According to various sources, she originated in Nupe (Tapa) settlement in Ibarapa area of Oyo state. Nupe are not Yoruba or Oduduwa descedants. They left Idah (Igala land) for Bida, before moving to various places on raids led by the son of Attah Igala, Prince Tsoede, the first king of the Tapa/Nupe people. Iyemoja or Yemoja is from Iyeamoja meaning mother of multitude. The other name is Iye Unyejima. Yemoja did not fall from sky because Nupe didn't have History of sky Origin or falling from sky. Yemoja is a deity taken by Igala warriors who raided Oyo with Nupe and Prince Tsoede in around 1457, and ruled for over 75 years and established their settlements there. Iye Amoja are not Nupe/Tapa words. Yemoja is only found or worshipped in this area of Oyo and not in the remaining 5 states of Yoruba except in Ekiti state where she was brought by Attah (Yoruba does bear Attah as name) Eshubiyi, a warrior from Oyo who co-founded Ayede Ekiti with someone. Yemoja or Iye Amoja or Iye Unyejima goddess was brought by Igala people from ancient Egypt when they left Egypt around 800 BC to the present day Attagara town in Borno state, Nigeria, and later to Attagara in Kwarafara with some in the present Nok area of Kaduna state where many Egytian pottery/terracotta materials were found in those days and later moved to Idah. In Egypt, she was called Mut, meaning mother goddess. So, irrespective of other myths told, Truth is verifiable. The summary is that the goddess originated in the Tapa/Nupe Community in Oyo, but owned by Igala people among them as Tapa has no Iye word as mother but Nna as mother. Tapa has no Amoja word as multitude or many too. Yemoja worship is Igala religion across the world but was wrongly categorized as Yoruba religion when the entire Igala Kingdom of Nigeria was wrongly categorized as Yoruba.
Source: Indigenous Of Igala Kingdom.
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