The Ondo people are ancient forest-hunters, artistic brass-makers as well as agriculturalist unique Yoruboid-speaking people that forms a sub-group of the larger Yoruba ethnic grouping of West Africa, especially inwards Nigeria as well as the Republic of Benin. Ondo who are 1 of the largest subgroups of the Yoruba people are found in the southwestern component subdivision of Nigerian State of Ondo.
Ondo women inwards their special occasion dress, courtesy vivimadecreationz
The Ondo kingdom which resides inwards Ondo State is found inwards the modern Akure as well as Obokun Local Government Areas shape its boundary inwards the North spell Ilaje/Eseodo Local Government Areas shape its boundary inwards the South. In the East, it terminates at Owena River, which is inwards the Ifedore Local Government Area as well as inwards the West, the kingdom stretches as far as the Ooni River. In the Southern part, the land, which borders on the creek expanse of Ilaje-Eseodo is low-lying but rises gradually towards the North. Ondo is almost 300 kilometers northeast of Lagos. It is situated inwards a woods part of Nigeria. According to 2006 Population Census data, the number of Ondo people inwards Ondo province is about 3,440,000.
Ondo people playing armpit drums at Ogun festival inwards Ole Oluji inwards Ondo State, Nigeria. Circa 1982. Courtesy Alan Denney
So she left with a large number of friends as well as retinue to the site of the introduce Ode Ondo, as well as then sparsely peopled past times a tribe named Idoko, as well as in that location settled, hence the term " Ondo," signifying the
" Settlers." The people of the district knowing who the strangers were, yielded them ready obedience, as well as the strangers became rulers of the district. Probably it was from this fourth dimension infanticide received its decease blow — inwards Yoruba Proper at least. It is said to linger soundless at Akure as well as the next regions, but as a rule, inwards ancient times, whatever the custom set or discountenanced at the Metropohs, the effect thereof was chop-chop felt all over the country.
The Ondos are sometimes classed amongst the Ekitis but that is hardly right ; although lying at the border of the Ekitis, they are truly a mixture of Qyos as well as Idokos, as well as their sympathy is
with all." (Johnson, 1921).
In the 2d version recorded past times renowned Bini (Edo) historian Egharevba; he traced the origin of the Ondo people to Republic of Benin kingdom. He noted that during the reign of Oba Esigie of Republic of Benin (AD 1504) Aruaran, the King’s blood brother who threatened the throne of Republic of Benin was captured alive. He later committed suicide after an unsuccessful endeavor to escape. The ease of his people were banished from Republic of Benin City. Iyase Osemwugbe, a loyalist to Aruaran decided to avenge the decease of his master copy as well as the humiliation meted on Udo troops past times the Republic of Benin troops. He launched an set on on Republic of Benin Kingdom but he was unsuccessful. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few of them managed to escape to the western side of Benin. The Udo troops were pursued until they surrendered. Osemwugbe surrendered as well as pleaded for mercy. Esigie pardoned them but they were banished. Thus the grouping came to live referred to as Emwa n’Udo (the Udo renegades) inwards Benin. Egharevba farther claimed that Ondo was the contracted shape of Emwa n’Udo spell Osemawe was the corrupted version of Osemwugbe. The Republic of Benin historian supported his claim with the fact that Republic of Benin as well as Ondo people part numerous cultural heritages especially religious as well as ethical practices. Ondo people rejected the inwards a higher topographic point versions outright on the ground that the initiatory off ruler of Ondo terra firma was Oba Pupupu whom documented as well as authenticated history has been identified as 1 of the twin daughters of Oduduwa of Ile-Ife, who was the manlike individual parent of Yoruba race.
Odno men blowing a horn
In the 3rd version, which is also accepted past times all Ondo people as well as was narrated to J. K. Olupona inwards his 1992 study "Kingship, Religion as well as Rituals inwards a Nigerian Community: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Phenomenological Study of Ondo Yoruba Festivals," it was claimed that 1 of Oduduwa’s wives gave nascence to a set of twins inwards Ile-Ife. This, according to Yoruba beliefs was an abomination: "Ese omo re" (what type of unusual children are these?) Because the woman parent of the twins was Oduduwa’s favourite wife, her life as well as those of the set of twins were saved. However, Oduduwa sent them out of the palace with slaves nether the guidance of Ija, a hunter. They arrived at “Igbo-Ijamo” (the forest discovered past times Ija) nigh Ile-Ife as well as they stayed in that location for sometime. Thus component subdivision of the “oriki” (praise names) of the Ondo people include: "Ara Ita jamo. E ki m’ogun, omo alade igbo, iye mu agone ude m’emun," (A native of Ita Jamo, e ki m’ogun, boy of the Prince of the woods who drinks palm-wine from a brass cup.) On the realization that “Igbo Jamo” was unsafe, they continued with their journeying until they got to Epe, a topographic point non far from the introduce Ondo town where Yangede welcomed them.
The novel comers were inwards Epe for many years until a hunter was sent to seem for a to a greater extent than suitable as well as permanent topographic point for the dwelling theatre of the people. As the hunter went almost inwards the bush, he sighted some smoke as well as went towards its direction. He met Ekiri, 1 of the autochthons of the land. Then the hunter went dorsum to Epe as well as informed the people that he had discovered a suitable topographic point of abode. In monastic enjoin to uncovering the prospect of the novel place, Ifa oracle was consulted as well as the oracle instructed that the novel comers should take along a yam stake (edo) as their walking stick. As they displace along wherever the stick does non poke the ground, the people should settle. They moved from Epe as well as proceeded on their journeying according to the instructions of Ifa as well as arrived at the introduce 24-hour interval police clitoris headquarters inwards Ondo, the stake did non poke the ground.
Chief Abdul-Ganiyu "Gani" Oyesola Fawehinmi, (22 Apr 1938 - 5 September 2009), Ondo man, was a Nigerian author, publisher, philanthropist, social critic, human as well as civil rights lawyer, political leader as well as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
In utter amazement, the people exclaimed “Edo du do!” which agency inwards Ondo dialect “the yam stake could non displace into the ground”. Hence the people settled in that location as well as the call Ondo was coined from Edo du do. In fact upwards till today, Ondo is soundless beingness referred as Edo do past times some indigenous Ondo people. Further, Edo (yam stake) is upwards to the introduce day, a real significant component of the cultural inputs inwards yam farming inwards Ondo land. On arrival at Ondo, the novel comers met iii groups of indigenes spread throughout the land. They are Ifore, Idoko as well as Oka. Having recognized the royal characteristic of the novel comers, these indigenous inhabitants conceded the authorization to dominion over the territory to the novel arrivals without whatever struggle. Pupupu, Oduduwa’s twin fille became the initiatory off ruler inwards Ondo. Gradually, the iii original inhabitants imbibed the civilisation of the novel arrivals.
Ondo people of Ile Oluji, Ondo State. Circa 1982. Courtesy Alan Denney
However, Idoko soundless keeps its ward, Oke-Idoko with a similar political construction as that of Ondo. From the inwards a higher topographic point legend, it could live inferred that Ondo people descended from Oduduwa, the manlike individual parent of the Yoruba people. It cannot live disputed that Osemawe originated from the facial expression Ese omo re. This version of the origin was accepted as the true origin of Ondo. The Egharevba’s business concern human relationship should live brushed aside with a moving ridge of the mitt as it lacks credibility since no archaeological, cultural, historical, social or political practices tin can live found to substantiate his claim.
Drumming is a real important component subdivision of Ondo social as well as religious life. It is a hereditary line of piece of work inwards all Yoruba towns, Ondo itself inclusive. Ondo traditions are kept live through their skill. The drummers are referred to as aayan.
Cowries abound inwards Ondoland fifty-fifty though its a woods belt. It is said that before the introduction of the European currency, the medium of commutation inwards Ondo was the cowry shells, oho eyo. Cowries are soundless beingness used inwards many parts ofOndo today for ritual purposes. The improvised banking concern of old inwards Ondo was the pot as in that location were no banks inwards those days. The people used to salve their cowries (money) past times putting them inwards pots as well as burying them inwards hush-hush places especially inwards banana plantations. In fact, it has been reported that such savings have got discovered years after the demise of the owner.
Ondo construction is characterized past times the mode inwards which succession to rights is traced non solely or fifty-fifty predominantly inwards the manlike individual line but inwards both manlike individual as well as woman individual lines. Educated Ondo today adopt the personal of the manlike individual parent or paternal granddaddy as their ain surname, as well as think that this surname shall live borne past times their agnatic descendants inwards the English linguistic communication fashion. But, traditionally, the Ondo homo is saluted with oriki (praise names) of as many of the ancestors from whom his descent is recognized, whether inwards manlike individual or woman individual line.
Ondo homo with his typical Ondo facial tribal mark
All Ondo bear the same facial mark-a single stroke on each cheek; some torso markings are given inwards the manlike individual line only-e.g. The iii cuts across the right thorax of the agnatic descendants of the Osemawe. Food taboos are associated non so much with descent groups as with deities. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 homo traditionally worshipped a deity discovered for him Ifa divination as well as non necessarily associated with a descent group.
Geographical Location
The Ondo kingdom, which is located inwards the tropical pelting woods belt of Nigeria, occupies an expanse on latitude 706’ inwards the North as well as longitude 4050’ inwards the East. The modern Akure as well as Obokun Local Government Areas shape its boundary inwards the North spell Ilaje/Eseodo Local Government Areas shape its boundary inwards the South. In the East, it terminates at Owena River, which is inwards the Ifedore Local Government Area as well as inwards the West, the kingdom stretches as far as the Ooni River.
Ondo city
In the Southern part, the land, which borders on the creek expanse of Ilaje-Eseodo is low-lying but rises gradually towards the North. Ode Ondo is almost 290 metres inwards a higher topographic point ocean level. The bulk of the people reside inwards Ode-Ondo, the upper-case alphabetic quality of the kingdom. Ondo is located inwards the damp tropic within the tropical pelting woods as well as the southeasterly air current blows through the part throughout the improve component subdivision of the year.
The cooler dry out continental air from the due north abounds during the months of December, Jan as well as Feb of the year. There are many valuable timbers inwards the woods such as iroko, mahogany, opepe, afara, obeche, as well as olofun to cite just a few. The large woods reserve occupies over 1000 foursquare kilometres. Almost 23 x 105 cubic metres of timber are harvested annually. Indeed Ondo people are bully farmers. They cultivate nutrient crops such as yams, cassava, maize, cocoyam, rice as well as beans. Ondo elders believe that no terra firma tin can live useless to farmers, hence the proverb: Ale ye san koko, de san koko, a mu gbe ’gbado. The farmland that is neither suitable for cocoa nor cocoyam farming, volition live used to flora corn. The most of import cash crop is cocoa, which covers a massive portion of land. Other cash crops are rubber, coffee, kolanuts as well as palm produce. These collectively constitute the people’s agency of economical support. It is non surprising that because of the importance of cocoa inwards Ondo culture, our elders coined many proverbs on cocoa. Below are a few of such proverbs:
(i) Koko so igi d’eniyan. (Cocoa elevates wood to the status of a human being).
(ii) Koko e da luu, onen lu li koko, lu gbese. (Cocoa prevents 1 from beating him (a cocoa farmer), for whoever beats a cocoa farmer beats debt (incurs a huge debt).
(iii) Aisan buuku s’onen ye nen koko. (A terrible illness besets someone who does non possess cocoa farm.)
Language
Ondo people speaks a unique South-East Yoruba (SEY) dialect of Yoruba linguistic communication that belongs to the larger Niger Congo phylum. Apart from Ondo, SEY is spoken inwards Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ọwọ, Ikarẹ, Ṣagamu, as well as parts of Ijẹbu.
South-East Yoruba was in all probability associated with the expansion of the Republic of Benin Empire after c. 1450 AD. In contrast to NWY (North-West Yoruba dialect), lineage as well as descent are largely multilineal as well as cognatic, as well as the partition of titles into state of war as well as civil is unknown. Linguistically, SEY has retained the /gh/ as well as /gw/ contrast, spell it has lowered the nasal vowels /ịn/ as well as /ụn/ to /ẹn/ as well as /ọn/, respectively. SEY has collapsed the 2d as well as 3rd individual plural pronominal forms; thus, àn án wá tin can hateful either 'you (pl.) came' or 'they came' inwards SEY dialects, whereas NWY for instance has ẹ wá 'you (pl.) came' as well as wọ́n wá 'they came', respectively. The emergence of a plural of honor may have got prevented coalescence of the 2 inwards NWY dialects.
History Of Ondo Kingdom
Sitting amongst the thickly forested planes that characterize southwestern Nigeria are the towns as well as communities that brand upwards the Ondo Kingdom. Located some 300kilometres to the north-east of Lagos, Nigeria's economical nervus centre as well as 45 kilometres W of Akure, the Ondo State capital, the Kingdom is easily reached past times route from all parts of the country. The Ondo people are 1 of the largest Yoruba subgroups, situated inwards the eastern component subdivision of the Yoruba speaking expanse of Nigeria. The atmospheric condition elements that characterize the part are those typifying the rainforest part of Sub-Sahara Africa.
Ondo people celebrating Ekimogun day
The descent of Ondo people, as good as the geography of the Kingdom does non reverberate whatever important departure from those of other towns as well as communities peopled past times the Yoruba of south-westernNigeria, who are virtually agreed on the mutual paternity of Oduduwa. However in that location exists still, as inwards most historical collections, almost iii separate accounts that explicate the origin of the Ondo people. While the people of the Kingdom, almost inwards unison rejected a version that links its origin to the Old Republic of Benin Kingdom inwards introduce 24-hour interval Edo State, as beingness the excogitation of its proponents, in that location seems to live some flat of convergence on the other 2 accounts which draw the origin of the people to Ife as well as Oyo respectively. While an outright excogitation of whatever historical account, as attributed to the BeninKingdom version, may live unlikely, the symmetry of the to a greater extent than widely held versions of the origin of the people are herein reflected with the major noise beingness inwards the origin from either Oyo or Ife. But on a broad outlook, the 2 accounts seem to dot towards the same direction, as those inwards Oyo originally migrated from Ife, the ultimate source of all Yoruba.
Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba was 1 of the sons of Lamurudu, who was believed to have got migrated from Mecca, Saudi Arabia, after some sectarian disagreement. He held the championship of Olofin Adimula before he left Mecca. This perhaps explains why most Yoruba Obas are soundless referred to past times that championship to date. Oranmiyan, 1 of the 16 sons of Oduduwa who left Ile-Ife, in all probability out of sheer ambition or mere adventure, was the initiatory off Alaafin of Oyo as well as the manlike individual parent of Oluaso, who gave nascence to Pupupu, the initiatory off paramount ruler of Ondo Kingdom.
Ondo Cultural troupe
Pupupu, a female, was 1 of the twin children of Oba Oluaso, who was said to have got reigned inwards Oyo inwards the 15th Century. The other twin, a male, was named Orere. Twin nascence inwards those days was considered an abomination as well as a unusual phenomenon, esemawe, as a historical source interpreted it. Conventionally, the twins as well as their woman parent were instantly lay to death, to foreclose the imminent bad omen which was believed to live synonymous with their arrival. But because Olu, the woman parent of the children was 1 of the favourites of the King, her life as well as those of the twins were spared. They were nonetheless with an entourage of slaves nether the guidance of a hunter called Ija, sent out of the palace with a beaded crown as well as an Akoko tree, signifying their royalty. Those were to accord them the dignity as well as the reverence due to royalty. Again, their manlike individual parent against the tradition of multi tribal marks of Oyo, incised 2 long tribal marks, 1 on each side of the cheek. Oluaso was patently witting of the fact that he may non set his eyes on the children for a long time, hence those facial marks were incised on them, so that they would live recognizable whatever fourth dimension they were seen or if they came dorsum home. This explains the origin of the tribal marks of Ondo to date.
The grouping wandered through the woods till they got to a topographic point called Epin, nigh Gbere, whose inhabitants were referred to as Ibariba. They were good received as well as catered for until the decease of Oba Oluaso inwards 1497. They headed dorsum to Oyo when the succeeding manlike individual monarch did non care for them fairly, but Onigbogi, the reigning manlike individual monarch had to send them dorsum to a virgin terra firma compassed almost past times Ife, Ijesa, Ekiti, Ado(Benin) as well as Ijebu communities. They later got to Igbo Ijamo (the woods discovered past times Ija). The grouping patently stayed inwards this topographic point for some time. Eventually they found lgbo Ijamo dangerous as well as hence continued their journeying eastward, until they finally got to a topographic point called Epe, non far from the introduce Ondo town.
They were inwards Epe for many years as well as as they journeyed on, they passed through a colina which is today known as Oke Agunla as well as 1 of the communities that brand upwards the introduce 24-hour interval Ondo Kingdom. From this hill, they spotted some smoke as well as headed inwards its direction. There they met a homo called Ekiri 1 of the original inhabitants of the area. The Ifa oracle, as was the usual do then, was consulted on the prospects of the newly found location. The oracle instructed them to take along with them a yam stake (edo), as their walking stick. They were to poke the stick into the ground as they went along their way, as well as wherever the stick didn't bond with the land, they were to settle.
The grouping left Epe as well as proceeded as instructed past times the oracle until they got to a topographic point where the yam stake did non penetrate the ground. The grouping chorused inwards surprise Edo du do, (The yam stake would non stick in). According to oral history, the give-and-take Ondo is a contraction of the judgement "Edo du do". When the grouping arrived inwards Ondo, they met the Ifore, the Idoko as well as the Oka people. These indigenous inhabitants recognized the royalty of the novel arrivals as well as readily ceded to them the authorization to dominion over the territory. And inwards due course, the original inhabitants of Ondo were assimilated into the civilisation of the novel comers. It remains a reference dot nonetheless that the Idoko as well as Ifore settlers soundless maintain a variety of separate political construction which is akin, inwards many respects, to that of the larger Ondo community. As fourth dimension went on, the people spread to shape other settlements similar lgbindo, lgbado, llu-nla, Odigbo, Ajue. Igunsin, etc.
By as well as large, the Ondo people soundless regard Epe, a relatively little town, 7 miles from Ondo, on the Oke-lgbo road, as their original town (Orisun), from where they migrated to their introduce location. Up until now, many Ondo festival as well as rituals have got Epe as their source. Pilgrimages are sometimes made to Epe for some of the festivals. Historical business concern human relationship also has it that at the demise of the Osemawe, his caput was ordinarily buried inwards Epe spell the remaining component subdivision of his torso was inwards Ondo.
It is also worthy of banking concern bill that a historical business concern human relationship holds that the twin blood brother of Pupupu, truly settled downward inwards Ile-Oluji as well as became its initiatory off traditional ruler. This may also explicate the unopen link betwixt Ondo as well as Ile-Oluji, who are truly descendants from siblings of same parentage.
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 Feb 1976 from the quondam Western State. It originally included what is at nowadays Ekiti State, which was split off inwards 1996. Akure is the province capital.
The province contains 18 Local Government Areas, the major ones beingness Akoko, Akure, Okitipupa, Ondo, as well as Owo. The bulk of the state's citizens live inwards urban centers. The large authorities universities inwards Ondo province are the Federal University of Technology Akure, Akure as well as the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba/Akoko.
The Ondo Kingdom retained independence from other regional powers until the 19th century when pressure level from expanded European contact as well as crisis inwards Yorubaland caused political crisis. With the expansion of the Atlantic slave merchandise as well as large scale population displacement inwards Yorubaland, the political life of the Ondo Kingdom changed. Prior to the 19th Century, Ondo was unusual inwards the part for their council scheme as well as or the relatively opened upwards terra firma tenure principles. The council scheme rotated leadership amongst houses as well as in that location was some important political status given to women, who had their ain council which consulted with the men's council (a role disputed past times others). The Ondo terra firma tenure regulation was that all terra firma was belongings of the king, but that whatever homo could farm it as long as he obtained permission from the leader of the nearest community. However, with increasing pressure level related to population motility inwards Yorubaland as well as increasing relevance of the slave trade, much of this changed. Political as well as economical ability changed from hereditary lineage as well as access to terra firma holdings to focused primarily on slaveholdings. The final result was large scale conflict inwards the Ondo Kingdom from 1845 until 1872, a flow with rapid regime change, wars with other regional powers, important violence, as well as alter of the upper-case alphabetic quality urban center iii times. During this period, worship of Orisha spread widely, leading to human sacrifice (often of slaves) inwards monastic enjoin to attempt as well as halt the disorder.
Juju music maestro, King Sunny Ade whose existent nameSamuel Adeniyi Adegeye is of Ondo descent
When Christian missionaries started to displace into Yorubaland inwards the later one-half of the 19th century, Ondo was considered a large, forest-based kingdom. However, missionaries largely focused on the other areas inwards as well as around Yorubaland rather than Ondo. This may have got been because some missionaries thought that the Ondo were socially lower than other Yoruba tribes, perhaps because their custom of concubinage was unacceptable inwards the Christian tradition. However, inwards 1870, John Hawley Glover, the administrator of the British Lagos Colony began focusing efforts on the kingdom of Ondo, largely to create choice merchandise routes to Lagos. In 1872, Glover helped negotiate a peace treaty betwixt Ondo as well as Ife who had been hostile for a number of years which allowed expanded merchandise betwixt Lagos as well as Ondo. Missionary operations began inwards 1875 throughout the Ondo Kingdom.
The Osemawe of Ondo made an understanding on 20 Feb 1889 with the Governor of the British Lagos Colony past times which liberate merchandise was guaranteed betwixt Ondo as well as the colony, as well as disputes would live referred to an arbitrator appointed past times the governor for resolution. In 1899 an monastic enjoin inwards council was issued to extend the Lagos protectorate over Yoruba land, making Ondo formally patch of study to the British crown.
During the political turmoil of Nigeria inwards the early on 1980s, Ondo was the site of large scale political violence as well as members of the royal lineage were killed.
