Yoruba people

== Society and culture ==
{{Main|Yoruba culture}}
[[File:Yorubaland Cultural Area of West Africa.jpg|thumb|right|Yorubaland Cultural Area of West Africa|280px]]
In the city-states and many of their neighbours, a reserved way of life remains, with the school of thought of their people serving as a major influence in West Africa and elsewhere.

Today, most contemporary Yoruba are [[Muslims]] or [[Christian]]s.<ref name="Research note: Exploring survey dat"/> Be that as it may, many of the principles of the traditional faith of their ancestors are either knowingly or unknowingly upheld by a significant proportion of the populations of Nigeria, [[Benin]] and [[Togo]].<ref name="Aderibigbe, Gbola, editor. Medine, Carolyn M. Jones, editor">{{Cite book|editor1-last=Aderibigbe |editor1-first=Gbola |editor2-last=Medine |editor2-first=Carolyn M. Jones |title=Contemporary perspectives on religions in Africa and the African diaspora|date=12 October 2015|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US |isbn=978-1-137-50051-9|oclc=1034928481}}</ref>

=== Traditional Yoruba religion ===
{{Main|Yoruba religion}}
{{further|Ifá|Yoruba medicine}}
The [[Yoruba religion]] comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practices of the Yoruba people.<ref>{{cite book|title=Yoruba Hometowns: Community, Identity, and Development in Nigeria|author=Lillian Trager|date=January 2001|publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers|isbn=978-1-55587-981-5|page=22|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DUznKhxaVxkC|access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref> Its homeland is in Southwestern Nigeria and the adjoining parts of Benin and Togo, a region that has come to be known as Yorubaland. Yoruba religion is formed of diverse traditions and has no single founder.<ref name="Culture">{{cite book |title=Yoruba Culture: ''A Philosophical Account'' |first=Kola |last=Abimbola |edition=Paperback |publisher=Iroko Academics Publishers |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-905388-00-4}}</ref> Yoruba religious beliefs are part of [[Yoruba Mythology|itan]], the total complex of songs, histories, stories, mythologies, and other cultural concepts that make up the Yoruba society.<ref name="Culture" />

[[File:Ogunda Meji.jpg|thumb|left|''Ogunda Meji'', one of the sixteen principals of 256 ''Odus'' (the corpus of Ifa literature) represented on a virtual ''[[Opon Ifá|Opon Ifa]]'' board|196x196px]]
Next to the [[Veneration of ancestors]], one of the most common Yoruba traditional religious concepts has been the concept of [[Orisa]]. Orisa (also spelled Orisha) are various gods and spirits, which serve the ultimate creator force in the Yoruba religious system (Ase). Some widely known Orisa are [[Ogun]], (a god of metal, war and victory), [[Shango]] or Jakuta (a god of thunder, lightning, fire and justice who manifests as a king and who always wields a double-edged axe that conveys his divine authority and power), [[Eshu|Esu Elegbara]] (a trickster who serves as the sole messenger of the [[Pantheon (religion)|pantheon]], and who conveys the wish of men to the gods. He understands every language spoken by humankind, and is also the guardian of the crossroads, ''Oríta méta'' in Yoruba) and [[Orunmila]] (a god of the Oracle). Eshu has two forms, which are manifestations of his dual nature – positive and negative energies; Eshu Laroye, a teacher instructor and leader, and Eshu Ebita, a jester, deceitful, suggestive and cunning.<ref name="Abimbola2006">{{cite book|last=Abimbola|first=Kola|title=Yoruba Culture: A Philosophical Account|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4G7Xv-wapEMC&pg=PA58|access-date=23 May 2015|year=2006|publisher=Iroko Academic Publishers|isbn=978-1-905388-00-4|page=58}}</ref> Orunmila, for his part, reveals the past, gives solutions to problems in the present, and influences the future through the [[Ifá|Ifa divination system]], which is practised by oracle priests called [[Babalawo]]s.

