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What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? - Culture - Nairaland

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What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Ikengawo: 2:16pm On May 26, 2013
this thread isn't meant to be tribalist at all, I'm just curious.
The reason is because I've never seen one. More importantly, all depictions of rural life in Nigeria are typically from the east when it comes to Nigerian media. I would say that Igbos tend to place a greater emphasis on their village of origin than other tribes, and even when they travel they still consider themselves citizens of that village first, but yorubas are more able to adopt a new local as their home and home for their children (as long as it's still in yoruba land or the west), so i'm curious to see if this cultural difference impacts village life there.


I also hear that traditional religions are more prevalent in Yoruba villages than in eastern ones.

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Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by MadCow1: 2:17pm On May 26, 2013
Ikengawo: this thread isn't meant to be tribalist at all, I'm just curious.
The reason is because I've never seen one. More importantly, all depictions of rural life in Nigeria are typically from the east when it comes to Nigerian media. I would say that Igbos tend to place a greater emphasis on their village of origin than other tribes, and even when they travel they still consider themselves citizens of that village first, but yorubas are more able to adopt a new local as their home and home for their children (as long as it's still in yoruba land or the west), so i'm curious to see if this cultural difference impacts village life there.


I also hear that traditional religions are more prevalent in Yoruba villages than in eastern ones.



Plenty of Mud houses and browned roofs.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

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Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Afam4eva(m): 2:29pm On May 26, 2013
Yoruba villages have this quasi-urbanized look and i don't like it. A lot of houses are Clustered together such that people from different families live together in what looks like a compound. You hacve to leave the cluster and enter the bush to get some serenity. On the other hand, Igbo villages are a lesser developed version of An American surburban setting where there's a clear delineation of compounds.

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Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Ikengawo: 2:44pm On May 26, 2013
thanks Afam.
Like I said i've never been, it seem to me that Yorubas like living in closer proximity to their nieghbors than igbos (or prehaps this is a result of larger families/polygamy?).

Even in the cities, Abeokuta, Ibadan and so forth fit a lot of houses and people into a small compact area, where as igbo cities are more delineated and spaced out, even very populous ones like Onitsha and Aba aren't as compact as Abeokuta and/or Ibadan. I think that's an interesting cultural difference.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Afam4eva(m): 3:08pm On May 26, 2013
Yes, culture plays an integral part. Yorubas just like Indians tend to be more Family oriented than Igbos hence the need of extended families and distant families living in what looks like a compound. On the other hand, the Igbo culture which is egalitarian and individualistic in nature plays itself out here. Igbos tend to spread out more. That's why even till today, some Igbo villages still aren't fully occupied because the people who would have occupied it have spread out either in the same village(but far away) or have gone to create a new clan for themselves somewhere. The advantage of this Igbo system is that it's easier to plan a city in Igboland than it is in Yorubaland. Planning a city in Yorubaland will mean doing away with the relics of the past which make up a huge part of the city. Ibadan and Abeokuta are a case in point.

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Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Madawaki01(m): 3:11pm On May 26, 2013
In a yoruba village setting,wat i cn say is that u wil find great love among d occupants of a compound,they are always ready to help each oda
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Afam4eva(m): 3:14pm On May 26, 2013
Madawaki01: In a yoruba village setting,wat i cn say is that u wil find great love among d occupants of a compound,they are always ready to help each oda
You're right.Yorubas have mastered the art of living together. I mean conk Yorubas and not all these blackberry and facebook ones. Igbos on the other hand tend to have to device a means of living together because there's no default way of living.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by odumchi: 6:12am On May 27, 2013
Afam4eva: Yes, culture plays an integral part. Yorubas just like Indians tend to be more Family oriented than Igbos hence the need of extended families and distant families living in what looks like a compound. On the other hand, the Igbo culture which is egalitarian and individualistic in nature plays itself out here. Igbos tend to spread out more. That's why even till today, some Igbo villages still aren't fully occupied because the people who would have occupied it have spread out either in the same village(but far away) or have gone to create a new clan for themselves somewhere. The advantage of this Igbo system is that it's easier to plan a city in Igboland than it is in Yorubaland. Planning a city in Yorubaland will mean doing away with the relics of the past which make up a huge part of the city. Ibadan and Abeokuta are a case in point.
Ikengawo: thanks Afam.
Like I said i've never been, it seem to me that Yorubas like living in closer proximity to their nieghbors than igbos (or prehaps this is a result of larger families/polygamy?).