The kingdom survived nether colonial dominion as well as subsequent independence, as well as the coronation of the 44th Osemawe, Oba Victor Adesimbo Ademefun Kiladejo, on 29 Dec 2008 was a major event, attended past times many dignitaries
The ethnic composition of Ondo State is largely from the Yoruba subgroups of the Akoko, Akure, Ikale, Ilaje, Ondo, as well as Owo peoples. Ijaw minority (such as Apoi as well as Arogbo) as well as Ilaje populations inhabit the coastal areas; spell a sizable number of the Ondo State people who verbalise a variant of the Yoruba linguistic communication similar to Ife dialect reside inwards Oke-Igbo. These people are also Yorubas.
Ondo State Cultural Troupe
Ondo State contains the largest number of populace schools inwards Nigeria - over 880 primary schools as well as 190 secondary schools.
Local Government Areas
Ondo State consists of 18 Local Government Areas. They are:
Akoko North-East headquarters in Ikare Akoko North-West Akoko South-East Akoko South-West Akure North Akure South Ese Odo Idanre Ifedore Ilaje Ile Oluji/Okeigbo[2] Irele Odigbo Okitipupa Ondo East Ondo West Ose Owo The largest town is Akure.
Ondo Wars
The excesses of Oba Arilekolasi (1861-1866) set the foundation for the 2 phases of Ondo civil wars. According to Olupona, Arilekolasi conceded a lot of ability to the palace slaves, to the extent that the latter harassed the people for no just cause. As a final result of these excesses Arilekolasi was poisoned. However, he pronounced a curse on Ondo people namely that their lands would remain deserted. He requested 1 of his slaves to avenge his death. Shortly after the Oba’s death, Kulajolu, the slave, left the palace to flora a competition province inwards Igbodan, from where he waged many
wars on Ondo. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 goodness number of Ondo citizens ran away from their homes as well as took refuge inwards surrounding villages such as Ajue, Igbado as well as Erinla, spell bulk of the people fled to Oke-Opa where they established an interim government. During this chaotic period, the reigning Oba committed suicide at Igbado for fearfulness of beingness taken captive past times the invaders. This, according to an informant, gave ascent to the Ondo proverb: Ogun e e ko Ondo aio ho, this agency that it is forbidden for Ondo to live taken captive past times war. When the next Oba, Ayibikitiwodi (1873-1876) was installed, he sent a delegate nether the leadership of Chief Ogedengbe to brand a peace treaty with Kulajolu. To pacify him, the Oba conferred on him an Eghae high chieftaincy title, which he accepted. Kulajolu became high Chief Odunwo, the 3rd ranking main to the Oba inwards Ondo traditional system. He was nonetheless attacked past times some other pop slave, named Ago who drove him out of Ondo to Erinla where he died. As a final result of the previous years of unrest inwards Ondo, the throne became very
weak as well as was susceptible to some other civil state of war nether the reign of the next Osemawe, Afaidunjoye (the 1 who came to the throne at an unpleasant time). Ago, the 2d slave who had before on rescued Ondo from Kulajolu, began some other disruptive state of war against Ondo. He took payoff of the weakness of Ondo to launch an set on on them with the assist of Ife as well as Ilesa. His regular army was camped at Oke-Igbo as well as attacked only from Aise. The nub of his troop that came from Ife made upwards the initiatory off colonists of Oke-Igbo. That is why, despite the fact that Oke-Igbo is a major town inwards Ondo State, less than ix kilometres from Ondo, it remains culturally an Ife town, inwards spite of its
geopolitical location, which falls within Ondo.
The Ago versus Ondo battle, which claimed many lives from both sides ended upwards inwards a fiasco. Ago fled to Ile-Oluji, ix kilometres away from Ondo. At Ile-Oluji, Ago had a quarrel with Osokun, 1 of his soldiers. He was ousted out of Ile-Oluji with the assist of the Ile-Oluji people as well as the combined grouping of dissidents from Ilesa, Oke-Igbo as well as the forces of Ondo. He was finally captured at Oke-Igbo where he was thrown into the Ooni River.
The inwards a higher topographic point civil wars inwards Ondo together with Yoruba wars paved way for the British influence on Ondo. As a final result of these civil wars, many people fled the town making the governance of Ondo extremely weak as well as vulnerable. Consequently the British had picayune or no resistance gaining access through Ondo into the hinterland to flora merchandise links as well as to set upwards administrative machineries.
Ondo State Chief Judge, Hon Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi Speaker, Ondo House of Assembly, Rt Hon Samuel Adesina, Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Traditionally, Ondo people have got ever sustained their economic scheme from 2 major occupations: farming as well as trading which incidentally correspond to the partition of labour betwixt manlike individual farmers as well as woman individual traders. The mainstay of Ondo’s economic scheme is agriculture. There are 2 seasons inwards the year, the dry out flavor as well as rainy season. These seasons correspond with the planting as well as harvesting periods. The Ondo people have got 2 types of farmland. They have got little parcels of land, which is ordinarily within a walking distance where yams, corn, cassava, beans as well as vegetables are planted. This bundle of terra firma is called oko etili or igo. The other farmland is located far from the town where mainly cash crops are cultivated. As before pointed out, the major cash crops are cocoa, kolanut, palm oil as well as rubber. The people build hamlets inwards the farm where they tin can remain for a calendar week or to a greater extent than depending on the quantity as well as pressure level of piece of work to live done.
As the villages as well as hamlets developed, to a greater extent than people were accommodated as well as people were able to remain longer on their farms. Some rich farmers built houses with corrugated Fe roofs. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 main was ordinarily appointed past times the Oba to supervise the farm areas. Such a main would as well as then acquire the “Oloja”, the caput of the area. Here again, a micro-sociopolitical set upwards is established to regulation the community. Such hamlets are ordinarily named after the founder of the area. With this evolution of distant farmland, the inhabitants only homecoming to Ode-Ondo during traditional festivals or Christian or Muslim festivals. The farmers depend on cooperative ventures during which an private may engage the assistance of his unopen friends or historic flow grades on the farm. He inwards plough volition offering the same assistance to those who have got assisted him. This cooperative travail expressed inwards the shape of labour commutation is referred to as owe. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Yoruba maxim expresses this cooperative venture succinctly: Oni loni nje, eni a live l’owe, (Today is the 24-hour interval for the 1 who has accepted to assist on farm work). Ondo farmers believe that they acquire a lot of piece of work done through participating inwards this cooperative enterprise. After the tillage of the farmland, a portion of it is ordinarily divided amongst the farmer’s wives who are non engaged inwards trading activities on which they volition cultivate less labour-intensive crops similar pepper, cassava as well as vegetables. Each married adult woman takes attention of the planting as well as weeding. However, it is non unusual for Ondo women to cultivate cash crops especially on farmlands inherited from their parents. The crops are ordinarily reserved for household unit of measurement consumption. Nevertheless, the wives are the sole marketers of the excess crops from their husbands’ farm spell the caput of the household unit of measurement sells the cash crops. As before mentioned, the 2d mainstay of Ondo economic scheme is trade, which is carried out past times women. Among the articles of merchandise are aso oke (woven material), iyon (coral beads) as well as mats. These articles are sold inwards the market, “Oja” or “Ugele”. The do of women inwards merchandise has acquire religious, social functions as well as of economical significance.
Brass making: Another real of import profession is brassmaking, (ude). This profession is peculiar to Ifore, 1 of the original groups of Ondo settlers. These people were specialists inwards brass production. It was acknowledged that they had the best guild scheme inwards Ondo. No wonder as well as then 1 of the Ondo praise names (oriki) refers to their beginning: E kim’ogun, omo alade igbo, iye m’agogo ude m’omi. E kim’ogun, the boy of the woods king, who drinks H2O with a brass cup. The Ifore people were real proud of their achievements inwards brass work. In fact archaeological excavations carried out supported this claim. Nevertheless, few references to this antique arts and crafts are soundless found inwards Ondo ritual context. For example, Ondo people regard it as a taboo for anyone to wearable a brass necklace or bangle during the festival of Oramfe. However, modern professions such as carpentry, tailoring, driving as well as barbing have got replaced these traditional guild groups. They all have got similar modus of operandi, most especially inwards their cultic devotion to Ogun, the most pop deity inwards Ondo kingdom.
Ondo Women inwards Trade
Women to a greater extent than often than non have got peculiar instincts, especially when examining issues relating to social as well as economic science matters. Such instincts could live seen inwards their attitudinal behaviours exhibited inwards trading as well as cultural practices. The Ondo women, similar others across the World also possess social as well as economical instincts which are lay into play to promote the socio/economic evolution of their town. This is evident inwards the flat of activities inwards which they are involved. However, 1 major expanse where the contributions of Ondo women to the evolution of their homeland tin can easily grasped has to do with the practical demonstration of sure norms, belief as well as customs which are instilled on their children.
Owing to the importance attached to the role of Ondo women inwards the economic scheme of the town, the championship of a paramount woman individual main is instituted. The championship is known, as before mentioned, as “Lobun” which agency possessor of the market. Most of the villages as well as hamlets inwards Ondo governance started as farming settlements or marketplace places. Johnson pointed out that the principal marketplace of the town is ever inwards the centre of the town as well as inwards forepart of the theatre of the main ruler.
This ruler is without an exception as well as hence the term “Oloja” (the 1 who has the market) is used as a generic term or championship for all main rulers of towns, live he a King or a “Bale”. It appears Ondo is an exception since the marketplace is far from the palace center. Nevertheless, this does non dominion out the fact that the marketplace is an establishment inwards Ondo Kingship structure. As before pointed out, the mere fact that an of import establishment is brought nether the leadership of a woman, shows that Ondo kingdom recognizes the role of women inwards the social as well as economical evolution of the town. This establishment of making a adult woman the “Lobun” i.e. 1 that has jurisdiction over the markets, portrays a important distinction betwixt Ondo as well as the ease of Yorubaland.
In improver to the inwards a higher topographic point trading activities of Ondo people, they are also engaged inwards many other occupations though these are restricted to men only as well as inwards most cases limited to specific ancestries.
It is worthy of banking concern bill to consider that women have got been making valuable contributions to the evolution of Ondo since the creation of the town over 500 years ago. In fact, the story of Ondo cannot live completed without mentioning Oba Pupupu, a adult woman as well as the initiatory off Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom who reign betwixt 1510-1530 A.D. Besides, the tape set past times this legendary woman individual Monarch, in that location was also the history of a adult woman warrior called Yeye Taagba whose traditional herbalist medicinal prowess was said to have got played important role inwards retention of the introduce Ondo Kingdom from the hands of external aggressors who were troubling the town during her time. There is also the history of "Yeye Gbanejoke", a prominent successful businesswoman mogul, slave merchandise merchant as well as the initiatory off ever richest Ondo adult woman inwards the history of Ondo Kingdom who acquired the vast bulk of Ondo landscape as well as till today her generation enjoys the most recognized pop as well as famous household unit of measurement championship call as Gbanejoke (omo gbesokun).
Notwithstanding, the achievements of these iii legends recognized above, the introduce generation of women inwards Ondo have got been making meaningful contributions to the evolution of the Kingdom. While some have got excelled inwards their chosen profession as well as has brought honour to the town through this, some have got ventured into businesses as well as other areas commonly dominated past times the men to brand their presence felt. Again, some other expanse where the industrious instincts of the Ondo women are farther demonstrated is inwards their wish to ain properties similar their manlike individual counterparts. It is hence non an exaggeration to assert that women inwards Ondo Kingdom have got at to the lowest degree iii out of every 10 houses inwards the town. Therefore, when viewed against this background, it is non an understatement to say that women have got made some positive contributions to the social-economic evolution of the town which is visible as well as could just live described as an enduring legacy.
ordinarily starts from home, for instance inwards the preparation of the woman individual child. An Ondo adult woman would ensure that attitudes such as cleanliness, hard-work, as well as patience amongst others are imposed inwards the minds of their woman individual children to gear upwards them for the hereafter roles of theatre wives. Hence, before getting married, an Ondo fille is ordinarily given some tasks to send out at topographic point such as sweeping, cleaning, cooking as well as fetching of H2O amongst other domestic chores. Besides, she is also tutored on some social as well as cultural values similar greetings, dressings as well as paying honor to elders to cite a few. In the same vein, the manlike individual children are also given preparation inwards some cultural as well as social values to gear upwards them for hereafter challenges as husbands. However, within the context of what has been written above, 1 particular attribute for which Ondo women are noted for is the role they play inwards the didactics of their children.
It is a mutual do to banking concern bill that greater percentages of Ondo women are willing to sell their possessions for the uncomplicated argue of educating their children than owing stuff things. They would ever live heard singing “ere omo mi o, ma je na le o” (meaning I volition invest on my children to relish inwards my old age). Perhaps, this is responsible for the high flat of educational attainment as well as socialization for which the people of Ondo people are noted. In the same vein, early on childhood training, the Ondo children are exposed to past times their mothers could live responsible for the depression charge per unit of measurement of juvenile delinquencies inwards the town as well as hence the relative peace pervading therein despite the rapid changes inwards its social as well as economical status. Before the advent of civilization, it is to a greater extent than often than non regarded as an abomination for an Ondo individual to acquire convicted as well as sent to prison. Anyone who has the misfortune of beingness convicted would live ostracized past times the people who would wish to have got whatever interaction with such persons. The province of affairs was so serious to the extent that a convicted individual may uncovering it hard to integrate within the surroundings fifty-fifty after serving his/her jail term. He or she may sometimes uncovering it hard to espouse or bestowed with topographic point of authorization inwards the town.
Those were the fourth dimension when the values scheme was held inwards highest esteem as well as mothers were actively involved inwards the activities that would assist to mould the grapheme of their children. Hence mothers inwards Ondo Kingdom as well as then were playing significant, legislative, executive as well as judicial roles inwards the family. In fact the past times children who grew upwards inwards Ondo whether manlike individual or woman individual ordinarily dread the presence of their mothers than their fathers because of what they regard as highhandedness on the component subdivision of their mothers who would spare no fourth dimension to spank them if they failed to empathize the message passed across which were transmitted as well as then through the utilisation of 1 of the crudest as well as easiest ways of preparation that was the utilisation of the senses (i.e. eyes, legs, fingers as well as hands) as well as sometimes through folklore as well as tales. In fact, it is to a greater extent than often than non believed amongst the Ondos inwards the past times that a true boy as well as fille of the town who inwards local palace are called Omoloore Ondo literally interpreted as a good behaved Ondo sons or daughters should non live involved inwards whatever thing that could tarnish the call of his/her household unit of measurement past times going to prison. Mothers inwards Ondo are ever inwards vanguard of those who would ever ensure that their children are non involved inwards whatever offense that would convey the household unit of measurement call into disrepute. I would nonetheless non dissipate much liberate energy on the olden days method adopted past times Ondo women for preparation of their children but would rather concentrate on the patch of study thing of this discourse past times identifying the diverse contributions made past times some women of Ondo extraction to the evolution of their biological home.
Political system
The scheme of authorities inwards Ondo Kingdom is a rather an interesting one. The focus is centralized on the election of a divine kingship. The king’s status is a hereditary 1 as well as it rotates amongst 5 genealogies namely Arilekolasi, Jisomosun, Aroworayi, Jilo as well as Fidipote. The king’s authorization is partly derived through the legendary fore-parent, that is, Oba Pupupu who was the fille of Oduduwa, the founder of the Yoruba race. According to Olupona, the iii indigenous ethnic groups, namely Ifore, Idoko as well as Oka people surrendered to the newcomers without whatever fight. It was also noted “all rights as well as privileges pertaining to the territory were readily ceded to the newcomers”. This give upwards was re-enacted past times the Oloja of Ifore to the Osemawe of Ondo during which the Oloja made a pledge. In return, the Osemawe conceded to the Oloja of Idoko the command of that portion of the terra firma i.e. Idoko ward. The Osemawe as a manlike individual monarch wears a beaded-crown, which to him, inwards mutual with some other Yoruba kings, is the most valued possession because it is a symbol of his link with Oduduwa. According to a Yoruba myth, Oduduwa gave beaded crowns to his children as they departed from Ile-Ife to their diverse kingdoms. Hence, the possession of these beaded crowns from Oduduwa signifies authorization as well as seniority amongst the many Yoruba Obas who reign today. The sacred staff of business office (opa oye) is an innovation lay forrad past times the colonial government. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 staff of business office was presented to the Osemawe as a symbol of the government’s acknowledgement as well as sanction of his rule.
Ondo people celebrating Ekimogun day
According to Olupona, the Osemawe governs through the establishment of chieftaincy that is organized hierarchically. The initiatory off hierarchy is the council of 5 senior chiefs who are referred to as Eghae (the Oba’s council). These high chiefs are inwards monastic enjoin of seniority Lisa, Jomu, Odunwo, Sasere as well as Adaja as well as of course, the Osemawe as the overall head. They are ordinarily referred to as Eghaafa mefa, because they are vi inwards number; the Osemawe inclusive.
Each of these chiefs has both ritual as well as social functions to perform on behalf of the Oba. They are paired upwards for these purposes. The initiatory off pair is Lisa as well as Jomu as well as Sasere as well as Adaja is some other group. The large umbrella (abuada oba) is the most visible indicator of the Oba’s presence. These high chiefs wearable coral beads on their wrists as well as ankles. The most of import symbol of authorization of an Eghae is the sacred drum called Ugbaji. This drum is symbolic inwards the sense that during whatever ritual performed inwards the theatre of the chief, the drum volition live marked with white as well as cherry-red chalk, after which a prayer is offered, the Oba’s as good as the particular chief. The Eghae dances to the melody of ugbaji during whatever celebration that signifies the authorization as well as ability he possesses.
Eghae is the highest chieftaincy championship whatever Ondo citizen tin can mayhap attain as well as tin can only live attained if he has previously taken a less dignifying chieftaincy title. Lisa is the 2d inwards command to the Osemawe out of the 5 Eghae chiefs. The topographic point of Jomu is a hereditary 1 as well as it is the 3rd inwards rank to the Oba. The Eghae are responsible to the Oba as well as they, (including the Oba himself) constitute the legislative council, which has the ability to either enact or repeal laws. They tin can live likened to the “Judicial Committee of the House of Lords”
The Ekule, who number seven, are the next degree of chiefs, lower inwards rank than the Eghae. They are grouped inwards the next order: Odofin, Arogbo, Logbosere, Odofindi, Sagwe, Sara as well as Olotu-Omoba. The initiatory off iv are deputies to the Eghae chiefs. They are responsible to Eghae as well as also perform other functions for the kingdom. These include serving as treasurer as well as recorder, heading the lower courtroom that takes attention of smaller judicial cases as well as taking accuse of palace stewards. Each of these lesser chiefs is assigned specific duties to perform. The details of these duties volition non live discussed inwards this study. It suffices to banking concern bill nonetheless that the activities of the chiefs are good coordinated for effective governance.
The finally grouping of secular main is Elegbe. These are the lowest chieftaincy titled citizens. They are 15 inwards number; they are responsible for the safety of the town, as well as for maintaining law as well as order.
High main as well as Lisa of Ondo kingdom
The “Alaworo” priest chiefs are the next grouping of leaders inwards Ondo. These are largely heads of local, pre-Oduduwa groups who are at nowadays inwards a topographic point of “ritual superiority” over the newcomers. The members inwards this grouping are Oloja Oke-Idoko; Ekiri of Ifore, Sora as well as Akunnara. Sora as well as Akunnara are 0ramfe priests. All these titles are hereditary as well as candidates are elected from the household unit of measurement concerned. It is noteworthy that women characteristic prominently inwards the social as well as economical evolution of Ondo kingdom. There are for example, woman individual chiefs referred to as “Opoji”. They are hierarchical also similar their manlike individual counterparts. The highest woman individual main is Lobun. It is the most esteemed championship inwards Ondo. This business office is surrounded with mysteries as well as taboos. As before mentioned inwards this chapter, the initiatory off Oba inwards Ondo was a woman individual (Oba Pupupu). Although a determination had been made never to have got a woman individual ruler again, women nevertheless are entitled to have got a woman individual leader, Lobun, who is also referred as “Oba Obirin” (woman king). Lobun agency the possessor of the market.
This championship shows the of import topographic point of the marketplace as well as of merchandise amongst Ondo women toward economical development.
The Lobun’s major responsibleness is the installation of a novel king. She is also inwards accuse of Ondo markets as good as the priestess Aje (god of wealth as well as prosperity). It is the responsibleness of Lobun to opened upwards novel markets as well as perform necessary ceremonial rites that pertain to this. As before noted, many mysteries as well as taboos surround the championship as well as this makes it extremely hard to acquire a replacement when the topographic point is vacant. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 real important norm regarding the topographic point is that whenever a Lobun dies, a replacement cannot live made until the reigning Oba dies. The new
Lobun is elected for the main purpose of installing the Oba. This evolution must have got accounted for the difficulty encountered inwards finding a replacement for the topographic point after the demise of the Lobun.
Olupona noted, “Once a Lobun is appointed, it is forbidden for her to engage inwards whatever domestic duties. She may non measuring on an unswept flooring early on inwards the morn as well as she may non swallow whatever nutrient prepared the previous day” 8. The keeping of her “holiness” is that the town must cater for her throughout the flow of her reign. What a privileged position!
Like their manlike individual counterparts, the women have got a council comprising Lisa- Lobun, Jomu-Lobun, Orangun-Lobun, Sasere-Lobun as well as Adafin. There are other woman individual chiefs of lower grades. These are Odofin-Lobun, Ogede-Lobun, Sama-Lobun as well as Awoye-Lobun. The Eghae has the responsibleness of selecting Lobun spell the high woman individual chiefs elect the other woman individual chiefs. These appointments, however, are patch of study to blessing of the Oba through main Sasere.