[[Olorun]] is one of the principal manifestations of the Supreme God of the Yoruba pantheon, the owner of the heavens, and is associated with the Sun known as Oòrùn in the Yoruba language. The two other principal forms of the supreme God are [[Olodumare]]—the supreme creator—and [[Olofi]]n, who is the conduit between Òrunn (Heaven) and Ayé (Earth). [[Oshumare]] is a god that manifests in the form of a rainbow, also known as Òsùmàrè in Yoruba, while [[Obatala]] is the god of clarity and creativity.These gods feature in the Yoruba religion,<ref name="voices" /><ref name="Bascom1969">{{cite book|last=Bascom|first=William Russell|title=Ifa Divination: Communication Between Gods and Men in West Africa|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CS0h4Ye9puUC&pg=PA3|access-date=23 May 2015|year=1969|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-20638-1|page=3}}</ref> as well as in some aspects of [[Umbanda]], [[Winti]], [[Obeah]], [[West African Vodun|Vodun]] and a host of others. These varieties, or spiritual lineages as they are called, are practiced throughout areas of Nigeria, among others. As interest in African indigenous religions grows, Orisa communities and lineages can be found in parts of Europe and Asia as well. While estimates may vary, some scholars believe that there could be more than 100 million adherents of this spiritual tradition worldwide.<ref>Kevin Baxter (on De La Torre), [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07182/798519-63.stm "Ozzie Guillen secure in his faith"], ''Los Angeles Times'', 2007</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:20px;text-align:left;"
! style="width:12%; color:#fff; background:navy;" |Name 
! style="width:14%; color:#fff; background:navy;" |Deity Of
! style="width:4%; color:#fff; background:navy;" |Ethnic Group
! style="width:4%; color:#fff; background:navy;" |Religion
! style="width:14%; color:#fff; background:navy;" |Member Of
! style="width:4%; color:#fff; background:navy;" |Homeland
|-
| [[Agemo (deity)|Agemo]]
| Chameleon, Servant
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Aganju]]
| Volcanoes, Wilderness, Desert, Fire
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Ajaka]]
| Peaceful, Love, Equality
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Akògún
| Warrior, Hunter,Wear Straw
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
|[[Talking drum#Ayangalu|Ayangalu]]
| Drummer, Gángan
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Ara Ara
| Weather, Strom, Thunder
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Ayelala]]
| Punishes Crime
| [[Yoruba People]] (Part)
| [[Yoruba Religion]] (Part)
| Orisha 
| | [[Yorubaland]] (Part)
|-
| Aroni
| Beauty Of Nature, Sipirt Of The Forest, Herb, Plant, Tree
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Alaafia
| Peace, Humble, Patience 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Arun
| Diseases, Affliction 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Aje
| Wealth, Property, Prosperity, Fortune, Success 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Aye
| Passion, Environmentalism, Nature
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Aja (orisha)|Aja]]
| Wild, Herb, Plant, Leaf
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Biri
| Darkness, Night, Midnight 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Babalu Aye]]
| Smallpox, Epidemic Diseases, Healing
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Bayanni (Dada)
| Children, Dread Heads, Prosperity 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Dada 
| Mischief & Stubborn 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Ela
| Passion For Charity & Giving
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Edi
| Spirit Of Evil, Whisperer Of Undoing And Corruption)
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Egungun]]
| Sainted Dead 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Erinle]]
| Hunter, Earth, Natural Force Of Universe
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Eshu]]
| Trickery, Crossroads, Misfortune, Chaos, Death, Travelers, Messenger
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Ibeji]]
| Twins 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Iroko 
| Tree, Wilderness
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Iya Nla]]
| Primordial Spirit
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Iku
| Death 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Imole
| Sunlight, Soothsayer 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Logunede
| War & Hunting
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Moremi Ajasoro|Moremi]]
| Saviour
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Ọba (orisha)|Oba]]
| River 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Obba 
| Passion For Homemaking, Domestic Policies 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Obatala]]
| Creation
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Oduduwa]]
| Progenitor, Warrior
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Ogun]]
| Warriors, Soldiers, Blacksmiths, Metal Workers, Craftsmen
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Oke
| Mountain, Hill
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Oko (orisha)|Oko]]
| Agriculture, Farming, Fertility
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Olokun]]
| Water, Health, Wealth
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Olumo Rock|Olumo]]
| Mountain
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Ọranyan]]i
| Progenitor
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Orò
| Justice, Bullroarers
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Oronsen]]
| Progenitor
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
|
[[Ọrunmila]]
| Wisdom, Knowledge, Ifa Divination, Philosophy, Fate, Destiny, Prophecy, Babalawo
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Ori (Yoruba)|Ori]]
| Beforelife, Afterlife, Destiny, Personal Identify
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
|
[[Osanyin]]
| Herb, Plant, Nature, Herbalist, Magician
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Oshosi]]
| Hunt, Forest, Warrior, Justice
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
|
[[Oshun]]
| Goddess of Water, Purity, Fertility, Love, and Sensuality
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Oshunmare]]
| Rainbow, Serpent, Regeneration, Rebirth
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Otin River#Legend|Otin]]
| River, Fighter
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Oya]]
| Storms, Wind, Thunder, Lightning, Dead
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Shango]]
| Thunder, Lightning, Fire, Justice, Dance, Virility
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| Shigidi
| Guardian Of Home & Environment 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Yemoja]]
| Goddess Of Creation, Water, Moon, The Motherhood, Protection
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|-
| [[Yewa]] 
| Yewa River 
| [[Yoruba People]]
| [[Yoruba Religion]]
| Orisha
| [[Yorubaland]]
|}

==== Mythology ====
{{Main|Oduduwa}}
[[File:Divination tapper, Yoruba, Nigeria, 1800s, ivory - Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum - DSC00262.jpg|thumb|right|An Iroke or Irofa (''Ìròkè Ifá'') is the divination tapper of the Yoruba. It is long, slender and often slightly curved. Used in combination with the ''[[Opon Ifá|Opon Ifa]]'' or divination board. Traditionally made from ivory, but also brass and wood.<ref name="Imo Dara">{{cite book|last=Imo|first=Dara|title=Connecting African art collectors with dealers, based on a foundation of knowledge about the origin, use & distinguishing features of listed pieces|date=7 March 2015|url=http://www.imodara.com/discover/nigeria-yoruba-iroke-ifa-divination-tapper}}/</ref>|230x230px]]
Oral history of the Oyo-Yoruba recounts [[Odùduwà]] to be the progenitor of the Yoruba and the reigning ancestor of their crowned kings.

{{Cquote|He came from the east, understood in Ife traditions to be the settlement of [[Oke Ora]], a hilltop community situated to the east of Ife.}}

{{cquote|After the death of Oduduwa, there was a dispersal of his children in a series of kingdom founding migrations from Ife to found other kingdoms. Each child made his or her mark in the subsequent urbanization and consolidation of the Yoruba confederacy of kingdoms, with each kingdom tracing its origin due to them to Ile-Ife.}}

{{Cquote|After the dispersal, the aborigines became difficult, and constituted a serious threat to the survival of Ife. Thought to be survivors of the old occupants of the land before the arrival of Oduduwa, these people now turned themselves into marauders. They would come to town in costumes made of raffia with terrible and fearsome appearances, and burn down houses and loot the markets. Then came [[Moremi Ajasoro]] into the scene; she was said to have played a significant role in the quelling of the marauder advancements. But this was at a great price; having to give up her only son Oluorogbo. The reward for her patriotism and selflessness was not to be reaped in one lifetime as she later passed on and was thereafter [[deified]]. The Edi festival celebrates this feat amongst her Yoruba descendants.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yorubaalliance.org/Newsletter/newsletter74.htm|title=Who are the Yoruba!|access-date=6 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110702194235/http://www.yorubaalliance.org/Newsletter/newsletter74.htm|archive-date=2 July 2011}}</ref>}}

==== Philosophy ====
Yoruba culture consists of cultural philosophy, religion and folktales. They are embodied in Ifa divination, and are known as the tripartite Book of Enlightenment in Yorubaland and in its diaspora.