Even in the cities, Abeokuta, Ibadan and so forth fit a lot of houses and people into a small compact area, where as igbo cities are more delineated and spaced out, even very populous ones like Onitsha and Aba aren't as compact as Abeokuta and/or Ibadan. I think that's an interesting cultural difference.

I don't necessarily agree with you guys. In fact, I believe that the reverse is the case. The settlement patterns of the Igbo show numerous small to midsized villages spread across a densely-populated region. The population density of the Igbo country comes second to none in Nigeria.

You guys mentioned towns like Onitsha and Aba. The truth is that Onitsha, Aba, Umuahia, and most (if not all) of the towns and cities in Igboland are simply clusters of numerous villages living in close proximity with each other. Arochukwu, for example, is considered a 'town', but in fact it is composed of 19 smaller 'towns' and city states (villages) that are so close to each other that they are considered a single urban unit.

I also believe that the Igbo (for the most part) are well-accustomed to communal life, due to the presence of well-organized social hierarchies within their villages. In Arochukwu, like in most Igbo towns, the central social unit is the family. A group of related families form an ezi (compound); a cluster of ezi form an ogo (village); several ogo form an ikwu (clan); and the three ikwu unite to make Arochukwu.

In addition, Igbo villages are generally compact and not spread out extensively. The villagers occupy the area surrounding the central square or meeting place while in the outskirts of the town are people's farmlands, and of course, the local river or stream. New villages are formed usually when the supply of virgin farmland has been exhausted, when there is no longer any more space for the construction of new homes and the establishment of new families, or when a new location more suitable for farming or trading purposes has been discovered.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by tpia5: 12:17pm On May 27, 2013
Ikengawo: this thread isn't meant to be tribalist at all, I'm just curious.
The reason is because I've never seen one. More importantly, all depictions of rural life in Nigeria are typically from the east when it comes to Nigerian media. I would say that Igbos tend to place a greater emphasis on their village of origin than other tribes, and even when they travel they still consider themselves citizens of that village first, but yorubas are more able to adopt a new local as their home and home for their children (as long as it's still in yoruba land or the west), so i'm curious to see if this cultural difference impacts village life there.


I also hear that traditional religions are more prevalent in Yoruba villages than in eastern ones.

Wow, such an error filled post.

No wonder no yoruba bothered responding to the question.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Afam4eva(m): 12:24pm On May 27, 2013
tpia@:


Wow, such an error filled post.

No wonder no yoruba bothered responding to the question.
He didn't assert anything. He said he's just curious. If you have answeres then give him instead of trying to start fight where there's none.

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Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Ikengawo: 2:18pm On May 27, 2013
odumchi:

I don't necessarily agree with you guys. In fact, I believe that the reverse is the case. The settlement patterns of the Igbo show numerous small to midsized villages spread across a densely-populated region. The population density of the Igbo country comes second to none in Nigeria.

You guys mentioned towns like Onitsha and Aba. The truth is that Onitsha, Aba, Umuahia, and most (if not all) of the towns and cities in Igboland are simply clusters of numerous villages living in close proximity with each other. Arochukwu, for example, is considered a 'town', but in fact it is composed of 19 smaller 'towns' and city states (villages) that are so close to each other that they are considered a single urban unit.

I also believe that the Igbo (for the most part) are well-accustomed to communal life, due to the presence of well-organized social hierarchies within their villages. In Arochukwu, like in most Igbo towns, the central social unit is the family. A group of related families form an ezi (compound); a cluster of ezi form an ogo (village); several ogo form an ikwu (clan); and the three ikwu unite to make Arochukwu.

