African Culture, Religion and More.

The Importance of Names in African Culture
Traditional African societies believe that given names are so profound, meaningful and powerful that the names children bear can influence their entire life cyle, from sundary behavior, integrity, professions, success and so on. For example, a child who bears the name of a known thief will most likely become a thief; a child who answers the name of a past ancestor is more likely to preserve his/her origin... More..

YORUBA: An Enduring Legacy
The Yoruba as an ethnic and cultural group is one of the most researched ethnic groups in the world. A Yoruba civilization with a set of ideas, values, practices, philosophical thought, beliefs, traditions, institutions, material goods and technologies is well stablished and never in doubt... More..

About Yoruba Kings..
Yoruba Kings who can claim direct descent from Oduduwa (perhaps numbering over 700 today) are addressed as Oba. They alone are permitted to wear the Yoruba sacred regalia, the conical bead crown and beaded slippers, and to carry a beaded fly whisk. Beadwork is a royal prerogative, associated as closely with kingship as special woven textile patterns (Kente) are for the Asante kings of central Ghana. The wealthiest Yoruba kings retain families of bead specialists to embroider their royal garments... Read More..

Clothing in Africa
The precise origins of cloth production in Africa is lost in time, but archaeological findings indicate some of the earliest sites. In West Africa, woven fiber pieces dating back to the ninth century C.E. have been found in Nigeria, and woven cotton cloth dating to the eleventh century has been recovered in Mali. Evidence of loom use in Mauritania dates back to the eleventh century. Click for More

Traditional Yoruba Religion
Traditional Yoruba religion is centered around a pantheon of deities called orisha. When a child is born, a diviner, or babalawo, will be consulted to determine which orisha the child should follow. As adults, the Yoruba often honor several of these deities. According to oral tradition, the high god, Olorun (Olodumare), asked Orishala to descend from the sky to create the first Earth at Ile-Ife in Western Nigeria... Click for more

Religious Tolerance among the Yoruba..
As in most traditional African societies, the Yoruba regarded religion as an aspect of culture that required no controversy, competition, or crusades of evangelisation. There was a common belief in one Supreme God who manifested his essence in variety of spirits and natural phenomena. God was worshipped through various deities, who controlled these spirits and natural phenomena. Each individual, family or state had its own deity, which was worshipped, and pacified.... Read More..

Yoruba Talking Drums
In Yoruba land, the talking drum is a percussion to which people can rhythmically dance, but the Alaafin of Oyo, His royal majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi said recently that the cultural significance of the Yoruba talking drum goes beyond mere entertainment value. The royal father spoke on the preparation for the proposed drum festival slated for next month (Feb 22-27) and being organised by Mr. Morakinyo Olusiji of the Ayangalu tourist centre, Ibadan, Oyo State. Read More ...

History of the Yoruba:
One of the many consistent themes in the History of the Yoruba people and family of nations has been that King Lamurudu was a powerful hunter who had several children and one of them, Oduduwa the last child, became the founding ancestor of the Yoruba people and family of nations. Click here for more.