Snake is common totem shared with the Awori: "omo agbo d'ere".

It's not a construction of this people.

Each has a narrative of how it comes to become a totem in their oral tradition.

Olu317:
You are correct about the fact that Odéayé/Ouidah/Whyday is said to be a place where snake was found. Although oral history from the land of Odéayé/Ouidah/Whydah stated their historical setups.

The snake meaning of Odéayé/Ouidah/Whyday has no basis in Yoruba language,but a fabrication of Fongbe when snakes were heavily seen in that area bythe new comers who were not the founder of the place.

More accurately, the Yorubas founded that land and named it Odéayé which was later wrongly called by Fongbe as Ouidah as a corrupt version pronounced. The Fongbe chased away Yoruba from that land when chaotic situation happened between Yoruba these two different people when war ravaged Yorubaland from late 1700s

Even at this, you will find some people in Ouidah/Whyday today who have Yoruba ancestry. And they do not shy away from their connection to Yoruba bloodline.

So,Judah being coined by English people to match Hebrew man's name who also was one of their ancestor has no connection with Ouidah and meaningless in this regard. Beside there is no name as Judah among the ancient Hebrew because what was once transliterated andtranslated as "J" is incorrect and misleading because the classics ideogram that are translated from Yud+Waw+ Dalet+Hey
Yud= "y","ee" ,"ii"
Waw="y","u","o"
Dalet= "d"
Hey= "h" and when it is used as last word it becomes "ah"

As you can see there is no way that name Judah existed in the first but fusion of Western world. Afterall, what the ideograms interpreters actually did was try and error even though they are highly close to identifying the original speakers of the language they claimed is dead and isolate language in scholarly world.

absoluteSuccess:
Snake is common totem shared with the Awori: "omo agbo d'ere".

It's not a construction of this people.

Each has a narrative of how it comes to become a totem in their oral tradition.

Ọtá (snake) veneration is ancient in Yoruba land aswell as in the world's religion perspective. Ọlọ́tá are the lead venerators among Yoruba people.

Therefore I do not dispute the position of yours, which was never the bone of contention but the first settlers in that particular location associated with brooks, hilly , valley etc.


The point here is that Yoruba people were first settlers before they were driven and assimilated with fusion of Fongbe and some elements of Yoruba tradition.

So many mysteries. I appreciate your deep enquiry to the etymology of the name in review, but I'm afraid you tend to be chauvinist on Yoruba, so you can well be bias.

You have just transformed Whydah to Yoruba. But how about the word possible Egun meaning? You can't totally rule that out, you can do well to place the two entries side by side.

First time I'm hearing Ota as meaning "snake" in Yoruba. It might interest you to know that the Fongbe actually refer Whydah as "Gugbe" (Egun), while identifying themselves as Fonnu.

I'm willing to say you can't carve this place out exclusively for Yoruba: you are restricting your perspective to the slave trade and colonial era, what about the layers that goes backwards?

That's origin: affinity for both cultures (Yoruba, Fon) is borne out of the fact that these two kingdoms loom large and exerts influence on Whydah right from cradle. War is much recent.

However you like to put it, let's say Whydah comes from Wedah: oweh in Egun means "case", (it can equally mean scarification or home depending on what comes next.

On the other hand, "dah" simply means, adjudication. It's more like saying "Ejoda". Therefore, the term Whydah from the direction of it's other form, Wedah means "Judicial".

It's more like saying "oran-yan" in Yoruba. To put it in colloquial, we can equally say the word means "case close". The word is therefore rooted in a metaphorical judicial antecedent.

Not being bias my dear brother. I do give knocks as a researcher even if honest fact hurts my ethnicity, in which ever way.The People in Oodéayé/Oodáyé /Oodáhé/ Ouidah,which is further corrupted into Whydah even as Judah by some other colonialist know the truth.

And as I had informed before now that, I had a spell in Benin Republic as a Teacher in a french&English American School, which are associated with United Sate of America and her curriculum.

Infact, Diplomats or Envoys andambassadors wards attended these schools to be bilingue en; Anglais et Français . The African's French speaking Countries do not always travel to English countries in the West, except Canada which is multilingual but often regarded as both English and French speakers country which made the USA, considered these people.

So, I do know what I am posting here as a fact finding information, which also gave me opportunity to interact with lecturers in Abomey Calavi Université et C.E.B.L.A, which I attended for a diploma program.

It's also correct to assert here that in Republic of Benin,indigenous people do not always shy away from truth as opposed in Nigeria.Therefore, whatever I post here is not based on assumption but interactive session with people who I had contact with for a relative period of time.