Ondo Social construction (Social life)
It is of import to hash out aspects of the social life of the Ondo people inwards monastic enjoin to provide a comprehensive background as well as relevant context for a meaningful investigation into the words of wisdom inwards Ondo culture.
The clannish spirit permeates the pump as well as core of the social life amongst the Ondo. Thus the interdependence of relatives, brothers as well as sisters, members of the nuclear as well as the extended household unit of measurement is the dominion rather than the exception. At the micro level, the people are organized into chemical compound consisting of nuclear as well as extended families. Each chemical compound has a caput that, inwards most cases, is the oldest homo inwards the compound. Each married adult woman inwards the chemical compound prepares nutrient for her hubby as well as children spell the single adult males inwards the chemical compound take 1 of the wives of the caput to human activity as his mother.
At the macro level, the compounds are organized into wards or quarters headed past times whatever 1 amongst the next political, traditional as well as administrative groups; the Eghaafa (the 5 most powerful high chiefs/king-makers as well as the king); the Ekunle (the 8 chiefs next inwards seniority to the Eghaafa) or a fellow member of the Elegbe (Ayadi Company) who brand upwards the traditional police clitoris forcefulness as well as charged with the responsibleness of maintaining the peace as well as safety of Ondo town.
The other towns as well as villages exterior Ondo kingdom but within the jurisdiction of the Osemawe, are also organized nether the supervision of less senior chiefs called Baale who pay regular homage to the Oba of Ondoland.
The Kinship System
It is of import to explicate some key price that are relevant to the kinship scheme amongst the Ondo people. The Ondo people often brand a clear-cut distinction betwixt 2 consanguinal relationships, namely Omiba, the paternal relations as well as omiye, the maternal relations. Omiba is hardly used past times the Ondo people. But it is to a greater extent than mutual inwards Ile-Oluji. Nevertheless paternal as well as maternal kins are as of import inwards the life of the Ondo people, hence the owe Ondo:
"E e n’aka’ba da ma nen t’iye” (It is non possible to have got paternal kinship without maternal kinship)
Bai is some other of import term past times which a kid calls his/her manlike individual parent or whatever adult manlike individual of almost his father’s historic flow as well as above. Bai, which agency “my father”, carries the connotation of honor inwards Ondo culture. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 kid refers to his granddaddy as Bamagba, that is, my older father. Yei is the term that refers to “my mother”. Yemagba or Yemlila agency my grandmother.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 senior sibling inwards the household unit of measurement is designated as egin. This championship is often joined to the call of the senior sibling, for instance Egin Dupe that is my senior sis Dupe. Egin applies to both manlike individual as well as woman individual senior siblings. This term tin can as apply to senior cousins or other unrelated senior males as well as females. Very often the words anti as well as buoda coined from the English linguistic communication words “aunt” as well as “brother” are used to designate a senior sis or brother. It is non uncommon to uncovering that Ondo people inwards places beyond Ondo town, e.g. Ibadan, Lagos, Kano, Jos are often referred to as well as fifty-fifty nick-named Egin to distinguish them from other Yoruba.
Perhaps the aspect of social organisation of the Ondo people that has received considerable attending as well as study amongst researchers is the kinship system. The works of Lloyd (1962, 1968 as well as 1970) as well as those of Bender (1970, 1972) as good as Eades (1980) on this patch of study are quite revealing having substantially added to our knowledge on this subject. However, the positions held past times these scholars on the patch of study are divergent.
Lloyd contends that the Yoruba civilisation is quite heterogeneous as evidenced past times the important differences betwixt the diverse ethnic groups. This anthropologist farther opined that differences be betwixt the descent systems of the southern as well as northern Yoruba kingdoms. While the descent scheme of the northern kingdoms is agnatic, that is patrilineal, the southern Yoruba kingdoms of Ondo as well as Ijebu operate the cognatic descent system, inwards which the descent of an private tin can live traced through his ancestor inwards “both manlike individual as well as woman individual lines” . This agency that spell an private inwards the northern kingdom tin can topographic point with only 1 descent group, the
cognatic scheme of the due south to which Ondo belongs allows 1 to topographic point with to a greater extent than than 1 descent group.
On the other hand, Bender is of the stance that the Ondo people have got non only real distinct patrilineal descent groups but are also characterised past times Patrilineal convictions, beliefs as well as philosophy.10 This is because a typical Ondo private “claims membership inwards his/her father’s descent group”11. For example, an private who for whatever argue brings disgrace, dishonour or disrepute on his people or household unit of measurement is often lampooned, criticized as well as rebuked with the proverb: O m’owo osi juwe ’li ba e, which agency the private has described the management to his father’s theatre with the left hand. This is a real disgraceful as well as disrespectful human activity inwards Ondo culture.
Having evaluated the theoretical as well as methodological ground of Lloyd’s as well as Bender’s positions, Eades proposes that the kinship scheme found amongst the different Yoruba ethnic groups is a bilateral arrangement. But, the emphasis is on the patrilineal pattern. This researcher associates with the stance that the Ondo kinship scheme is bilateral for iv reasons, 2 of which are enshrined inwards the words of wisdom of the people. First, the Ondo value, honor as well as appreciate both their Omiye as well as Omiba as well as indeed, their lineage. Hence they lay inwards topographic point arrangements such as annual or biannual
meetings (upade ebi) to ensure cooperation as well as unity on matters of mutual interest. Such meetings are of 2 categories namely upade ebi otun which agency a coming together of the relations on the right side, that is, one’s father’s relations; as well as the upade ebi osi, which agency a coming together of the relations on the left side, that is, one’s mother’s relations. In addition, the recognition of this bilateral organisation is reflected inwards the roles as well as responsibilities, which one’s ebi plays during important
celebrations such as marriages as well as funeral ceremonies. The cooperation as well as assistance which these meetings homecoming their members often evoke the wise saying: "Ebi ma yon, which means, “one’s relations are sweet”, (that is associating with one’s ebi is a sweet, joyous as well as pleasant experience). This is because one’s burden becomes lighter when one’s relations shoulder it collectively. This saying is corroborated past times yet some other proverb: Onen i yeye yon, sugbon u jeun nwon ke? Which agency a large number of people is helpful but how almost their feeding?
Secondly, in that location is a maxim that warns or cautions against the neglect of either one’s maternal or paternal lineage: E e n’aka’ba da ma nen t’iye. This means, “one cannot have got his father’s mitt (lineage) without having his mother’s hand”(lineage) inwards other words, 1 does non have got a paternal kin without a maternal kin. Thirdly, Ebi Mode inwards Ondo, the origin of the Awosika lineage is traceable to a woman. Hence as Bender rightly pointed out, the occurrence of a woman individual progenitor of Ondo lineages is non a rare event.
Fourthly, the emphasis on patrilineal inwards Ondo kinship ideology, may live connected with the palace coup d’etat inwards which the initiatory off adult woman Oba of Ondo land, Oba Pupupu, was replaced with manlike individual monarch Airo, the initiatory off manlike individual Oba of Ondo. Airo agency a substitute or a replacement. Although this shift inwards the Ondo kingship pattern took topographic point several centuries ago, the Lobun stool, a real powerful, highly respected as well as enviable ruling house, soundless exists vibrating inwards the Ondo civilisation today inwards spite of the
vicissitudes of the long, distant past.
Lobun is soundless referred to as the “Oba Obirin” (the adult woman king) inwards Ondo. The Lobun stool exercises such an enormous ritual ability inwards Ondo civilisation that the Lobun is seen as a “king” inwards her ain right as well as that without Lobun, no manlike individual monarch of Ondo terra firma tin can live installed. In addition, “it is a fille of the Lobun or a adult woman within the lineage that succeeds her”. Her ability as well as significance inwards Ondo civilisation is often reflected inwards a rhetorical inquiry often asked to caution pride or rebuke arrogance inwards a girl/woman: We de se Lobun i? Are you lot Lobun, the adult woman king? Or how come, you lot are arrogating to yourself the importance of manlike individual monarch Lobun?
The inwards a higher topographic point kinship-related proverbs, the significance of upade ebi inwards Ondo culture, the Ebi Mode instance coupled with the power, honour as well as ritual significance attached to the Lobun institution, collectively recognize, authenticate as well as back upwards the bilateral nature of Ondo kinship system.
The Lineage as well as Family Pattern
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 real of import social unit of measurement inwards Ondo is the lineage grouping or edili. Edili is a descent grouping which is made upwards of household unit of measurement members who tin can draw their origin to the founder of the lineage called Baba nla, “through a line of manlike individual descendants.” The household unit of measurement lineage occupies a real of import topographic point inwards Ondo culture. It is considered an of import ground for the naming of children e.g. Edileola, which agency “a wealthy lineage” as well as for identification purposes e.g. Edili Awosika, Edili Jilo to call just a few.
The lineage consists of household unit of measurement units called uli. And uli is a household unit of measurement chemical compound unit of measurement that is made upwards of a father, his married adult woman (ves), children as well as immediate relations. To qualify for the membership, rights as well as privileges of an uli, a kid must live born there. Being born inwards 1 of the Ulis that brand upwards the edili qualifies the kid to all the rights as well as privileges of the edili.
The oldest fellow member of the edili is the Bab ’agba, who is the Chief Administrator of the lineage who holds intact as well as maintains the necktie of kinship called “Okun Ebi” or the kinship bond. The genealogical bond betwixt 1 fellow member of the lineage as well as some other is called ajobi. This bond is regarded as a most of import link of trust. It is non uncommon for the Ondo people to pray or swear inwards the call of their ajobi either to give validity to a statement, pledge or hope or to assure their audience that in that location volition live no breach of trust. Today, however, this lineage bond appears to live weakening because of the formation of novel social ties exterior the
lineage. This decline of ajobi is vividly captured inwards the next Ondo proverb:
E i s’alajobi mo, alajogbe o ku i i. (There is no longer a kinship bond, what is left is
co- residence bond.)
Ondo people
The Marriage Practices/Ceremonies.
Marriage is a real of import turning dot inwards the life of a immature homo or woman. At marriage, the bride as well as the groom take independence from their parents to flora a topographic point of their own. It is an chance for the bride as well as the groom to present their neighbours how goodness ambassadors they are of their respective homes. Though matrimony confers independence on the newly married, the cultural norms require that the homo as well as the adult woman consider themselves as members of their respective families.
Marriage is seen as an of import bond of friendship as well as cooperation betwixt the household unit of measurement of the bride as well as that of the groom. Ondo people do an exogamous pattern of marriage. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 homo or a adult woman cannot espouse within his/her lineage. Inbreeding is frowned at. To avoid this as well as other
problems, the parents of the 2 parties ordinarily send out intensive investigations to determine:
(i) if the bride as well as groom to live are related;
(ii) if in that location is whatever history of barrenness inwards either the husband’s or wife’s lineage;
(iii) if in that location is whatever history of insanity inwards whatever of the 2 lineages;
(iv) if in that location is whatever known hereditary diseases inwards whatever of the 2 lineages, such as
epilepsy.
Consent to proceed with the matrimony may non live given past times either of the 2 parents unless they are sufficiently satisfied with the outcome of their investigations.
The preparation of the maid for matrimony starts wit h the “Obitun” festival. Obitun is an initiation ceremony for girls who had attained the historic flow of puberty. The purposes are to purge the maid of whatever evil influences or curse with which she mightiness have got been afflicted as well as to denote to the community that she is at nowadays ready for marriage.
The Obitun festival lasts for ix days as well as it is ordinarily scheduled to coincide with the installation of a chief. During the initiatory off day, the maid is confined to the house. But inwards the eve of each subsequent day, she dances as well as s ings at her topographic point inwards the companionship of her friends as well as co-obituns. But on the 9th day, the Obitun dresses inwards a three-piece aso oke as well as beads worn circular her cervix as well as waist, dances circular the town inwards the companionship of her friends. At puberty, the boys perform the less elaborate Aapon rites. The Aapon wears beads as well as cowry around his cervix for 7 days.
In improver to the inwards a higher topographic point measure type of marriage, the other type of marriage, which is mutual amongst the traditional Ondo people, is the levirate. Two kinds of levirate practices exist. These are the anticipatory levirate as well as the post humus levirate. The anticipatory levirate involves the human activity of secretly inheriting the married adult woman of an old homo when he is soundless live past times either 1 of his mature sons or his brother. Whenever the old homo dies, the human relationship is regularized.
In the post-humous levirate, the boy or blood brother of a deceased man, based on understanding as well as selection pairs with the married adult woman or 1 of the wives of the deceased to live a matrimonial life along with his ain legitimate married adult woman (wives). The primary purpose of the levirate establishment is to provide back upwards as well as fellowship for the household unit of measurement of the deceased.
Funeral ceremony
The demise of a household unit of measurement member, immature or old, is ordinarily greeted with sorrow. Even though Ondo people believe that decease is a necessary halt as well as that it volition come upwards when it volition come, they do non similar losing whatever fellow member of their family. This goes a long way to present the kinship affinity. It is believed that no thing how old a relation is; he or she has an of import role to play inwards one’s life. Hence death, though a natural phenomenon, Ondo people uncovering it hard to take its reality.
The Funeral Service for the tardily woman parent of Ondo First Lady, Chief (Mrs) Modupe Adeniyi, at St Stephen's Cathedral, Ondo,
When a individual dies inwards Ondo, especially a immature person, such decease is received with suspicion. The initiatory off reaction would live a suspicious outcry of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 an ma po o o o! i.e. they have got killed him or her. The relatives would similar to uncovering out if inwards fact, the deceased did indeed pop off a natural death. They would move to Ifa diviner to uncovering out the drive of the death.
It is pertinent to banking concern bill hither that when a immature individual dies, he or she is buried without whatever delay. Moreover, when an elderly individual dies, the decease is announced to all as well as sundry past times dancing circular the town. This is called iyaghayogho inwards Ondo language. The eldest boy of the deceased brings a goat, which is slaughtered at the topographic point where the corpse is given the finally bath. This is called ibugwe. The corpse is thereafter dressed as well as laid- in-state. Later the corpse is lay inwards an expensive coffin and
taken to the finally resting-place, ordinarily inwards a room inwards the house.
Burial ceremony is an expensive lawsuit inwards Ondo culture. The expenses acquire to a greater extent than outrageous especially when the deceased is a Chief. The tidings volition have got to live broken to the Oba with some gifts after which in that location would live dancing circular the town for ix days, performing rituals.
The maternal relations of the deceased are responsible for the provision of the coffin. The husbands of the daughters of the deceased take accuse of the digging of the grave spell the eldest fille brings a caprine animal as well as 30 wraps of pounded yam, N20.00 as well as a keg of palm vino ordinarily undiluted with water. Each of the husbands of all the married daughters of the deceased convey 20 wraps of pounded yam as well as a keg of undiluted palm vino each. The manlike individual members of the deceased’s household unit of measurement grouping themselves as well as each grouping buys a caprine animal as well as sanyan (a type of woven material) or almost 10 yards of stuff for dressing the deceased.
On the 3rd as well as 7th 24-hour interval after burial, the household unit of measurement members brand supplications for the deceased. There is ordinarily eating as well as merry making. Traditionally, edible bean cakes (akara) are served around the neighbourhood. On the finally 24-hour interval of celebration, that is the 8th day, the household unit of measurement members trip the calorie-free fantastic toe circular the town as well as after converge at topographic point to move on with the feasting. On the morn of the 9th day, in that location is a household unit of measurement coming together during which the inventory of all the deceased’s belongings is taken. This is shared at a convenient engagement amongst all members of the family.
The widow(s) of the deceased ordinarily maintain vigil throughout the nighttime of the 7th 24-hour interval amidst singing as well as drumming. In the middle of the night, the widows move through a serial of rituals, an of import 1 of which includes bathing. It is believed that these rituals volition protect them from the spirit of their hubby who hovers around them. The widows clothes inwards white as well as volition remain indoors for iii months or ix months inwards the instance of high Chief.
RELIGION
Idowu observed that:
"Religion is real much as well as ever with us. It is with us at every instant of life
– inwards our innermost beings as well as with regard to the bully or pocket-sized events of life;
it is discussed daily inwards the newspapers, through the radio as well as television, it is
with all of us inevitably whatever may live our private avowed mental attitude to
it."
The inwards a higher topographic point observation is real true of the Ondo people. Religion has been a component subdivision of the people from fourth dimension immemorial. Religion is the pump of life of the people as well as forms the ground as good as all-guiding principles of the life of the people. As rightly pointed out past times Odumuyiwa “with the Yoruba (Ondo), morality is sure the fruit of religion”. Among the Ondo as amongst other Yoruba communities, man’s grapheme is of supreme value. Hence the saying Iwa l’ewa omo enia – grapheme is the beauty of the human being. Ondo people topographic point bully emphasis on character. For them, character
agency honesty, truthfulness, as well as chastity before marriage, responsibility, generosity, hospitality as well as the other virtues. Ondo people covert these virtues whereas they severely condemn stealing, falsehood, hypocrisy as well as all the other vices. This is because:
"The sense of obligation to do, that which is believed to live right, is inwards fact, the
pressure level of God upon every human life. God is made known to all men, even
though they may non have got learned to telephone retrieve Him God, (or may turn down to) and
obedience to the behest of their conscience is the essential status of growth
inwards the knowledge of God."
There are iii major religious groups inwards Ondo today: the traditionalists, the Christians as well as the Muslims.
Traditional Religion
The Ondo people, similar other Yoruba ethnic groups, believe inwards the Supreme Being from whom all creation originates. He is recognized as “Olorun”. He is seen as the Lord of the heavens as well as as the presiding deity of the Ondo people. He is the writer of sky as well as earth, the source of all lives as well as the outflow from which men have their spirit. But this Supreme Being is a distant deity of vague personality inwards 1 sense. But inwards some other sense, he is omnipresent. Sacrifices are seldom offered to him directly. Yet, he is the receiver of all sacrifices.
Ondo people emphasized the unique status of “Olorun”. He is recognized as the caput to whom all ability as well as authorization belong as well as all honour is due to him. Olorun or Olodunmare is unique. He is non 1 amongst many but His supremacy is total. His ultimate pre-eminence is confirmed because things come about only when he approves as well as if he does non approve, nil comes to pass. Hence the Ondo/Yoruba saying: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 dun un se bi ohun t’ Olorun fe, a so ro o se bi ohun ti Olorun o fe – As slowly to send out as what God desires, as well as as hard to send out as what God does non approve of. Ondo people, similar other Yoruba ethnic groups, have got many deities that they regard as messengers of “Olorun”. They believe that since it is non possible to consider God owing to the distance betwixt Him as well as humans, sacrifices could live made through the smaller deities to Him. Among the deities worshipped inwards Ondo are Ifa, Sango as well as Ogun, to cite just a few. But the most pop is Ogun. We shall focus attending on Ogun worship as a pop faith inwards Yorubaland inwards full general as well as inwards Ondo, inwards particular. Nevertheless, it volition live necessary to highlight the origin of Ogun inwards monastic enjoin to
enrich our knowledge of this deity.
Origin of Ogun
Many myths as well as legends be as to the origin of Ogun. Much of the knowledge of the deity is based on the fact that he was 1 of the earliest divinities. He loved hunting as well as was referred to as “Osin-Imole”, that is, the Chief amongst the divinities. He cleared the thick impenetrable way with his Fe implements for other the divinities when he was coming from sky to possess the earth. Being a ruthless deity, he lived inwards seclusion at the top of the colina where he went almost hunting. Tired of secluded life, he decided to move for a settled life, which he had rejected before on. He came downward from the hilltop inwards a garment of burn as well as blood but could non uncovering an abode inwards whatever community. So he borrowed fronds from the palm-tree as well as headed for Ire where he was made king. Hence, the call Ogun Onire (Ogun, the Lord of Ire) was given to him.
The Christian Religion
The history of Ondo witnessed a important plough during the 2d one-half of the 19th century because the events that took topographic point had a far- fetching effect on the conversion process. The prolonged Yoruba civil state of war of the 19th century had serious touching on on Ondo as well as her people. There was an internal crisis inwards Ondo, which led to a total breakdown of law as well as order. This crisis gave Ile-Ife warlords the chance to bring together hands with the town’s dissenting forces to convey an halt to O ndo’s autonomy. The people fled to different places until 1872 when the British authorities sent captain
Goldsworth to lay an halt to the civil strife, restored peace as well as also restored Oba Jimekun to the throne as well as encouraged the people to homecoming home.
The British did all these with the intent of creating merchandise route past times ocean as well as past times terra firma through Ondo to the other Yoruba hinterlands, thereby avoiding the danger precipitated past times the escalating Yoruba civil war. Ondo was, as far as the Christian faith was concerned, a terra incognita as well as hence Goldsworth conceived the thought of having a Christian mission inwards Ondo. So, on March 29, 1875, David Hinderer, Hunsi Wright as well as William Dada opened a Christian mission post. Rev. Phillip was the missionary inwards accuse of Ondo, preaching inwards whatever available opened upwards infinite including the Oba’s palace as well as C hief’s compounds.
Nevertheless, this does non hateful that conversion was sailing smoothly inwards Ondo. No, it did run into some resistance especially after the people realized that the Church was having a negative touching on on their traditional beliefs as well as practices. They refused to give terra firma for Church buildings. However, owing to Philip’s display of diplomacy, he was able to overcome the obstacle. The initiatory off Church was dedicated on 3rd May 1881. Thus Ondo became a relatively potent mission pump with schools built to educate the children as well as converts. No wonder then, Ondo people are highly educated. Today, in that location is hardly whatever street inwards Ondo where 1 volition non uncovering a professor. Ondo people viewed the coming of Christianity as an of import turning dot inwards their lives. The forced exile for 30 years had a devastating effect on their morale. With the advent of Christianity, in that location was social restoration as well as lasting peace.