Yoruba cultural thought is a witness of two epochs. The first epoch is a history of cosmogony and cosmology. This is also an epoch-making history in the oral culture during which time Oduduwa was the king, the Bringer of Light, pioneer of Yoruba folk philosophy, and a prominent diviner. He pondered the visible and invisible worlds, reminiscing about cosmogony, cosmology, and the mythological creatures in the visible and invisible worlds. His time favored the artist-philosophers who produced magnificent naturalistic artworks of civilization during the pre-dynastic period in Yorubaland. The second epoch is the epoch of metaphysical discourse, and the birth of modern artist-philosophy. This commenced in the 19th century in terms of the academic prowess of Bishop [[Samuel Ajayi Crowther]] (1807–1891). Although religion is often first in Yoruba culture, nonetheless, it is the philosophy – the thought of man – that actually leads spiritual consciousness (ori) to the creation and the practice of religion. Thus, it is believed that thought (philosophy) is an antecedent to religion. Values such as respect, peaceful co-existence, loyalty and freedom of speech are both upheld and highly valued in Yoruba culture. Societies that are considered secret societies often strictly guard and encourage the observance of moral values. Today, the academic and nonacademic communities are becoming more interested in Yoruba culture. More research is being carried out on Yoruba cultural thought as more books are being written on the subject.

=== Christianity and Islam ===
[[File:Church of the Pater Noster Mount of Olives, Jerusalem 11.jpg|thumb|right|The Lord's prayer in [[Yoruba language]], [[Church of the Pater Noster]] Mount of Olives, Jerusalem|300x300px]]
The Yoruba are traditionally very religious people, and are today pluralistic in their religious convictions.<ref name=integration>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nkbYlltTi4sC&pg=PA103 |title=Religion and National Integration in Africa: Islam, Christianity, and Politics in the Sudan and Nigeria |series=Islam and society in Africa |author=John O. Hunwick |page=103 |publisher=Northwestern University Press |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-8101-1037-3}}</ref> The Yoruba are one of the more religiously diverse ethnic groups in Africa. Many Yoruba people practice Christianity in denominations such as Anglicanism<ref name="Mathews 2002 p. 136">{{cite book | last=Mathews | first=M.P. | title=Nigeria: Current Issues and Historical Background | publisher=Nova Science Publishers | year=2002 | isbn=978-1-59033-316-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hTs6GpM4zDMC&pg=PA136 | access-date=2023-08-05 | page=136}}</ref> while others are Muslims practicing mostly under Sunni Islam of the Maliki school of law. In addition to Christianity and Islam, a large number of Yoruba people continue to practice their traditional religion. Yoruba religious practices such as the [[Eyo festival|Eyo]] and [[Osun-Osogbo]] festivals are witnessing a resurgence in popularity in contemporary Yorubaland. They are largely seen by the adherents of the modern faiths as cultural, rather than religious, events. They participate in them as a means to celebrate their people's history, and boost tourism in their local economies.<ref name="Aderibigbe, Gbola, editor. Medine, Carolyn M. Jones, editor" />

[[File:Anna hinderer church and mission house at ibadan pic2.jpg|thumb|left|[[Anna Hinderer]] church and mission house at [[Ibadan]], 1850s<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WZg3AQAAMAAJ&dq=anna+hinderer&pg=PA99|title=Seventeen Years in the Yoruba Country Memorials of Anna Hinderer, Wife of the Rev. David Hinderer, C.M.S. Missionary in Western Africa|author=Anna Hinderer|publisher=Seeley, Jackson, and Halliday|year=1872}}</ref>]]

==== Christianity ====
The Yorubas were one of the first groups in West Africa to be introduced to Christianity on a very large scale.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DdFvbW5tWpYC&q=christianity+in+yorubaland&pg=PA77|title=Pre-Colonial Africa in Colonial African Narratives: From Ethiopia Unbound to Things Fall Apart, 1911–1958|author=Dr Donald R Wehrs|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|year=2013|isbn=978-1-4094-7495-1}}</ref> Christianity (along with western civilization) came into Yorubaland in the mid-19th century through the [[Ethnic groups in Europe|Europeans]], whose original mission was commerce.<ref name="integration" /><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OdbBBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT74 |title=Scientific Pilgrimage: 'The Life and times of Emeritus Professor V.A Oyenuga'. D.Sc, FAS, CFR Nigeria's first Emeritus Professor and Africa's first Agriculture Professor |author=Ádébáyò Ádésóyè |publisher=AuthorHouse |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-5049-3785-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m2V1AAAAMAAJ |title=Western Yorubaland under European rule, 1889–1945: A Comparative Analysis of French and British Colonialism. European Philosophy and the Human Sciences |author=A. I. Asiwaju |publisher=Humanities Press (Ibadan history series, the University of Michigan) |year=1976 |isbn=978-0-391-00605-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fUqcAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA1162 |title=The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church |author1=Frank Leslie Cross |author2=Elizabeth A. Livingstone |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2005 |page=1162 |isbn=978-0-19-280290-3}}</ref> The first European visitors were the Portuguese, they visited the neighboring [[Kingdom of Benin|Bini kingdom]] in the late 16th century. As time progressed, other Europeans – such as the French, the British, the Dutch, and the Germans, followed suit. The British and the French were the most successful in their quest for colonies (these Europeans actually split Yorubaland, with the larger part being in British Nigeria, and the minor parts in French Dahomey, now Benin, and German [[Togoland]]). Home governments encouraged religious organizations to come. Roman Catholics (known to the Yorubas as Ijo Aguda, so named after returning former Yoruba slaves from Latin America, who were mostly Catholic, and were also known as the [[Aguda people|Agudas]] or [[Amaro people|Amaros]]) started the race, followed by Protestants, whose prominent member – [[Church Mission Society]] (CMS) based in England made the most significant in-roads into the hinterland regions for evangelism and became the largest of the Christian missions. [[Methodism|Methodists]] (known as Ijo-Eleto, so named after the Yoruba word for "method or process") started missions in [[Badagry|Agbadarigi / Gbegle]] by [[Thomas Birch Freeman]] in 1842. Agbadarigi was further served by [[Eugene Celadon Van Cooten|E. C. Van Cooten]], E. G. Irving, and A. A. Harrison. [[Henry Townsend (missionary)|Henry Townsend]], C. C. Gollmer, and [[Ajayi Crowther]] of the CMS worked in [[Abeokuta]], then under the Egba division of Southern Nigeria in 1846.<ref>{{Citation|last=Adebanwi|first=Wale|title=Seizing the Heritage: Playing Proper Yorùbá in an Age of Uncertainty|work=Yorùbá Elites and Ethnic Politics in Nigeria|year=2014|pages=224–243|publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/cbo9781107286252.011|isbn=978-1-107-28625-2}}</ref>