In addition, Igbo villages are generally compact and not spread out extensively. The villagers occupy the area surrounding the central square or meeting place while in the outskirts of the town are people's farmlands, and of course, the local river or stream. New villages are formed usually when the supply of virgin farmland has been exhausted, when there is no longer any more space for the construction of new homes and the establishment of new families, or when a new location more suitable for farming or trading purposes has been discovered.

Why spread out and clustered i'm referring to how many people/families live in a close promimixty, not how many villages.
Igbo cities and towns are clusters of villages because Igbos believe their village is their nation in reality, and thus seldom 'concede' to a greater force because it's not possible (an mbatoli man can never be an nkwerre man no matter where he lives). Where as yorubas generally see their tribe as their nation so many villagers can leave their village an become Ibadan people etc.

More over, if you look at the cultural structure of Igbo land, everything was designed so that no one entity became more powerful than surrounding peer entities. No village greater than the next, no man bigger than the next. This can be seen in market days, parliamentary governance, republicanism, etc. So you'll have a situation where there will be many villages that survive over time because one greater village doesn't absorb or conquer them all though that changed with the introduction of the slave trade (and in essence capitalism), and modern urbanization.





Though igbo land has more villages and more people per sq foot, where 2 igbo families can live, 4 or 5 yoruba families can in a yoruba village (from what i've been told and what makes sense). Every igbo man is expected to have his own compound, typically isolated by walls, from the rest. and many will venture out to start their own clans once a set area is too crowded. My grandfather 2 generations removed did this.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by odumchi: 5:44pm On May 27, 2013
Ikengawo:

Why spread out and clustered i'm referring to how many people/families live in a close promimixty, not how many villages.
Igbo cities and towns are clusters of villages because Igbos believe their village is their nation in reality, and thus seldom 'concede' to a greater force because it's not possible (an mbatoli man can never be an nkwerre man no matter where he lives). Where as yorubas generally see their tribe as their nation so many villagers can leave their village an become Ibadan people etc.

More over, if you look at the cultural structure of Igbo land, everything was designed so that no one entity became more powerful than surrounding peer entities. No village greater than the next, no man bigger than the next. This can be seen in market days, parliamentary governance, republicanism, etc. So you'll have a situation where there will be many villages that survive over time because one greater village doesn't absorb or conquer them all though that changed with the introduction of the slave trade (and in essence capitalism), and modern urbanization.





Though igbo land has more villages and more people per sq foot, where 2 igbo families can live, 4 or 5 yoruba families can in a yoruba village (from what i've been told and what makes sense). Every igbo man is expected to have his own compound, typically isolated by walls, from the rest. and many will venture out to start their own clans once a set area is too crowded. My grandfather 2 generations removed did this.




It's not really that every Igbo man is expected to have his own compound, rather it's every head of an extended family (at least that's how it's done where income from). In Aro villages, several related families share a large compound that was formed/opened by a common ancestor. Typically, the compound is named after its founder (example: Ndi Ugwumaga) and the oldest descendant of the founding father is the Eze Ezi, or compound chief.

As for the cultural structure of Igbo villages, bear in mind that Igboland is a large and diverse land, therefore certain aspects of village culture may vary.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by toshmann(m): 8:08pm On May 27, 2013
I think we need a home based Yoruba to give authentic answers to the questions of this thread.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Abagworo(m): 11:57pm On May 27, 2013
Reason why Odumchi seems to disagree with Afam et al is because different settlement patterns exist in Igboland. Some groups live in clusters like the Cross River Igbos of Igbere, Item, Abiriba, Ohafia, Arochukwu etc whose villages are like Yoruba towns and they maintain kinship and lineage and arranged in quaters. When you move a bit North to Awka-Orlu area then you get Ikengawo's view of dispersed dense villages. People there settle without centralization and have land shortages. It is the characteristics of this area that people often erroneously use as standards for Igbo culture definition.