Albeit on the snake veneration is a fact and I am reechoing it again here that Ọtá is a relative term use for snake which often is python or its close family.

The worship or properly the veneration is done at a given time in a year and the venerators are titled Ọlọ́tá,which remains as a chieftaincy in Yorùbá land.

Let me reemphasise here that some scholars often try to hurriedly conclude and give some certain interpretation to some words in Yoruba land which is often a modern form of interpretation whichis also misleading and disorderly. Words such as :
enu is originally eru =mouth
Ihare/ahare=elders
ereko=farm on the other side of the land
Eremi = across of the river
bá with multiple meaning =bow
t'eri= bow your head
eri=seer "lord"
ajo= journey
irin= journey,walk
La=walk
okuta= site of stone
ọtá = stone
sì=is
ibi=evil
ajogun=adversaries
Shote=antagonist
Shota=antagonist /enemy
shela= successful
Sala=toil to be successful etc

Too many to mention but this does not negate the continuum of Yoruba language with its diversional newer input. The point I am making is that, Yoruba do not give a damn if they loose sight of their history even if they become subdued by another group of people which often give room for assimilation.

Finally, history is a way of life for Yoruba people beceause it give detail of their ancestry from the source wherever they are or may be in the future.

This is quite breathtaking bro. God bless your wit. I appreciate the new ideas as well and good to know you're that versatile and professional.

More grace sir.

Respect to you, my dear brother, ọmọ ọmọ Aládé Ṣẹ́sẹ ẹfún.

Olu317:
Respect to you, my dear brother, ọmọ ọmọ Aládé Ṣẹ́sẹ ẹfún.

Od'oniran Iran, iran oba nii kun sese efun.

Iran oba nii d'ade, patako esin, kiije kesin o subu, iru esin, kiiwe m'esin l'orun.

Ore eni, baba eni, iya eni, won kîí je k'oju o tii ni.

Merci bocu.

absoluteSuccess:
Snake is common totem shared with the Awori: "omo agbo d'ere".

It's not a construction of this people.

Each has a narrative of how it comes to become a totem in their oral tradition.

Not only with Awori but with all Ilé Ogún and other founding houses such as Ilé Omirin,Ilé Ugbo and Ilé Odikéjì,which established the thirteen Yoruba groupings in Iléifẹ.

This is the basis for the name Ọlọ́tá amongst Yorubas due to association with snake which is often python as a specie.

So, these people are properly in all Yoruba founding homes,which starts with two and followed with four group, which later thirteen and ultimately multiply to sixteen as maximum.

Among the thirteen hamlet, the house of Ogun often lords over others as the chosen king,being the house that owns Arẹ Crown. This does not mean they are not all interrelated , even though they all are interrelated. Oriki is so explanatory that it links everyone to its ancestors panegyric.

Let quickly state here that many Ekiti sub group cum clan are maternally linked to Odua and paternally linked to Oramfe and Obatala and also in reverse in some cases.

absoluteSuccess:


Od'oniran Iran, iran oba nii kun sese efun.

Iran oba nii d'ade, patako esin, kiije kesin o subu, iru esin, kiiwe m'esin l'orun.

Ore eni, baba eni, iya eni, won kîí je k'oju o tii ni.

Merci beaucoup.

Bẹẹni. Thanks very much.

Olu317:
Not only with Awori but with all Ilé Ogún and other founding houses such as Ilé Omirin,Ilé Ugbo and Ilé Odikéjì,which established the thirteen Yoruba groupings in Iléifẹ.

This is the basis for the name Ọlọ́tá amongst Yorubas due to association with snake which is often python as a specie.

So, these people are properly in all Yoruba founding homes,which starts with two and followed with four group, which later thirteen and ultimately multiply to sixteen as maximum.

Among the thirteen hamlet, the house of Ogun often lords over others as the chosen king,being the house that owns Arẹ Crown. This does not mean they are not all interrelated , even though they all are interrelated. Oriki is so explanatory that it links everyone to its ancestors panegyric.

Let quickly state here that many Ekiti sub group cum clan are maternally linked to Odua and paternally linked to Oramfe and Obatala and also in reverse in some cases.

Good to learn so much, the house that the python is peculiar with among the Awori is the ojugbele, a popular family at Ota. I've not been privileged to know of others, but the mention is made in oriki Awori.

Another possibility is here is built around ogunfunminire. He's the Awori icon from iseri. The truth of the matter has decayed into tradition. But every oral tradition keeps incredible details.