[[Anna Hinderer|Hinderer]] and Mann of CMS started missions in Ibadan / [[Ibarapa people|Ibarapa]] and [[Ijaye of Kurunmi|Ijaye]] divisions of the present Oyo state in 1853. [[Baptists|Baptist]] missionaries – Bowen and Clarke – concentrated on the northern Yoruba axis – (Ogbomoso and environs). With their success, other religious groups – the [[Salvation Army]] and the [[Evangelical Church of West Africa|Evangelists Commission of West Africa]] – became popular among the [[Igbomina]], and other non-denominational Christian groups joined. The increased tempo of Christianity led to the appointment of [[Saro (Nigeria)|Saros]] (returning slaves from Sierra Leone) and indigenes as missionaries. This move was initiated by Venn, the CMS Secretary. Nevertheless, the impact of Christianity in Yorubaland was not felt until the fourth decade of the 19th century, when a Yoruba slave boy, Samuel Ajayi Crowther, became a Christian convert, linguist and minister whose knowledge in languages would become a major tool and instrument to propagate Christianity in Yorubaland and beyond.<ref>{{cite web|website=Yorupedia|url=http://yorupedia.com/subjects/yoruba-religion/christianity-and-islam/|title=Christianity and Islam Introduction|access-date=14 September 2015|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721043138/http://yorupedia.com/subjects/yoruba-religion/christianity-and-islam/}}</ref>

==== Islam ====
Islam came into Yorubaland around the 14th century, as a result of trade with  [[Soninke Wangara|Wangara]] (also Wankore) merchants,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_nKXOThUEpcC&dq=wangara+yoruba&pg=PA440|title=Arabic Literature of Africa: The writings of central Sudanic Africa|date=1994|publisher=E.J. Brill|author1=John O. Hunwick|author2=Rex S. O'Fahey|page=440|isbn=978-978-2347-29-9}}</ref> a mobile caste of the Soninkes from the then [[Mali Empire]] who entered Yorubaland (Oyo) from the northwestern flank through the Bariba or Borgu corridor,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nigerianfinder.com/islamic-education-in-nigeria-how-it-all-began/|title=Islamic Education in Nigeria: How It All Began|date=10 August 2019 |publisher=Nigerian Finder}}</ref> during the reign of [[Musa I of Mali|Mansa Kankan Musa]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1ha_bmASvRIC&pg=PA168 |title=Mission Et Progrès Humain (Mission and Human Progress) Studia missionalia |page=168 |language=fr |publisher=Gregorian Biblical BookShop |year=1998 |isbn=978-8-876-5278-76}}</ref> Due to this, Islam is traditionally known to the Yoruba as Esin Male or simply Imale i.e. religion of the Malians. The adherents of the Islamic faith are called Musulumi in Yoruba to correspond to Muslim, the Arabic word for an adherent of Islam having as the active participle of the same verb form, and means "submitter (to Allah)" or a nominal and active participle of Islam derivative of "Salaam" i.e. (Religion of) Peace. Islam was practiced in Yorubaland so early on in history, that a sizable proportion of Yoruba slaves taken to the Americas were already Muslim.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NQwcAlYxP7sC&pg=PA157 |title=Unfree Labour in the Development of the Atlantic World |author1=Paul E. Lovejoy |author2=Nicholas Rogers |publisher=Routledge |year=2012 |page=157 |isbn=978-1-136-30059-2}}</ref>

The mosque served the spiritual needs of Muslims living in Ọyọ. Progressively, Islam started to gain a foothold in Yorubaland, and Muslims started building mosques. [[Iwo, Osun|Iwo]] led, its first mosque built in 1655,<ref name="White 2015 97–110">{{Citation|last=White|first=Julie|title=Learning in 'No Man's Land'|date=2015|work=Interrogating Conceptions of 'Vulnerable Youth' in Theory, Policy and Practice|pages=97–110|publisher=SensePublishers|doi=10.1007/978-94-6300-121-2_7|isbn=978-94-6300-121-2}}</ref> followed by [[Iseyin]] in 1760,<ref name="White 2015 97–110"/> [[Lagos|Eko/Lagos]] in 1774,<ref name="White 2015 97–110"/> [[Shaki, Nigeria|Shaki]] in 1790,<ref name="White 2015 97–110"/> and [[Osogbo]] in 1889. In time, Islam spread to other towns like [[Oyo, Nigeria|Oyo]] (the first Oyo convert was Solagberu), Ibadan, [[Abẹokuta]], [[Ijebu Ode]], [[Ikirun]], and [[Ede, Nigeria|Ede]]. All of these cities already had sizable Muslim communities before the 19th century Sokoto jihad.<ref>{{Citation|last=Beek|first=Walter E. A. van|editor1-first=W. E. van|editor1-last=Beek|title=Purity and statecraft: the Fulani jihad and its empire|date=1988-12-31|work=The Quest for Purity|pages=149–182|publisher=De Gruyter|doi=10.1515/9783110860924-008|isbn=978-3-11-086092-4|hdl=1887/9002|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

