Oríkì Orílẹ̀: Ọ̀yọ́, Ẹ̀gbá, Ìjẹ̀bú and Ọ̀fà
Lineage and town-of-origin oríkì for four major Yoruba groups, including two variant texts for Ọ̀fà shown side by side rather than merged.
intermediatemedium·
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Lineage and town-of-origin oríkì for four major Yoruba groups, including two variant texts for Ọ̀fà shown side by side rather than merged.
The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, oríkì, ẹsẹ Ifá, word list headwords, Odù names and citations dey exactly as the corpus record dem, for every language.
towns-oriki-orile for 12-towns explain wetin oríkì orílẹ̀ mean and wetin e dey do for conceptual level, and e don already present one Ẹ̀gbá text. Dis file dey add di more complete lineage material wey dis section research bring out for Ọ̀yọ́, Ẹ̀gbá, Ìjẹ̀bú and Ọ̀fà, including second Ẹ̀gbá text wey long pass, and for Ọ̀fà, two text from different source wey get similar content but dem no join together, following di rule of dis corpus to put conflicting or variant source side by side instead of to just secretly choose one.
Ọ̀yọ́ nilé babaà mi. Àparò mélòó péré N ńbẹ ní Ọ̀yọ́ awa? Àparò mẹ́ta péré N ńbẹ ní Ọ̀yọ́ awa. Ọ̀kan ńṣe ká bà, ká bà, Ọ̀kan ńṣe ká fò, ká fò, Ọ̀kan ńṣe ká fò pin ká relé Alé-Òyun.
Dem present am with partial tone marking, as e dey printed for di source [S1].
Oyo is the home of my father. How many bushfowl are there in our Oyo? There are only three bushfowl in our Oyo. One said, "Let's sit, let's sit," one said, "Let's fly, let's fly," one said, "Let's whirr off and go to the home of Ale-Oyun."
Na Karin Barber translate am, from I Could Speak Until Tomorrow, and e re-examine am for im later essay inside The Yoruba Artist: New Theoretical Perspectives on African Arts [S1].
Wetin e talk. Small fable about three bird wey face di same situation and choose three different response, sit down, fly, or comot entirely, wey dem narrate as personal story ("I clear small farm") wey continue pass di excerpt above go into story of hardship for di land of Alé-Òyun.
Significance. As towns-oriki-orile explain, dem dey usually describe Oríkì orílẹ̀ as collection of sign wey dey make person recognise place instead of history chronicle; dis text special among di collected material because of di long narrative form wey e get, fable structure instead of di list of praise name wey oriki-poetics-and-untranslatability document as standard format. E show say di classification "orílẹ̀" dey describe wetin di text dey talk about, no be one fixed form.
Dem dey perform am. During traditional life transition, marriage, especially bride lament and departure song, burial ceremony, town celebration, and lineage gathering [S1].
towns-oriki-orile don already present one Ẹ̀gbá text wey dey circulate (Ẹ̀gbá ọmọ Lisabi / Ọmọ olóòfin ṣà bí ewé / Ọmọ ajíbógun Olúmọ), wey dem take from popular rendering without author name, and e mention clearly say di middle line get two possible tone meaning. Dis round of research bring out another text from different source wey long pass am, wey start with di same family origin claim but develop am further.
Ẹ̀gbá 'mọ Lísàbí Agbòǹgbò àkàlà. Ọmọ erin j'ogún ọlá. Ọmọ ṣí 'lẹ̀kùn pa 'lẹ̀kùn dé. Aridi ògo lójú Ogun. Baba t'ẹ̀yin ni wọ́n ròyìn ogun bààrà f'ágbe. Ẹ̀gbá, ọmọ adúró gbẹrú, má dúró gbẹ̀kọ. Ẹrú ní nsini, ẹ̀kọ kìí sìn 'yàn.
Egba, children of Lisabi Agbongbo-Akala, offspring of the elephant that inherits dignity and honour, descendants of those who open and shut the gateway. Those whose valor shines bright on the warfront; your ancestors were the brave ones to whom the spread of war was reported even to the farmer.