It is no wonder as well as then that Ondo people have got their ain ethnical canticle that expresses the unique experiences, inwards Ondo history. While the tribal canticle of other Yoruba subgroups are grounded on folk beliefs as well as traditional experience, Ondo’s canticle is based on the conversion experience; an sense defined as a novel life nether the banners of Christianity:
Bi ola, bi ola oo Luxuriant, colourful as well as majestic
Adodo fusi s’eti omi Like the bloom blooming past times the river bank
Jesu ma fusi s’ Ondo So did Jesus (Christianity) flourish on Ondo soil.
Ola ma ti b’okan w’aiye oo ee Greatness is non the preserve of 1 source
Bi ola, bi ola oo Luxuriant, colourful as well as majestic
Adodo fusi s’eti omi As a bloom blossoms past times the river bank
Jesu ma fusi s’Ondo So Jesus has acquire a pride of Ondo town
Ola ma ti t’oke waiye o ee Our prosperity has come upwards from above
Aiye wa sese wa gun oo ee Now our lives are organized.
Islamic Religion
Muslims constitute almost 13% of the total population of the Ondo people whereas Christians constitute 73% as revealed past times the population census of 1952. Gbadamosi notes that the initiatory off tape of the presence of Islam inwards Ondo is contained inwards Phillips’ diary of 26th Nov. 1880.
In comparing with the ascent of Christianity inwards Ondo, the conversion to the Muslim faith was less successful. Muslim traders were in all probability the most important contributors to the increase of Islam inwards Ondo. The Mus lims gained slowly access through the eastern route to Ondo as well as they were able to disseminate Islamic ideas as well as doctrines to the people. It is worthy of banking concern bill that the Muslim traders’ main purpose was business concern but some of the traders considered themselves as instruments of
conversion as well as as Islamic missionaries inwards improver to their normal business concern vocation.
This phenomenon, as revealed inwards Mukti Ali’s observation is non peculiar to Ondo. Says Ali:
"Islam does non preach an exhaustive magical charisma-to borrow Max Weber’s
term –belonging to the priest alone, as Christianity teaches, but it is past times its
nature a missionary community. Because of the expansive missionary nature
of Islam, every Muslim is a propagandist of the faith."
The Ondo high Chiefs played of import roles inwards the spread of Islam. It is interesting to banking concern bill that despite the little numerical strength of the Muslim community inwards Ondo, Christians as well as Muslims are as represented inwards the Chieftain degree because they embraced both religions.
According to Olupona, dissimilar the Christian religion, the Islamic faith did non clash with the already existing socio-cultural ethics as well as norms of the traditional faith inwards Ondo. They were allocated a slice of terra firma where little pox victims were ritually buried. The topographic point was nonetheless purified past times Alfa Alimi. The yr 1888 marked the official start of Islam inwards Ondo. Because this faith did non clash with the traditional religion, it enjoyed the back upwards of the nobles as well as chiefs of Ondo. This gesture enhanced as well as encouraged the full general tolerance of the people. Olupona pointed out that Chiefs Sasere Ayotilerewa Awosika as well as Lisa Anjanu Fawehinmi, though non Muslims directed the course of study of Islam right from its real beginning. These chiefs prepared the ground for the cordial human relationship betwixt Islam as well as the traditional construction inwards Ondo community.
The Ogun Festival inwards Ondo
The Ogun festival is celebrated inwards Ondo betwixt the months of August as well as September every year. According to Olupona the preparation for the festival commences seventeen days before the actual Ogun 24-hour interval at the appearance of the novel moon. At an early on morn ceremony inwards the theatre of Ayadi, the ritual specialist of Ogun populace worship, the upe (a traditional trumpet made from a long gourd) is sounded to notify the people of the on-coming festival. The audio of upe as well as then becomes a mutual characteristic throughout the flow of the festival, which lasts 7 days. The audio of the upe is real important because it carries messages which are sometimes gratuitous as well as at other times abusive from 1 youth to the other.
During the seventeen-day interval, the worshippers of Ogun gather inwards groups to praise the divinity as well as other past times cultural heroes associated with him, such as Jomun Ila.
On a major marketplace day, which is ix days before the festival, the king’s emissary makes the official annunciation of the ceremony. Many activities are ordinarily carried out inwards preparation for the festival, amongst which is the communal clearing of paths as well as the repairing of bridges as well as other footpaths. Five days to the festival, a few households perform a ceremony called aleho.
There are ordinarily iii parts to the ceremony – aisun ogun (night vigil), ogun ale (night ogun) as well as ogun owuo (morning ogun celebration). The procession involves all traditional as well as modern 24-hour interval professionals as well as guilds. Every possible professional person grouping inwards Ondo – such as blacksmiths, medicine men as well as women, drivers, hunters, tailors, barbers, to cite just a few, participate inwards this celebration. The only exceptions are in all probability civil servants as well as white-collar workers. Most of them are ordinarily dressed inwards rags, palm- fronds with their faces as well as bodies smeared with bluish dye, white pulverization as well as or charcoal. Some, however, utilisation that flow to present affluence as well as nobility past times wearing unusually beautiful multicoloured outfits.
The Osemawe is non left out of this festivity. He ordinarily leads the early on morn procession. He wears a beaded crown that covers his whole confront with white sheet tied on his left shoulder over his agbada (flowing gown). Others such the high chiefs, medicine men as well as other trades men follow the king’s procession. Every professional person demonstrates his trade. The most esteemed grouping is the traditional medicine men referred to as oloogun (medicine people). They are attired inwards medicine
garments laced with all kinds of frightening herbal substances. This grouping ordinarily engages immature schoolhouse children to write signposts, which display the call of their pedigree as well as praise names, some with warnings written inwards proverbs as well as the metaphorical magico-medical expertise of the oloogun. This serves as a alert to the full general public. The next are examples of such signposts:
i). Eni ti o ba fi oju ana wo oku
He who looks upon today’s dead with the same eyes that saw the living.
ii). Ebora a bo l’aso.
Will have got his clothe removed past times the spirit.
iii). Ati pe eni ti oju eni ti ju eni lo.
He who is inwards a higher topographic point 1 is inwards a higher topographic point one.
iv). Bi uya lila ba a gbonen sanle.
If 1 is brought downward past times large trouble.
v). Kekee a ka gun oiho onen
Smaller problems come upwards up too.
vi). Opekete ndagba
As the palm-tree grows up,
vii). Inu Adama nbaje
The palm vino tapper becomes sad
viii). Ase i s’amodoun
Many happy returns of this festival
ix). Ogun ye 2d ye
Ogun lives as well as I live too.
When Ayadi ushers Ogun in, he must sacrifice dogs (aja) as well as tortoise (aghon) as well as pour libations at the shrine of Ogun. It is the full general belief inwards Ondo that a domestic dog is Ogun’s favourite meat. Thus during Ogun festival, dogs are ordinarily mercilessly immolated. The Ondo people do non inwards whatever way regard a domestic dog as a pet as the western people do. Ondo people seldom swallow domestic dog meat but they ofttimes sacrifice dogs to appease Ogun. Hence, their neighbours nicknamed them Ondo aj’aja that is, Ondo the domestic dog eater. The sacrifice of dogs is the climax of the ritual as well as past times this, the blood flows
into the shrine.
Ogun is the inwardness of Ondo’s pop faith for many reasons. During O gun festival, every department of the club is represented. It is only during this festival that children, domestic servants, foreigners, artisans, traditional circumcision doctors, religious as well as political authorities perform as devotees of Ogun. As the divinity is tied to professionalism, everybody participates. For example, warriors, blacksmiths, traders as well as fifty-fifty women who hardly participate inwards other Ondo festivals play real important roles inwards these festivities. Certainly, it is a fourth dimension when women-dominated professions such as traditional medical paediatrics (alagbo omode or olomitutu) as well as women’s marketplace associations display their wares as well as advertise their profession.
Furthermore, during this festival, people present their indebtedness to Ogun as the founder of Fe as well as metals, which are essential ingredients for technological development. It should live noted that sacrifices are made to ogun from fourth dimension to time, especially whenever a journeying is going to live undertaken. It is non surprising as well as then that the importance as well as fierceness of ogun is captured inwards this proverb:
“Onen yo ri ibi ogun ti gbe’je de sa eyin jija e fa i”. (Whoever sees ogun where it is taking blood as well as does non run, sure has work with his heels).
It should also live emphasized that Ogun festival serves as an occasion whereby the retentiveness of deceased ancestors as well as cultural heroes are commemorated. The worshippers of Ogun proclaim O gun’s praise-names as follows:
Ogun lakaiye, osin imole
Ogun, the potent 1 of the earth, Chief amongst the deities
Ogun alada meji, ofi okan san’ko, o fi Okan ye’na
Ogun, the possessor of 2 matchets; with 1 he prepares the farm, as well as with
the other he clears the road.
Ojo Ogun nti ori oke bo
The 24-hour interval Ogun was coming downward from the hilltop
Aso ina l’o mu bora, ewu eje l’o wo
He was clothed inwards burn as well as bloodstained garment
Ogun onile owo, olona ola
Ogun, the possessor of the theatre of money, the possessor of the theatre of riches
Ogun onile kangunkangun orun
The possessor of the innumerable houses of heaven
O pon omi s’ile f’eje we
He has H2O inwards the theatre but takes his bathroom with blood
Ogun awon l’eyin ju, egbe lehin omo orukan
Ogun whose eyeballs are rare (to behold), protector of orphans
Ogun m’eje l’ogun mi
There are 7 ogun who belong to me
Ogun Alara ni igba’ja
Ogun of Alara takes dogs,
Ogun Onire a gba’ gbo
Ogun of Onire habitually takes rams
Ogun ikola a gba’ gbin
Ogun of surgery habitually takes snails
Ogun Elemona nii gba esun ’su
Ogun Elemona takes roasted yam
Ogun a ki’run ni iwo agbo
Ogun a ki’run habitually takes ram’s horn
Ogun gbena gbena eran awun nii je
Ogun of the artisans eats the flesh of tortoise
Ogun Makinde ti d’ogun l’ehin odi,
Ogun Makinde has acquire the ogun after the urban center wall
Nje nibo l’ati pade Ogun?
By the way, where did nosotros run into Ogun?
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pade ogun nibi ija.
We met ogun inwards the battlefield
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Pade Ogun nibi ita
We met Ogun at the junction
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pade re nibi agbara eje naa
We also met him at the puddle of blood
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 gbara eje ti i de ni l’orun bi omi ago
The puddle of blood that reaches the cervix similar a loving cup of water
Orisa t’o ni t’ogun ko to nkan,
Whichever divinity regards ogun as of no consequence
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 f’owo je’su re nigba aimoye
Will swallow his yams with his hands (without a knife) times without number.
E ma b’ogun fi ija sere
Do non joke almost state of war with ogun
Ara ogu kan go-go-go-
Ogun is anxiously waiting to strike.
Traditional Games In Ondo Ekimogun Kingdom
There are many ways of passing fourth dimension inwards Ondo Ekimogun Kingdom. Males, Females, Adults, Children as well as the Aged have got their different pastimes. The games adults play are different from those children. While adults ordinarily play Ayo-Lopon game, the children have got as 1 of their favorites, the game Lako.
LAKO: Generally, Lako is both an indoor as well as outdoor game. It is mostly a game played past times immature girls as well as boys betwixt the ages of ix as well as seventeen. Lako tin can live played past times people of the same historic flow grouping as good as mixed. That is a manlike individual as well as a woman individual tin can engage 1 some other inwards playing the game. It is a game that requires high flat of concentration. An private tin can also play it. What is required is a set of either vi pieces of ISE, PALM KERNEL NUTS or PEBBLES each almost the size of a cube of sugar.
The game balls, vi inwards number, must live 1 that a player’s palm tin can obtain as well as hold. In playing Lako, the rounds are determined. Five rounds brand 1 set. The rounds get with the holding all the vi items of game inwards the palm as well as splash-throw them on the play board. The play board is ordinarily on the flooring or on a mat. One of the game’s play items is proven past times the plough players. In the start round, the histrion volition throw the game item on mitt upwards as well as must successfully pick 1 of the 5 game balls as good as grab the 1 thrown up. This, the histrion must repeat 5 times inwards the initiatory off round. If inwards the course of study of the circular or whatever circular at all, the histrion failed to grab or pick without touching some other ball, the histrion is dead set according to the rules of the game. Picking a thrown upwards game ball without touching some other game ball is a picayune fleck difficult. Sometimes when the game is played on a mat, player’s hands must non touching the mat. If the histrion does, he or she volition live defendant of having touched the ball. Often, the game may come upwards to some abrupt halt as a final result of the accusation as well as denials.
The ever vigilant eyes of the histrion next inwards line when the play is dead past times 1 histrion is ever eager to telephone retrieve a play dead with the most picayune error on the component subdivision of a player. In many cases, it is only a 3rd oculus witness that calls the game dead when the contesting players are at logger head. But 1 time a histrion successfully picks the game balls inwards the initiatory off set round, he or she automatically continues to the stage of picking 2 balls at a fourth dimension as well as must live able to grab the ball that has been thrown up. The procedure as well as then goes to catching the upwards ball as well as picking iii balls, as well as also getting to four, as well as 5 balls to halt the initiatory off circular set. At this point, the successful histrion is regarded as having bought a house. The theatre bought is depicted past times a stuff item. The stuff item is what signifies to a spectator mate who is leading the player. Some parents do non allow their children to play Lako with those they consider troublesome or whose parents are troublesome. However, many children do non hear to their parent’s warnings when they are interested inwards playing Lako. Entrepreneur mothers especially do non wish their children to live engage inwards Lako because, their children, rather than move almost their businesses of selling volition either live watching the game or playing it. As a result, they would non have got made the expected sale. Usually, they would live admonished as well as punished.
AYO-LOPON: Ayo-lopon is an old historic flow game that is to a greater extent than often than non played past times males or females adults. Only 2 people tin can play the game at once. The Ayo-lopon which is SEEDING BALLS used for the game is made from special seeds of the rope tree called past times the call given to the game (Ayo). Opon is the call given to the playing board of the game. No less than forty-eight pieces of the Ayo Seeds are required for the games play board. The board is ordinarily almost 1 pes inwards length as well as iii inches inwards breadth. The games board is carved into it a set of vi 2 equal size depth holes facing 1 another. The Ayo Seeds are placed into each of the vi 2 equal size set of holes inwards groups of iv pieces each. This adult game demands as much concentration as the chess or draught games. The attending required inwards this game is quite enormous as well as takes a lot of fourth dimension before a circular game is concluded past times many who are experienced as well as are considered to live masters of the game. In playing the game, the 2 players are ever seated comfortably with the Opon Ayo placed betwixt them with the players sitting inwards a face-face formation.
The Opon Ayo betwixt the players makes a formation of the plus sign of the arithmetic’s tabular array spell the rules of the game are that players get playing clockwise. The histrion makes the start moves inwards the play past times taking whatever of the iv pieces of the Ayo inwards 1 of the vi holes on his or her side of the game board as well as putting each of the Ayo inwards just some other game board hole inwards attempts to flora what is called ODU. Sometime, the displace volition backfire on the histrion setting upwards the strategy because it is a real large gamble. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of strategy moves are planned to live executed inwards the course of study of playing a circular of the game. For the purpose of understanding, in that location is a PLAYER “A” as well as in that location is PLAYER “B”. As a PLAYER “A” makes his or her moves, the moves are pure calculation of what volition live the exact moves of PLAYER “B”. Should PLAYER “B” displace toward directions different from the expectations of the thoughts of PLAYER “A”, as well as then PLAYER “A” must move dorsum to the drawing board of his or her addition of the knowledge as well as sense of PLAYER “B”.
At every measuring of the way inwards the playing of the game of Ayo-Lopon, the thought is to live able to win or capture the most numbers of the Ayo Seeds on the topographic point side of your opponent. Your opponent is also trying to win to a greater extent than of the Seeds on your side each of the Players tin can only win either 2 or iii Seeds at 1 play plough as well as move. For example, if PLAYER “A” has iii Seeds on his or her topographic point side, for that Player to live able to have got a successful play turn, PLAYER “B” must have got at least, 1 Ayo Seed inwards a hole on his or her topographic point side. If this is the case, PLAYER “A” volition halt upwards with at to the lowest degree 2 Seeds to take topographic point from that play turn. Also, if in that location were 2 Seeds there, he or she volition halt upwards winning iii Seeds. But if in that location were already iii Seeds inwards the hole, the play plough is an unsuccessful play turn. No 1 tin can win iv Seeds or 1 Seed. The improve the PLAYERS are non hard to topographic point past times spectators of the homely game. The winner at the halt of each circular of play depicts the looser with an identifying object. Better still, the spectators tin can just adopt the greeting arguing that apply to most adult game play settings MOH KUN TA O agency I greet the play master. It is the master copy hear that ordinarily responds with OTA E JE, OPE LE FOHUN agency the master copy is responding the fools hear cannot respond.
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Ondo women inwards their special occasion dress, courtesy vivimadecreationz
The Ondo kingdom which resides inwards Ondo State is found inwards the modern Akure as well as Obokun Local Government Areas shape its boundary inwards the North spell Ilaje/Eseodo Local Government Areas shape its boundary inwards the South. In the East, it terminates at Owena River, which is inwards the Ifedore Local Government Area as well as inwards the West, the kingdom stretches as far as the Ooni River. In the Southern part, the land, which borders on the creek expanse of Ilaje-Eseodo is low-lying but rises gradually towards the North. Ondo is almost 300 kilometers northeast of Lagos. It is situated inwards a woods part of Nigeria. According to 2006 Population Census data, the number of Ondo people inwards Ondo province is about 3,440,000.
Ondo people playing armpit drums at Ogun festival inwards Ole Oluji inwards Ondo State, Nigeria. Circa 1982. Courtesy Alan Denney
So she left with a large number of friends as well as retinue to the site of the introduce Ode Ondo, as well as then sparsely peopled past times a tribe named Idoko, as well as in that location settled, hence the term " Ondo," signifying the
" Settlers." The people of the district knowing who the strangers were, yielded them ready obedience, as well as the strangers became rulers of the district. Probably it was from this fourth dimension infanticide received its decease blow — inwards Yoruba Proper at least. It is said to linger soundless at Akure as well as the next regions, but as a rule, inwards ancient times, whatever the custom set or discountenanced at the Metropohs, the effect thereof was chop-chop felt all over the country.
The Ondos are sometimes classed amongst the Ekitis but that is hardly right ; although lying at the border of the Ekitis, they are truly a mixture of Qyos as well as Idokos, as well as their sympathy is
with all." (Johnson, 1921).
In the 2d version recorded past times renowned Bini (Edo) historian Egharevba; he traced the origin of the Ondo people to Republic of Benin kingdom. He noted that during the reign of Oba Esigie of Republic of Benin (AD 1504) Aruaran, the King’s blood brother who threatened the throne of Republic of Benin was captured alive. He later committed suicide after an unsuccessful endeavor to escape. The ease of his people were banished from Republic of Benin City. Iyase Osemwugbe, a loyalist to Aruaran decided to avenge the decease of his master copy as well as the humiliation meted on Udo troops past times the Republic of Benin troops. He launched an set on on Republic of Benin Kingdom but he was unsuccessful. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few of them managed to escape to the western side of Benin. The Udo troops were pursued until they surrendered. Osemwugbe surrendered as well as pleaded for mercy. Esigie pardoned them but they were banished. Thus the grouping came to live referred to as Emwa n’Udo (the Udo renegades) inwards Benin. Egharevba farther claimed that Ondo was the contracted shape of Emwa n’Udo spell Osemawe was the corrupted version of Osemwugbe. The Republic of Benin historian supported his claim with the fact that Republic of Benin as well as Ondo people part numerous cultural heritages especially religious as well as ethical practices. Ondo people rejected the inwards a higher topographic point versions outright on the ground that the initiatory off ruler of Ondo terra firma was Oba Pupupu whom documented as well as authenticated history has been identified as 1 of the twin daughters of Oduduwa of Ile-Ife, who was the manlike individual parent of Yoruba race.
Odno men blowing a horn
In the 3rd version, which is also accepted past times all Ondo people as well as was narrated to J. K. Olupona inwards his 1992 study "Kingship, Religion as well as Rituals inwards a Nigerian Community: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Phenomenological Study of Ondo Yoruba Festivals," it was claimed that 1 of Oduduwa’s wives gave nascence to a set of twins inwards Ile-Ife. This, according to Yoruba beliefs was an abomination: "Ese omo re" (what type of unusual children are these?) Because the woman parent of the twins was Oduduwa’s favourite wife, her life as well as those of the set of twins were saved. However, Oduduwa sent them out of the palace with slaves nether the guidance of Ija, a hunter. They arrived at “Igbo-Ijamo” (the forest discovered past times Ija) nigh Ile-Ife as well as they stayed in that location for sometime. Thus component subdivision of the “oriki” (praise names) of the Ondo people include: "Ara Ita jamo. E ki m’ogun, omo alade igbo, iye mu agone ude m’emun," (A native of Ita Jamo, e ki m’ogun, boy of the Prince of the woods who drinks palm-wine from a brass cup.) On the realization that “Igbo Jamo” was unsafe, they continued with their journeying until they got to Epe, a topographic point non far from the introduce Ondo town where Yangede welcomed them.
The novel comers were inwards Epe for many years until a hunter was sent to seem for a to a greater extent than suitable as well as permanent topographic point for the dwelling theatre of the people. As the hunter went almost inwards the bush, he sighted some smoke as well as went towards its direction. He met Ekiri, 1 of the autochthons of the land. Then the hunter went dorsum to Epe as well as informed the people that he had discovered a suitable topographic point of abode. In monastic enjoin to uncovering the prospect of the novel place, Ifa oracle was consulted as well as the oracle instructed that the novel comers should take along a yam stake (edo) as their walking stick. As they displace along wherever the stick does non poke the ground, the people should settle. They moved from Epe as well as proceeded on their journeying according to the instructions of Ifa as well as arrived at the introduce 24-hour interval police clitoris headquarters inwards Ondo, the stake did non poke the ground.
