Part 2 — Chapter 2

SECOND PERIOD.—THE PERIOD OF GROWTH AND PROSPERITY AND OPPRESSION. Chapter II HISTORICAL KINGS § r. Aganju As Sango left no issue, the crown fell to Ajaka's son Aganju without any dispute. His reign was long and very prosperous. He had a remarkable faculty of taming wild animals and venomous reptiles, several of which may be seen crawling about him. He had also in his house a tame leopard. He greatly beautified the palace adding piazzas in front and back, with rows of brazen posts. He originated the custom of decorating the palace with hangings on state occasions, being a sovereign of accomplished taste. Towards the end of his reign, he waged war with a namesake of his, Aganju the Onisambo, for refusing him the hand of his daughter lyayun. In this war, four chiefs, viz. the Onisambo and his allies the Onitede the Onimeri and the Alagbona were captured, their towns destroyed, and the bride forcibly secured. The close of his reign was clouded by great domestic troubles. His only son Lubeg6 was discovered having illicit intercourse with his beloved lyayun, on whose account so many princes and people have lost their lives. The stern father was enraged beyond words, the sentence pronounced on him was the extreme penalty of the law, and it was rigidly carried out. But the King was overcome with grief, he died not long after this, even before the birth of a successor to the throne. The name of his Basorun was Banija, succeeded by Erankogbina. § 2. KoRi The late King having no surviving son Erankogbina the Basorun was left to manage the affairs of the kingdom. The only hope of a direct successor to the throne was the child of lyayun still in utero ; hence sacrifices were offered frequently on the grave of Aganju praying him to grant lyayun a son if his name is not to be forgotten, and the dynasty end with him. When in due course therefore lyayun gave birth to a son, the joy of the populace was unbounded. He was named Kgri. 155 During Kori's minority, lyayun was declared Regent; she wore the crown, and put on the royal robes, and was invested with the Ejigha, the Opa ileke and other royal insignia, and ruled the kingdom as a man until her son was of age. It was during this reign that Timi was sent to Ede and not in Sango's reign as was supposed.^ The Ijesas proving very troublesome to their neighbours by kidnapping them in their farms, and molesting caravans to and from Apomu a frontier town where a large fair is periodically held for the exchange of goods with the Ijebus, and also getting frequently embroiled with the king of Ido their neighbour, com- plaints from time to time reached the AlAfin of Oyo. It was now determined that a stop be put to these inroads ; for this purpose the King sent a notable hunter to that district who succeeded in checking these marauders. He took up a position at a place called Ede as his headquarters, and there he subsequently established himself as a kinglet with the title of Timi. Timi was a famous archer, notable for his deadly arrows, and he more than justified his appointment. The Owa of Ilesa imitating the same appointment, posted an opposition kinglet at Osogbo named Atawoja ; but his chief duty was to worship the fish in the river Osun. As the Timi's duties required all his time, skill and valour, he had no time left to provide for himself and family ; the traders and caravans being now well protected, he obtained permission from the AlAfin to levy a toll of 5 cowries each on every trader ; by this means he soon had more than enough for the support of his family, and as a good and loyal subject, he paid the surplus into the royal treasury. After some years of this act of loyalty, he regretted this self- imposed tribute, taking another view of the matter, that whatever he could collect this way should be his own by right as a compen- sation for the loss of the advantages of a city life, as well as a reward for his labours. So he abruptly stopped the tribute. When the King missed the usual tribute, he sent to demand the same, but Timi refused to pay it, and gave his reasons for not doing so. This did not satisfy the King, so a more peremptory order was sent to Timi to deliver up what he had withheld. This order was also disobeyed, and so the King resorted to force, a body of troops was sent to arrest him, and to seize all his belongings. But Timi was prepared for this, he resisted with all his might, and routed the King's forces. ^ Vide Yoruba Reading Book. But the King was resolved to punish Timi as a warning to others who might follow his example. Eliri-onigbajo the Gbonka was proposed