Na Waidi Adebayo translate am [S2].
Wetin e talk. Apart from di founder Lísàbí, dis text add claim about military readiness, war news wey reach even di farmer, and proverb-like two lines about difference between slave wey dey serve and cornmeal (ẹ̀kọ) wey no dey serve person, wey person no fit completely get di full meaning from di excerpt wey dem collect.
Significance. If person read am beside towns-oriki-orile shorter text, dis one confirm say Ẹ̀gbá oríkì orílẹ̀ dey circulate in different length and version, wey align with di general finding wey dem state for dat file and inside oriki-poetics-and-untranslatability, say oríkì no get single fixed text, na only performance and dia transcription dey. Di two text start with Lísàbí, di historic Ẹ̀gbá leader; dis corpus no try to force di two into one official standard version.
Dem dey perform am. During di annual Lísàbí Festival, royal investiture, chieftaincy coronation, and lineage gathering [S2].
Notes. Di source na personal blog (Waidi Adebayo, 2023) instead of peer-reviewed publication, even though dem mention di translator name, wey better pass wetin towns-oriki-orile Ẹ̀gbá source fit claim. Level of confidence on di translation na medium.
Oni mi je nubu omo Oluweri Omo Ajebu josa de Igbo – bini. Omo Asale-gege booni noobinren. A-b'aya-kunle-tititi.
Dem present am without tone marks, as e dey printed for di source [S3]. Di transcription clear say e no regular for di collected text (spacing and word-division different from standard spelling); dem reproduce am as dem print am instead of to secretly arrange am well.
Rovers of the deep sea, offspring of Oluweri. Rovers of deep waters as far as Igbobini. Whose forebear indulged concubines as if not married. Whereas his home is full of women.
Ayinde Abimbola translate am [S3].
Wetin e talk. Di lineage, first thing wey dem take describe am na di way e connect with water, how dem dey waka for sea reach Igbobini, wey be talk wey agree with di documented history of Ìjẹ̀bú's as Yoruba subgroup wey dey do coastal and lagoon trading; di second thing na one open domestic talk wey no dey flatter about how one ancestor dey follow woman outside even though e already get plenty wives for house.
Significance. Dis text na documented example of di point wey yoruba-oriki make clear: say oríkì na genre wey dey call things dia real name instead of just dey flatter without sense, and e fit contain plain talk wey lineage fit prefer make people no know if na dia choice. Di source no soften or remove di line about womanizing at all.
Performance. During traditional festivals including Agemo and Ọjúde Ọba, Ọ̀sùgbó society meetings, civic and royal ceremonies, marriages and family life-cycle events [S3].
Notes. Di source (one document for Scribd, "Oríkì as Source of Yoruba History") no be peer-reviewed publication, though e put translator name; di corrupted transcription wey dem mention for up na warning about how reliable di exact wording of di Yoruba text be, no be warning about di main points wey e make.
oriki-history-and-genealogy inside dis section don already present and analyze one Ọ̀fà text wey Karin Barber bring, wey focus on di founding fight and di ethic of "cut am well, divide am well". Di research wey dem gather still bring out second text wey long pass am from different source pair, Babalola and Olafimihan, wey get similar content, di same founder, di same fight, di same fair-division proverb, but e continue far pass am. Dem put di two here instead of to merge dem.
Dem don already present am full for oriki-history-and-genealogy; na summary dem give here for comparison. E start with: Ìjàkàdí l' ooro t'Offa... ("Wrestling na di tradition of Offa..."), e call Olalomi name and di founding fight, e come close with di fair-division proverb. Karin Barber translate am [S4].
