Esiẹ, Irepodun, Kwara. 4. He and his friends seek her out through various means. He is the cultivator of ambitions and desires, and the interpreter of ori (head) and its destiny.