Tradition said ogunfunminire transforms to python whenever he wants to hunt. I think this is an ancient hunters' folklore in Yoruba that are often adopted and redeveloped by those who venerates the python.

It's the same recollection rendered differently as a result of variation of time and space just as much as the imaginations could enable each narrator.

absoluteSuccess:


Good to learn so much, the house that the python is peculiar with among the Awori is the ojugbele, a popular family at Ota. I've not been privileged to know of others, but the mention is made in oriki Awori.

Another possibility is here is built around ogunfunminire. He's the Awori icon from iseri. The truth of the matter has decayed into tradition. But every oral tradition keeps incredible details.

Tradition said ogunfunminire transforms to python whenever he wants to hunt. I think this is an ancient hunters' folklore in Yoruba that are often adopted and redeveloped by those who venerates the python.

It's the same recollection rendered differently as a result of variation of time and space just as much as the imaginations could enable each narrator.

The snake myth and the association with Yorubas went as far as with the pantheon of orients.

Infact,Ogunfunminire wasnt the myth with Awori because,the house of Yoruba at ile ife are knowledgeable on the snake veneration.

The tradition transcends Ogunfunminire time frame in Yorubaland whose name was used for Odo Ogun(Ogun river) as a contraction of Ogunfunminire.

Olu317:
The snake myth and the association with Yorubas went as far as with the pantheon of orients.

Infact,Ogunfunminire wasnt the myth with Awori because,the house of Yoruba at ile ife are knowledgeable on the snake veneration.

The tradition transcends Ogunfunminire time frame in Yorubaland whose name was used for Odo Ogun(Ogun river) as a contraction of Ogunfunminire.

Hmm, we keep learning everyday. I never thought of a connection between the name Ogunfunminire and the Ogun river.

Yoruba is complex.

absoluteSuccess:


Hmm, we keep learning everyday. I never thought of a connection between the name Ogunfunminire and the Ogun river.

Yoruba is complex.

I never knew too until I was taught in the elders class of Ootuland.

Olu317:
I never knew too until I was taught in the elders class of Ootuland.

The elders are the epitome of knowledge.

Enu agba lobi tii gbo:

"kolanut attains maturity in mouth of the elders."

absoluteSuccess:


The elders are the epitome of knowledge.

Enu agba lobi tii gbo:

"kolanut attains maturity in mouth of the elders."

Very true

Olu317:
Very true

Our lives are blessed in abundance with the wisdom of ages that came through the forebears to the elders and ultimately to us.

Stay blessed, great man.

absoluteSuccess:


Our lives are blessed in abundance with the wisdom of ages that came through the forebears to the elders and ultimately to us.

Stay blessed, great man.

May the ancient God continue to dwell in the ancestors for ours to tap from them for better understanding of this chaotic world.

Stay firm in under the supervision of eternal wisdom of God, my dear brother.

Olu317:
May the ancient God continue to dwell in the ancestors for ours to tap from them for better understanding of this chaotic world.

Stay firm in under the supervision of eternal wisdom of God, my dear brother.

Amen and amen, bro.

MetaPhysical:
Before we go into the Oriki, let's establish first some historical connections.

Ado, Edo, Ido, Odo
These are all Yoruba ancestral words to denote features of settlement in a geo-space.

Originally, Edo (as in Edo people, Edo State) is a class of emigrants in ancestral times. They left Ife and occupied settlement in a new land in the forest. The aborigines of that forest were known as Efa, hunters and gatherers with no recognized rulership or form of civility.

The Edo of today is a political new-entity, on the surface devoid of its Yoruba ancestry but retaining in its roots traces of linkage back to Yoruba.


Ogiso >>> Oba
The ancient Edo settlement was ruled by Chiefs of Ife known as Ogiso. The settlement prospered and expanded and was characterized by constant clashes of interest between the settlers and aborigines. The capital was Igodo.

Yoruba lexicon does not have "gh" sounding words which is common in the Efa lexicon. We also dont have 'z' or 'v'.

Igodo is same as Agodo - shrine!

The Ogisos brought Ife deities to Edo and built shrines for the deities around their metropolis and took the alias Igodomigodo.

At the arrival of Oranmiyan he and his court camped in Use or Uselu.

Place names like Ughoton, Ughelli are in the aborigene language.

Given names like Akenzua are assimilated from Yoruba Akinsua, popularly used in Eastern Yorubaland.

Eweka was born in Uselu and coronated and reigned from there over the aborigene land.