Chief Abdul-Ganiyu "Gani" Oyesola Fawehinmi, (22 Apr 1938 - 5 September 2009), Ondo man, was a Nigerian author, publisher, philanthropist, social critic, human as well as civil rights lawyer, political leader as well as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
In utter amazement, the people exclaimed “Edo du do!” which agency inwards Ondo dialect “the yam stake could non displace into the ground”. Hence the people settled in that location as well as the call Ondo was coined from Edo du do. In fact upwards till today, Ondo is soundless beingness referred as Edo do past times some indigenous Ondo people. Further, Edo (yam stake) is upwards to the introduce day, a real significant component of the cultural inputs inwards yam farming inwards Ondo land. On arrival at Ondo, the novel comers met iii groups of indigenes spread throughout the land. They are Ifore, Idoko as well as Oka. Having recognized the royal characteristic of the novel comers, these indigenous inhabitants conceded the authorization to dominion over the territory to the novel arrivals without whatever struggle. Pupupu, Oduduwa’s twin fille became the initiatory off ruler inwards Ondo. Gradually, the iii original inhabitants imbibed the civilisation of the novel arrivals.
Ondo people of Ile Oluji, Ondo State. Circa 1982. Courtesy Alan Denney
Drumming is a real important component subdivision of Ondo social as well as religious life. It is a hereditary line of piece of work inwards all Yoruba towns, Ondo itself inclusive. Ondo traditions are kept live through their skill. The drummers are referred to as aayan.
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde (oh – m oh – t oh – l ah, born Omotola Jalade; 7 Feb 1978) is a Nigerian actress, singer, philanthropist as well as quondam model of an Ondo descent from Lagos, Nigeria. Since her Nollywood cinema debut inwards 1995, the leading actress has appeared inwards 300 films, selling millions of video copies. After receiving numerous high-profile awards, launching a music career, as well as amassing an enviable fan base, the press has revered the Screen Nation 'Best Actress' as The African Magic. She is the initiatory off African celebrity to have over 1 1 K 1000 likes on her Facebook page.
Cowries abound inwards Ondoland fifty-fifty though its a woods belt. It is said that before the introduction of the European currency, the medium of commutation inwards Ondo was the cowry shells, oho eyo. Cowries are soundless beingness used inwards many parts ofOndo today for ritual purposes. The improvised banking concern of old inwards Ondo was the pot as in that location were no banks inwards those days. The people used to salve their cowries (money) past times putting them inwards pots as well as burying them inwards hush-hush places especially inwards banana plantations. In fact, it has been reported that such savings have got discovered years after the demise of the owner.
Ondo construction is characterized past times the mode inwards which succession to rights is traced non solely or fifty-fifty predominantly inwards the manlike individual line but inwards both manlike individual as well as woman individual lines. Educated Ondo today adopt the personal of the manlike individual parent or paternal granddaddy as their ain surname, as well as think that this surname shall live borne past times their agnatic descendants inwards the English linguistic communication fashion. But, traditionally, the Ondo homo is saluted with oriki (praise names) of as many of the ancestors from whom his descent is recognized, whether inwards manlike individual or woman individual line.
Ondo homo with his typical Ondo facial tribal mark
All Ondo bear the same facial mark-a single stroke on each cheek; some torso markings are given inwards the manlike individual line only-e.g. The iii cuts across the right thorax of the agnatic descendants of the Osemawe. Food taboos are associated non so much with descent groups as with deities. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 homo traditionally worshipped a deity discovered for him Ifa divination as well as non necessarily associated with a descent group.
Chinwe Ifeoma Chukwuogo-Roy MBE, Ondo woman, is a celebrated visual creative individual who was born inwards Ondo Nigeria, as well as spent much of her immature life inwards Ikom on the Republic of Cameroon border before moving dorsum to the household unit of measurement topographic point at Umubele inwards Awka. She lived inwards United Kingdom of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland since 1975. Her paintings, prints as well as sculptures are predominantly figurative, inwards the genres of portraiture, still-life, landscape as well as narrative subjects. She won international attending inwards 2002 for beingness only 1 of 2 Nigerian artists (the other beingness Ben Enwonwu) to have got been allowed to pigment official portraits of Queen Elizabeth II.
Geographical Location
The Ondo kingdom, which is located inwards the tropical pelting woods belt of Nigeria, occupies an expanse on latitude 706’ inwards the North as well as longitude 4050’ inwards the East. The modern Akure as well as Obokun Local Government Areas shape its boundary inwards the North spell Ilaje/Eseodo Local Government Areas shape its boundary inwards the South. In the East, it terminates at Owena River, which is inwards the Ifedore Local Government Area as well as inwards the West, the kingdom stretches as far as the Ooni River.
Ondo city
In the Southern part, the land, which borders on the creek expanse of Ilaje-Eseodo is low-lying but rises gradually towards the North. Ode Ondo is almost 290 metres inwards a higher topographic point ocean level. The bulk of the people reside inwards Ode-Ondo, the upper-case alphabetic quality of the kingdom. Ondo is located inwards the damp tropic within the tropical pelting woods as well as the southeasterly air current blows through the part throughout the improve component subdivision of the year.
The cooler dry out continental air from the due north abounds during the months of December, Jan as well as Feb of the year. There are many valuable timbers inwards the woods such as iroko, mahogany, opepe, afara, obeche, as well as olofun to cite just a few. The large woods reserve occupies over 1000 foursquare kilometres. Almost 23 x 105 cubic metres of timber are harvested annually. Indeed Ondo people are bully farmers. They cultivate nutrient crops such as yams, cassava, maize, cocoyam, rice as well as beans. Ondo elders believe that no terra firma tin can live useless to farmers, hence the proverb: Ale ye san koko, de san koko, a mu gbe ’gbado. The farmland that is neither suitable for cocoa nor cocoyam farming, volition live used to flora corn. The most of import cash crop is cocoa, which covers a massive portion of land. Other cash crops are rubber, coffee, kolanuts as well as palm produce. These collectively constitute the people’s agency of economical support. It is non surprising that because of the importance of cocoa inwards Ondo culture, our elders coined many proverbs on cocoa. Below are a few of such proverbs:
(i) Koko so igi d’eniyan. (Cocoa elevates wood to the status of a human being).
(ii) Koko e da luu, onen lu li koko, lu gbese. (Cocoa prevents 1 from beating him (a cocoa farmer), for whoever beats a cocoa farmer beats debt (incurs a huge debt).
(iii) Aisan buuku s’onen ye nen koko. (A terrible illness besets someone who does non possess cocoa farm.)
Language
Ondo people speaks a unique South-East Yoruba (SEY) dialect of Yoruba linguistic communication that belongs to the larger Niger Congo phylum. Apart from Ondo, SEY is spoken inwards Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ọwọ, Ikarẹ, Ṣagamu, as well as parts of Ijẹbu.
South-East Yoruba was in all probability associated with the expansion of the Republic of Benin Empire after c. 1450 AD. In contrast to NWY (North-West Yoruba dialect), lineage as well as descent are largely multilineal as well as cognatic, as well as the partition of titles into state of war as well as civil is unknown. Linguistically, SEY has retained the /gh/ as well as /gw/ contrast, spell it has lowered the nasal vowels /ịn/ as well as /ụn/ to /ẹn/ as well as /ọn/, respectively. SEY has collapsed the 2d as well as 3rd individual plural pronominal forms; thus, àn án wá tin can hateful either 'you (pl.) came' or 'they came' inwards SEY dialects, whereas NWY for instance has ẹ wá 'you (pl.) came' as well as wọ́n wá 'they came', respectively. The emergence of a plural of honor may have got prevented coalescence of the 2 inwards NWY dialects.
History Of Ondo Kingdom
Sitting amongst the thickly forested planes that characterize southwestern Nigeria are the towns as well as communities that brand upwards the Ondo Kingdom. Located some 300kilometres to the north-east of Lagos, Nigeria's economical nervus centre as well as 45 kilometres W of Akure, the Ondo State capital, the Kingdom is easily reached past times route from all parts of the country. The Ondo people are 1 of the largest Yoruba subgroups, situated inwards the eastern component subdivision of the Yoruba speaking expanse of Nigeria. The atmospheric condition elements that characterize the part are those typifying the rainforest part of Sub-Sahara Africa.
Ondo people celebrating Ekimogun day
The descent of Ondo people, as good as the geography of the Kingdom does non reverberate whatever important departure from those of other towns as well as communities peopled past times the Yoruba of south-westernNigeria, who are virtually agreed on the mutual paternity of Oduduwa. However in that location exists still, as inwards most historical collections, almost iii separate accounts that explicate the origin of the Ondo people. While the people of the Kingdom, almost inwards unison rejected a version that links its origin to the Old Republic of Benin Kingdom inwards introduce 24-hour interval Edo State, as beingness the excogitation of its proponents, in that location seems to live some flat of convergence on the other 2 accounts which draw the origin of the people to Ife as well as Oyo respectively. While an outright excogitation of whatever historical account, as attributed to the BeninKingdom version, may live unlikely, the symmetry of the to a greater extent than widely held versions of the origin of the people are herein reflected with the major noise beingness inwards the origin from either Oyo or Ife. But on a broad outlook, the 2 accounts seem to dot towards the same direction, as those inwards Oyo originally migrated from Ife, the ultimate source of all Yoruba.
Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba was 1 of the sons of Lamurudu, who was believed to have got migrated from Mecca, Saudi Arabia, after some sectarian disagreement. He held the championship of Olofin Adimula before he left Mecca. This perhaps explains why most Yoruba Obas are soundless referred to past times that championship to date. Oranmiyan, 1 of the 16 sons of Oduduwa who left Ile-Ife, in all probability out of sheer ambition or mere adventure, was the initiatory off Alaafin of Oyo as well as the manlike individual parent of Oluaso, who gave nascence to Pupupu, the initiatory off paramount ruler of Ondo Kingdom.
Ondo Cultural troupe
Pupupu, a female, was 1 of the twin children of Oba Oluaso, who was said to have got reigned inwards Oyo inwards the 15th Century. The other twin, a male, was named Orere. Twin nascence inwards those days was considered an abomination as well as a unusual phenomenon, esemawe, as a historical source interpreted it. Conventionally, the twins as well as their woman parent were instantly lay to death, to foreclose the imminent bad omen which was believed to live synonymous with their arrival. But because Olu, the woman parent of the children was 1 of the favourites of the King, her life as well as those of the twins were spared. They were nonetheless with an entourage of slaves nether the guidance of a hunter called Ija, sent out of the palace with a beaded crown as well as an Akoko tree, signifying their royalty. Those were to accord them the dignity as well as the reverence due to royalty. Again, their manlike individual parent against the tradition of multi tribal marks of Oyo, incised 2 long tribal marks, 1 on each side of the cheek. Oluaso was patently witting of the fact that he may non set his eyes on the children for a long time, hence those facial marks were incised on them, so that they would live recognizable whatever fourth dimension they were seen or if they came dorsum home. This explains the origin of the tribal marks of Ondo to date.
The grouping wandered through the woods till they got to a topographic point called Epin, nigh Gbere, whose inhabitants were referred to as Ibariba. They were good received as well as catered for until the decease of Oba Oluaso inwards 1497. They headed dorsum to Oyo when the succeeding manlike individual monarch did non care for them fairly, but Onigbogi, the reigning manlike individual monarch had to send them dorsum to a virgin terra firma compassed almost past times Ife, Ijesa, Ekiti, Ado(Benin) as well as Ijebu communities. They later got to Igbo Ijamo (the woods discovered past times Ija). The grouping patently stayed inwards this topographic point for some time. Eventually they found lgbo Ijamo dangerous as well as hence continued their journeying eastward, until they finally got to a topographic point called Epe, non far from the introduce Ondo town.
His Royal Majesty, (HRM), Dr. Oba Ademefun Adesimbo Kiladejo, the 44th Osemawe, the paramount ruler of Ondo Kingdom,
They were inwards Epe for many years as well as as they journeyed on, they passed through a colina which is today known as Oke Agunla as well as 1 of the communities that brand upwards the introduce 24-hour interval Ondo Kingdom. From this hill, they spotted some smoke as well as headed inwards its direction. There they met a homo called Ekiri 1 of the original inhabitants of the area. The Ifa oracle, as was the usual do then, was consulted on the prospects of the newly found location. The oracle instructed them to take along with them a yam stake (edo), as their walking stick. They were to poke the stick into the ground as they went along their way, as well as wherever the stick didn't bond with the land, they were to settle.
The grouping left Epe as well as proceeded as instructed past times the oracle until they got to a topographic point where the yam stake did non penetrate the ground. The grouping chorused inwards surprise Edo du do, (The yam stake would non stick in). According to oral history, the give-and-take Ondo is a contraction of the judgement "Edo du do". When the grouping arrived inwards Ondo, they met the Ifore, the Idoko as well as the Oka people. These indigenous inhabitants recognized the royalty of the novel arrivals as well as readily ceded to them the authorization to dominion over the territory. And inwards due course, the original inhabitants of Ondo were assimilated into the civilisation of the novel comers. It remains a reference dot nonetheless that the Idoko as well as Ifore settlers soundless maintain a variety of separate political construction which is akin, inwards many respects, to that of the larger Ondo community. As fourth dimension went on, the people spread to shape other settlements similar lgbindo, lgbado, llu-nla, Odigbo, Ajue. Igunsin, etc.
By as well as large, the Ondo people soundless regard Epe, a relatively little town, 7 miles from Ondo, on the Oke-lgbo road, as their original town (Orisun), from where they migrated to their introduce location. Up until now, many Ondo festival as well as rituals have got Epe as their source. Pilgrimages are sometimes made to Epe for some of the festivals. Historical business concern human relationship also has it that at the demise of the Osemawe, his caput was ordinarily buried inwards Epe spell the remaining component subdivision of his torso was inwards Ondo.
Beautiful Ondo lady
It is also worthy of banking concern bill that a historical business concern human relationship holds that the twin blood brother of Pupupu, truly settled downward inwards Ile-Oluji as well as became its initiatory off traditional ruler. This may also explicate the unopen link betwixt Ondo as well as Ile-Oluji, who are truly descendants from siblings of same parentage.
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 Feb 1976 from the quondam Western State. It originally included what is at nowadays Ekiti State, which was split off inwards 1996. Akure is the province capital.
The province contains 18 Local Government Areas, the major ones beingness Akoko, Akure, Okitipupa, Ondo, as well as Owo. The bulk of the state's citizens live inwards urban centers. The large authorities universities inwards Ondo province are the Federal University of Technology Akure, Akure as well as the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba/Akoko.
The Ondo Kingdom retained independence from other regional powers until the 19th century when pressure level from expanded European contact as well as crisis inwards Yorubaland caused political crisis. With the expansion of the Atlantic slave merchandise as well as large scale population displacement inwards Yorubaland, the political life of the Ondo Kingdom changed. Prior to the 19th Century, Ondo was unusual inwards the part for their council scheme as well as or the relatively opened upwards terra firma tenure principles. The council scheme rotated leadership amongst houses as well as in that location was some important political status given to women, who had their ain council which consulted with the men's council (a role disputed past times others). The Ondo terra firma tenure regulation was that all terra firma was belongings of the king, but that whatever homo could farm it as long as he obtained permission from the leader of the nearest community. However, with increasing pressure level related to population motility inwards Yorubaland as well as increasing relevance of the slave trade, much of this changed. Political as well as economical ability changed from hereditary lineage as well as access to terra firma holdings to focused primarily on slaveholdings. The final result was large scale conflict inwards the Ondo Kingdom from 1845 until 1872, a flow with rapid regime change, wars with other regional powers, important violence, as well as alter of the upper-case alphabetic quality urban center iii times. During this period, worship of Orisha spread widely, leading to human sacrifice (often of slaves) inwards monastic enjoin to attempt as well as halt the disorder.
Juju music maestro, King Sunny Ade whose existent nameSamuel Adeniyi Adegeye is of Ondo descent
When Christian missionaries started to displace into Yorubaland inwards the later one-half of the 19th century, Ondo was considered a large, forest-based kingdom. However, missionaries largely focused on the other areas inwards as well as around Yorubaland rather than Ondo. This may have got been because some missionaries thought that the Ondo were socially lower than other Yoruba tribes, perhaps because their custom of concubinage was unacceptable inwards the Christian tradition. However, inwards 1870, John Hawley Glover, the administrator of the British Lagos Colony began focusing efforts on the kingdom of Ondo, largely to create choice merchandise routes to Lagos. In 1872, Glover helped negotiate a peace treaty betwixt Ondo as well as Ife who had been hostile for a number of years which allowed expanded merchandise betwixt Lagos as well as Ondo. Missionary operations began inwards 1875 throughout the Ondo Kingdom.
The Osemawe of Ondo made an understanding on 20 Feb 1889 with the Governor of the British Lagos Colony past times which liberate merchandise was guaranteed betwixt Ondo as well as the colony, as well as disputes would live referred to an arbitrator appointed past times the governor for resolution. In 1899 an monastic enjoin inwards council was issued to extend the Lagos protectorate over Yoruba land, making Ondo formally patch of study to the British crown.
During the political turmoil of Nigeria inwards the early on 1980s, Ondo was the site of large scale political violence as well as members of the royal lineage were killed.
The kingdom survived nether colonial dominion as well as subsequent independence, as well as the coronation of the 44th Osemawe, Oba Victor Adesimbo Ademefun Kiladejo, on 29 Dec 2008 was a major event, attended past times many dignitaries
The ethnic composition of Ondo State is largely from the Yoruba subgroups of the Akoko, Akure, Ikale, Ilaje, Ondo, as well as Owo peoples. Ijaw minority (such as Apoi as well as Arogbo) as well as Ilaje populations inhabit the coastal areas; spell a sizable number of the Ondo State people who verbalise a variant of the Yoruba linguistic communication similar to Ife dialect reside inwards Oke-Igbo. These people are also Yorubas.
Ondo State Cultural Troupe
Ondo State contains the largest number of populace schools inwards Nigeria - over 880 primary schools as well as 190 secondary schools.
Local Government Areas
Ondo State consists of 18 Local Government Areas. They are:
Ondo Wars
The excesses of Oba Arilekolasi (1861-1866) set the foundation for the 2 phases of Ondo civil wars. According to Olupona, Arilekolasi conceded a lot of ability to the palace slaves, to the extent that the latter harassed the people for no just cause. As a final result of these excesses Arilekolasi was poisoned. However, he pronounced a curse on Ondo people namely that their lands would remain deserted. He requested 1 of his slaves to avenge his death. Shortly after the Oba’s death, Kulajolu, the slave, left the palace to flora a competition province inwards Igbodan, from where he waged many
wars on Ondo. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 goodness number of Ondo citizens ran away from their homes as well as took refuge inwards surrounding villages such as Ajue, Igbado as well as Erinla, spell bulk of the people fled to Oke-Opa where they established an interim government. During this chaotic period, the reigning Oba committed suicide at Igbado for fearfulness of beingness taken captive past times the invaders. This, according to an informant, gave ascent to the Ondo proverb: Ogun e e ko Ondo aio ho, this agency that it is forbidden for Ondo to live taken captive past times war. When the next Oba, Ayibikitiwodi (1873-1876) was installed, he sent a delegate nether the leadership of Chief Ogedengbe to brand a peace treaty with Kulajolu. To pacify him, the Oba conferred on him an Eghae high chieftaincy title, which he accepted. Kulajolu became high Chief Odunwo, the 3rd ranking main to the Oba inwards Ondo traditional system. He was nonetheless attacked past times some other pop slave, named Ago who drove him out of Ondo to Erinla where he died. As a final result of the previous years of unrest inwards Ondo, the throne became very
weak as well as was susceptible to some other civil state of war nether the reign of the next Osemawe, Afaidunjoye (the 1 who came to the throne at an unpleasant time). Ago, the 2d slave who had before on rescued Ondo from Kulajolu, began some other disruptive state of war against Ondo. He took payoff of the weakness of Ondo to launch an set on on them with the assist of Ife as well as Ilesa. His regular army was camped at Oke-Igbo as well as attacked only from Aise. The nub of his troop that came from Ife made upwards the initiatory off colonists of Oke-Igbo. That is why, despite the fact that Oke-Igbo is a major town inwards Ondo State, less than ix kilometres from Ondo, it remains culturally an Ife town, inwards spite of its
geopolitical location, which falls within Ondo.
The Ago versus Ondo battle, which claimed many lives from both sides ended upwards inwards a fiasco. Ago fled to Ile-Oluji, ix kilometres away from Ondo. At Ile-Oluji, Ago had a quarrel with Osokun, 1 of his soldiers. He was ousted out of Ile-Oluji with the assist of the Ile-Oluji people as well as the combined grouping of dissidents from Ilesa, Oke-Igbo as well as the forces of Ondo. He was finally captured at Oke-Igbo where he was thrown into the Ooni River.
The inwards a higher topographic point civil wars inwards Ondo together with Yoruba wars paved way for the British influence on Ondo. As a final result of these civil wars, many people fled the town making the governance of Ondo extremely weak as well as vulnerable. Consequently the British had picayune or no resistance gaining access through Ondo into the hinterland to flora merchandise links as well as to set upwards administrative machineries.
Ondo State Chief Judge, Hon Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi Speaker, Ondo House of Assembly, Rt Hon Samuel Adesina, Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Traditionally, Ondo people have got ever sustained their economic scheme from 2 major occupations: farming as well as trading which incidentally correspond to the partition of labour betwixt manlike individual farmers as well as woman individual traders. The mainstay of Ondo’s economic scheme is agriculture. There are 2 seasons inwards the year, the dry out flavor as well as rainy season. These seasons correspond with the planting as well as harvesting periods. The Ondo people have got 2 types of farmland. They have got little parcels of land, which is ordinarily within a walking distance where yams, corn, cassava, beans as well as vegetables are planted. This bundle of terra firma is called oko etili or igo. The other farmland is located far from the town where mainly cash crops are cultivated. As before pointed out, the major cash crops are cocoa, kolanut, palm oil as well as rubber. The people build hamlets inwards the farm where they tin can remain for a calendar week or to a greater extent than depending on the quantity as well as pressure level of piece of work to live done.
