YORUBA PEOPLE AND CULTURE
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| adewale akinnuoye-agbaje |
The Yoruba people are one of the most popular ethnic groups
in West Africa and Africa at large. They are predominantly found in southwestern
and north central region of Nigeria and in some parts of Benin republic and Togo.
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| OONI OF ILE IFE |
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| yoruba bride |
The Yoruba’s are surrounded by some minor ethnic groups in Nigeria as well as in Benin. To the northwest in Benin, they share boarders with the Bariba, the Ebira to the northeast in central Nigeria, Nupe to the north and the Edo, the Afemai and Esan groups to the east and mid western Nigeria. The tribe also shares boarder with the Gbe speaking Mahi, Egun ethnic group, Fon to the southwest and Ewe people living in Benin and Togo. To the southeast, the share boarder with the principal inhabitants of Itsekiri who live in northwest end of Niger Delta.
Though the Yoruba are mostly populated in Nigeria, the also
dwell (in large numbers) in other western African countries like Liberia, Ghana,
Ivory Coast and Sierra-Leone. There are two major groupings of the Yoruba people
in the Diaspora; the first group is known as migrants and they are made up of Yoruba’s
who migrated to the United Kingdom and United States in the 1960s and 1980s as
a result of major economic and political changes. The second group consists of Yoruba’s
who were part of the Atlantic slave trade.
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| king sunny ade and wives |
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| alaafin of oyo and wives |
Ancient Yoruba’s practiced polygamy; the men were allowed to marry more than one wife as well as catering for them equally.
LANGUAGE:
As at 2010, records have it that about the number of Yoruba language
speakers were put up to30million. While we are yet to confirm if this figure
increased or dwindled over the past years, we make bold to affirm that majority
of Yoruba people and native speakers of the Yoruba language. Like most languages,
the Yoruba language has a myriad of different dialects. These dialects are
further grouped into five major dialect areas. Which are; northwest, northeast,
central, southwest and southeast.
Interestingly, many Yoruba words are used in the Afro-Brazilian
religion known as Candombele and in many other Afro-American religions in the Americans
and the Caribbean. Irrespective of the aforementioned discrepancies in the Yoruba
language, the tribe has a standard variety of Yoruba known as literary Yoruba.
RELIGION:
Southwestern Nigeria and the adjoining parts of Benin and Togo
are not just homeland of the Yoruba people. They significantly double as places
where religious and diverse traditional practices of the people played out. Record
has it that at least 20% of the Yoruba practice the traditional religion of
their ancestors. Yoruba religious beliefs shares ties with ‘itan’ which
comprises songs, histories, stories and other cultural concepts of the Yoruba society.
They believe every man possesses ‘ayanmo’ (destiny) and that
“Olodumare’ is the principal agent of creation. They also believe in
reincarnation called ‘atunwa’. They believe in ‘Olorun or ‘Olu Orun’ (sky God)
and is supreme to all other ‘orishas’.
CULTURE:
These people are very protective of their culture and most
of them continue to give their children traditional names rather that English names
and would speak their language at any given opportunity. From their artistry (which
includes but are not limited to sculpture, textile, cuisine) to other things
like naming customs (oruko amutorunwa; pre-ordained name, oruko abiso; name
given at birth, abiku names, pet names), laws, weddings, funeral, philosophies,
ideologies, religion and language. The Yoruba’s are quite unique, blessed and
hardworking. Weddings in Yoruba land are usually a sight to behold but for a
wedding to take place, the bridegroom is expected to first receive the consent
of the bride’s parent and after which he pays the bride price. Friends and
family usually attend the ceremony to send her off to her new home.
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