Oduduwa
| Ife bronze head (British Museum) | |
|---|---|
"
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| Born | c.Uncertain |
| Died | c.Uncertain |
| Occupation | King |
Oduduwa,was the 1st Ooni, King of Ile-Ife with the titles "Olofin". His name, phonetically written by Yoruba language-speakers as Odùduwà and sometimes contracted as Ooduwa, Odudua or Oòdua, is generally ascribed to the ancestral dynasties of Yorubaland because he is held by the Yoruba to have been the ancestor of their numerous crowned kings. Following his posthumous deification, he was admitted to the Yoruba pantheon as an aspect of a primordial divinity of the same name.
Upon the ending of Oduduwa's time on Earth, there was a dispersal of his children and grandchildren from Ife to the outposts that they had previously founded, or gained influence over in order for them to establish effective control over these places. Each is said to have made his or her mark in the subsequent urbanization and consolidation of the Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms, with each child or grandchild fashioning his or her state after Ile-Ife.
After the princes left Ife in the custody of Orhijefshuagiyaw Today, Orunto is the ancestor of the families that hold the "Obalufe" title - Second in command to the Ooni.
Obalufon II Alayemore was on the throne when Oranmiyan returned from his sojourn and ordered that the kingship be given to him and hence back to the legitimate family of Oduduwa. Oranmiyan's son Lajamisan was therefore the progenitor of all of the Oonis that have reigned in Ife from his time till now.
Ife tradition, relates that Oduduwa was an emissary from the community of Oke-Ora (Ora mountain), the easternmost part of the Ife cultural area towards the Northeastern Ijesa people. He descended from the Hills on a chain, earning the oriki 'atewonro' meaning 'one who descends on a chain', He was a warrior who wore armors made of Iron. At that time, a Confederacy existed between the 13 communities of the valley of Ile-Ife, with each community or 'Elu' with its own Oba; Oba of Ijugbe, Oba of Ijio, Oba of Iwinrin etc.
When Oduduwa rose to be a prominent citizen of ancient Ife, he and his group are believed to have conquered most of the 13 component communities and deposed Obatala, subsequently evolving the palace structure with its effective centralized power and dynasty. Going by the tribal records, he is commonly referred to as the first Ooni of Ife and progenitor of the legitimate kings of the Yoruba people.
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