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OYO KINGDOM UNDER THE NEW KING ALAAFIN OWOADE, BY PROF TOYIN FALOLA

Alaafin Owoade and Yorùbá Renaissance  By:Prof.Toyin Falola January 14, 2025 It is an open secret that I was close to the late Alaafin Lamidi Adeyemi III. He was fond of reading my essays and books. He put them to use to validate some of his decisions. He sent some of his writings to me for comments. I discussed a project on the creation of an Oyo Museum with him. I was the keynote speaker when he turned 80, and I suggested Alaafinology as an academic discipline. There were moments when he had critical challenges about the governor to support for election or reelection. He was profoundly troubled about whether to support Jonathan Goodluck or Muhammadu Buhari, and he sought counsel from various people, including my humble self. He wanted to make me a chief, and I said we should wait till he was 90 years old. He attended four of my functions and presided over my 65th birthday ceremony. This piece is not offered to continue any established relationship with Oyo and its palace but to p...
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PROVERB 136

Except From   A discussion of 250 Deep Yoruba (African)  Proverbs by Alaba J. Babalola Available for Sale at:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/9785946703 Printed in Nigeria hard copies available for N10,000.00 plus shipping cost via alabababalola8@gmail.com PROVERB 136 What a person has is what he cherishes. Even the son of a wood seller values the bark of trees. TEASER THOUGHTS Not valuing what you have is the root of covetousness. Covetousness is the root cause of many bad behaviors - stealing, adultery, self loathing etc. People who cherish what they have are generally happy. YORUBA ROOTS Ohun a ni laa nnani. Ọmọ ashẹgita nnani epo'gi. EXPLANATION / MEANING Clearly the message here is about contentment. A person should not only value what he already has, he should also cherish it. To cherish is to hold something dearly or affectionately as one's own. The opposite is to detest or despise it. If a person detests his job or source of living, he is not likely to concentrate...
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PROVERB 50

Except From   A discussion of 250 Deep Yoruba (African)  Proverbs by Alaba J. Babalola Available for Sale at:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/9785946703 PROVERB 50 Whether it is the squirrel that owns the farm or the trap, the meeting (of both parties) will be at 'Ẹsẹ-ogbeji'. TEASER THOUGHTS Contest about ownership of a domain as far as right to power and authority is concerned. YORUBA ROOTS B'ikun lo l'oko ni, bi takute ni, ipade d'ẹsẹ-o-gbeji. EXPLANATION/MEANING. Ownership in this sense refers to right to control activities on the farm and to call the shots The authority and power of the trap comes from the farmer or any person e.g. a hunter who has been given the opportunity to place a trap or set a snare in a farm in order to catch a game. The authority and power of the squirrel derives from its forebears' habitation of the farmland and their familiarity with it. So, "ownership" must be determined and it must be done at the place of confrontation betw...
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My Mom of Blessed Memories - Response to felicitations by Well Wishers on Facebook

I thank everyone who has posted a felicitation message here or sent it directly to me in respect of my remembrance of my mother of blessed memories  -   Mother Ebunola Adunni Babalola. I pray for you all that 'ọmọ rere á gbẹ̀yìn gbogbo wa o' - May we all also leave good children after us as part of our legacy - to cherish and  remember in their thoughts and prayers, our good parental deeds and sacrifice. I am deeply touched and 'blown away' by comments prayers and heartwarming reactions extended by neighbours, family members friends, acquaintances, and relatives near and far, especially on this platform (Facebook) in connection with the remembrance of my mom on her posthumous birthday anniversary. In appreciation of all those goodwill messages, I have decided to share my thoughts on that day of remembrance. On that day I suddenly felt the need to do something special. I felt the need to leave my house and go to a place where I could be involved with any good activity...
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SENSIBLE MARRIAGE

"Dad, can you loan me Five Hundred Thousand Naira?" Kola asked his father. "What for son?", his father asked. "For my wedding. By our calculations, we're falling short meeting the cost". Kola had come to meet his parents with his fiancé. "Your wedding? How much is the total cost of the wedding?", his father asked. "N3.6 million. We're thinking of starting the committee next week. We can together give about eight hundred thousand and expect our friends to help us raise about two million. I remember you told me if ever I need help I can come to you" Kola answered. His father held him by the shoulder and said "Go get your wife and come meet me at my study room". "Yes dad", Kola obliged. Minutes later, Kola and his fiancé,Tomilayo walked into his father's study room. "Having a good time my daughter?" Kola's father asked. "Yes I am. You and your wife are so hospitable. I pray that Kola and I...
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PROVERB 249

Except From :                A discussion of 250 Deep Yoruba (African)  Proverbs by Alaba J. Babalola Available for Sale at:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/9785946703 https://www.jumia.com.ng/generic-a-discussion-of-250-deep-yoruba-african-proverbs-208617773.html Read online only: https://selar.co/vuxu PROVERB 249 It is the back of another person's head that one can see. It is another person that can see one's own. TEASER THOUGHTS I'm looking at the man in the mirror. I'm telling him to change his ways, because no one is perfect. If you want something done better, do it yourself before blaming others. Change begins with me and you. YORUBA ROOTS Ìpàkọ́ onípàkọ́ làá rí, ẹniẹ́lẹni níí rí t'ẹni.   E.XPLANATION / MEANING Unless you use a mirror it is not possible for your eyes to see the back of your head. Try it and see! But you can see the back of someone else's head without much trouble. You don't need a mirror for that. The proverb is ab...
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YORUBA CULTURE

*ORÍKÌ (The Yoruba golden way of nomenclature)* Do you know that before slave trade, Yoruba don't bear surname as part of their own name? Before then, everybody bears his own name in a unique way. Bearing ones father's or grand father's name as surname actually began when the British came to Nigeria,and father's name became mandatory to be added as surname during primary school registration.  Instead, yoruba name an individual child in a unique way that is never seen anywhere else in the world. It is a  format of 3 names i.e ORÚKỌ ÀBÍSỌ(personal name), ORÍKÌ (epithet), ORÍLÈ (ancestral  totem name). For instance,  Adekola Ajani Ìkọ́ or Oladele Alabi Ọ̀kín. Let us look into each name identity and what it represents. ORUKO ÀBÍSỌ: Oruko abiso is a personal name given to an individual based on family nobility or identity. ẹ.g  royal families name their children with prefix like Ade or Oye, warriors name Akin, noble family name Ola, the family of Egungun worshipers n...
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