The Yoruba people are an ethnic group in
West Africa, with a vast majority inhabiting the South-West part of Nigeria,
where they constitute approximately 21% of the country’s population, or 35
million in 2012; rendering them one of the largest ethnic groups in Sub-Saharan
Africa. A majority of the Yoruba people are native speakers of the Yoruba
Language. It is held that the Yoruba ethnic group originated from the
population of the older kingdom of Ile-Ife. The settlement at Ife appears to
have entered an era of revival, with the appearance of urban structures by the 12th
century. This seems to be the formative period of the Yoruba people, as
reflected in oral tradition. Oral history of the Oyo-Yoruba identifies Odùduwà as the Progenitor of the
Yoruba and the reigning ancestor of their crowned kings.
Upon the disappearance of Odùduwà, there
was a dispersal of his children from Ife to found other kingdoms. Each of these
kingdoms contributed in the subsequent urbanisation and consolidation of Yoruba confederacy
of kingdoms.
Occupational guilds,
social clubs, secret or initiatory societies and religious units, commonly
known as Egbe in Yoruba, included the
Parakoyi (or league of traders) and Egbe
Ode (hunter's guild). These maintain an important role in commerce, social
control, and vocational education in Yoruba polities. Monarchies constitute the
major form of government, though social
organisation is equally prevalent in some areas of Yoruba land.
Yoruba culture consists of folk or cultural
philosophy, religion and folktales. They are embodied in Ifa-Ife Divination,
known as the tripartite Book of Enlightenment in Yoruba land and in the
Diaspora.
Among the Yoruba are Christians and
Muslims, though they also adhere to the principles pertaining to the traditional
faith they inherited from their ancestors. Yoruba customary religious practices
include the Eyo and Osun Oshogbo festivals.
Perhaps the most common
Yoruba traditional religious concept has been the concept of Orisha. An Orisha, (also spelled Orisa or Orixa)
is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Gods in the
Yoruba spiritual or religious system.
Orisa'nla (The great divinity) also known as Obatala, was the arch-divinity chosen by
Olodumare, the Supreme, to create
solid land out of the primordial water that constituted the earth; and
populated the land with human beings. Obatala
descended from heaven on a chain, carrying a small snail shell full of earth,
palm kernels and a five-toed chicken. He was to empty the content of the snail
shell on the water, after placing some pieces of iron on it; and then to place
the chicken on the earth.
Yoruba philosophy is a
witness of two eras. The first era is an epoch-making history in cosmogony and
cosmology, which constitutes the foundation of oral philosophy, in a period
when Oduduwa was the philosopher, the
head, the Bringer of Light, and a prominent diviner.
The second epoch is that of metaphysical
philosophy; which commenced in the 19th century, along the lines of
the academic prowess of Dr. Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the first African Anglican
Bishop.
Though religion is of prime importance in
Yoruba culture, philosophy is also of paramount consideration. Philosophy is viewed as the thought of man
and the reasoning of the mind that actually leads the faculty (ori), to the creation and practice of
religion. Thus philosophy is antecedent to religion.
Traditionally, kingship and chieftainship
were not determined by lineage heritage of the eldest son, as in most monarchic
systems of government. An electoral college of lineage is usually charged with
selecting a member of one of the royal families from any given realm; and the
selection is then confirmed by an Ifá oracular request.
Yams are said to be one of the important
food for the Yoruba. Plantain, corn, and beans are also main choices.
Some common Yoruba foods
are iyan (pounded yam), Amala, eba, semo, fufu, Moin moin (bean cake) and akra.
Soups include egusi, ewedu, okra etc.
Yoruba people are well known for their
attire. Clothing materials are traditionally derived from processed cotton by
traditional weavers.
The Yoruba have a very wide range of
clothing. The basic being the Aṣo-Oke, which has a variety of forms and
patterns.