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Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by baby124: 4:51am On May 28, 2013
Yoruba's are town dwellers, not village settlers. Most Yoruba people's villages are overpopulated towns. undecided. Our big towns are for living, the bush is for farming. That culture must also have come from their turbulent warring past. See abeokuta, settled in a way that if a war comes the stubborn egba will be ready. It is easier to finish off isolated people than people dwelling in big towns. Another reason could be that Yoruba's are more commerce inclined, and gravitate towards populated areas where they can buy and sell, and live where "life" is. About planning, I think most Yoruba towns are well planned, even ibadan. The planning was based on their needs at the time of settlement, and the political situation. I don't think any of the relics should be ever broken down, that is our past and we are proud of it. They should rather be preserved, and any new development will be built around our past.

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Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Nobody: 4:58am On May 28, 2013
^^^^I heard Yoruba women have the biggest batty/bum/booty in naija - how true is that?

Batty so fat, I can see it from the front. lipsrsealed
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by baby124: 5:01am On May 28, 2013
shymexx: ^^^^I heard Yoruba women have the biggest batty/bum/booty in naija - how true is that?

Batty so fat, I can see it from the front. lipsrsealed
You have sister, aunties, cousins and a mum right Am sure they can answer that question for you. From your experience what do you think?
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Nobody: 5:10am On May 28, 2013
baby_123:
You have sister, aunties, cousins and a mum right Am sure they can answer that question for you. From your experience what do you think?

Incest is forbidden in Ijebu culture. I guess that's why I don't examine their batty. However, I know they're extremely good looking and it's in our genes loooool.

Anyway, if yours is as fat as I what I've been hearing. Then you and your feminism are suitable for tekkers looool.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by baby124: 5:17am On May 28, 2013
shymexx:

Incest is forbidden in Ijebu culture. I guess that's why I don't examine their batty. However, I know they're extremely good looking and it's in our genes loooool.

Anyway, if yours is as fat as I what I've been hearing. Then you and your feminism are suitable for tekkers looool.
Huh Not going to get roped into this discussion. lipsrsealed. Ask my hubby that question, he seems to be attached to it for some reason. cool. Only a real man can love, appreciate and marry a feminist. Remember that, REAL MAN! What are you shymmexx grin. You seem to have a problem with women with an opinion This anti-feminist trait cannot be cultural, it must be environmental or from a religious indoctrination. Yoruba women are natural born feminists. grin. Maybe you are surrounded by feminism and are rebelling

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Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Afam4eva(m): 8:18am On May 28, 2013
baby_123: Yoruba's are town dwellers, not village settlers. Most Yoruba people's villages are overpopulated towns. undecided. Our big towns are for living, the bush is for farming. That culture must also have come from their turbulent warring past. See abeokuta, settled in a way that if a war comes the stubborn egba will be ready. It is easier to finish off isolated people than people dwelling in big towns. Another reason could be that Yoruba's are more commerce inclined, and gravitate towards populated areas where they can buy and sell, and live where "life" is. About planning, I think most Yoruba towns are well planned, even ibadan. The planning was based on their needs at the time of settlement, and the political situation. I don't think any of the relics should be ever broken down, that is our past and we are proud of it. They should rather be preserved, and any new development will be built around our past.
I agree with the fact that Yorubas live in what looks like a pseudo-urbann setting but these places are usually not planned like you posited.

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Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Nobody: 12:38pm On May 28, 2013
baby_123:
Huh Not going to get roped into this discussion. lipsrsealed. Ask my hubby that question, he seems to be attached to it for some reason. cool. Only a real man can love, appreciate and marry a feminist. Remember that, REAL MAN! What are you shymmexx grin. You seem to have a problem with women with an opinion This anti-feminist trait cannot be cultural, it must be environmental or from a religious indoctrination. Yoruba women are natural born feminists. grin. Maybe you are surrounded by feminism and are rebelling

I didn't know you have got a hubby - pele. Thought you were still out ready for tekkers. However, I can deduce it's massive from your post - lucky man, I guess. grin

Yoruba women are more of womanists(as defined by Alice Walker). They're mothers and wives first, before anything else, and I love and respect them for that. Feminism on the other hand, is a foreign ideology, and it has no place in an already broken black family.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by deols(f): 12:54pm On May 29, 2013
Afam4eva:
I agree with the fact that Yorubas live in what looks like a pseudo-urbann setting but these places are usually not planned like you posited.

