Here is a compilation of stories Yoruba. Oyo State was the most powerful of the Yoruba city-states. Ilé-Ifé is considered the city of origin of all Yorubas. Here, the Yoruba religion is practiced as in all Yoruba states.
Former King Oduduwa had a large number of grandchildren and upon his death he divided all his property between them. But his youngest grandson, Oranyan, was at that time hunting, and when he returned home he learned that his brothers and cousins had inherited money, cattle, beads, native fabrics and crowns of the old king, but that he had nothing left. but twenty-one pieces of iron, a rooster, and earth tied up in a rag.
At that time, the whole earth was covered with water, on the surface of which people lived.
The ingenious Oranyan spread his pieces of iron on the water, and on the iron he placed the piece of cloth, and on the cloth the ground, and on the ground the rooster. The rooster was scratching with his feet and scattering the ground far and wide, so that the ocean was partly filled and islands appeared everywhere. The pieces of iron became the mineral wealth hidden under the ground.
Now Oranyan's brothers and cousins all wanted to live on the land, and Oranyan allowed them to do so on payment of tribute. He thus became king of all the Yorubas, and was rich and prosperous thanks to the inheritance of his grandfather.
Yoruba Tales: How Tribal Marks Came to Be Used
A CERTAIN King named Sango sent two slaves to a distant country on an important mission.
In due time they returned and he found that one slave had successfully accomplished what he was sent to do, while the other had accomplished nothing. The king therefore rewarded the first with great honors and ordered the second to receive one hundred and twenty-two razor strokes all over his body.
It was a severe punishment, but when the scars healed, they gave the slave a very remarkable appearance, which greatly attracted the attention of the king's wives.
Sango therefore decided that in future the cuts would be given, not as a punishment, but as a sign of royalty, and he immediately put himself in the hands of the markers. However, he could only bear two cuts, and so from that day two cuts on the arm have been the mark of royalty, and various other cuts have become the marks of different tribes.
Yoruba Tales: Akiti the Hunter
A famous hunter and wrestler named Akiti boasted of being stronger than any other man or animal. He had easily defeated a giant, a leopard, a lion, a wolf, and a boa-constrictor, and since no one else opposed his claim, he called himself "the king of the forest".
Wherever he went, he sang his triumphant battle song, and everyone feared and respected him. But he had forgotten the elephant, which is a very wise animal and knows many charms. One day, the elephant challenged him and declared that he had no right to be called "king", because the elephant himself was the monarch of the forest and could not be defeated.
Akiti then threw his spear at his enemy, but due to the charm of the elephant, the weapon slipped on his skin and did him no harm. Akiti then tried his poisoned bow and arrows, as well as his hunting knife, but still to no effect.
However, the hunter also had a charm, and using it, he turned into a lion and flew towards the elephant, but the elephant pushed him away. Then he turned into a snake, but he failed to crush the elephant to death.
Finally, it changed into a fly and flew into the big beating ear of the elephant. He descended to the heart, then he changed back into a man and cut the heart with his hunting knife. Finally, the elephant fell dead, and Akiti emerged from its body in triumph, for he was now undoubtedly "king of the forest".
Yoruba Tales: Sons of Sticks
A GREAT King sent his various sons to rule over different parts of his kingdom, and all were satisfied except one, the youngest and most ambitious, who after some time returned to his father complaining that his territory was much too small and that his subjects Too few.
The king was displeased with his son and sent for a large bundle of wood which he transformed into human beings.
“Here are a few more topics for you! he said to the astonished prince.
From then on, the tribe was famous for its strength and its stupidity, and bore the nickname of "Sons of Sticks" or "Ọmọ igi"!
Yoruba Tales: Why Women Have Long Hair
TWO women quarreled and one of them went out secretly at night and dug a deep pit in the middle of the path leading from her enemy's house to the village well.
Early the next morning, as everyone was fetching water from the well with jars balanced on their heads, this woman fell into the pit and cried loudly for help.
Her friends ran up to her and, grabbing her by the hair, began to drag her out of the pit. To their surprise, her hair stretched as they pulled, and by the time she was safely on the way, her hair was as long as a man's arm.
This made her very ashamed, and she ran away and hid herself.
But after a while she realized that her long hair was beautiful, then she felt very proud and despised all women with short hair, laughing at them. When they saw this, they were consumed with jealousy and began to be ashamed of their short hair. "We have men's hair," they said to themselves. "How beautiful it would be to have long hair!" »
So, one by one, they jumped into the pit, and their friends pulled them out by the hair.
And in this way they, and all the women after them, had long hair.
Yoruba Tales: Why People Shout "Long Live the King!" when thunder follows lightning
KING SANGO knew many deadly charms, and he once happened to discover a preparation by which he could attract lightning.
He foolishly decided to try the effect of the charm first on his own palace, which was at the foot of a hill.
Climbing the hill with his courtiers, the king used the spell: a storm suddenly arose, the palace was struck by lightning and set on fire, along with Sango's entire family.
Overwhelmed with grief at having lost his possessions and especially his sons, the impetuous king resolved to retire to a corner of his kingdom and no longer reign. Some of his courtiers agreed with him, and others tried to talk him out of the plan; but Sango, in his rage, executed a hundred and sixty—eighty who disagreed with him, and eighty who had accepted him too eagerly!
Then, accompanied by some friends, he left the place and began his long journey. One by one, his friends abandoned him along the way, until he was left alone, and desperate, he decided to end his life, which he did recklessly.
When they heard of the act, his people came to the scene and gave him an honorable funeral, and he was worshiped ever after as the god of thunder and lightning. Thus, among all Yorubas, when people see the flash followed by the dull roar of thunder, they remember Sango's rage after the destruction of his palace, and exclaim: "Long live the King!" »
Yoruba Tales: Olofin and the Mice
A FAMOUS Olofin, or Yoruba King, was once imprisoned by his enemies in a hut with no door or skylight, and left to starve.
As he sat darkly on the ground, the Olofin saw a small mouse running across the hut. He grabbed his knife and exclaimed, "Rather than starve, I'm going to eat this mouse!"
But upon reflection, he put away his knife, saying, “Why should I kill the mouse? I'll starve later, though.
To his surprise, the mouse addressed him in these terms:
“Noble King! Kudos to you for your generosity! You spared my life, and in return I will spare yours.
The mouse then disappeared into a hole dug in the ground, and returned some time later followed by twenty or thirty other mice, all carrying grains of corn, gari and small fruits.
For five days they fed him in this way, and on the sixth day the hut was opened by Olofin's captors, who were astonished to find him still alive and healthy.
“This Olofin must have a powerful charm! they stated. “It seems that he can live without eating or drinking!
Thereupon they released him, gave him a war canoe, and let him return free to his country.
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