Yoruba deities

The following is a list of Yoruba deities

Supreme being

Olòrún - the supreme creator deity
OrishasEdit

Aganju - Orisha of volcanoes, the wilderness and rivers
Aja - Orisha of the forest, the animals within it, and herbal healing
Ayao - Orisha of air
Babalu Aye - Orisha of the Earth and strongly associated with infectious disease (particularly smallpox, leprosy and AIDS) and healing
Egungun-oya - Orisha of divination
Erinle - Orisha of medicine, healing, and comfort, physician to the gods
Eshu - trickster, psychopomp and Orisha of crossroads, duality, beginnings, travelers, fertility and death
Kokou - a violent warrior Orisha
Oba - first wife of Shango and Orisha of domesticity and marriage
Obatala - creator of human bodies; Orisha of light, spiritual purity, and moral uprightness
Ogoun - Orisha who presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and war
Olokun - patron Orisha of the descendants of Africans who were carried away during the Atlantic Slave Trade or Middle Passage
Oshun - Orisha who presides over love, intimacy, beauty, wealth and diplomacy
Oshunmare - divine rainbow serpent associated with creation and procreation
Oxossi - Orisha of the hunt and forest
Oya - Orisha of the Niger River; associated with wind, lightning, fertility, fire, and magic
Sopona - Orisha of smallpox
Shango - Orisha of thunder and lightning
Yemaja - a mother goddess; patron deity of women, and the Ogun river
Irunmole
Orunmila - spirit of wisdom, divination, destiny, and foresight.

Yoruba tribal mark

Yoruba physical appearance which is fast disappearing because of the extant laws, and international campaign, is the tribal marks. Tribal or facial mark- is a specific mark, which comes in different shapes and sizes, commonly found on the face. There are various tribal marks, by different ethnic groups within Yoruba nation. The Ijeṣa people are known by "pele."
Pele, is a-four-horizontal-line; a-quarter-of-an-inch-long made on the cheeks on both sides of the mouth. The Ondo natives of (Ondo State) are identified by half-an-inch-vertical lines on both sides of the nose down to the mouth (marks are thick and long). Other Yoruba ethnic groups have different types of facial marks; Ogbomoso natives of (Oyo State) are identified by multiple straight and curved lines (Gombo) on both sides of the face. Other sub-groups within Yoruba nation have only curved lines on both sides of their face. Even, a particular mark, may have varieties among neighbors; for instance, Pele has about three versions: Pele Ijesa (discussed) Pele Ekiti (quarter-of-an-inch-horizontal-line) and Pele Akoko (about the same length, but comes in either vertical or horizontal format); the style will depends on Akoko by Ekiti, Bini and Okun neighbors. The purpose of facial marks in the past was to identify each group within Yoruba nation, to beautify, and to identify slaves. Because of the health implications and several abuses, it has become an outlaw practice in Nigeria.
Yoruba has the following tribal marks
Abaja
Kẹkẹ or Gọmbọ
Ture
Pele
Mande
Jamgbadi

Yoruba given name

The Yoruba names can the nominal or sentential and the names has been classified into three: Given Names( Oruko Amutorunwa), Ascribed Names (Oruko Abiso), and Pet Names (Oriki). Also, some names are formed  from Yoruba proverbs.

Given Names(Oruko Amutorunwa) are nominal in form, so are some place names. Examples:
Ojo----------A male child that has his umbilical cord tied around his neck at birth.
Ajayi--------A child born with face turned downwards
Talabi-------A child born with the head and body covered with Caul like a masquerade
Oni---------A baby whose incessant cry at birth suggest that he/she is in distress
Ige --------A baby thta came out of the womb with feet first
Aina------Is the female of Ojo(of the two names, Ijebu tribe uses Aina,it is proverbial that (Ijebu Kii je Ojo),"Ijebus never bear the name Ojo."
Dada-----Children with knotted hair or dreads
Ilori------Conceived after a previous birth,before resumption of mensturation
Oke-----A child rapped in a thin membrane at birth, The Amniofil sac
Taiwo----The first to arrive of a twin
Kehinde---The last to arrive of a twin
Eta Oko---Triplet
Idowu-----A child born after a set of twins
Alaba------A child born after Idowu
Olugbodi----A child born with a the sixth finger
Erinle--------A child born with an umbilical cord around his wrist

Gangan (The Talking Drum)

It is a Yoruba socio-cultural way of life to celebrate life as against celebration of death as witnessed in some societies. No wonder Fredrick Lugard in 1912, described the Yorubas as bunch of merry-making tribe along the coast of West Africa.