As the villages as well as hamlets developed, to a greater extent than people were accommodated as well as people were able to remain longer on their farms. Some rich farmers built houses with corrugated Fe roofs. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 main was ordinarily appointed past times the Oba to supervise the farm areas. Such a main would as well as then acquire the “Oloja”, the caput of the area. Here again, a micro-sociopolitical set upwards is established to regulation the community. Such hamlets are ordinarily named after the founder of the area. With this evolution of distant farmland, the inhabitants only homecoming to Ode-Ondo during traditional festivals or Christian or Muslim festivals. The farmers depend on cooperative ventures during which an private may engage the assistance of his unopen friends or historic flow grades on the farm. He inwards plough volition offering the same assistance to those who have got assisted him. This cooperative travail expressed inwards the shape of labour commutation is referred to as owe. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Yoruba maxim expresses this cooperative venture succinctly: Oni loni nje, eni a live l’owe, (Today is the 24-hour interval for the 1 who has accepted to assist on farm work). Ondo farmers believe that they acquire a lot of piece of work done through participating inwards this cooperative enterprise. After the tillage of the farmland, a portion of it is ordinarily divided amongst the farmer’s wives who are non engaged inwards trading activities on which they volition cultivate less labour-intensive crops similar pepper, cassava as well as vegetables. Each married adult woman takes attention of the planting as well as weeding. However, it is non unusual for Ondo women to cultivate cash crops especially on farmlands inherited from their parents. The crops are ordinarily reserved for household unit of measurement consumption. Nevertheless, the wives are the sole marketers of the excess crops from their husbands’ farm spell the caput of the household unit of measurement sells the cash crops. As before mentioned, the 2d mainstay of Ondo economic scheme is trade, which is carried out past times women. Among the articles of merchandise are aso oke (woven material), iyon (coral beads) as well as mats. These articles are sold inwards the market, “Oja” or “Ugele”. The do of women inwards merchandise has acquire religious, social functions as well as of economical significance.
Brass making: Another real of import profession is brassmaking, (ude). This profession is peculiar to Ifore, 1 of the original groups of Ondo settlers. These people were specialists inwards brass production. It was acknowledged that they had the best guild scheme inwards Ondo. No wonder as well as then 1 of the Ondo praise names (oriki) refers to their beginning: E kim’ogun, omo alade igbo, iye m’agogo ude m’omi. E kim’ogun, the boy of the woods king, who drinks H2O with a brass cup. The Ifore people were real proud of their achievements inwards brass work. In fact archaeological excavations carried out supported this claim. Nevertheless, few references to this antique arts and crafts are soundless found inwards Ondo ritual context. For example, Ondo people regard it as a taboo for anyone to wearable a brass necklace or bangle during the festival of Oramfe. However, modern professions such as carpentry, tailoring, driving as well as barbing have got replaced these traditional guild groups. They all have got similar modus of operandi, most especially inwards their cultic devotion to Ogun, the most pop deity inwards Ondo kingdom.
Ondo Women inwards Trade
Women to a greater extent than often than non have got peculiar instincts, especially when examining issues relating to social as well as economic science matters. Such instincts could live seen inwards their attitudinal behaviours exhibited inwards trading as well as cultural practices. The Ondo women, similar others across the World also possess social as well as economical instincts which are lay into play to promote the socio/economic evolution of their town. This is evident inwards the flat of activities inwards which they are involved. However, 1 major expanse where the contributions of Ondo women to the evolution of their homeland tin can easily grasped has to do with the practical demonstration of sure norms, belief as well as customs which are instilled on their children.
Ondo woman
Owing to the importance attached to the role of Ondo women inwards the economic scheme of the town, the championship of a paramount woman individual main is instituted. The championship is known, as before mentioned, as “Lobun” which agency possessor of the market. Most of the villages as well as hamlets inwards Ondo governance started as farming settlements or marketplace places. Johnson pointed out that the principal marketplace of the town is ever inwards the centre of the town as well as inwards forepart of the theatre of the main ruler.
Ondo lady, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde. Today, beyond her present business concern accomplishments, she is also applauded for her remarkable humanitarian efforts. Over the years, Omotola has been a pioneer inwards the Nollywood cinema industry, successfully becoming the most watched actress inwards Africa. In 2013, she was honoured inwards Time Magazine's listing of the 100 most influential people inwards the world amongst Michelle Obama, Beyonce as well as Kate Middleton.
Celebrated Ondo painter Chukwuogo-Roy initiatory off gained international fame for ikon the official Golden Jubilee portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, commissioned past times The Commonwealth Secretariat. The full-length portrait was unveiled at a ceremony at Marlborough House past times quondam Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon on Commonwealth Day, 2002
The Lobun does non operate alone. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cabinet of woman individual chiefs supports her. Their duties are (i) maintenance of monastic enjoin inwards the town’s marketplace places as well as (ii) performance of the ritual purification of the marketplace when the demand arises. Ondo has iv types of markets namely: (i) the daily marketplace called ugele which is held from morn till eve (ii) the eve marketplace called ugele ale as well as (iii) 2 periodic markets which are held at iv or 8 24-hour interval intervals, to which Odojomu belongs. The articles of merchandise have got been mentioned before on. Lamb as well as Holmes observed that “until recently, Ijebu-Ode as well as Ondo were of import weaving towns, today, the arts and crafts survives on a much to a greater extent than reduced scale inwards Ijebu-Ode but has virtually disappeared inwards Ondo”5. This disappearance could live adduced to the fact that Ondo people are bully coca farmers owing to its lucrative nature. Ondo traders are said to have got traded with the Portuguese as early on as the 16th century. It is recorded that during the Portuguese trading activities on the West African Coast, the crewman bought some “four hundred manilas of yam for the cargo” from the captain of Rio dos Forcados as well as the Lisa.
Ondo women
In improver to the inwards a higher topographic point trading activities of Ondo people, they are also engaged inwards many other occupations though these are restricted to men only as well as inwards most cases limited to specific ancestries.
It is worthy of banking concern bill to consider that women have got been making valuable contributions to the evolution of Ondo since the creation of the town over 500 years ago. In fact, the story of Ondo cannot live completed without mentioning Oba Pupupu, a adult woman as well as the initiatory off Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom who reign betwixt 1510-1530 A.D. Besides, the tape set past times this legendary woman individual Monarch, in that location was also the history of a adult woman warrior called Yeye Taagba whose traditional herbalist medicinal prowess was said to have got played important role inwards retention of the introduce Ondo Kingdom from the hands of external aggressors who were troubling the town during her time. There is also the history of "Yeye Gbanejoke", a prominent successful businesswoman mogul, slave merchandise merchant as well as the initiatory off ever richest Ondo adult woman inwards the history of Ondo Kingdom who acquired the vast bulk of Ondo landscape as well as till today her generation enjoys the most recognized pop as well as famous household unit of measurement championship call as Gbanejoke (omo gbesokun).
Notwithstanding, the achievements of these iii legends recognized above, the introduce generation of women inwards Ondo have got been making meaningful contributions to the evolution of the Kingdom. While some have got excelled inwards their chosen profession as well as has brought honour to the town through this, some have got ventured into businesses as well as other areas commonly dominated past times the men to brand their presence felt. Again, some other expanse where the industrious instincts of the Ondo women are farther demonstrated is inwards their wish to ain properties similar their manlike individual counterparts. It is hence non an exaggeration to assert that women inwards Ondo Kingdom have got at to the lowest degree iii out of every 10 houses inwards the town. Therefore, when viewed against this background, it is non an understatement to say that women have got made some positive contributions to the social-economic evolution of the town which is visible as well as could just live described as an enduring legacy.
ordinarily starts from home, for instance inwards the preparation of the woman individual child. An Ondo adult woman would ensure that attitudes such as cleanliness, hard-work, as well as patience amongst others are imposed inwards the minds of their woman individual children to gear upwards them for the hereafter roles of theatre wives. Hence, before getting married, an Ondo fille is ordinarily given some tasks to send out at topographic point such as sweeping, cleaning, cooking as well as fetching of H2O amongst other domestic chores. Besides, she is also tutored on some social as well as cultural values similar greetings, dressings as well as paying honor to elders to cite a few. In the same vein, the manlike individual children are also given preparation inwards some cultural as well as social values to gear upwards them for hereafter challenges as husbands. However, within the context of what has been written above, 1 particular attribute for which Ondo women are noted for is the role they play inwards the didactics of their children.
Ondo woman
It is a mutual do to banking concern bill that greater percentages of Ondo women are willing to sell their possessions for the uncomplicated argue of educating their children than owing stuff things. They would ever live heard singing “ere omo mi o, ma je na le o” (meaning I volition invest on my children to relish inwards my old age). Perhaps, this is responsible for the high flat of educational attainment as well as socialization for which the people of Ondo people are noted. In the same vein, early on childhood training, the Ondo children are exposed to past times their mothers could live responsible for the depression charge per unit of measurement of juvenile delinquencies inwards the town as well as hence the relative peace pervading therein despite the rapid changes inwards its social as well as economical status. Before the advent of civilization, it is to a greater extent than often than non regarded as an abomination for an Ondo individual to acquire convicted as well as sent to prison. Anyone who has the misfortune of beingness convicted would live ostracized past times the people who would wish to have got whatever interaction with such persons. The province of affairs was so serious to the extent that a convicted individual may uncovering it hard to integrate within the surroundings fifty-fifty after serving his/her jail term. He or she may sometimes uncovering it hard to espouse or bestowed with topographic point of authorization inwards the town.
Those were the fourth dimension when the values scheme was held inwards highest esteem as well as mothers were actively involved inwards the activities that would assist to mould the grapheme of their children. Hence mothers inwards Ondo Kingdom as well as then were playing significant, legislative, executive as well as judicial roles inwards the family. In fact the past times children who grew upwards inwards Ondo whether manlike individual or woman individual ordinarily dread the presence of their mothers than their fathers because of what they regard as highhandedness on the component subdivision of their mothers who would spare no fourth dimension to spank them if they failed to empathize the message passed across which were transmitted as well as then through the utilisation of 1 of the crudest as well as easiest ways of preparation that was the utilisation of the senses (i.e. eyes, legs, fingers as well as hands) as well as sometimes through folklore as well as tales. In fact, it is to a greater extent than often than non believed amongst the Ondos inwards the past times that a true boy as well as fille of the town who inwards local palace are called Omoloore Ondo literally interpreted as a good behaved Ondo sons or daughters should non live involved inwards whatever thing that could tarnish the call of his/her household unit of measurement past times going to prison. Mothers inwards Ondo are ever inwards vanguard of those who would ever ensure that their children are non involved inwards whatever offense that would convey the household unit of measurement call into disrepute. I would nonetheless non dissipate much liberate energy on the olden days method adopted past times Ondo women for preparation of their children but would rather concentrate on the patch of study thing of this discourse past times identifying the diverse contributions made past times some women of Ondo extraction to the evolution of their biological home.
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Ondo lady. In early on 2013, Omotola made her US idiot box debut inwards VH1's scripted series, Hit the Floor. On 2 Nov 2013, she spoke at the 2013 edition of the WISE Summit, held inwards Doha, Qatar.
Political system
The scheme of authorities inwards Ondo Kingdom is a rather an interesting one. The focus is centralized on the election of a divine kingship. The king’s status is a hereditary 1 as well as it rotates amongst 5 genealogies namely Arilekolasi, Jisomosun, Aroworayi, Jilo as well as Fidipote. The king’s authorization is partly derived through the legendary fore-parent, that is, Oba Pupupu who was the fille of Oduduwa, the founder of the Yoruba race. According to Olupona, the iii indigenous ethnic groups, namely Ifore, Idoko as well as Oka people surrendered to the newcomers without whatever fight. It was also noted “all rights as well as privileges pertaining to the territory were readily ceded to the newcomers”. This give upwards was re-enacted past times the Oloja of Ifore to the Osemawe of Ondo during which the Oloja made a pledge. In return, the Osemawe conceded to the Oloja of Idoko the command of that portion of the terra firma i.e. Idoko ward. The Osemawe as a manlike individual monarch wears a beaded-crown, which to him, inwards mutual with some other Yoruba kings, is the most valued possession because it is a symbol of his link with Oduduwa. According to a Yoruba myth, Oduduwa gave beaded crowns to his children as they departed from Ile-Ife to their diverse kingdoms. Hence, the possession of these beaded crowns from Oduduwa signifies authorization as well as seniority amongst the many Yoruba Obas who reign today. The sacred staff of business office (opa oye) is an innovation lay forrad past times the colonial government. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 staff of business office was presented to the Osemawe as a symbol of the government’s acknowledgement as well as sanction of his rule.
Ondo people celebrating Ekimogun day
According to Olupona, the Osemawe governs through the establishment of chieftaincy that is organized hierarchically. The initiatory off hierarchy is the council of 5 senior chiefs who are referred to as Eghae (the Oba’s council). These high chiefs are inwards monastic enjoin of seniority Lisa, Jomu, Odunwo, Sasere as well as Adaja as well as of course, the Osemawe as the overall head. They are ordinarily referred to as Eghaafa mefa, because they are vi inwards number; the Osemawe inclusive.
Each of these chiefs has both ritual as well as social functions to perform on behalf of the Oba. They are paired upwards for these purposes. The initiatory off pair is Lisa as well as Jomu as well as Sasere as well as Adaja is some other group. The large umbrella (abuada oba) is the most visible indicator of the Oba’s presence. These high chiefs wearable coral beads on their wrists as well as ankles. The most of import symbol of authorization of an Eghae is the sacred drum called Ugbaji. This drum is symbolic inwards the sense that during whatever ritual performed inwards the theatre of the chief, the drum volition live marked with white as well as cherry-red chalk, after which a prayer is offered, the Oba’s as good as the particular chief. The Eghae dances to the melody of ugbaji during whatever celebration that signifies the authorization as well as ability he possesses.
Eghae is the highest chieftaincy championship whatever Ondo citizen tin can mayhap attain as well as tin can only live attained if he has previously taken a less dignifying chieftaincy title. Lisa is the 2d inwards command to the Osemawe out of the 5 Eghae chiefs. The topographic point of Jomu is a hereditary 1 as well as it is the 3rd inwards rank to the Oba. The Eghae are responsible to the Oba as well as they, (including the Oba himself) constitute the legislative council, which has the ability to either enact or repeal laws. They tin can live likened to the “Judicial Committee of the House of Lords”
His Royal Majesty, (HRM), Dr. Oba Ademefun Adesimbo Kiladejo, the 44th Osemawe, the paramount ruler of Ondo Kingdom,
The Ekule, who number seven, are the next degree of chiefs, lower inwards rank than the Eghae. They are grouped inwards the next order: Odofin, Arogbo, Logbosere, Odofindi, Sagwe, Sara as well as Olotu-Omoba. The initiatory off iv are deputies to the Eghae chiefs. They are responsible to Eghae as well as also perform other functions for the kingdom. These include serving as treasurer as well as recorder, heading the lower courtroom that takes attention of smaller judicial cases as well as taking accuse of palace stewards. Each of these lesser chiefs is assigned specific duties to perform. The details of these duties volition non live discussed inwards this study. It suffices to banking concern bill nonetheless that the activities of the chiefs are good coordinated for effective governance.
The finally grouping of secular main is Elegbe. These are the lowest chieftaincy titled citizens. They are 15 inwards number; they are responsible for the safety of the town, as well as for maintaining law as well as order.
High main as well as Lisa of Ondo kingdom
The “Alaworo” priest chiefs are the next grouping of leaders inwards Ondo. These are largely heads of local, pre-Oduduwa groups who are at nowadays inwards a topographic point of “ritual superiority” over the newcomers. The members inwards this grouping are Oloja Oke-Idoko; Ekiri of Ifore, Sora as well as Akunnara. Sora as well as Akunnara are 0ramfe priests. All these titles are hereditary as well as candidates are elected from the household unit of measurement concerned. It is noteworthy that women characteristic prominently inwards the social as well as economical evolution of Ondo kingdom. There are for example, woman individual chiefs referred to as “Opoji”. They are hierarchical also similar their manlike individual counterparts. The highest woman individual main is Lobun. It is the most esteemed championship inwards Ondo. This business office is surrounded with mysteries as well as taboos. As before mentioned inwards this chapter, the initiatory off Oba inwards Ondo was a woman individual (Oba Pupupu). Although a determination had been made never to have got a woman individual ruler again, women nevertheless are entitled to have got a woman individual leader, Lobun, who is also referred as “Oba Obirin” (woman king). Lobun agency the possessor of the market.
This championship shows the of import topographic point of the marketplace as well as of merchandise amongst Ondo women toward economical development.
The Lobun’s major responsibleness is the installation of a novel king. She is also inwards accuse of Ondo markets as good as the priestess Aje (god of wealth as well as prosperity). It is the responsibleness of Lobun to opened upwards novel markets as well as perform necessary ceremonial rites that pertain to this. As before noted, many mysteries as well as taboos surround the championship as well as this makes it extremely hard to acquire a replacement when the topographic point is vacant. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 real important norm regarding the topographic point is that whenever a Lobun dies, a replacement cannot live made until the reigning Oba dies. The new
Lobun is elected for the main purpose of installing the Oba. This evolution must have got accounted for the difficulty encountered inwards finding a replacement for the topographic point after the demise of the Lobun.
Olupona noted, “Once a Lobun is appointed, it is forbidden for her to engage inwards whatever domestic duties. She may non measuring on an unswept flooring early on inwards the morn as well as she may non swallow whatever nutrient prepared the previous day” 8. The keeping of her “holiness” is that the town must cater for her throughout the flow of her reign. What a privileged position!
Like their manlike individual counterparts, the women have got a council comprising Lisa- Lobun, Jomu-Lobun, Orangun-Lobun, Sasere-Lobun as well as Adafin. There are other woman individual chiefs of lower grades. These are Odofin-Lobun, Ogede-Lobun, Sama-Lobun as well as Awoye-Lobun. The Eghae has the responsibleness of selecting Lobun spell the high woman individual chiefs elect the other woman individual chiefs. These appointments, however, are patch of study to blessing of the Oba through main Sasere.
Ondo Social construction (Social life)
It is of import to hash out aspects of the social life of the Ondo people inwards monastic enjoin to provide a comprehensive background as well as relevant context for a meaningful investigation into the words of wisdom inwards Ondo culture.
The clannish spirit permeates the pump as well as core of the social life amongst the Ondo. Thus the interdependence of relatives, brothers as well as sisters, members of the nuclear as well as the extended household unit of measurement is the dominion rather than the exception. At the micro level, the people are organized into chemical compound consisting of nuclear as well as extended families. Each chemical compound has a caput that, inwards most cases, is the oldest homo inwards the compound. Each married adult woman inwards the chemical compound prepares nutrient for her hubby as well as children spell the single adult males inwards the chemical compound take 1 of the wives of the caput to human activity as his mother.
At the macro level, the compounds are organized into wards or quarters headed past times whatever 1 amongst the next political, traditional as well as administrative groups; the Eghaafa (the 5 most powerful high chiefs/king-makers as well as the king); the Ekunle (the 8 chiefs next inwards seniority to the Eghaafa) or a fellow member of the Elegbe (Ayadi Company) who brand upwards the traditional police clitoris forcefulness as well as charged with the responsibleness of maintaining the peace as well as safety of Ondo town.
The other towns as well as villages exterior Ondo kingdom but within the jurisdiction of the Osemawe, are also organized nether the supervision of less senior chiefs called Baale who pay regular homage to the Oba of Ondoland.
The Kinship System
It is of import to explicate some key price that are relevant to the kinship scheme amongst the Ondo people. The Ondo people often brand a clear-cut distinction betwixt 2 consanguinal relationships, namely Omiba, the paternal relations as well as omiye, the maternal relations. Omiba is hardly used past times the Ondo people. But it is to a greater extent than mutual inwards Ile-Oluji. Nevertheless paternal as well as maternal kins are as of import inwards the life of the Ondo people, hence the owe Ondo:
"E e n’aka’ba da ma nen t’iye” (It is non possible to have got paternal kinship without maternal kinship)
Bai is some other of import term past times which a kid calls his/her manlike individual parent or whatever adult manlike individual of almost his father’s historic flow as well as above. Bai, which agency “my father”, carries the connotation of honor inwards Ondo culture. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 kid refers to his granddaddy as Bamagba, that is, my older father. Yei is the term that refers to “my mother”. Yemagba or Yemlila agency my grandmother.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 senior sibling inwards the household unit of measurement is designated as egin. This championship is often joined to the call of the senior sibling, for instance Egin Dupe that is my senior sis Dupe. Egin applies to both manlike individual as well as woman individual senior siblings. This term tin can as apply to senior cousins or other unrelated senior males as well as females. Very often the words anti as well as buoda coined from the English linguistic communication words “aunt” as well as “brother” are used to designate a senior sis or brother. It is non uncommon to uncovering that Ondo people inwards places beyond Ondo town, e.g. Ibadan, Lagos, Kano, Jos are often referred to as well as fifty-fifty nick-named Egin to distinguish them from other Yoruba.
Perhaps the aspect of social organisation of the Ondo people that has received considerable attending as well as study amongst researchers is the kinship system. The works of Lloyd (1962, 1968 as well as 1970) as well as those of Bender (1970, 1972) as good as Eades (1980) on this patch of study are quite revealing having substantially added to our knowledge on this subject. However, the positions held past times these scholars on the patch of study are divergent.