Ìyẹ̀rú-Ọ̀kín, Ọmọ Ọlọ́fà Mọ̀jọ̀, Ọmọ Ọláalọ́mí, Ọmọ ab'iṣu jorúkọ, Ìjàkádì l'òrò t'Ọ̀fà, Ìjà kan ìjà kan tí wọ́n ń jà l'Ọ́fà l'ọ́jọ́sí, Ọláalọ́mí ojú ta l'ó ṣe? Ó ṣ'ojú ebè lálá, Ó sì ṣ'ojú poro nínú oko, Ìbá ṣ'ojú olóko, ìbá là wọ́n. Ọmọ lááre, ọmọ búure, Ìkan ò gbọdọ̀ ju 'kan,
Iyeru of the Peacock, offspring of Olofa Mojo, child of Olalomi, descendant of the one whose harvest of sweet potatoes bears renown. Wrestling is the custom and sport of Offa. A historic contest that was fought in Offa of old, Olalomi, before whom did it occur? It occurred before [the account continues past the excerpt harvested].
Dem render am inside academic collections on top Ọ̀fà praise poetry, without any single living translator wey dem name; di source credit di text together to Adeboye Babalola Àwọn Oríkì Orílẹ̀ Mẹ́tàdínlọ́gbọ̀n (2000) and James Bukoye Olafimihan Ìwé Ìtàn Ọ̀fà [S5].
Wetin di two texts share and where dem differ. Di two of dem call Olalomi name and di founding fight for Ọ̀fà; di two of dem carry di fair-division ethic as closing or near-closing proverb. Text two add one named ancestor, Ọlọ́fà Mọ̀jọ̀, one farming praise name about famous sweet potatoes, and one specific though indirect detail about where di fight happen, "before the yam-mound," wey text one no include at all.
Significance. Dis na di clearest documented case inside dis section where two published sources talk about di same lineage founding oríkì with different length, wey follow oriki-poetics-and-untranslatability explanation on accretive structure: text two no be corrected or superior version of text one, na longer performance or different performer selection from di same stock of praise names about di same founder.
Performance. Royal installations, palace rituals, naming ceremonies, wedding celebrations, burial rites of lineage members, and di annual wrestling-related Ọ̀fà festival [S5].
Notes. Confidence on text two translation na medium: di translator no be one named scholar but na compiled academic translation, and di excerpt wey dem gather cut for middle of sentence for "before the yam-mound," wey dem reproduce as dem see am instead of to complete am.
[S1] Barber, Karin, I Could Speak Until Tomorrow: Oriki, Women and the Past in a Yoruba Town (Smithsonian Institution Press / Edinburgh University Press, 1991), and Barber, essay in The Yoruba Artist: New Theoretical Perspectives on African Arts (1994). https://archive.org/details/icouldspeakuntil0000barb
[S2] Adebayo, Waidi, "Yoruba: Oriki Egba (The Cognomen of the Egba People)" (2023). https://waidiadebayo.wordpress.com/2023/08/28/yoruba-oriki-egba-the-cognomen-of-
[S3] Abimbola, Ayinde, "Oriki as Source of Yoruba History" (2012). https://www.scribd.com/document/487313054/Oriki-as-Source-of-Yoruba-History-by-A
[S4] Barber, Karin, I Could Speak Until Tomorrow, as presented in oriki-history-and-genealogy in this section.
[S5] Babalola, Adeboye, Àwọn Oríkì Orílẹ̀ Mẹ́tàdínlọ́gbọ̀n (2000); Olafimihan, James Bukoye, Ìwé Ìtàn Ọ̀fà. Text as reported jointly in the harvested research record for this corpus; the compiler has not independently retrieved and page-checked either source.
The praise poetry that attaches a person to a place of origin, why Yoruba people carry a town identity they may never have lived in, and how that identity crossed the Atlantic.
Bolanle Awe's case for oríkì as historical evidence, worked through two towns' founding oríkì, with a plain statement of what a historian can and cannot recover from the form.
Royal and lineage oríkì for four eastern and central Yoruba kingdoms, including a rare text naming a specific carver rather than only royalty or warriors.
Three lineage oríkì from Karin Barber's Okuku fieldwork, plus the Olúfọ́n dynasty and the Ìkòyí warrior lineage whose praise obliges the chanter to include its own dishonour.
The complete classification of oríkì by subject, orílẹ̀ through eranko, with a worked text for each kind and the boundary cases that show the categories are not airtight.
The Owu lineage's cloth and temperament oríkì, two conflicting versions of the Iresa lineage text, and a plain account of the lineage material this corpus found and could not verify.