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HOME ▶ VOL 45, NO 1 (2021) ▶ AGAI

Original Research
Reflection on the theory of the Arab origin of the Yoruba people

Jock M. Agai
Received: 25 July 2020; Accepted: 12 Nov. 2020; Published: 22 Feb. 2021

Copyright: © 2021. The Author(s). Licensee: AOSIS.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.



[…T]hat the Yorubas came originally from the east there cannot be the slightest doubt, as their habit, manners and customs, etc., all go to prove … the Yorubas are certainly not of the Arabian family, and could not have come from Mecca universally known in history, and no such accounts as the above are to be found in the records of Arabian writers of any kings of Mecca…. (Johnson, 1921:5)

It is not known precisely why and when the Yorubas began to associate the history of their origin with the East. Many ethnic groups in Nigeria also believed that they originated from the East. For example, the Miship people of Jibam, comprising over 10 000 people in north-central Nigeria believed that the ancestor, Mwankan, originated from the ‘East’. In popular belief amongst the Miship people, east meant Egypt.2 There could be many speculative reasons that might have prompted the Yoruba people to associate the history of their origin with the East, quite like the Miship people. Major religions like Islam, Christianity and Judaism all originated from the ancient Near East and the West African people could have been attracted to the word ‘East’ because it is linked to these religions. Even Egypt itself is located in North-East Africa still linked to the word ‘East’ (O’Connor & Reid 2003:11).

The Hamitic myth might also be another reason why some Africans preferred to associate their origin with the East (cf. Agai 2016:201). Moreover, some Christians are of the view that the Messiah came from the East: ‘there is a generalization that the message of the Messiah came from the east proclaimed by Jewish individuals into Egypt and Africa’ (Sundkler & Steed 2000:7–9). They likely use the concept of the East where the sun rises, as a metaphor to describe their origin (Agai 2016:198).

In addition, there is the view according to which human civilisation started in the Middle East or the Near East (Oates 1979:11; Pate & Hays 2003:21–22), which could be said to be synonymous with the Arabian Peninsula, or the region occupied by the Arabs and their descendants also called the ‘Middle East’ (United Church of God 2007:4–5). It was generally felt that the Yorubas took pride in linking their history to the East. The controversial aspect of this subject pertained to the specific meaning of ‘East’. Initially, in the Yoruba oral tradition, the East was regarded as Mecca or Arabia, and even the Kingdom of Meroe in Sudan. In the process of investigating the Arabs’ influence on Yorubaland, scholars began to question the exact location of the East. Johnson, Folorunso and others thought that the East meant Egypt, but Belo and the Arabs who came to Yorubaland might have opined that the East meant Mecca or Arabia or Iraq.

Moreover, there are two major points that need to be noted regarding the role of Oduduwa in the development of the Arab theory of Yoruba origins: firstly, his identity or personality and secondly, his origin or the location from which he came. Though Samuel Johnson described Oduduwa as a human being who lived in Ile Ife, died and was buried there (Johnson 1921:143), he appears to have downplayed the role of Oduduwa as a literal human being. He might have referred to Oduduwa as a human being because of the narrative style, or else he mistook the name as one referring to multiple people. He refers to Oduduwa as a ‘mythical personage’ (Johnson 1921:143), suggesting that Oduduwa might not have been a real person, and even if he was, it would probably have been in a commonplace myth. Also, Johnson underplayed the Yoruba myth that referred to Oduduwa as a creator, and instead he promoted the biblical view that refers to God as the creator. His emphasis on the Coptic origin of the Yoruba is another reason why it can be argued that he downplayed the role of Oduduwa as a person from whom the Yoruba people descended: Johnson failed to connect Oduduwa with the Coptic Christians (Johnson 1921:6–7). Johnson’s Christian background and the need for him to promote his Christian faith overshadowed his interpretation of the Yoruba origin, which led him to underplay Oduduwa as a single ancestor of the Yoruba people (Agai 2016:137–143).

Wesley Muhammad argued that Oduduwa met the Igbos and other ethnic groups that lived in Yorubaland when he came, and that it was impossible for Oduduwa to subdue the people he found in Yorubaland. This led to a compromise that resulted in the formation of the ‘Yoruba’ people. He further mentioned that the name ‘Oduduwa’ is not of Arabic origin, but a Sudanese name. He believed that Oduduwa might not have been the ancestor of the Oyo-Yoruba people. Muhammad believed in the possible migration of the apostates (those that rebelled against Islam in Arabia in the 7th century) from Arabia to Yorubaland, but he argued that Oduduwa was not amongst them: ‘[i]t is also the case, however, that “Oduduwa” was not actually the name of the leader of the seventh century migration into Yorubaland’ (Muhammad 2013:28). Ayandele also noted that the Oduduwa legend should not be used to define the direct origin of the Yoruba people. Instead, the legend aims to emphasise that a prosperous kingdom reigned supreme in Yorubaland during the time of Oduduwa (Ayandele 2004:123).

Source: https://theologiaviatorum.org/index.php/tv/article/view/77/202#

Attention:

Please do not attack me. I found this article while researching on some topics and decided to share. If you have any problem with the facts stated, please direct your attacks to the authors (some of which are yoruba scholars). The link is provided above.

Thank you.

Well I am Ekiti

Aboriginal

I am not a descendant of anybody in ife or oyo, I am Ekiti

There's a cave in Ondo state where evidence of aborigines still remain

This one no concern me.

Oduduwa or no Oduduwa, we are proud Yoruba people.

tundegan:
This one no concern me.

Oduduwa or no Oduduwa, we are proud Yoruba people.

How can you say that when you don't know your origin?

We are Jews. We are the lost tribe of judah. igbos are from equatorial guinea , full stop

THREAD CLOSED

The name Oduduwa is Yoruba. If he was not an ancestor of the Yoruba, why is the name Yoruba associated with him?

The name Oduduwa is not a Yoruba name, it was borrowed from the Arabic word "Udda" which means "to be able"

The Yoruba people have been able to adapt to different cultures and languages around them.

Nigeria like letting random white people who learned about their ethnic group on google of visited that land for 13 days and don't speak their language tell them their entire history.

Someone that doesn't speak Yoruba but is sure Oduduwa is not a Yoruba word

Salewa97:
The name Oduduwa is not a Yoruba name, it was borrowed from the Arabic word "Udda" which means "to be able"

The Yoruba people have been able to adapt to different cultures and languages around them.

I feel bad for you

His Grave is in Ile Ife

You can visit it if you need convincing

Afonja44:
How can you say that when you don't know your origin?

Joblessness and Stupidity are firmly embedded inside your genetic structure

This is a very thoughtful and insightful analysis.

Hehehe
This post sweet my preeq


nlfpmod

Afonja44:
Attention:

Please do not attack me. I found this article while researching on some topics and decided to share. If you have any problem with the facts stated, please direct your attacks to the authors (some of which are yoruba scholars). The link is provided above.

Thank you.

All I read there were "suggest", "believed " "argued that"...no facts

Incoherent

Wahala for the yalubas

K

U

Afonja44:
Attention:

Please do not attack me. I found this article while researching on some topics and decided to share. If you have any problem with the facts stated, please direct your attacks to the authors (some of which are yoruba scholars). The link is provided above.

Thank you.

How then did you establish this as facts because some authors smoking weed together in a small tent decide to pen down outright delusions?

Electorate:
How then did you establish this as facts because some authors smoking weed together in a small tent decide to pen down outright delusions?

Receive one nuke for attempting to derail this thread.
Afonja44, make I chop finish, we go dissect this topic