to him as the only man equal to the task. But the Gbonka was already a powerful subject at Oyq, being the only man who dared to oppose the King's encroachments upon the liberties of the people, therefore, he was at first loth to accede to this proposal, lest a success might add an additional lustre to the Gbonka's glory, and make him more elated than before ; but on second consideration he consented, secretly hoping he might fall by the hand of his brave antagonist. So the Gbonka was appointed. The fight was limited to a single combat between the two chieftains, Timi armed himself with his bow and arrows, but the Gbonka carried a shield with which to defend himself against the powerful darts of his assailant. His own weapon of offence was a viol containing a drug with strong narcotic properties when inhaled, and by means of this Timi was soon rendered unconscious, and in this state, he was dispossessed of his weapons, and taken bound to Qyo. The King received the tidings with mixed feelings of joy and disappointment that neither of them fell in the combat, especially the Gbonka whom he wished to get rid of. When the illustrious captive was brought before him, the King pretended to be dis- satisfied with the issue of the contest, doubting its fairness, except the same could be repeated in his presence, so that he may witness it personally, secreth^ hoping that Timi might have a better chance this time, and that the Gbonka might fall. This desire was apparent to all present, and to the Gbonka himself ; however, he addressed himself to the renewed combat. The King ordered the Timi's weapons to be restored to him, and the fight resumed. To his mortification the Gbonka was again victorious amid shouts of applause from the people. Timi was not only subdued but was also instantaneously killed by the victor before the King and without his orders. The Gbonka to show further what he could do, and to strike terror into the King, ordered a pile to be made, and pots of palm oil, nut oil, and shea butter to be poured on it ; he then went coolly and sat on the top of it, and ordered it to be set on fire. All present were anxious for the consequence ; but when the pile was ablaze, the Gbonka disappeared. Courtiers now began to congratulate the King on the fall of his enemy by his own hands ; but he was apprehensive of some other issues " Not too fast" said he, " we must first wait and see." Tidings soon reached the court that the Gbonka followed by drummers, was seen dancing about the town. The Gbonka knowing the public feeling towards the King, and his unpopularity, entered the palace and challenged His Majesty to display feats similar to his own and said if he could not, he would be rejected. There being no alternative, the King took poison and died. Esugbiri succeeded Erankogbina as Basorun during this reign. § 3. Oluaso The unfortunate King was succeeded by a handsome and amiable prince called Oluaso, who was remarkable for his longevity and peaceful reign. His agnomen was Osarewa S'akin i.e., handsome but strong. He was a wise and affable sovereign fabled to have reigned for 320 years, and had 1460 children ! Three times did nine of his wives bear him male twins in one day. The first set he named Omgla, the second Ona-aka, and the third Ona-isokun. Of these three sets of twins the last (Ona-isokun) were the most popular and Kings were chosen from amongst them and their descendants. These names have become hereditary titles unto this day. The King built 54 palaces for these 54 princes all of whom rose to positions of trust and responsibility by their own merits. He originated and built 120 kobis to the royal palace. He was ably assisted by his Basorun, Esugbiri-elu. He lived to a good old age, and died full of days and honour, and his longevity has passed into a proverb. " O ni ki o gbo ogbo Oluaso, o le jiya Oluaso ? " You pray to live as long as Oluaso, can you endure the trials of Oluaso ? Old age has its own trials and sufferings. His son Onigbogi succeeded him on the throne. Esugbiri was the Basorun of this reign also. § 4. Onigbogi Onigbogi was one of the sons of Oluaso by Aruigba-ifa an Ota woman. She had left Oyq during the previous reign for her own native town, but on hearing that her son ascended the throne, she returned to Oyo in order to assist him in his government by her advice. She was a very superstitious woman. Wishing her son to have a long and prosperous reign, she advised him to introduce the worship of Ifa into Oyo as a national deity. The Oyo citizens asked the King and his mother what offerings are required with which