Lloyd contends that the Yoruba civilisation is quite heterogeneous as evidenced past times the important differences betwixt the diverse ethnic groups. This anthropologist farther opined that differences be betwixt the descent systems of the southern as well as northern Yoruba kingdoms. While the descent scheme of the northern kingdoms is agnatic, that is patrilineal, the southern Yoruba kingdoms of Ondo as well as Ijebu operate the cognatic descent system, inwards which the descent of an private tin can live traced through his ancestor inwards “both manlike individual as well as woman individual lines” . This agency that spell an private inwards the northern kingdom tin can topographic point with only 1 descent group, the
cognatic scheme of the due south to which Ondo belongs allows 1 to topographic point with to a greater extent than than 1 descent group.
On the other hand, Bender is of the stance that the Ondo people have got non only real distinct patrilineal descent groups but are also characterised past times Patrilineal convictions, beliefs as well as philosophy.10 This is because a typical Ondo private “claims membership inwards his/her father’s descent group”11. For example, an private who for whatever argue brings disgrace, dishonour or disrepute on his people or household unit of measurement is often lampooned, criticized as well as rebuked with the proverb: O m’owo osi juwe ’li ba e, which agency the private has described the management to his father’s theatre with the left hand. This is a real disgraceful as well as disrespectful human activity inwards Ondo culture.
Having evaluated the theoretical as well as methodological ground of Lloyd’s as well as Bender’s positions, Eades proposes that the kinship scheme found amongst the different Yoruba ethnic groups is a bilateral arrangement. But, the emphasis is on the patrilineal pattern. This researcher associates with the stance that the Ondo kinship scheme is bilateral for iv reasons, 2 of which are enshrined inwards the words of wisdom of the people. First, the Ondo value, honor as well as appreciate both their Omiye as well as Omiba as well as indeed, their lineage. Hence they lay inwards topographic point arrangements such as annual or biannual
meetings (upade ebi) to ensure cooperation as well as unity on matters of mutual interest. Such meetings are of 2 categories namely upade ebi otun which agency a coming together of the relations on the right side, that is, one’s father’s relations; as well as the upade ebi osi, which agency a coming together of the relations on the left side, that is, one’s mother’s relations. In addition, the recognition of this bilateral organisation is reflected inwards the roles as well as responsibilities, which one’s ebi plays during important
celebrations such as marriages as well as funeral ceremonies. The cooperation as well as assistance which these meetings homecoming their members often evoke the wise saying: "Ebi ma yon, which means, “one’s relations are sweet”, (that is associating with one’s ebi is a sweet, joyous as well as pleasant experience). This is because one’s burden becomes lighter when one’s relations shoulder it collectively. This saying is corroborated past times yet some other proverb: Onen i yeye yon, sugbon u jeun nwon ke? Which agency a large number of people is helpful but how almost their feeding?
Obitun dancer from Ondo
Secondly, in that location is a maxim that warns or cautions against the neglect of either one’s maternal or paternal lineage: E e n’aka’ba da ma nen t’iye. This means, “one cannot have got his father’s mitt (lineage) without having his mother’s hand”(lineage) inwards other words, 1 does non have got a paternal kin without a maternal kin. Thirdly, Ebi Mode inwards Ondo, the origin of the Awosika lineage is traceable to a woman. Hence as Bender rightly pointed out, the occurrence of a woman individual progenitor of Ondo lineages is non a rare event.
Fourthly, the emphasis on patrilineal inwards Ondo kinship ideology, may live connected with the palace coup d’etat inwards which the initiatory off adult woman Oba of Ondo land, Oba Pupupu, was replaced with manlike individual monarch Airo, the initiatory off manlike individual Oba of Ondo. Airo agency a substitute or a replacement. Although this shift inwards the Ondo kingship pattern took topographic point several centuries ago, the Lobun stool, a real powerful, highly respected as well as enviable ruling house, soundless exists vibrating inwards the Ondo civilisation today inwards spite of the
vicissitudes of the long, distant past.
Lobun is soundless referred to as the “Oba Obirin” (the adult woman king) inwards Ondo. The Lobun stool exercises such an enormous ritual ability inwards Ondo civilisation that the Lobun is seen as a “king” inwards her ain right as well as that without Lobun, no manlike individual monarch of Ondo terra firma tin can live installed. In addition, “it is a fille of the Lobun or a adult woman within the lineage that succeeds her”. Her ability as well as significance inwards Ondo civilisation is often reflected inwards a rhetorical inquiry often asked to caution pride or rebuke arrogance inwards a girl/woman: We de se Lobun i? Are you lot Lobun, the adult woman king? Or how come, you lot are arrogating to yourself the importance of manlike individual monarch Lobun?
The inwards a higher topographic point kinship-related proverbs, the significance of upade ebi inwards Ondo culture, the Ebi Mode instance coupled with the power, honour as well as ritual significance attached to the Lobun institution, collectively recognize, authenticate as well as back upwards the bilateral nature of Ondo kinship system.
The Lineage as well as Family Pattern
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 real of import social unit of measurement inwards Ondo is the lineage grouping or edili. Edili is a descent grouping which is made upwards of household unit of measurement members who tin can draw their origin to the founder of the lineage called Baba nla, “through a line of manlike individual descendants.” The household unit of measurement lineage occupies a real of import topographic point inwards Ondo culture. It is considered an of import ground for the naming of children e.g. Edileola, which agency “a wealthy lineage” as well as for identification purposes e.g. Edili Awosika, Edili Jilo to call just a few.
The lineage consists of household unit of measurement units called uli. And uli is a household unit of measurement chemical compound unit of measurement that is made upwards of a father, his married adult woman (ves), children as well as immediate relations. To qualify for the membership, rights as well as privileges of an uli, a kid must live born there. Being born inwards 1 of the Ulis that brand upwards the edili qualifies the kid to all the rights as well as privileges of the edili.
The oldest fellow member of the edili is the Bab ’agba, who is the Chief Administrator of the lineage who holds intact as well as maintains the necktie of kinship called “Okun Ebi” or the kinship bond. The genealogical bond betwixt 1 fellow member of the lineage as well as some other is called ajobi. This bond is regarded as a most of import link of trust. It is non uncommon for the Ondo people to pray or swear inwards the call of their ajobi either to give validity to a statement, pledge or hope or to assure their audience that in that location volition live no breach of trust. Today, however, this lineage bond appears to live weakening because of the formation of novel social ties exterior the
lineage. This decline of ajobi is vividly captured inwards the next Ondo proverb:
E i s’alajobi mo, alajogbe o ku i i. (There is no longer a kinship bond, what is left is
co- residence bond.)
Ondo people
The Marriage Practices/Ceremonies.
Marriage is a real of import turning dot inwards the life of a immature homo or woman. At marriage, the bride as well as the groom take independence from their parents to flora a topographic point of their own. It is an chance for the bride as well as the groom to present their neighbours how goodness ambassadors they are of their respective homes. Though matrimony confers independence on the newly married, the cultural norms require that the homo as well as the adult woman consider themselves as members of their respective families.
Marriage is seen as an of import bond of friendship as well as cooperation betwixt the household unit of measurement of the bride as well as that of the groom. Ondo people do an exogamous pattern of marriage. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 homo or a adult woman cannot espouse within his/her lineage. Inbreeding is frowned at. To avoid this as well as other
problems, the parents of the 2 parties ordinarily send out intensive investigations to determine:
(i) if the bride as well as groom to live are related;
(ii) if in that location is whatever history of barrenness inwards either the husband’s or wife’s lineage;
(iii) if in that location is whatever history of insanity inwards whatever of the 2 lineages;
(iv) if in that location is whatever known hereditary diseases inwards whatever of the 2 lineages, such as
epilepsy.
Consent to proceed with the matrimony may non live given past times either of the 2 parents unless they are sufficiently satisfied with the outcome of their investigations.
The preparation of the maid for matrimony starts wit h the “Obitun” festival. Obitun is an initiation ceremony for girls who had attained the historic flow of puberty. The purposes are to purge the maid of whatever evil influences or curse with which she mightiness have got been afflicted as well as to denote to the community that she is at nowadays ready for marriage.
The Obitun festival lasts for ix days as well as it is ordinarily scheduled to coincide with the installation of a chief. During the initiatory off day, the maid is confined to the house. But inwards the eve of each subsequent day, she dances as well as s ings at her topographic point inwards the companionship of her friends as well as co-obituns. But on the 9th day, the Obitun dresses inwards a three-piece aso oke as well as beads worn circular her cervix as well as waist, dances circular the town inwards the companionship of her friends. At puberty, the boys perform the less elaborate Aapon rites. The Aapon wears beads as well as cowry around his cervix for 7 days.
In improver to the inwards a higher topographic point measure type of marriage, the other type of marriage, which is mutual amongst the traditional Ondo people, is the levirate. Two kinds of levirate practices exist. These are the anticipatory levirate as well as the post humus levirate. The anticipatory levirate involves the human activity of secretly inheriting the married adult woman of an old homo when he is soundless live past times either 1 of his mature sons or his brother. Whenever the old homo dies, the human relationship is regularized.
In the post-humous levirate, the boy or blood brother of a deceased man, based on understanding as well as selection pairs with the married adult woman or 1 of the wives of the deceased to live a matrimonial life along with his ain legitimate married adult woman (wives). The primary purpose of the levirate establishment is to provide back upwards as well as fellowship for the household unit of measurement of the deceased.
Funeral ceremony
The demise of a household unit of measurement member, immature or old, is ordinarily greeted with sorrow. Even though Ondo people believe that decease is a necessary halt as well as that it volition come upwards when it volition come, they do non similar losing whatever fellow member of their family. This goes a long way to present the kinship affinity. It is believed that no thing how old a relation is; he or she has an of import role to play inwards one’s life. Hence death, though a natural phenomenon, Ondo people uncovering it hard to take its reality.
The Funeral Service for the tardily woman parent of Ondo First Lady, Chief (Mrs) Modupe Adeniyi, at St Stephen's Cathedral, Ondo,
When a individual dies inwards Ondo, especially a immature person, such decease is received with suspicion. The initiatory off reaction would live a suspicious outcry of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 an ma po o o o! i.e. they have got killed him or her. The relatives would similar to uncovering out if inwards fact, the deceased did indeed pop off a natural death. They would move to Ifa diviner to uncovering out the drive of the death.
It is pertinent to banking concern bill hither that when a immature individual dies, he or she is buried without whatever delay. Moreover, when an elderly individual dies, the decease is announced to all as well as sundry past times dancing circular the town. This is called iyaghayogho inwards Ondo language. The eldest boy of the deceased brings a goat, which is slaughtered at the topographic point where the corpse is given the finally bath. This is called ibugwe. The corpse is thereafter dressed as well as laid- in-state. Later the corpse is lay inwards an expensive coffin and
taken to the finally resting-place, ordinarily inwards a room inwards the house.
Burial ceremony is an expensive lawsuit inwards Ondo culture. The expenses acquire to a greater extent than outrageous especially when the deceased is a Chief. The tidings volition have got to live broken to the Oba with some gifts after which in that location would live dancing circular the town for ix days, performing rituals.
The maternal relations of the deceased are responsible for the provision of the coffin. The husbands of the daughters of the deceased take accuse of the digging of the grave spell the eldest fille brings a caprine animal as well as 30 wraps of pounded yam, N20.00 as well as a keg of palm vino ordinarily undiluted with water. Each of the husbands of all the married daughters of the deceased convey 20 wraps of pounded yam as well as a keg of undiluted palm vino each. The manlike individual members of the deceased’s household unit of measurement grouping themselves as well as each grouping buys a caprine animal as well as sanyan (a type of woven material) or almost 10 yards of stuff for dressing the deceased.
On the 3rd as well as 7th 24-hour interval after burial, the household unit of measurement members brand supplications for the deceased. There is ordinarily eating as well as merry making. Traditionally, edible bean cakes (akara) are served around the neighbourhood. On the finally 24-hour interval of celebration, that is the 8th day, the household unit of measurement members trip the calorie-free fantastic toe circular the town as well as after converge at topographic point to move on with the feasting. On the morn of the 9th day, in that location is a household unit of measurement coming together during which the inventory of all the deceased’s belongings is taken. This is shared at a convenient engagement amongst all members of the family.
The widow(s) of the deceased ordinarily maintain vigil throughout the nighttime of the 7th 24-hour interval amidst singing as well as drumming. In the middle of the night, the widows move through a serial of rituals, an of import 1 of which includes bathing. It is believed that these rituals volition protect them from the spirit of their hubby who hovers around them. The widows clothes inwards white as well as volition remain indoors for iii months or ix months inwards the instance of high Chief.
RELIGION
Idowu observed that:
"Religion is real much as well as ever with us. It is with us at every instant of life
– inwards our innermost beings as well as with regard to the bully or pocket-sized events of life;
it is discussed daily inwards the newspapers, through the radio as well as television, it is
with all of us inevitably whatever may live our private avowed mental attitude to
it."
The inwards a higher topographic point observation is real true of the Ondo people. Religion has been a component subdivision of the people from fourth dimension immemorial. Religion is the pump of life of the people as well as forms the ground as good as all-guiding principles of the life of the people. As rightly pointed out past times Odumuyiwa “with the Yoruba (Ondo), morality is sure the fruit of religion”. Among the Ondo as amongst other Yoruba communities, man’s grapheme is of supreme value. Hence the saying Iwa l’ewa omo enia – grapheme is the beauty of the human being. Ondo people topographic point bully emphasis on character. For them, character
agency honesty, truthfulness, as well as chastity before marriage, responsibility, generosity, hospitality as well as the other virtues. Ondo people covert these virtues whereas they severely condemn stealing, falsehood, hypocrisy as well as all the other vices. This is because:
"The sense of obligation to do, that which is believed to live right, is inwards fact, the
pressure level of God upon every human life. God is made known to all men, even
though they may non have got learned to telephone retrieve Him God, (or may turn down to) and
obedience to the behest of their conscience is the essential status of growth
inwards the knowledge of God."
There are iii major religious groups inwards Ondo today: the traditionalists, the Christians as well as the Muslims.
Traditional Religion
The Ondo people, similar other Yoruba ethnic groups, believe inwards the Supreme Being from whom all creation originates. He is recognized as “Olorun”. He is seen as the Lord of the heavens as well as as the presiding deity of the Ondo people. He is the writer of sky as well as earth, the source of all lives as well as the outflow from which men have their spirit. But this Supreme Being is a distant deity of vague personality inwards 1 sense. But inwards some other sense, he is omnipresent. Sacrifices are seldom offered to him directly. Yet, he is the receiver of all sacrifices.
Ondo people emphasized the unique status of “Olorun”. He is recognized as the caput to whom all ability as well as authorization belong as well as all honour is due to him. Olorun or Olodunmare is unique. He is non 1 amongst many but His supremacy is total. His ultimate pre-eminence is confirmed because things come about only when he approves as well as if he does non approve, nil comes to pass. Hence the Ondo/Yoruba saying: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 dun un se bi ohun t’ Olorun fe, a so ro o se bi ohun ti Olorun o fe – As slowly to send out as what God desires, as well as as hard to send out as what God does non approve of. Ondo people, similar other Yoruba ethnic groups, have got many deities that they regard as messengers of “Olorun”. They believe that since it is non possible to consider God owing to the distance betwixt Him as well as humans, sacrifices could live made through the smaller deities to Him. Among the deities worshipped inwards Ondo are Ifa, Sango as well as Ogun, to cite just a few. But the most pop is Ogun. We shall focus attending on Ogun worship as a pop faith inwards Yorubaland inwards full general as well as inwards Ondo, inwards particular. Nevertheless, it volition live necessary to highlight the origin of Ogun inwards monastic enjoin to
enrich our knowledge of this deity.
Origin of Ogun
Many myths as well as legends be as to the origin of Ogun. Much of the knowledge of the deity is based on the fact that he was 1 of the earliest divinities. He loved hunting as well as was referred to as “Osin-Imole”, that is, the Chief amongst the divinities. He cleared the thick impenetrable way with his Fe implements for other the divinities when he was coming from sky to possess the earth. Being a ruthless deity, he lived inwards seclusion at the top of the colina where he went almost hunting. Tired of secluded life, he decided to move for a settled life, which he had rejected before on. He came downward from the hilltop inwards a garment of burn as well as blood but could non uncovering an abode inwards whatever community. So he borrowed fronds from the palm-tree as well as headed for Ire where he was made king. Hence, the call Ogun Onire (Ogun, the Lord of Ire) was given to him.
The Christian Religion
The history of Ondo witnessed a important plough during the 2d one-half of the 19th century because the events that took topographic point had a far- fetching effect on the conversion process. The prolonged Yoruba civil state of war of the 19th century had serious touching on on Ondo as well as her people. There was an internal crisis inwards Ondo, which led to a total breakdown of law as well as order. This crisis gave Ile-Ife warlords the chance to bring together hands with the town’s dissenting forces to convey an halt to O ndo’s autonomy. The people fled to different places until 1872 when the British authorities sent captain
Goldsworth to lay an halt to the civil strife, restored peace as well as also restored Oba Jimekun to the throne as well as encouraged the people to homecoming home.
The British did all these with the intent of creating merchandise route past times ocean as well as past times terra firma through Ondo to the other Yoruba hinterlands, thereby avoiding the danger precipitated past times the escalating Yoruba civil war. Ondo was, as far as the Christian faith was concerned, a terra incognita as well as hence Goldsworth conceived the thought of having a Christian mission inwards Ondo. So, on March 29, 1875, David Hinderer, Hunsi Wright as well as William Dada opened a Christian mission post. Rev. Phillip was the missionary inwards accuse of Ondo, preaching inwards whatever available opened upwards infinite including the Oba’s palace as well as C hief’s compounds.
Nevertheless, this does non hateful that conversion was sailing smoothly inwards Ondo. No, it did run into some resistance especially after the people realized that the Church was having a negative touching on on their traditional beliefs as well as practices. They refused to give terra firma for Church buildings. However, owing to Philip’s display of diplomacy, he was able to overcome the obstacle. The initiatory off Church was dedicated on 3rd May 1881. Thus Ondo became a relatively potent mission pump with schools built to educate the children as well as converts. No wonder then, Ondo people are highly educated. Today, in that location is hardly whatever street inwards Ondo where 1 volition non uncovering a professor. Ondo people viewed the coming of Christianity as an of import turning dot inwards their lives. The forced exile for 30 years had a devastating effect on their morale. With the advent of Christianity, in that location was social restoration as well as lasting peace.
It is no wonder as well as then that Ondo people have got their ain ethnical canticle that expresses the unique experiences, inwards Ondo history. While the tribal canticle of other Yoruba subgroups are grounded on folk beliefs as well as traditional experience, Ondo’s canticle is based on the conversion experience; an sense defined as a novel life nether the banners of Christianity:
Bi ola, bi ola oo Luxuriant, colourful as well as majestic
Adodo fusi s’eti omi Like the bloom blooming past times the river bank
Jesu ma fusi s’ Ondo So did Jesus (Christianity) flourish on Ondo soil.
Ola ma ti b’okan w’aiye oo ee Greatness is non the preserve of 1 source
Bi ola, bi ola oo Luxuriant, colourful as well as majestic
Adodo fusi s’eti omi As a bloom blossoms past times the river bank
Jesu ma fusi s’Ondo So Jesus has acquire a pride of Ondo town
Ola ma ti t’oke waiye o ee Our prosperity has come upwards from above
Aiye wa sese wa gun oo ee Now our lives are organized.
Islamic Religion
Muslims constitute almost 13% of the total population of the Ondo people whereas Christians constitute 73% as revealed past times the population census of 1952. Gbadamosi notes that the initiatory off tape of the presence of Islam inwards Ondo is contained inwards Phillips’ diary of 26th Nov. 1880.
In comparing with the ascent of Christianity inwards Ondo, the conversion to the Muslim faith was less successful. Muslim traders were in all probability the most important contributors to the increase of Islam inwards Ondo. The Mus lims gained slowly access through the eastern route to Ondo as well as they were able to disseminate Islamic ideas as well as doctrines to the people. It is worthy of banking concern bill that the Muslim traders’ main purpose was business concern but some of the traders considered themselves as instruments of
conversion as well as as Islamic missionaries inwards improver to their normal business concern vocation.
This phenomenon, as revealed inwards Mukti Ali’s observation is non peculiar to Ondo. Says Ali:
"Islam does non preach an exhaustive magical charisma-to borrow Max Weber’s
term –belonging to the priest alone, as Christianity teaches, but it is past times its
nature a missionary community. Because of the expansive missionary nature
of Islam, every Muslim is a propagandist of the faith."
The Ondo high Chiefs played of import roles inwards the spread of Islam. It is interesting to banking concern bill that despite the little numerical strength of the Muslim community inwards Ondo, Christians as well as Muslims are as represented inwards the Chieftain degree because they embraced both religions.
According to Olupona, dissimilar the Christian religion, the Islamic faith did non clash with the already existing socio-cultural ethics as well as norms of the traditional faith inwards Ondo. They were allocated a slice of terra firma where little pox victims were ritually buried. The topographic point was nonetheless purified past times Alfa Alimi. The yr 1888 marked the official start of Islam inwards Ondo. Because this faith did non clash with the traditional religion, it enjoyed the back upwards of the nobles as well as chiefs of Ondo. This gesture enhanced as well as encouraged the full general tolerance of the people. Olupona pointed out that Chiefs Sasere Ayotilerewa Awosika as well as Lisa Anjanu Fawehinmi, though non Muslims directed the course of study of Islam right from its real beginning. These chiefs prepared the ground for the cordial human relationship betwixt Islam as well as the traditional construction inwards Ondo community.
