History of yoruba origin pdf

Oduduwa was the first divine king of the yoruba people, and obatala fashioned the first human beings out of clay. They have a general language called yoruba yooba which is the form that is taught in schools in the southwestern zone of nigeria. Oduduwa, whom yoruba historians claim to have created the world, is said to have undergone this work of creation at ileife. Why are some people so quick to associate the yoruba with egypt, arabia and the mediterranean without a shred of aut. In the past ten years, significant works on the phenomenology and history of religions. Origin, nature, problems and prospects article pdf available december 2004 with 1,771 reads how we measure reads.

Zangbeto, a voodoo guardian of the peace under yoruba religious belief. The yoruba people occupy the states lagos, ondo, oyo, ogun, osun, ekiti, and some parts of kwara and edo states respectively. It is a very ancient religion of the mysteries and messages of olodumare revealed to man by orunmila. It is a practice which originated thousands of years ago. This brief analysis of the traditional account of the history of the yoruba has revealed not only the roots, but also the depth, of their culture.

The fact that the term yoruba has not really been studied in order to be decrypted shows that perhaps, less is gong on as research geared towards understanding the checkered yoruba history at this era in time. The yoruba numbered more than 20 million at the turn of the 21st century. His advice has encouraged me to pursue a study of the history of the yoruba in. The history and traditions of the yoruba people panorama. The onus lies on us to investigate as deeply as possible the meaning of the mysterious name yoruba so as to learn from its secrets. As a part of this, there is an expectation that everyone will eventually achieve the state of olodumare, which is becoming one with the divine creator who is the source of all energy. A short history of yorubaland with pictures culture nigeria. History of yoruba people and yoruba land the yoruba people yoruba. It combined a brilliant sense of mime, colourful costumes, and traditional drumming, music, and folklore. It demonstrates the strong influence of yoruba religion and culture on world religions among african diaspora. The wide range of themes covered in the book includes traditions of origin.

Nigerian theatre, variety of folk opera of the yoruba people of southwestern nigeria that emerged in the early 1940s. They are one of the largest ethnic groups in one of africas most populous nations nigeria. The yoruba tribe is one of the three largest and most powerful ethnic groups in nigeria. The yoruba constitute about 44 million people in total. Jun 20, 2019 the yoruba religion system comprises of traditional practices and spiritual concepts which has evolved into a robust religious system. Iran yoruba are an ethnic group that inhabits western africa, mainly nigeria and benin. On the basis of comparative studies between the dynastic tradition of the. The inevitable starting point is their traditional accounts. By the 8th century, ileife was already a powerful yoruba kingdom, one of the earliest in africa south of the saharasahel.

The yoruba constitute approximately 21 percent of nigerias total population, and around 40 million individuals throughout the region of west africa. Chiwude to be unbiased, the word yoruba has its etymology in the hausa language. Download history of yoruba land or read online books in pdf, epub, tuebl, and mobi format. It reminds us of the beauty, pain, violence and resounding relevance of yoruba culture easily mirrored in other african ethnicities. One of the traditional practices of the yoruba people is ifa worship. Standard yoruba is the literary form of the language learned at school and heard on radio and television. Numerous ancient african civilizations settled in the region that is today nigeria, such as the kingdom of nri, the benin empire, and the oyo empire.

Oldnaija goes beyond the lines to unearth historical events in nigeria and document nigerian cultures for. They are currently estimated to be about 44 million people, the majority of whom live in nigeria where they account for about 21% of the countrys population. Samuel johnsons version and the oke oramfes version. At the east and the north, the yoruba culture arrives at its limits in the niger river. According to him, the yoruba originally came from the northeastern area of africa. Saburi biobaku director of the yoruba historical research schzme, nigeria.