=== Traditional art and architecture ===
{{Main|Yoruba art|Yoruba architecture}}
[[File:Yoruba peoples armlet (16th century).jpg|thumb|right|Intricately carved ivory [[bracelet]] from the Yoruba people of [[Owo, Nigeria|Owo]]|179x179px]]
Medieval Yoruba settlements were surrounded with massive mud walls.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pMjHpEyDqJMC&q=Yoruba+adobe+mud+houses&pg=PA168|title=Traditional Buildings: A Global Survey of Structural Forms and Cultural Functions Volume 11 of International Library of Human Geography|author=Allen G. Noble|publisher=I.B.Tauris|year=2007|isbn=978-1-84511-305-6}}</ref> Yoruba buildings had similar plans to the [[Ashanti people|Ashanti]] shrines, but with [[verandah]]s around the court. The wall materials comprised puddled mud and palm oil<ref name=today>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fwc5AAAAIAAJ&q=Yoruba+roofs&pg=PA40 |title=The Yoruba Today) |author=Jeremy Seymour Eades (Changing cultures) |publisher=Cambridge Latin Texts (CUP Archive) |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-521-22656-1}}</ref> while roofing materials ranged from thatches to corrugated iron sheets.<ref name="today" /> A famous Yoruba fortification, the [[Sungbo's Eredo]], was the second largest wall edifice in Africa. The structure was built in the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries in honour of a traditional aristocrat, the Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo. It was made up of sprawling mud walls and the valleys that surrounded the town of Ijebu-Ode in [[Ogun State]]. Sungbo's Eredo is the largest pre-colonial monument in Africa, larger than the Great Pyramid or Great Zimbabwe.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZPnDBAAAQBAJ&q=Sungbo%27s+Eredo+Yoruba+structure&pg=PA144|title=The History of Africa: The Quest for Eternal Harmony|author-link=Molefi Kete Asante|first=Molefi Kete|last=Asante|publisher=Routledge|year=2014|isbn=978-1-135-01349-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_dRnaZS9L3wC&q=Sungbo%27s+Eredo+Africa%27s+largest+monument&pg=PA158|title=Cultural Heritage, Ethics and the Military Volume 4 of Heritage matters series|issn=1756-4832|author=Peter G. Stone|journal=The 'Heritage Matters' Series|publisher=Boydell Press|year=2011|isbn=978-1-84383-538-7|page=158}}</ref>

[[File:British Museum Room 25 Pair of door panels Olowe Yoruba Detail 17022019 4950.jpg|thumb|left|Yoruba door, wood carvings; used to record events {{Circa|1910}}]]
[[File:Anna Hinderer building.jpg|thumb|left|Early 19th century [[Yoruba architecture]] showing their unique inner courtyard layout used as a safe space for storing livestock and a space where children could play<ref>{{cite book |title=Seventeen Years in the Yoruba Country. Memorials of Anna Hinderer |author1=Anna Hinderer |author2=D Hone |author3=C A Hone |publisher=Wentworth Press |date=August 27, 2016 |isbn=978-1-371-18436-0}}</ref>]]

The Yorubas worked with a wide array of materials in their art including; bronze, leather, terracotta, ivory, textiles, copper, stone, carved wood, brass, ceramics and glass. A unique feature of Yoruba art is its striking realism that, unlike most African art, chose to create human sculptures in vividly realistic and life sized forms. The art history of the nearby Benin empire shows that there was a cross–fertilization of ideas between the neighboring Yoruba and Edo. The Benin court's brass casters learned their art from an Ife master named Iguegha, who had been sent from Ife around 1400 at the request of Benin's oba Oguola. Indeed, the earliest dated cast-brass memorial heads from Benin replicate the refined naturalism of the earlier Yoruba sculptures from Ife.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/beni_2/hd_beni_2.htm|title=Origins and Empire: The Benin, Owo, and Ijebu Kingdoms|website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History)|access-date=9 July 2015}}</ref>

A lot of Yoruba artwork, including staffs, court dress, and beadwork for crowns, are associated with palaces and the royal courts.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UQ1QAAAAMAAJ&q=Yoruba+palace+architecture|title=Yoruba palaces: a study of Afins of Yorubaland|author1=G. J. Afolabi Ojo|publisher=University of Michigan|year=1966}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Risawe's Palace, Ilesa Nigeria: Traditional Yoruba Architecture as Socio-Cultural and Religious Symbols|journal=African Research Review|volume=4|issue=3|author=N Umoru-Oke|doi=10.4314/afrrev.v4i3.60187|year=2010|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6bW41qkth0EC&q=Yoruba+architecture&pg=PA742 |title=The Sustainable World Volume 142 of WIT transactions on ecology and the environment |issn=1746-448X |author=C. A. Brebbia |journal=Wit Transactions on Ecology and the Environment |publisher=Wessex Institute of Technology (WIT Press) |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84564-504-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9NcVAQAAIAAJ&q=Yoruba+palace+architecture |title=Ornamentation in Yoruba folk architecture: a catalogue of architectural features, ornamental motifs and techniques |author=Cordelia Olatokunbo Osasona |publisher=Bookbuilders Editions Africa |year=2005| isbn=978-978-8088-28-8}}</ref> The courts also commissioned numerous architectural objects such as veranda posts, gates, and doors that are embellished with carvings. Yoruba palaces are usually built with thicker walls, are dedicated to the gods and play significant spiritual roles. Yoruba art is also manifested in shrines and masking traditions.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fZwVAQAAIAAJ&q=Yoruba+art+and+architecture|title=Yoruba: nine centuries of African art and thought|author1=Henry John Drewal|author2=John Pemberton|author3=Rowland Abiodun|author4=Allen Wardwell|publisher=Center for African Art in Association with H.N. Abrams|year=1989|isbn=978-0-8109-1794-1}}</ref> The shrines dedicated to the said gods are adorned with carvings and house an array of altar figures and other ritual paraphernalia. Masking traditions vary by region, and diverse mask types are used in various festivals and celebrations. Aspects of Yoruba traditional architecture has also found its way into the New World in the form of shotgun houses.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zBumTdxwcMAC&pg=PA16|title=The Houses of Buxton: A Legacy of African Influences in Architecture|author=Patricia Lorraine Neely|publisher=P Designs Publishing|page=16|year=2005|isbn=978-0-9738754-1-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G7kzQMytrMoC&q=Yoruba+architecture&pg=PA76|title=Common Places: Readings in American Vernacular Architecture|author1=Dell Upton|author2=John Michael Vlach|publisher=University of Georgia Press, 1986|isbn=978-0-8203-0750-3|year=1986}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zPgsAQAAIAAJ&q=Yoruba+architecture|title=Architectures of Nigeria: Architectures of the Hausa and Yoruba Peoples and of the Many Peoples Between--tradition and Modernization|author=Kevin Carroll|publisher=Society of African Missions|year=1992|isbn=978-0-905788-37-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uk1Tbdsq99gC&q=shotgun+houses+yoruba&pg=PA299|title=The Yoruba Diaspora in the Atlantic World (Blacks in the Diaspora)|author1=Toyin Falola|author2=Matt D. Childs|publisher=Indiana University Press, 2005|isbn=978-0-253-00301-0|date=2 May 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/ethnography/aah/aaheritage/FrenchAm_pop11.htm|website=National Park Service: African American Heritage & Ethnography|title=Shotgun Houses|access-date=3 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nyzjBAAAQBAJ&q=Reading+the+Architecture+of+the+Underprivileged+Classes|title=Reading the Architecture of the Underprivileged Classes|author=Nnamdi Elleh|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|year=2014|isbn=978-1-4094-6786-1|pages=86–88}}</ref> Today, however, Yoruba traditional architecture has been greatly influenced by modern trends.

