Benin Empire bronze statue of Oduduwa
ODUDUWA is considered the founding king of the imperial age of the Yoruba that later became a divinity. He was born in the 8th-century bc as a Nok prince from what is now central Nigeria.
Before his arrival, the Yoruba had no actual king but were led by a council of babalawo (the Ogboni), headed by the head priest of Obatala. They were amongst the last people on Earth to never have engaged in war. While they lived a state of pure peace, Oduduwa understood the nature of war, something that was becoming increasingly present in Africa at the time stimulated by Asiatic invasions. He understood this because he was a great prince who had traveled across the continent seeking the joys of adventure.
When he traveled east to the Nok trading partner, Kush, due to his excellent skills in battle, he was conscripted by Pharaoh Piankhi to help him defend Africa. While the Black Carthaginians (called the 26th-Dynasty Meshwesh) had controlled Kemet for some time, their last king sought to ally with the Asiatics in exploiting Kemet. Oduduwa then joined Piankhi's army and they expelled the Asiatics and forced the Carthaginian Meshwesh princes to submit to Kushite leadership. This was the first time Oduduwa witness the ways of the Asiatics and the degree of blood-thirstiness in their war tactics. He then fled back to Nok to report what was happening at the gates of Africa.
He was then informed by the wise elders that the Asiatics are relentless and will eventually make their way through the gates of Africa in Kemet and march on to destroy the birthplace of wisdom, Ife, the holiest place on Earth.
Long before this could occur, Oduduwa set to establish a kingship in Ife that would maintain the first spiritual system of humankind but also involve the militaristic and political governance that could defend Ife when the time arrived.
Oduduwa successfully established Ife's first military and the beginnings of kingship in alliance with the priesthood were born. This became known as the Oduduwa Dynasty for his sons were assigned leadership of various city-states throughout Ancient Nigeria, even outside of Yorubaland. For instance, it was his son Oranmiyan who was sent to Benin City and left them an heir to rule in his place, Eweka. It is through Eweka that the Benin kings are linked to Oduduwa and the Yoruba culture as a whole.
Though the Yoruba had not known war, the establishment of a military government adjoined with the priesthood proved essential as the domino effect of war made it from West Asia to Yorubaland. For this, Oduduwa was deified and somewhat merged as a successor to Obatala's peace; a successor that understood the importance of a more militaristic reality than Obatala. The Yoruba fended off Islamic advancement for many centuries as well as European exploitation. However, war between African groups weakened the Yoruba and their empire collapsed, allowing for infiltration by Europeans.
Acknowledgement: IFA: Yoruba Scientific Spirituality
Before his arrival, the Yoruba had no actual king but were led by a council of babalawo (the Ogboni), headed by the head priest of Obatala. They were amongst the last people on Earth to never have engaged in war. While they lived a state of pure peace, Oduduwa understood the nature of war, something that was becoming increasingly present in Africa at the time stimulated by Asiatic invasions. He understood this because he was a great prince who had traveled across the continent seeking the joys of adventure.
When he traveled east to the Nok trading partner, Kush, due to his excellent skills in battle, he was conscripted by Pharaoh Piankhi to help him defend Africa. While the Black Carthaginians (called the 26th-Dynasty Meshwesh) had controlled Kemet for some time, their last king sought to ally with the Asiatics in exploiting Kemet. Oduduwa then joined Piankhi's army and they expelled the Asiatics and forced the Carthaginian Meshwesh princes to submit to Kushite leadership. This was the first time Oduduwa witness the ways of the Asiatics and the degree of blood-thirstiness in their war tactics. He then fled back to Nok to report what was happening at the gates of Africa.
He was then informed by the wise elders that the Asiatics are relentless and will eventually make their way through the gates of Africa in Kemet and march on to destroy the birthplace of wisdom, Ife, the holiest place on Earth.
Long before this could occur, Oduduwa set to establish a kingship in Ife that would maintain the first spiritual system of humankind but also involve the militaristic and political governance that could defend Ife when the time arrived.
Oduduwa successfully established Ife's first military and the beginnings of kingship in alliance with the priesthood were born. This became known as the Oduduwa Dynasty for his sons were assigned leadership of various city-states throughout Ancient Nigeria, even outside of Yorubaland. For instance, it was his son Oranmiyan who was sent to Benin City and left them an heir to rule in his place, Eweka. It is through Eweka that the Benin kings are linked to Oduduwa and the Yoruba culture as a whole.
Though the Yoruba had not known war, the establishment of a military government adjoined with the priesthood proved essential as the domino effect of war made it from West Asia to Yorubaland. For this, Oduduwa was deified and somewhat merged as a successor to Obatala's peace; a successor that understood the importance of a more militaristic reality than Obatala. The Yoruba fended off Islamic advancement for many centuries as well as European exploitation. However, war between African groups weakened the Yoruba and their empire collapsed, allowing for infiltration by Europeans.
Acknowledgement: IFA: Yoruba Scientific Spirituality
3 comments:
Hello, thanks for a interesting blog.I lived in Nigeria for a couple of years in the mid sixties,I was only a little boy then. My father bought and collected a lot of Nigerian art such as ere Ibejis, and Benin bronze statues. I wish to get in contact with a collector. Email me at mrmusic61@gmail.com
Benin Bronze statue of Oduduwa? Are you sure you are well?
I have a beautiful brinze statue of the great and Honorable Oduduwa
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