What makes you think they are not planned?
That they don't suit your thoughts of what cities/towns should be like doesn't make them unplanned. Ever heard of town planning?

And when you spoke of Ibadan, I knew it was out of ignorance.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Afam4eva(m): 1:06pm On May 29, 2013
deols:

What makes you think they are not planned?
That they don't suit your thoughts of what cities/towns should be like doesn't make them unplanned. Ever heard of town planning?

And when you spoke of Ibadan, I knew it was out of ignorance.
Maybe they were planned as at then but such planning is not valid in this day and time. Have you been to Ibadan recently?
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by deols(f): 1:35pm On May 29, 2013
Afam4eva:
Maybe they were planned as at then but such planning is not valid in this day and time. Have you been to Ibadan recently?

I have been to Ibadan recently. Have you?
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Afam4eva(m): 1:38pm On May 29, 2013
deols:

I have been to Ibadan recently. Have you?
Yes...

My point is that Ibadan even if it was planned in medieval times, the plan does not apply in this day and age.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by deols(f): 2:12pm On May 29, 2013
Afam4eva:
Yes...

My point is that Ibadan even if it was planned in medieval times, the plan does not apply in this day and age.

where were you at Ibadan? Is everywhere in Ibadan the same way?

No one rule fits all, you know. Not all the developed parts of the world are planned the same way. In fact, what you term medieval should be kept just the way it is, keeping our history fresh on our minds.

I actually would want the medieval houses in Ibadan, like Ibitoye's house kept the way they are. They could even make for tourist destinations.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Afam4eva(m): 3:18pm On May 29, 2013
deols:

where were you at Ibadan? Is everywhere in Ibadan the same way?

No one rule fits all, you know. Not all the developed parts of the world are planned the same way. In fact, what you term medieval should be kept just the way it is, keeping our history fresh on our minds.

I actually would want the medieval houses in Ibadan, like Ibitoye's house kept the way they are. They could even make for tourist destinations.
Of course in every city there are modern areas and ancient areas but the ancient in Ibadan seems more pronounced than the modern.

I agree with you that the medieval feel of Ibadan has to be preserved just like it is in europe. It can be used as a tourist destination.However there has to be a meeting between the old and the new.

1 Like

Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by deols(f): 7:58pm On May 29, 2013
Afam4eva:
Of course in every city there are modern areas and ancient areas but the ancient in Ibadan seems more pronounced than the modern.

I agree with you that the medieval feel of Ibadan has to be preserved just like it is in europe. It can be used as a tourist destination.However there has to be a meeting between the old and the new.

I doubt that you'v been to Ibadan. It appears you were travelling and passed through. The ignorance is mind blowing.

Some day, I will post pictures from Ibadan, God willing.

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Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by Nobody: 8:05pm On May 29, 2013
Are there no pictures?
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by deols(f): 8:31pm On May 29, 2013
babyosisi: Are there no pictures?
I want to have gotten enough so they are truly representative of the city.
Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by pleep(m): 8:52pm On May 29, 2013
baby_123:
Huh Not going to get roped into this discussion. lipsrsealed. Ask my hubby that question, he seems to be attached to it for some reason. cool. Only a real man can love, appreciate and marry a feminist. Remember that, REAL MAN! What are you shymmexx grin. You seem to have a problem with women with an opinion This anti-feminist trait cannot be cultural, it must be environmental or from a religious indoctrination. Yoruba women are natural born feminists. grin. Maybe you are surrounded by feminism and are rebelling

I agree with that. Too much testosterone

1 Like

Re: What Does A Yoruba Village Look Like? by pleep(m): 8:55pm On May 29, 2013
I dont know about what odumuchi said about igboland in particular.... but as for the eastern Nigeria i have seen, the village houses were extreeeeeeeeamly far apart.

Almost to a ridiculus degree.

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