Ori olokun in ile-ife

 

Photo credit:  Google 

By: Showemimo Balikis 

Ile-ife is an ancient Yoruba city in the southwestern part of Nigeria with a population of over 501,000 people. Ile- ife University is known as the most reputable university, Obafemi Awolowo university, as well as the natural history museum of Nigeria.

 Ile-ife is a prominent agricultural center that elicits different kinds of vegetables, grain cacao, tobacco, and cotton. Yoruba believe that ile-ife is the location of the earth. So this brings out the name Ile-ife which means place of dispersion. According to the old Yoruba, tradition ile-ife was founded by the oduduwa and obatala, under the instruction of the creator Olodumare obatala was the first human with clay while oduduwa’s legacy was the first divine king of the Yorubas. 

Between 1200 and 1500 ile-ife expanded into a flourishing artistic center. Today life remains a major spiritual and religious center for the Yoruba people. Some of its shrines and groves are still in use and rituals to key gods are performed regularly. Works of art from ife have become an iconic symbol of regional and natural unity, and of pan-Africa identity. Some Independence in 1960 enthusiasm for copies or reproductions of heritage items with the nostalgic association has increased. 

The Ori olokun head was chosen as the logo for all African Games held in Lagos in 1973 and has been adopted as the logo of numerous commercial, educational and financial institutions. Such images have become universal symbols of African heritage and it stands for the first sculpture art in ile-ife. It is highly respected among all the artworks in ile-ife. “Ori olokun head”. Is also known to be the head of wealth and Goodness which means the source of income. The statue was depicting odudua face and it was placed at the entrance of the big house.

Edited by : Adebayo Nurudeen

Published by: Mondiu Sherifat