The Ogun Festival inwards Ondo
The Ogun festival is celebrated inwards Ondo betwixt the months of August as well as September every year. According to Olupona the preparation for the festival commences seventeen days before the actual Ogun 24-hour interval at the appearance of the novel moon. At an early on morn ceremony inwards the theatre of Ayadi, the ritual specialist of Ogun populace worship, the upe (a traditional trumpet made from a long gourd) is sounded to notify the people of the on-coming festival. The audio of upe as well as then becomes a mutual characteristic throughout the flow of the festival, which lasts 7 days. The audio of the upe is real important because it carries messages which are sometimes gratuitous as well as at other times abusive from 1 youth to the other.
During the seventeen-day interval, the worshippers of Ogun gather inwards groups to praise the divinity as well as other past times cultural heroes associated with him, such as Jomun Ila.
On a major marketplace day, which is ix days before the festival, the king’s emissary makes the official annunciation of the ceremony. Many activities are ordinarily carried out inwards preparation for the festival, amongst which is the communal clearing of paths as well as the repairing of bridges as well as other footpaths. Five days to the festival, a few households perform a ceremony called aleho.
There are ordinarily iii parts to the ceremony – aisun ogun (night vigil), ogun ale (night ogun) as well as ogun owuo (morning ogun celebration). The procession involves all traditional as well as modern 24-hour interval professionals as well as guilds. Every possible professional person grouping inwards Ondo – such as blacksmiths, medicine men as well as women, drivers, hunters, tailors, barbers, to cite just a few, participate inwards this celebration. The only exceptions are in all probability civil servants as well as white-collar workers. Most of them are ordinarily dressed inwards rags, palm- fronds with their faces as well as bodies smeared with bluish dye, white pulverization as well as or charcoal. Some, however, utilisation that flow to present affluence as well as nobility past times wearing unusually beautiful multicoloured outfits.
The Osemawe is non left out of this festivity. He ordinarily leads the early on morn procession. He wears a beaded crown that covers his whole confront with white sheet tied on his left shoulder over his agbada (flowing gown). Others such the high chiefs, medicine men as well as other trades men follow the king’s procession. Every professional person demonstrates his trade. The most esteemed grouping is the traditional medicine men referred to as oloogun (medicine people). They are attired inwards medicine
garments laced with all kinds of frightening herbal substances. This grouping ordinarily engages immature schoolhouse children to write signposts, which display the call of their pedigree as well as praise names, some with warnings written inwards proverbs as well as the metaphorical magico-medical expertise of the oloogun. This serves as a alert to the full general public. The next are examples of such signposts:
i). Eni ti o ba fi oju ana wo oku
He who looks upon today’s dead with the same eyes that saw the living.
ii). Ebora a bo l’aso.
Will have got his clothe removed past times the spirit.
iii). Ati pe eni ti oju eni ti ju eni lo.
He who is inwards a higher topographic point 1 is inwards a higher topographic point one.
iv). Bi uya lila ba a gbonen sanle.
If 1 is brought downward past times large trouble.
v). Kekee a ka gun oiho onen
Smaller problems come upwards up too.
vi). Opekete ndagba
As the palm-tree grows up,
vii). Inu Adama nbaje
The palm vino tapper becomes sad
viii). Ase i s’amodoun
Many happy returns of this festival
ix). Ogun ye 2d ye
Ogun lives as well as I live too.
When Ayadi ushers Ogun in, he must sacrifice dogs (aja) as well as tortoise (aghon) as well as pour libations at the shrine of Ogun. It is the full general belief inwards Ondo that a domestic dog is Ogun’s favourite meat. Thus during Ogun festival, dogs are ordinarily mercilessly immolated. The Ondo people do non inwards whatever way regard a domestic dog as a pet as the western people do. Ondo people seldom swallow domestic dog meat but they ofttimes sacrifice dogs to appease Ogun. Hence, their neighbours nicknamed them Ondo aj’aja that is, Ondo the domestic dog eater. The sacrifice of dogs is the climax of the ritual as well as past times this, the blood flows
into the shrine.
Ogun is the inwardness of Ondo’s pop faith for many reasons. During O gun festival, every department of the club is represented. It is only during this festival that children, domestic servants, foreigners, artisans, traditional circumcision doctors, religious as well as political authorities perform as devotees of Ogun. As the divinity is tied to professionalism, everybody participates. For example, warriors, blacksmiths, traders as well as fifty-fifty women who hardly participate inwards other Ondo festivals play real important roles inwards these festivities. Certainly, it is a fourth dimension when women-dominated professions such as traditional medical paediatrics (alagbo omode or olomitutu) as well as women’s marketplace associations display their wares as well as advertise their profession.
Furthermore, during this festival, people present their indebtedness to Ogun as the founder of Fe as well as metals, which are essential ingredients for technological development. It should live noted that sacrifices are made to ogun from fourth dimension to time, especially whenever a journeying is going to live undertaken. It is non surprising as well as then that the importance as well as fierceness of ogun is captured inwards this proverb:
“Onen yo ri ibi ogun ti gbe’je de sa eyin jija e fa i”. (Whoever sees ogun where it is taking blood as well as does non run, sure has work with his heels).
It should also live emphasized that Ogun festival serves as an occasion whereby the retentiveness of deceased ancestors as well as cultural heroes are commemorated. The worshippers of Ogun proclaim O gun’s praise-names as follows:
Ogun lakaiye, osin imole
Ogun, the potent 1 of the earth, Chief amongst the deities
Ogun alada meji, ofi okan san’ko, o fi Okan ye’na
Ogun, the possessor of 2 matchets; with 1 he prepares the farm, as well as with
the other he clears the road.
Ojo Ogun nti ori oke bo
The 24-hour interval Ogun was coming downward from the hilltop
Aso ina l’o mu bora, ewu eje l’o wo
He was clothed inwards burn as well as bloodstained garment
Ogun onile owo, olona ola
Ogun, the possessor of the theatre of money, the possessor of the theatre of riches
Ogun onile kangunkangun orun
The possessor of the innumerable houses of heaven
O pon omi s’ile f’eje we
He has H2O inwards the theatre but takes his bathroom with blood
Ogun awon l’eyin ju, egbe lehin omo orukan
Ogun whose eyeballs are rare (to behold), protector of orphans
Ogun m’eje l’ogun mi
There are 7 ogun who belong to me
Ogun Alara ni igba’ja
Ogun of Alara takes dogs,
Ogun Onire a gba’ gbo
Ogun of Onire habitually takes rams
Ogun ikola a gba’ gbin
Ogun of surgery habitually takes snails
Ogun Elemona nii gba esun ’su
Ogun Elemona takes roasted yam
Ogun a ki’run ni iwo agbo
Ogun a ki’run habitually takes ram’s horn
Ogun gbena gbena eran awun nii je
Ogun of the artisans eats the flesh of tortoise
Ogun Makinde ti d’ogun l’ehin odi,
Ogun Makinde has acquire the ogun after the urban center wall
Nje nibo l’ati pade Ogun?
By the way, where did nosotros run into Ogun?
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pade ogun nibi ija.
We met ogun inwards the battlefield
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Pade Ogun nibi ita
We met Ogun at the junction
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pade re nibi agbara eje naa
We also met him at the puddle of blood
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 gbara eje ti i de ni l’orun bi omi ago
The puddle of blood that reaches the cervix similar a loving cup of water
Orisa t’o ni t’ogun ko to nkan,
Whichever divinity regards ogun as of no consequence
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 f’owo je’su re nigba aimoye
Will swallow his yams with his hands (without a knife) times without number.
E ma b’ogun fi ija sere
Do non joke almost state of war with ogun
Ara ogu kan go-go-go-
Ogun is anxiously waiting to strike.
Late HRH Oba Michael Elumaro Olahende II The Ahaba of Ajagba Kingdom inwards ondo
Traditional Games In Ondo Ekimogun Kingdom
There are many ways of passing fourth dimension inwards Ondo Ekimogun Kingdom. Males, Females, Adults, Children as well as the Aged have got their different pastimes. The games adults play are different from those children. While adults ordinarily play Ayo-Lopon game, the children have got as 1 of their favorites, the game Lako.
LAKO: Generally, Lako is both an indoor as well as outdoor game. It is mostly a game played past times immature girls as well as boys betwixt the ages of ix as well as seventeen. Lako tin can live played past times people of the same historic flow grouping as good as mixed. That is a manlike individual as well as a woman individual tin can engage 1 some other inwards playing the game. It is a game that requires high flat of concentration. An private tin can also play it. What is required is a set of either vi pieces of ISE, PALM KERNEL NUTS or PEBBLES each almost the size of a cube of sugar.
The game balls, vi inwards number, must live 1 that a player’s palm tin can obtain as well as hold. In playing Lako, the rounds are determined. Five rounds brand 1 set. The rounds get with the holding all the vi items of game inwards the palm as well as splash-throw them on the play board. The play board is ordinarily on the flooring or on a mat. One of the game’s play items is proven past times the plough players. In the start round, the histrion volition throw the game item on mitt upwards as well as must successfully pick 1 of the 5 game balls as good as grab the 1 thrown up. This, the histrion must repeat 5 times inwards the initiatory off round. If inwards the course of study of the circular or whatever circular at all, the histrion failed to grab or pick without touching some other ball, the histrion is dead set according to the rules of the game. Picking a thrown upwards game ball without touching some other game ball is a picayune fleck difficult. Sometimes when the game is played on a mat, player’s hands must non touching the mat. If the histrion does, he or she volition live defendant of having touched the ball. Often, the game may come upwards to some abrupt halt as a final result of the accusation as well as denials.
The ever vigilant eyes of the histrion next inwards line when the play is dead past times 1 histrion is ever eager to telephone retrieve a play dead with the most picayune error on the component subdivision of a player. In many cases, it is only a 3rd oculus witness that calls the game dead when the contesting players are at logger head. But 1 time a histrion successfully picks the game balls inwards the initiatory off set round, he or she automatically continues to the stage of picking 2 balls at a fourth dimension as well as must live able to grab the ball that has been thrown up. The procedure as well as then goes to catching the upwards ball as well as picking iii balls, as well as also getting to four, as well as 5 balls to halt the initiatory off circular set. At this point, the successful histrion is regarded as having bought a house. The theatre bought is depicted past times a stuff item. The stuff item is what signifies to a spectator mate who is leading the player. Some parents do non allow their children to play Lako with those they consider troublesome or whose parents are troublesome. However, many children do non hear to their parent’s warnings when they are interested inwards playing Lako. Entrepreneur mothers especially do non wish their children to live engage inwards Lako because, their children, rather than move almost their businesses of selling volition either live watching the game or playing it. As a result, they would non have got made the expected sale. Usually, they would live admonished as well as punished.
AYO-LOPON: Ayo-lopon is an old historic flow game that is to a greater extent than often than non played past times males or females adults. Only 2 people tin can play the game at once. The Ayo-lopon which is SEEDING BALLS used for the game is made from special seeds of the rope tree called past times the call given to the game (Ayo). Opon is the call given to the playing board of the game. No less than forty-eight pieces of the Ayo Seeds are required for the games play board. The board is ordinarily almost 1 pes inwards length as well as iii inches inwards breadth. The games board is carved into it a set of vi 2 equal size depth holes facing 1 another. The Ayo Seeds are placed into each of the vi 2 equal size set of holes inwards groups of iv pieces each. This adult game demands as much concentration as the chess or draught games. The attending required inwards this game is quite enormous as well as takes a lot of fourth dimension before a circular game is concluded past times many who are experienced as well as are considered to live masters of the game. In playing the game, the 2 players are ever seated comfortably with the Opon Ayo placed betwixt them with the players sitting inwards a face-face formation.
The Opon Ayo betwixt the players makes a formation of the plus sign of the arithmetic’s tabular array spell the rules of the game are that players get playing clockwise. The histrion makes the start moves inwards the play past times taking whatever of the iv pieces of the Ayo inwards 1 of the vi holes on his or her side of the game board as well as putting each of the Ayo inwards just some other game board hole inwards attempts to flora what is called ODU. Sometime, the displace volition backfire on the histrion setting upwards the strategy because it is a real large gamble. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of strategy moves are planned to live executed inwards the course of study of playing a circular of the game. For the purpose of understanding, in that location is a PLAYER “A” as well as in that location is PLAYER “B”. As a PLAYER “A” makes his or her moves, the moves are pure calculation of what volition live the exact moves of PLAYER “B”. Should PLAYER “B” displace toward directions different from the expectations of the thoughts of PLAYER “A”, as well as then PLAYER “A” must move dorsum to the drawing board of his or her addition of the knowledge as well as sense of PLAYER “B”.
At every measuring of the way inwards the playing of the game of Ayo-Lopon, the thought is to live able to win or capture the most numbers of the Ayo Seeds on the topographic point side of your opponent. Your opponent is also trying to win to a greater extent than of the Seeds on your side each of the Players tin can only win either 2 or iii Seeds at 1 play plough as well as move. For example, if PLAYER “A” has iii Seeds on his or her topographic point side, for that Player to live able to have got a successful play turn, PLAYER “B” must have got at least, 1 Ayo Seed inwards a hole on his or her topographic point side. If this is the case, PLAYER “A” volition halt upwards with at to the lowest degree 2 Seeds to take topographic point from that play turn. Also, if in that location were 2 Seeds there, he or she volition halt upwards winning iii Seeds. But if in that location were already iii Seeds inwards the hole, the play plough is an unsuccessful play turn. No 1 tin can win iv Seeds or 1 Seed. The improve the PLAYERS are non hard to topographic point past times spectators of the homely game. The winner at the halt of each circular of play depicts the looser with an identifying object. Better still, the spectators tin can just adopt the greeting arguing that apply to most adult game play settings MOH KUN TA O agency I greet the play master. It is the master copy hear that ordinarily responds with OTA E JE, OPE LE FOHUN agency the master copy is responding the fools hear cannot respond.
500 years of the Osemawe Dynasty
In the rail on Ondo inwards a tape album featuring diverse kingdoms inwards Yorubaland, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey invited listeners to bring together him inwards saluting the people of Ondo Kingdom. It is fourth dimension to sing that vocal again:
E ba mi ki˜mogun oo ee,
Ondo oo, Ondo ee,
E ba mi ki˜mogun oo ee.
Osemawe of Ondo, VC as well as lisa of ondo
At no fourth dimension inwards Ondo history has the vocal been to a greater extent than appropriate than at nowadays as the people celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Osemawe Dynasty. The celebration at nowadays raises an of import question: How many kingdoms inwards Yorubaland tin can boast of a genealogical tape of 500 years? And what does such a tape tell us almost Ondo people as well as their dearest of didactics as well as tape keeping? Could this have got been the motivation for the establishment of the famous Nigerian Weekly Law Reports past times 1 of their sons, the tardily Chief Gani Fawehinmi?
I have got studied the Osemawe genealogical tree as well as could non assist but marvel at its completeness. It names every Oba as well as the duration of their reigns since Oba Pupupu almost 1510. In trying to topographic point Ondo kingdom within World History during that decade, I discovered that was the decade when King Francois I of French Republic as well as King Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire (also Carlos I of Espana of the Castilian Empire) signed the treaty of Noyon, past times which French Republic abandoned its claims to the Kingdom of Naples. Coming to Africa, it was the same decade that Arab Republic of Egypt was conquered past times the Turks of the Ottoman Empire. The ornamentation of the Christmas tree has also been traced to that decade, just to 1510, when Oba Pupupu began his reign inwards Ondo Kingdom. That is how deep Ondo people have got traced their history.
High chiefs of Ondo
This historical depth underscores the significance of the two-week celebrations, which kicking off on Saturday, July 3, with a town parade, as well as halt with an interdenominational service on Sunday, July 18. The celebrations volition overlap with the annual Odun Oba, a special celebration of the throne, slated for July 4 through 13. Other highlights of the 500th celebrations include a musical concert (July 7), afforestation (July 10), launching of Ondo Heritage Museum (July 10), treatise on the evolution of Ondo kingdom (July 15), launching of Ondo City Vision 2015 (July 16), a royal banquet (July 16), as well as inauguration of Honorary Chiefs (July 17).
Masterminding the celebrations is His Royal Majesty, Alayeluwa, Oba Victor Adesimbo Adenrele Ademefun Kiladejo, Jilo III, the Osemawe as well as Paramount Ruler of Ondo Kingdom. Starting with Oba Pupupu inwards the early on 1500s, Oba Kiladejo is the 44th Osemawe of Ondo as well as the 3rd from the Jilo line of Okuta Ruling House. His predecessor inwards that line, Jilo II, otherwise known as Arojojoye Oba Pupa, ruled betwixt 1926 as well as 1935. The Okuta Huling House descended straight from Oba Luju, 1 of Oba Pupupu‘s sons, who reigned betwixt 1561 as well as 1590. Oba Luju‘s iv sons ruled after him inwards monastic enjoin of seniority, each establishing a ruling house. However, 1 of the iv ruling houses, led past times Oba Liyen, terminated inwards 1702 because in that location was no manlike individual kid to move on the ruling house.
Osemawe as well as Lisa of ondo
The inwards a higher topographic point brief capsule of the Osemawe Dynasty belies the complexities as well as intrigues within the dynasty over the past times 500 years. There have got been highly charged competitions for the throne across as well as within the ruling houses. In recent times, those competitions have got led to protracted legal tussles. However, the Ondo throne has held its ain over as well as inwards a higher topographic point competitions as well as tribulations. Today, the Ondo throne is a beacon of hope for traditional institutions inwards our land.
Ondo people themselves have got held their heads high inwards Ondo State, Nigeria, as well as fifty-fifty beyond. Their populace epitome may have got been constructed around Ogun as well as Obitun festivals, high fashion, as well as asun (roasted caprine animal meat). But brand no error almost it: Ondo people also excel inwards hard work, entrepreneurship, as well as professional person training, especially inwards medicine, engineering, law as well as business. Many universities as well as hospitals inwards Nigeria have got benefitted from the knowledge of professors as well as doctors from Ondo town.
Above all, Ondo people are known to live real proud of their town, household unit of measurement lineage as well as culture, especially their dialect of Yoruba. That‘s why it is often said that you lot could take an Ondo homo away from his town but you lot could non take the Ondo dialect away from him. They are widely known today as Egin just for the dialect. They verbalise it with so much gusto as if they do non part it (with slight variations) with speakers from Idanre as well as Ile-Oluji.
It volition live a grave error to stance the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the Osemawe Dynasty as yet some other ariya (festivities), for which Ondo people are also noted. Rather, their true significance lies inwards their objectives, namely, to celebrate the continued existence of Ondo Kingdom as well as showcase its achievements over the centuries; to celebrate the people‘s civilisation as well as to develop a permanency for its exhibition through the establishment of a museum; to rally Ondo people worldwide for developmental support; as well as to bring together the World inwards the endeavor to ensure ecological residual through afforestation as well as other eco-friendly activities.
These objectives must live understood within the context of major transformations within Ondo Kingdom, which Oba Kiladejo has embarked upon since his coronation inwards 2006. Perhaps the most of import transformation, which is also the ground for other achievements, is the reign of peace as well as maintenance of safety within the kingdom. On his coronation, Ondo kingdom was inwards the middle of social as well as political factionalism as well as terra firma disputes, which led to diverse safety problems. But Oba Kiladejo shrewdly managed the diverse crises as well as resolved safety problems through innovative institutions; he carefully established committees as well as diplomatic negotiations, involving chiefs, religious leaders, notable Ondo citizens as well as officials of diverse safety agencies.
Oba Kiladejo‘s managerial skills came from previous executive experiences as a Medical Director as well as as Chairman of diverse businesses, including Kilad Hospital Limited, which he established long before he ascended the throne. He also acknowledges the traditional tutelage he received prior to coronation. This is how the Kabiyesi himself lay it inwards an interview: â€The flow of my remain inwards different traditional locations for almost vi months … enabled me to larn how to live patient as well as tolerant. The fine art of mediating was also learnedâ€.
He drew on these varied experiences to embark on innovative modernization projects inwards monastic enjoin to brand the Crown piece of work with the authorities as well as the people for mutual benefit. He digitalised royal records, created a website for the Osemawe palace as well as established Kiladejo Crown Foundation (KCF). Its mission is â€to leverage all available human, technical as well as institutional resources nationally as well as internationally towards the evolution of Ondo Kingdom, with the objective of alleviating as well as mitigating poverty as well as illness burden amongst the people of Ondo Kingdom as well as its environsâ€. With computers inwards the palace as well as an Oba who reads newspapers daily, surfs the spider web as well as communicates with his subjects via telephone, text messaging, as well as e-mail, Ondo kingdom runs a modern bureaucracy within a traditional palace setting.
KCF‘s objectives as well as those of the 500th anniversary of the Osemawe Dynasty let on a dynamic synergy betwixt traditional as well as democratic institutions. Oba Kiladejo himself works mitt inwards mitt with province as well as local authorities officials to maximize appropriate economical rewards for his subjects. On the wellness forepart for example, KCF‘s past times activities complemented those of the province government. They included a wellness awareness lecture given past times renowned cardiologist, Professor Oladipo Olujimi Akinkugbe, liberate handling for hypertensive patients, render of liberate spectacles to needy patients as well as distribution of insecticide-treated musquito nets to citizens.
The Ondo instance shows that in that location is soundless a topographic point for traditional institutions inwards our society. It also indicates the management of modifications needed for those institutions to piece of work effectively with democratic institutions. Surely, Oba Kiladejo has done his forebears proud with his activities as well as these celebrations. It is only appropriate to unopen this essay with oriki Osemawe, of which he is the electrical flow bearer: Aba-iye. Uku, Alase, Ekeji Orisa. Ugba gb‘omo la. Ajigwa jigwa ileke. Lewokun, Lewu woi woi, Lewu Aimojubomi. Alade nla. Wa d‘aigbo o.
Prof. Akinnaso teaches
Anthropology and
Linguistics at the Temple
University, Philadelphia,
United States.
Ondo homo as well as manlike individual monarch of Juju music, King Sunny Ade
King sunny Ade, Ondo royal with his African beats group
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