{"id":588,"date":"2013-12-12T08:22:44","date_gmt":"2013-12-12T07:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buzznigeria.com\/?p=588"},"modified":"2023-10-21T12:31:06","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T11:31:06","slug":"yoruba-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buzznigeria.com\/yoruba-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Yoruba People, Culture and Language"},"content":{"rendered":"
Yoruba people are a West African ethnic group and one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. They also inhabit parts of Benin and Togo, and constitute more than 46 million people in Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n Yoruba culture is made up of cultural philosophy, religion and folktales, embodied in Ifa divination<\/strong><\/p>\n Often considered as one of Nigeria’s most educated, the Yoruba people are unique with rich cultural heritage, language, and religion. They are native to one of the three major languages in Nigeria and are also found in West African countries such as Togo, Ghana, and the Republic of Benin. Currently, they have a rising number in America, Brazil, Canada, and Ivory Coast, among other countries.<\/strong><\/p>\n The people, who are also famous as Iran Yoruba, Omo Oduduwa,<\/em> and Omo Kaaaro-oojiire,<\/em> have vast cultures, languages, and dialects. Here is explicit information about the history, language, food, attires, marriage custom, and different rites of the Yorubas.<\/p>\n The birth of the Yoruba kingdom is believed to come through Oduduwa<\/em> in 2 different tales. In one of the stories, it is believed that the people’s birth started in Ile-Ife,<\/em> a town in present-day Oyo State, which was initially known as where humans were created.\u00a0In this story, it is believed that Oduduwa,<\/em> who is a divinity, had children who spread across places outside Ile-Ife.<\/em><\/p>\n When they succeeded in conquering towns, they gained leadership, and those towns became other Yoruba towns in Southern Nigeria and Western Africa.\u00a0The other story of the history of the Yoruba people is tied to the earliest religion of the people. This account claims that the Olodumare<\/em> (the creator) sent Oduduwa<\/em> to earth, which at that time, was covered in water.<\/p>\n He would then form humankind with the clay of Ile-Ife<\/em> after he was given a chicken and sand. The sand, which is one of the significant parts of this myth, is believed to have fallen off the hand of Oduduwa<\/em> to later create a hill in the waters that would give birth to the extension of the Yoruba land.<\/p>\n According to this account, Oduduwa<\/em> was also given a palm kernel that grew into a tree with sixteen limbs that represent the foremost 16 kingdoms of the Yoruba people. The Kingdoms will rise to become a crucial part of the history of the growth of the Yorubaland that add to its current population of more than 50 million people within and outside Africa.<\/p>\nQuick Facts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\n \nKey Facts<\/th>\n Description<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Location<\/td>\n Primarily in southwestern Nigeria, but also in parts of Benin and Togo.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Language<\/td>\n Yoruba language, which is a Niger-Congo language, and a member of the Kwa family of languages. The language is spoken by 44 million people mainly in south-west Nigeria, where it has official status, with some further speakers in Benin and Togo. There is another 2 million people that speak Yoruba as a second language.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Religion<\/td>\n Traditional Yoruba religion revolves around the worship of deities called ‘Orishas’. However, many Yoruba people are also Christians or Muslims.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Orishas<\/td>\n Deities in Yoruba cosmology. Examples include Sango (god of thunder), Ogun (god of iron and war), Osun (goddess of fertility and rivers), and Orunmila (deity of wisdom).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Festivals<\/td>\n Various festivals celebrate Orishas, ancestral spirits, and significant life events. Examples include the Osun-Osogbo festival and Ojude Oba festival.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Art<\/td>\n Yoruba art often has a functional purpose and is closely tied to religion. It includes masks, statues, beadwork, and more.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Music and Dance<\/td>\n Drumming is a significant aspect of Yoruba culture. Dances and songs often accompany religious ceremonies and festivals.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Ayo Olopon<\/td>\n A popular traditional game played on a carved wooden board with seeds or pebbles. It has both recreational and ritual significance.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Naming Ceremony<\/td>\n An important rite of passage, typically held on the eighth day after a child’s birth, where the child receives their names in a festive gathering.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n The History of the Yoru<\/strong>ba People Links to Ile-Ife and Oduduwa<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The Yoruba People are Believed to Have Migrated From Egypt<\/strong><\/h2>\n