The Kingdom also took a name and was called IBINI. The King at Uselu ruled over Ibini Kingdom. Eventually a new settlement was developed and the King relocated from Uselu to the new capital now called Ibini - later corrupted to Benin.



What is the connection between Republic of Benin and Benin Kingdom?

This relationship pre-dated 1600.

Both thrones at Oyo Ile and Bini belonged to same bloodline and ancestry but separate dynasties.

The greatest threat and opposition to their rulership was from the Empires of Dahomey and Ghana in West as well Songhai in North.

Hausa, Bariba, Nupe and Yoruba were the immediate contact points to those three threats and so Oyo Empire was under great pressure to preserve its rulership.

Oyo's method of warfare was well suited to the Savannah plains and wooded Guinea belt but insufficient and not suited to deterr threats from the forest and sea coast. This is where Bini Kingdom came in.

Bini itself was not a coastal kingdom but it could form alliance with sailors on the coast to put up a defense shield against intruders from Dahomey and or Ghana using vulnerability to invade and destroy Kingdoms in Yorubaland.

Bini created a sea force using alliance with Itsekiri and Ilaje. They created a seabase at Ado.....

Bini had not settled in Eko by this time. They would travel through the creeks from Bini River through Ijebu to Oto to Amuwo all way to Iwida (Whydah, Ouida).

Oto was the seat of Olofin at that time. Oto is also known as Ido.

He would host them on stopover ...kinda like a modern day Bed-and-Breakfast before proceeding on the journey.

The purpose of Bini in Iwida was to setup a fort and a defense shield against intrusion from threats in West.

Oyo had a similar arrangement in North....in Ilorin! Ilorin was a Yoruba Army fort.


It was much later that Olofin advised that if the fort in Whyday is successful in keeping enemy away, he would need one too because their pepper farm was always raided by intruders in the creek and is damaging trade and commerce with interior kingdoms.

Bini replied that they had no land and cannot fight Olofin to take land for the fort. The compromise was for Aromire to carve out land for Bini settlement.

Bini has never fought Lagos. Bini had a fort used as a defense shield to deter enemy invasion into Yoruba South....as Oyo had also created one in Ilorin that was very effective in supressing Dahomey ambitions.


Lineage and Events...
After Asipa had settled in Eko....

(Notice connection between Edo, Ado, Ido, Eko)

After Asipa settlement he coronated and started the first dynasty.

Oba Akinsemoyin had an alias and he was called Alado. The one who possessed Ado or one from Ado.

His first daughter turned down request to marry Baba Alagbaa (The Palace Priest who was from Ijesha) and instead married a man from Whydah.

Akinsemoyin's sister, Erelu married Baba Alagbaa to bear Ologun Kutere.

Ologun Kutere became King after Akinsemoyin and married an Ijebu woman who bore Eshinlokun.

Adele became King after Kutere but was deposed and left for Whydah.

Eshinlokun became King after Adele.

After Eshinlokun died Kosoko was to become King but Idewu Ojulari was coronated and Kosoko went on exile to Whydah.

After Ojulari died Oluwole became King. He was succeeded by Akintoye.

Akintoye's mother was Egba. He recalled Kosoko from Whydah.

Kosoko overthrew him and sent him on exile.

He later returned with help of British force and deposed Kosoko and regained throne. Kosoko went on exile to Epe.

Akintoye died shortly after. Dosunmu became King. Dosunmu's mother was from Whydah.


So....you see the back and forth relationship between the uproots from Bini setting up a city in Ado (Whydah) and actually marrying from there. Prince and Princesses back in those days married into royalty or a non-royal noble family.

Is it possible that when they settled into Whydah originally, a part of the family took Olofin's invitation to resettle in Lagos while another part remained in Ado?

There is a Quad-City relationship connecting Bini - Oyo- Ado and Eko.

In Lagos there is confusion whether Orisa Adimu was originally the property of Oyo or Bini. You can see the depth of link and how it should not surprise qhen in the Oriki you begin to see elements of Oyo, Bini, Ado and Eko.


Omo Ibini Arokun Yo!

The son of Bini who dominated the Sea!

This is common Oriki for all the Akarigbere White Cap Chiefs.

On the other hand, the Oriki of Oba of Lagos is Omo Erin Jogun Ola.

The son of the mighty who inherited the land!

Erin is a totem of Oyo! But Oyo is younger than Bini.....therefore it can only be traced up to Oranmiyan.

Make i stop here Oga mi!

This is great and seems to clarify certain things. But I'll like to ask for sources especially for bini on lagos. Thanks