The history of the yorubas 1921 edition open library. The story in question revolves around oduduwa, who is said by the yoruba to be the founder of the monarchy at ileife, the town which is widely regarded as the cradle of their civilization. History of nigeria the history of nigeria can be traced to prehistoric settlers nigerians living in the area as early as 1100 bc. The history of the yorubas by samuel johnson goodreads. Extant ijebu traditions claim that the town of ijebu0de is said to have been vol. A brief history of the yoruba people provides a short of account of a yoruba origin tradition, and a list of yoruba kings. History of yoruba people and yoruba land south west. Ancient origins articles related to yoruba in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends. We would attempt to examine the influences on the language, dressing, food and cultural practices and norm of the yoruba people, in an attempt to reach a befitting conclusion as to the history of the yoruba, we would also include some folk lore and stories, to enable you the readers reach a strong conclusion. History of yoruba people and yoruba land south west towns. The yorubas believe he is the father of the yorubas and progenitor of all yoruba obas and the oba of benin. Pdf reexamining the yoruba nation a history of the. Ife origin influence in the history of ijebu people of south. Although recent analysis of the text has revealed some inaccuracies, this volume remains the standard reference for the history of the yoruba people.

We provide a research and learning environment for nigerians at home and in the diaspora. Yoruba people are a large ethnolinguistic group or ethnic nation in africa, and the majority of them speak the yoruba language. The yoruba traditional religion believes that all human beings pass through what is known as ayanmo which translate to destiny or fate. Ashe is the energy found in all natural things much like the catholic saints, the yoruba orishas work as the intermediaries between man and the supreme creator, and the rest of the divine world. Much smaller, scattered groups live in benin and northern togo. Islam reached nigeria through the borno empire between 1068 ad and hausa states around 85 ad during the. The origins of voodoo, the misunderstood religion ancient. Oct 03, 2015 ancient origins articles related to yoruba in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends. A short history of yorubaland with pictures culture.

Samuel johnson 18461901 was an anglican minister and historian renowned for his magisterial history of the yoruba people. Born in freetown in sierra leone and educated by the church missionary society, johnson was sent with his family to idaban in nigeria in 1857. The oduduwa myth and the farce of yoruba unity brunel. Translation of the bible in 1884 by bishop samuel ajayi crowther, a yoruba speaker, in resulted in the development of a standard written form of yoruba that has been widely adopted across the dialects. Since oral tradition loses historical facts with time, there is no scientific basis for all these claims not at this time, even though several researchers are looking into these claims. A short history of yorubaland with pictures culture nairaland. Learn the basics of the yoruba religion ifa in this exciting article. Every present action immediately becomes past and roles played today will be remembered tomorrow with pride or shame, satisfaction or regret. The yoruba constitute over 40 million people in total. The vast majority of this population is from nigeria, where the yoruba make up 16% of the countrys population, making them one of the largest ethnic groups in africa. Oldnaija is an online platform dedicated to documenting and promoting the history of ngeria.

Apr 21, 2015 the forms of voodoo practiced today, however, are the results of one of the most inhuman episodes in modern history the african slave trade that took place between the 16 th and 19 th centuries. Based to a large extent on the dynastic tradition of the formerly dominant oyo clan, it is presently in the process of reevaluation. Yoruba and ancient near eastern history, the present article argues that yoruba traditions of provenance, claiming immigration from the near east, are basically correct. Traditional yoruba beliefs hold that all people experience ayanmo, which is destiny or fate. The history of the yorubas from the earliest times to the beginning of the british protectorate by samuel johnson. The history of the yorubas by samuel johnson, 1921, c. Origin of the yoruba and the lost tribes of israel dierk lange abstract. In the context of yoruba history and politics, the elite comprises individuals who. Click download or read online button to get history of yoruba land book now. Request permission export citation add to favorites track citation. Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups of nigeria, concentrated in the southwestern part of that country.

