ORI ELEDA

Let us give explanation of ile ori [the sacred vessel which enshrines within itself the sacred Ori divinity] which is supposed to keep, protect, serve as a pride, honour, sign of respect, even beautify the kings head, but things have changed as centuries passed. Ile-ori later undergoes many artful transformations to become a crown today. Nowadays, ile ori has been designed in the form of a crown but not as a functional crown because no one wears it. It consists a very wonderful leather work decorated with cowry shells, the model of this exists as the crown of the Alafin of Oyo. No oba has been permitted to wear such a crown, though the Timi of Ede has a simple model of it. The story of the type of crown supported by the history of Oyo Empire is used to make Alafin as the head of the Obas in Yoruba land.

The controversial claims Ooni is the head of the Yoruba obas. All the stories and legend are used to prove that Oduduwa is the aborigine of Yoruba. The Yoruba needs some legend or grounding myth that all the Yoruba belonging to the same origin. Later this became the cause of many disputes. This is the root for describing the Yoruba as homogenous group.

There are now different types of crowns and legends existing in Yoruba land. Ifá, the accepted authority's claim about the origin of people of the Yoruba land is now disputable.

Ori is now recognized as what we can see as the physical head [and what we can experience as the inner spiritual head], and much of these attributes are claimed to belong to that of Olódùmarè, for example "Eleda" as expressed thus "Ori mi (my head) Eledami bamise o (help me my ori)".

The only statement that shows the accepted homogeneity of the Yoruba people is the phrase "Eku" appearing in almost greetings of the people.

Occasion, whether happy, sorrow,  enjoyment, for sickness, for victory, accident, giving birth, defeat, decease, good or bad luck, example are:

Eku owuro (good morning), eku osan (good afternoon), eku role (good evening), eku ale (good night) for the period of the day, for performance at duty you have "Eku Ise" (welldone), For those performing and "Eku ile" (welcome) for people coming in, "Eku Iroju" for those active and those tired, "Eku Iwaju" for those you meet on the road, or at a ceremony, in the igbomina area, "Ooku" is used.

They settled in small towns identified by the original ancestors, like Ago, Egba, those in Egbaland, Abule Ijebu, Abule Ijesha.

QUESTION ONE

Ile Ori has been designed in the form of a crown but not as a functional crown because no one wears it. It consisted a very wonderful leather work decorated  with cowry shells, the model of this exists as the crown but

No oba has been permitted to wear such a crown.

Do you know any oba wearing such crown?

For example, I have one first class oba that uses to wear such crown. In fact the palace is close to where I live. Mostly especially during Odun Aje.

What's the implication Please?

QUESTION TWO

The Yoruba needs some legend or grounding myth that all the Yoruba belonging to the same origin. Later this became the cause of many disputes. This is the root for describing the Yoruba as homogenous group.

I was at Obatala's temple few days ago and Obalesu said same thing. He said we are not all Yorubas because the so-called Yorubas were not from same race and that the Hausa gave us the name. 

Do you agree or disagree?

By Dr. S M Opeola