to propitiate Ha. She replied, 16 rats, 16 bags of cowries, 16 fishes, 16 fowls, 16 arm lengths of cloth and 16 ground pigs. The Oyo citizens answered that they were prepared to give the offerings, but they could not worship palm nuts. Thus the advice of the King's mother was rejected and the worship of Ifa cancelled. When Aruigba-ifa was going to Oyq she was accompanied by the personification of several common objects used in fetish worship e.g. Aje, Opon, Ajere, Osun, Elegbara, and Iroke. When the citizens of Oyo rejected her god, she returned on her way to Ota with all her followers, weeping as they went. On reaching the foot of the Ado hill, the Alado's wife came out to see the cause of a company of people weeping and wailing, saying " We are driven out of the country." She reported this at home, and the Alado came out and invited the party to lodge with him. His inquisitiveness led him to ask why such august personages should be driven out of the city ; when he had learnt the whole story, he sympathized with Arugba, and asked her to stay, promising to give some of the things required, as they were too poor to be able to afford all. This was done, and Arugba not only initiated him into the mysteries, but also conferred upon him the right of initiat- ing others. Hence in the subsequent reign when the Oyos decided to adopt Ifa worship, it was this Alado who went to the city to initiate them into all the mysteries, rites and ceremonies of Ifa worship. A war broke out after these events, and the King sent out the Basgrun at the head of his army to Ita-ibidun with all the war chiefs. The king of the Tapas (Nupe) between whom and the Yorubas there have been strained relations since the death of Sango, seized this opportunity for crossing the river, and pouring his army into the Yoruba country, carried everything before him, until he stood before the gate of Ovo. There being no avail- able force to oppose him, the city was soon taken. The King fled to Gbere in the Bariba country, and there he died not being used to the hardships incidental to the life of an exile ; leaving his son Ofinran a refugee in a strange land. In the land of his exile. King Onigbogi made it a law that only 35 of the Esos should be absent from home at any time, leaving 35 for the defence of the city and country, the Tapa King having entered Ovo practically without any opposition. Ayangbagi Aro was the Basorun of this period. § 5. Ofinran The Oyo refugees were at first received with open arms by the King Eleduwe and his Balogun Bokgyo because Ofinran's mother was a Bariba woman. The refugees having no regular employment here, joined theBaribas, who are a race of marauders, in all their expeditions. In one of these expeditions Irawo in the Yoruba country was taken, and also Oke Isero where died the famous warchief Gbonka Eleri-onigbajo. After this, the Baribas began to ill-treat the refugees, but the young prince proved himself equal to the occasion ; he collected his people together, and set out at their head for Oyo. When they arrived at a place called Kusu, they encamped there to complete their preparations for the journey to Oyo. From Kusu the King sent delegates to Ota for Ifa priests, as he and his chiefs superstitiously believed that their misfortunes arose from their rejecting the worship of Ifa ; the Alado then came to initiate the AlAfin and his people into the mysteries of the Ifa worship. Thus Ifa was accepted by Yoruba proper among the gods of the land. The Egugun mysteries also were hitherto unknown to the Yorubas, by this means the Tapas have long imposed upon them, they believing in the reality of the so-called apparitions. On the hill Sanda at Kusu the secret was made known to Saha the King's head slave. The first Alapini with the other Egugun priests the Elefi, Olohan, Oloba, Aladafa, and the Olgj^, emigrated from the Tapa country to Yoruba, joining the remnants returning from the Bariba country. These became the first priests, and instructed the Yorubas further in the Egiigun worship ; therefore the honours and emoluments to be enjoyed in this worship by right belong to them and their successors unto this day. Before the encampment at Kusu was broken up, the King died, and was succeeded by his son Eguguoju. The deceased King's body was wrapped in an ass's skin to be taken to Oyo. At a place called Okutu-gbogbo the cord broke, and the body had to be bound up afresh before they could proceed. On the very spot in which this happened, the palace at Saki was built. Sokia " ti iwo ewn irin " (clad with a coat of mail) was the Basorun of this period.