The book has a vivid picture of a generation of yoruba nationhood within nigerian nationality, prior to the british invation and colonalization of nigeria, yoruba had been a nation with an institutionalized government and there is no better place to understand and assess this form of government except in this book, the book is a bag of history. Several legends concerning the origin and ancestry of oduduwa abound in yoruba and benin mythology. Director of the yoruba historical research schzme, nigeria. Nevertheless, ancestral cultures directly related to the yorubas bloomed to the north of niger. Yoruba communities also live in other countries besides nigeria which include ivory coast, ghana. For clarity reason, we shall therefore consider the following traditions in chronological order as our record of ijebu origin history. History of yoruba land download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Not only does the book cover every aspect of yoruba history from the. This puts ileife as the site for the creation of the world. Its premodern history is based largely on oral traditions and legends.

Yoruba religion ifa history and interesting facts in 2019. When it comes to written history, there is however some agreement as research was able to trace our origin up to a point. This article aims to shed more light on the origin and history of the yoruba people. The yoruba constitute approximately 21 percent of nigerias total population, and around 40 million individuals throughout the region of west.

His findings certainly put a lie to the controversial assertion made by sir hugh trevorroper, one of the bestknown and most respected historians that ever lived, who once said that the history of africa is. Directed toward a local audience, it uses nigerian themes, ranging from modernday satire to historical tragedy. The southern fringe is open to the sea with the coastlines of epe, ejinrin and ikorodu. The artists of ancient ife, ancestral home to the yoruba and mythic birthplace of gods and humans, clearly were interested in creating works that could be read. The yoruba are close kin of the hausa at some remote age, so the name yoruba was not hausa invention but a yoruba memorable word that has fell to disuse long ago among the yorubas as the peoples population increases and cities were built.

Apr 12, 2016 reading of an excerpt from a history of the yoruba people. The yoruba are an ethnic group who live in west africa. The yoruba constitute, perhaps, the most studied african. Art in ancient ife, birthplace of the yoruba suzanne preston blier a rtists the world over shape knowledge and material into works of unique historical importance. The yoruba constitute approximately 35 percent of nigerias total population, and around 40 million individuals throughout the region of west africa. It is one of the largest ethnic groups in africa, and they speak the yoruba language. History of the yoruba people the history of the yorubas is not yet well established. Ife origin influence in the history of ijebu people of. The majority of this population is from nigeria and make up 21% of its population, according to the cia world. Yoruba are an ethnic group of southwestern and north central nigeria as well as southern and central benin, together known as yorubaland. Saburi biobaku director of the yoruba historical research schzme, nigeria the history of the indigenous peoples of west africa is ripe for intensive research. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Therefore, according to the yoruba, humans are eventually expected to. The documented history of the yoruba people begins with the oyo empire, which became.

This paper examines the myths of origin peculiar to the yoruba race, opening up several seams into the culture and politics of the modern yoruba nation in south west nigeria. The forms of voodoo practiced today, however, are the results of one of the most inhuman episodes in modern history the african slave trade that took place between the 16 th and 19 th centuries. The yoruba people, of which there is at the present time more than 25 million, occupies the western south corner of nigeria, by all the edge of dahomey and it extends until he himself dahomey. Pdf reexamining the yoruba nation a history of the yoruba people. The yoruba people live mainly in what is now southwestern nigeria, as well as in the neighboring republic of benin. This kingdom was founded by the deities oduduwa and obatala, who are believed to have created the world. Reading of an excerpt from a history of the yoruba people. This pioneering volume brought together various oral and recorded accounts of yoruba history, describing not only political history but also social customs, language and laws. The longrunning dispute between the yoruba and the bini about certain aspects of the myth purportedly accounting for the existence of the yoruba is well known. According to yoruba religion, oduduwa became the ancestor of the first divine king of the yoruba. I would recommend it as mustread text for all yorubas and indeed all interested nigerians, beninois and brazilians. History of the yorubas samuel johnson pdf the history of the yorubas. Cambridge core african history the history of the yorubas by samuel johnson. Jan 06, 2020 history of the yorubas samuel johnson pdf the history of the yorubas.