In other to add flavour to their ceremonies and festivals, they invented Gangan and some other musical instruments but what makes Gangan a spectacular drum is that, it is fashioned to mimic human speech.

Mimicking is done by varying the tension on the cords that connect the opposing drumheads. It is designed to have a pitch-resonating chamber inside. The waist of the drum is held between the drummer's arm and ribs, so that when squeezed, the drumhead is tightened, giving out a higher note than when in its relaxed state. The pitch can be changed during a single beat, producing a melodic note and the drum can thus capture the pitch, volume, and rhythm of human speech.

Gangan is used for various purposes in different ceremonies, festivals, praise singing, proverbial sayings, keeping of historical records, memories, communication and also as signs and secret communications during hostilities.

In a musical group, Gangan is mostly handled by an old experienced drummer as he/she dictates the tempo and direction of the general beat. He also has the obligation to remind the singer of certain things and in many cases, it communicates with the dancers as well. Therefore, anytime gangan is involved, people are not only charged by the beat but also emotionally carried away by the messages it passes.

Drumming is a profession in the ancient Yoruba communities and gangan expertise (Ayan) are found in some families going by their heritage. Some Yoruba names today still suggest their roots are from drumming family, such as Ayangalu, Ayansola, Ayandiran and the likes.

History of olufi of gbongan

Abiodun Adegoriolu the Alafin of Oyo, who reigned between C1750 – 1789 was the father of Olufi.

Olufi migrated from Oyo with a large followers consequent upon the unrest that attended the death of Alaafin Abiodun in 1789. One tradition states that Olufi contested the throne of Oyo and lost. He then had to leave Oyo as tradition demanded. Another associates the migration of Olufi from Oyo with the general unrest that characterised the politics in Oyo after the demise of Alaafin Abiodun. This made Oyo metropolis not safe for peaceful existence, hence many citizens of Oyo followed Olufi as he migrated from Oyo.

It is relevant here to stress that Olufi probably left Oyo after 1789. He took Igbori route. His entourage stayed there for some time. They then moved to Soungbe before they finally settled in Gbongan Ile.
All these places are mentioned in the Oriki Olufi, the important things that happened to Olufi and his entourage are also recited in the Oriki. The Olufi carried along from Oyo a beaded crown which made his followers recognise him not only as an Oyo prince but as an Oba in his own right.

The unrest that precipitated the fall of Old Oyo empire also affected the stability of many towns in the savannah region of the empire. There emerged soldiers of fortune who started to carve for themselves areas of jurisdiction. They had to fight their weak neighbours to establish their own domains, and in order to survive dis-establish Oyo towns. They, the soldiers of fortune, infact made it possible for the Fulani to penetrate and to destroy many Oyo towns.
The resultant effect was the drift in population from the savannah region of the old Oyo empire to the forested region of the south, where the horses of the marauders could not easily penetrate. This was how many Oyo towns were either destroyed or deserted and many moved towards Ife forest.

Many settled with the Olufi in Gbongan and others in Origbo. Those who settled among the people of Ife later founded Modakeke.
The fall of Owu in 1821 made many people from Owu to settle in Gbongan. Some people chose to settle in Gbongan from their Origbo base. Gbongan, therefore, started to grow as a result of influx of people from many quarters.

The prevailing peace in Gbongan was however not to last long. There was a fresh wave of marauding activities in places that were regarded as safe. In C1823, after the Fulani defeat of Afonja in Ilorin, Muslim marauders from llorin and Iwo attacked Gbongan Ile, Ikire Ile and Ipetumodu. The towns were deserted and the people sought refuge in Ile-Ife.

In about C1825, the people of Gbongan decided to rebuild Gbongan, but the people chose a new site rather than the old site which was at the fringe of the savannah. A site that was in the heart of the forest was, therefore, chosen. This is why at the present location, we have such locations as Owo Ope, Oke Egan, Oke Apo and Oke Apata. There is also the network of streams like Oyunlola, Akinjole, Alaanu and Oleyo which serve as sources of water supply to the town.

The present Gbongan could, therefore be said to be founded around C1825, at a time when there was a renewed influx of people from the crumbling Oyo empire. The fact that Gbongan was headed by an Oba attracted many people to settle there, and the fact that the town had moved to a truly forested region made people to feel secure. By the middle of the 19th Century, Gbongan had become one of the biggest towns in this region.