[[File:Brooklyn Museum L54.5 Fragment of a Head (3).jpg|thumb|right|[[Terracotta]] head representing ''oni'' or King of [[Ife]], 12th to 16th century|250x250px]]
Masquerades are an important feature of Yoruba traditional artistry. They are generally known as ''[[Egungun|Egúngún]]'', singularly as ''Egún''. The term refers to the Yoruba masquerades connected with ancestor reverence, or to the ancestors themselves as a collective force. There are different types of which one of the most prominent is the [[Gelede]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IIqc3pizziAC&q=Yoruba+gelede+masquerades |title=Gẹlẹdẹ: Art and Female Power Among the Yoruba |series=Indiana University Turkish Studies, Midland books (Traditional arts of Africa) |volume=565 |author1=Henry John Drewal |author2=Margaret Thompson Drewal |publisher=Indiana University Press |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-253-32569-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o3o_-JwBwW4C&q=Yoruba+gelede+masquerades&pg=PA15|page=51|title=Playful Performers: African Children's Masquerades|author1=Simon Ottenberg|author2=David Aaron Binkley|publisher=Transaction Publishers|isbn=978-1-4128-3092-8}}</ref> An Ese Ifa (oral literature of Orunmila divination) explains the origins of Gelede as beginning with [[Yemoja]], the Mother of all the orisa and all living things. Yemoja could not have children and consulted an Ifa oracle, and the priest advised her to offer sacrifices and to dance with wooden images on her head and metal anklets on her feet. After performing this ritual, she became pregnant. Her first child was a boy, nicknamed "Efe" (the humorist/joker); the Efe mask emphasizes song and jests because of the personality of its namesake. Yemoja's second child was a girl, nicknamed "Gelede" because she was obese like her mother. Also like her mother, Gelede loved dancing.

After getting married themselves, neither Gelede or Efe's partner could have children. The Ifa oracle suggested they try the same ritual that had worked for their mother. No sooner than Efe and Gelede performed these rituals – dancing with wooden images on their heads and metal anklets on their feet – they started having children. These rituals developed into the Gelede masked dance and were perpetuated by the descendants of Efe and Gelede. This narrative is one of many stories that explains the origin of Gelede. An old theory stated that the beginning of Gelede might be associated with the change from a [[matriarchal]] to a [[patriarchal]] society among the Yoruba people.<ref name=understand />

The [[Gelede|Gelede spectacle]] and the [[Ifá|Ifa divination system]] represent two of Nigeria's only three pieces on the United Nations' [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|Oral and Intangible Heritages of Humanity]] list, as well as the only such cultural heritage from Benin and Togo.

=== Festivals ===
[[File:Eyo Olokun.jpg|thumb|right|[[Eyo festival|Eyo]] Olokun|177x177px]]

One of the first observations of first time visitors to Yorubaland is the rich, exuberant and ceremonial nature of their culture, which is made even more visible by the urbanized structures of Yoruba settlements. These occasions are avenues to experience the richness of the Yoruba culture. Traditional musicians are always on hand to grace the occasions with heavy rhythms and extremely advanced [[Percussion instrument|percussion]], which the Yorubas are well known for all over the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tribes.tribe.net/africanspirituality/thread/92f4fde8-0ddf-491a-aa47-47f0c0af0d6e|access-date=10 June 2015|title=Yoruba Culture|website=Tribes|date=18 September 2007|archive-date=10 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610090351/http://tribes.tribe.net/africanspirituality/thread/92f4fde8-0ddf-491a-aa47-47f0c0af0d6e}}</ref> Praise singers and [[griot]]s are there to add their historical insight to the meaning and significance of the ceremony, and of course the varieties of colorful dresses and attires worn by the people, attest to the aesthetic sense of the average Yoruba.

