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Yoruba kings who can claim direct descent from the god
Oduduwa (perhaps 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. By extension, elements of
this royal form of dress are used by priests and devotees of the thunder god,
Sango, and the agricultural god, Oko, both of whom are linked to kingship by
Yoruba origin myths.
Typical
beadwork motifs include the interlace and the zig-zag patterns, a frontal face
with ethnic marks under the eyes, and a tiny bird. The interlace pattern is a
symbol of leadership, of eternal or unending royal authority. It is sometimes
represented as two snakes biting or eating each other, signifying that one
persons demise is anothers beginning. The zig-zag pattern of triangles provides
visual tension and movement reinforced by alternating colors and, on some
objects, a delightful asymmetrical placement. The shapes are similar to those on
the back of the Gabon viper, a beautiful but very poisonous African snake that
the god of iron, Ogun, may "carry without fear." The abstracted face which is
freely embroidered into many royal garments may refer to Oduduwa, ancestor of
all Yoruba kings, to Eshu, messenger of the gods, or to the inventor of beads
himself. This particular bird motif represents okin, a tiny whitish bird with a
long white tail that distinguishes it as the king of birds. Birds, such as the
one found atop the Opa orere staff, are also associated with divination,
medicine, and witchcraft. The herbalist
and diviner,
like the king, must be able to incorporate the apparently contradictory powers
of destruction, healing, and harmony in order to control and manipulate them.
Source: Indiana University
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