OLUFI BECAME A BAALE
Ibadan imperial drive to Ijesa and Ekiti countries from 1850s affected Gbongan in a number of ways. Gbongan was not conquered by Ibadan. Gbongan was only invited as a junior ally to help in the prosecution of Ibadan wars. This was how Gbongan was involved, and took active parts in Ijesa, Ekiti, Akoko campaigns to the seventeen year of Ekiti Parapo war. Gbongan fought as an ally of Ibadan in the Modakeke war of 1881-86, and this was why almost all Modakeke moved en-masse to settle in Gbongan on March 27 1909 before Ode Omu was founded in 1910 for those Modakeke who chose to settle in a separate town.

The implication of this was that the history of Gbongan during the period of Ibadan imperial drive was ultimately tied with that of Ibadan who had a Baale as ruler of Ibadan. In effect, the rulers of those towns which were junior partners of Ibadan were regarded as Baale. This was not peculiar to Gbongan town. Ikire, Apomu, and Ipetumodu were so treated. Olufi therefore resorted to wearing his crown annually during the Orisa Akire Festive

Origin of Warri,Delta State

The Kingdom of Warri is a traditional state based on the town of Warri in Delta State, Nigeria. Warri is an inland port on one of the Niger River channels in the Niger Delta. The Olu (king) of Warri is the head of the Itsekiri people.
According to Bini and Itsekiri histories Ginuwa, a prince of Benin founded the Iwerre (Warri) Kingdom about 1480. In the 15th century Warri was visited by Portuguese missionaries. At the beginning of the 17th century, a son of the reigning Olu was sent to Portugal and returned with a Portuguese wife. Their son Antonio Domingo was Olu of Warri in the 1640s.Olu Erejuwa, who reigned from about 1720 to 1800, expanded Warri politically and commercially, using the Portuguese to further Warri's independence of Benin and to establish control over a wider area.
Later Warri served as the base for Portuguese and Dutch slave traders. Warri became a more important port city during the late 19th century, when it became a centre for the palm oil trade and other major items such as rubber, palm products, cocoa, groundnuts, hides, and skins.Warri was established as a provincial headquarters by the British in the early 20th century.In May 1952 the government of Western Nigeria changed the title of the Itsekiri ruler from the Olu of Itsekiri to the Olu of Warri, at the request of the Itsekiri. The Ijaw, Urhobo and other people of the community objected to the change, since they felt the new title implied that the Olu was ruler of Warri, not just of the Itsekiri.

Origin of owo,ondo state

According to Owo history,the name Owo derives from the first ruler, or Olowo, named Ojugbelu. His pleasant manner earned him the name Owo, meaning respectful, and the name was passed on to his descendants and followers.
Owo is a city in the Ondo state of Nigeria. Between the years 1400 and 1600 AD,In their oral tradition, Owo traces its origins to the ancient city of Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba culture.Oral tradition also claims that the founders were the sons of the Yoruba deity Odudua, who was the first ruler of Ile-Ife. The early art-historical and archaeological records reinforce these strong affiliations with Ife culture.Owo was able to maintain virtual independence from the neighboring kingdom of Benin, but was on occasion required to give tribute.The transmission of courtly culture flowed in both directions between the Benin and the Owo kingdoms. The skill of Owo's ivory carvers was also appreciated at the court of Benin.
Owo is situated in southwestern Nigeria, at the southern edge of the Yoruba Hills, and at the intersection of roads from Akure, Kabba, Benin City, and Siluko. Owo is situated halfway between the towns of Ile Ife and Benin City.
Owo has the largest palace in Africa which was declared a national monument by the federal government. The Olowo Palace had as many as 100 courtyards. Each courtyard had a specific function and was dedicated to a particular deity. The largest, said to have been twice the size of an American football field, was used for public assemblies and festivals. Some courtyards were paved with quartz pebbles or broken pottery. Pillars supporting the veranda roofs were carved with statues of the king mounted on a horse or shown with his senior wife. The present Olowo is King Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi III.
IGOGO FESTIVAL, OWO-ONDO STATE
This is an annual festival in Owo which lasts a total of 17 days featuring a number of ceremonies including the blessing and release of new yams. The festival is in commemoration of the king's wife who turned into a tree while being pursued by the king's slave to return to the palace after her rival violated her taboos in her presence.

The Olowo, usually during this festival dresses in Coral Beaded Crown and in addition plaits his hair like a woman. It could be seen here that Owo has some traditional linkage with Benin.
The Olowo leads his people including the Chief Priest and the male youths from Iloro quarters to dance round the whole town. During this 17 days period of celebration, drumming is banned in Owo and instead, metal gongs (Agogo) are used. This was where the name 'IGOGO' was coined.

The Igogo festival which comes up in September annually is a cultural display of the culture of the people with its main aim as to align youths with the cultural norm of the land.