[[File:Arugba Osun.jpg|thumb|left|The ''Arugba'' leading the procession to the [[Osun-Osogbo|Osun grove]]|252x252px]]
The Yoruba are a very expressive people who celebrate major events with colorful festivals and celebrations (Ayeye). Some of these festivals (about thirteen principal ones)<ref name=mapping>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cfftg4o77QIC&q=Yoruba+festivals+America&pg=PA60|title=Mapping Yorùbá Networks: Power and Agency in the Making of Transnational Communities|author=Kamari Maxine Clarke|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-3342-5|pages=59, 60|date=12 July 2004}}</ref> are secular and only mark achievements and milestones in the achievement of mankind. These include wedding ceremonies (''Ìgbéyàwó''), naming ceremonies (''Ìsomolórúko''), funerals (''Ìsìnkú''), housewarming (''Ìsílé''), New-Yam festival (''Ìjesu''), Harvest ceremonies (''Ìkórè''), birth (''Ìbí''), chieftaincy (''Ìjòyè'') and so on.<ref name=understand>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2c4VAQAAIAAJ&q=Yoruba+igbeyawo|title=Understanding Yoruba life and culture|author1=Nike Lawal|author2=Matthew N. O. Sadiku|author3=Ade Dopamu|publisher=Africa World Press (the University of California)|date=22 July 2009|isbn=978-1-59221-025-1}}</ref> Others have a more spiritual connotation, such as the various days and celebrations dedicated to specific ''Orisha'' like the Ogun day (''Ojó Ògún'') or the ''Osun'' festival, which is usually done at the [[Osun-Osogbo|Osun-Osogbo sacred grove]] located on the banks of the [[Osun river]] and around the ancient town of [[Osogbo]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IKqOUfqt4cIC&q=Yoruba+festivals&pg=PA346|title=Traditional Festivals, Vol. 2 [M – Z]|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-089-5|page=346|year=2005}}</ref> The festival is dedicated to the river goddess ''[[Oshun|Osun]]'', which is usually celebrated in the month of August (''Osù Ògùn'') yearly. The festival attracts thousands of Osun worshippers from all over Yorubaland and the Yoruba diaspora in the Americas, spectators and tourists from all walks of life. The Osun-Osogbo Festival is a two-week-long programme. It starts with the traditional cleansing of the town called 'Iwopopo', which is then followed in three days by the lighting of the 500-year-old sixteen-point lamp called ''Ina Olojumerindinlogun'', which literally means ''The sixteen eyed fire''. The lighting of this sacred lamp heralds the beginning of the Osun festival. Then comes the 'Ibroriade', an assemblage of the crowns of the past ruler, the Ataoja of Osogbo, for blessings. This event is led by the sitting ''Ataoja'' of Osogbo and the Arugba Yeye Osun (who is usually a young virgin from the royal family dressed in white), who carries a sacred white calabash that contains propitiation materials meant for the goddess Osun. She is also accompanied by a committee of priestesses.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/behold-new-arugba-osun-wants-doctor/|work=Newswatch Times|title=Behold, new Arugba Osun, who wants to be doctor|date=31 August 2013|access-date=10 June 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060156/http://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/behold-new-arugba-osun-wants-doctor/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201408221221.html|title=Nigeria: Osun Osogbo 2014 – Arugba's Berth Tastes Green With Goldberg Touch|author=Gregory Austin Nwakunor|date=22 August 2014|publisher=AllAfrica|access-date=10 June 2015}}</ref> A similar event holds in the New World as [[Odunde Festival]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6p2aLo2kafMC&q=Odunde+Festival+Yoruba+United+States+America&pg=PA32|title=The United States and West Africa: Interactions and Relations Volume 34 of Rochester studies in African history and the diaspora|issn=1092-5228|author1=Alusine Jalloh|author2=Toyin Falola|journal=Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora|publisher=University Rochester Press|year=2008|isbn=978-1-58046-308-9|page=32}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mK147fnLIrAC&q=Odunde+Festival+Yoruba+United+States+America&pg=PA44|title=Art in the Lives of Immigrant Communities in the United States Rutgers Series: The Public Life of the Arts|author1=Paul DiMaggio|author2=Patricia Fernandez-Kelly|author3=Gilberto Cârdenas|author4=Yen Espiritu|author5=Amaney Jamal|author6=Sunaina Maira|author7=Douglas Massey|author8=Cecilia Menjivar|author9=Clifford Murphy|author10=Terry Rey|author11=Susan Seifert|author12=Alex Stepick|author13=Mark Stern|author14=Domenic Vitiello|author15=Deborah Wong|page=44|publisher=Rutgers University Press, 2010|isbn=978-0-8135-5041-1|date=13 October 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Gèlèdé divinités vodou.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Gẹlẹdẹ|Gèlèdé]]'' costumes from a ''Yoruba-Nago'' community in Benin|173px]]
Another very popular festival with spiritual connotations is the [[Eyo festival|Eyo Olokun festival]] or ''Adamu Orisha'' play, celebrated by the people of [[Lagos]]. The Eyo festival is a dedication to the god of the Sea [[Olokun]], who is an Orisha, and whose name literally mean ''Owner of the Seas''.<ref name=mapping/> Generally, there is no customarily defined time for the staging of the Eyo Festival. This leads to a building anticipation as to what date would be decided upon. Once a date for its performance is selected and announced, the festival preparations begin. It encompasses a week-long series of activities, and culminates in a striking procession of thousands of men clothed in white and wearing a variety of coloured hats, called ''Aga''. The procession moves through Lagos Island ''Isale Eko'', which is the historical centre of the Lagos metropolis. On the streets, they move through various crucial locations and landmarks in the city, including the palace of the traditional ruler of Lagos, the Oba, known as the [[Iga Idunganran]]. The festival starts from dusk to dawn, and has been held on Saturdays (Ojó Àbáméta) from time immemorial. A full week before the festival (always a Sunday), the 'senior' Eyo group, the Adimu (identified by a black, broad-rimmed hat), goes public with a staff. When this happens, it means the event will take place on the following Saturday. Each of the four other 'important' groups – Laba (red), Oniko (yellow), Ologede (green) and Agere (purple) — take their turns in that order from Monday to Thursday.

The Eyo masquerade essentially admits tall people, which is why it is described as ''Agogoro Eyo'' (literally meaning the tall Eyo masquerade). In the manner of a spirit (An Orisha) visiting the earth on a purpose, the Eyo masquerade speaks in a ventriloquial voice, suggestive of its otherworldliness; and when greeted, it replies: ''Mo yo fun e, mo yo fun ara mi'', which in Yoruba means: ''I rejoice for you, and I rejoice for myself''. This response connotes the masquerades as rejoicing with the person greeting it for the witnessing of the day, and its own joy at taking the hallowed responsibility of cleansing. During the festival, Sandals and foot wear, as well as ''Suku'', a hairstyle that is popular among the Yorubas – one that has the hair converge at the middle, then shoot upward, before tipping downward – are prohibited. The festival has also taken a more touristic dimension in recent times, which like the Osun Osogbo festival, attracts visitors from all across Nigeria, as well as Yoruba diaspora populations. In fact, it is widely believed that the play is one of the manifestations of the customary African revelry that serves as the forerunner of the modern carnival in Brazil and other parts of the New World, which may have been started by the Yoruba slaves transplanted in that part of the world due to the Atlantic slave trade.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spyghana.com/celebrating-eyo-festival-in-the-modern-way/|title=Celebrating Eyo the Modern Way|website=SpyGhana|date=21 March 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kingdomsofnigeria.com/eyolagosagog.php|title=Royalty in the news: Lagos agog for Eyo Festival today.|website=Kingdoms of Nigeria|access-date=10 June 2015|archive-date=29 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229113727/http://www.kingdomsofnigeria.com/eyolagosagog.php|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aboutlagos.com/?p=654|title=Eyo Festival|website=About Lagos|access-date=10 June 2015|archive-date=27 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627090332/http://www.aboutlagos.com/?p=654}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IKqOUfqt4cIC&q=Yoruba+festivals+America&pg=PA346|page=346|title=Traditional Festivals, Vol. 2 [M – Z]|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-089-5|access-date=10 June 2015|year=2005}}</ref>

=== Music ===
{{See also|Yoruba music|Batá drum}}
[[File:Drummers of traditional Gbedu drum in Yoruba land of Nigeria.jpg|thumb|left|[[Gbedu]] drummers]]
[[File:Bata drums.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Batá drum]] – from left: ''Okónkolo'', ''Iyá'', ''Itótele''|172px]]
[[File:Yoruba slit drum.jpg|left|thumb|A Yoruba slit drum (on the left) together with a traditional membrane drum (on the right)|150px]]
The music of the Yoruba people is perhaps best known for an extremely advanced drumming tradition,<ref>{{cite book|title=Yorùbá Music in the Twentieth Century Identity, Agency, and Performance Practice|author=Bode Omojola|date=4 December 2012|publisher=University of Rochester Press|access-date=28 February 2014|url=http://www.urpress.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=14012|isbn=978-1-58046-409-3}}</ref> especially using the dundun<ref name="Turino pg. 43">Turino, pp. 181–182; Bensignor, François with Eric Audra, and Ronnie Graham, "Afro-Funksters" and "From Hausa Music to Highlife" in the ''Rough Guide to World Music'', pp. 432–436 and pp. 588–600; Karolyi, pg. 43</ref> hourglass tension drums. The representation of musical instruments on sculptural works from Ile-Ife, indicates, in general terms a substantial accord with oral traditions. A lot of these musical instruments date back to the classical period of Ile-Ife, which began at around the tenth century A.D. Some were already present prior to this period, while others were created later. The hourglass tension drum (Dùndún) for example, may have been introduced around the 15th century (1400s), the [[Benin Bronzes|Benin bronze plaques]] of the middle period depicts them. Others like the double and single iron clapper-less bells are examples of instruments that preceded classical Ife.<ref>{{cite thesis |author=Tamara De Silva |title=Symbols and Ritual: the Socio-Religious Role of the Ìgbìn Drum Family |others=Professor Renée Ater, faculty advisor |degree=Master of Arts |year=2006 |publisher=Department of Art History and Archaeology, University of Maryland |url=http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/3919/1/umi-umd-3770.pdf |access-date=8 July 2015}}</ref> Yoruba [[folk music]] became perhaps the most prominent kind of [[Music of West Africa|West African music]] in [[Afro-Caribbean music|Afro-Latin and Caribbean musical]] styles. Yoruba music left an especially important influence on the music of [[Trinidad]], the [[Lucumi religion|Lukumi]] religious traditions,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/85753/Bata-Drumming-Notations-Discographies-Glossary |title=Bata Drumming Notations Discographies Glossary (''Bata Drumming & the Lucumi Santeria BembeCeremony'') |website=Scribd Online |access-date=14 September 2015}}</ref> [[Capoeira]] practice in Brazil and the [[music of Cuba]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Article17|website=Conunto Folkorico Nacional De Cuba Música Yoruba, Soul Force 101|title=Yoruba Sacred Music, Old World and New by John Gray|access-date=14 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923213854/http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Article17|archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref>

Yoruba drums typically belong to four major families, which are used depending on the context or genre where they are played. The [[Talking drum|Dùndún / Gángan family]], is the class of hourglass shaped talking drums, which imitate the sound of Yoruba speech. This is possible because the Yoruba language is tonal in nature. It is the most common and is present in many Yoruba traditions, such as [[Apala]], [[Jùjú music|Jùjú]], [[Sekere]] and [[Afrobeat]]. The second is the [[Sakara drum|Sakara family]]. Typically, they played a ceremonial role in royal settings, weddings and [[Oriki|Oríkì]] recitation; it is predominantly found in traditions such as [[Sakara music]], [[Were music|Were]] and [[Fuji music]]. The [[Gbedu|Gbedu family]] (literally, "large drum") is used by secret fraternities such as the Ogboni and royal courts. Historically, only the Oba might dance to the music of the drum. If anyone else used the drum they were arrested for sedition of royal authority. The Gbèdu are conga shaped drums played while they sit on the ground. ''Akuba'' drums (a trio of smaller conga-like drums related to the gbèdu) are typically used in afrobeat. The ''Ogido'' is a cousin of the gbedu. It is also shaped like a conga but with a wider array of sounds and a bigger body. It also has a much deeper sound than the conga. It is sometimes referred to as the "bass drum". Both hands play directly on the Ogido drum.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lagbaja.com/drums/ogido.php|website=Lagbaja|title=Ogido|access-date=14 September 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Benin, yoruba, campanaccio per invocare gli spiriti o le divinità,.JPG|thumb|right|Traditional [[Agogô|Agogo]] metal gongs|100px]]
Today, the word ''Gbedu'' has also come to be used to describe forms of Nigerian Afrobeat and Hip Hop music. The fourth major family of Yoruba drums is the [[Batá drum|Bàtá family]], which are well-decorated double-faced drums, with various tones. They were historically played in sacred rituals. They are believed to have been introduced by [[Shango]], an Orisha, during his earthly incarnation as a warrior king.

Traditional Yoruba drummers are known as ''Àyán''. The Yoruba believe that ''Àyángalú'' was the first drummer, one who became the patron Orisha of drumming following his demise. As a result, he is believed to be the spirit or muse that inspires contemporary drummers during renditions. This is why some Yoruba family names contain the prefix 'Ayan-' such as Ayangbade, Ayantunde, Ayanwande.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rateyourmusic.com/genre/Yoruba+Music/|title=Yoruba music|access-date=14 September 2015}}</ref> Ensembles using the [[Talking drum|dundun]] play a type of music that is also called ''dundun''.<ref name="Turino pg. 43"/> The [[Ashiko]] (Cone shaped drums), ''Igbin'', [[Gudugudu]] (Kettledrums in the Dùndún family), [[Agidigbo]] and Bèmbé are other drums of importance. The leader of a dundun ensemble is the ''oniyalu'' meaning; ' ''Owner of the mother drum'' ', who uses the drum to "talk" by imitating the [[tonality]] of Yoruba. Much of this music is spiritual in nature, and is often devoted to the [[Orisa]]s.

Within each drum family there are different sizes and roles; the lead drum in each family is called ''Ìyá'' or ''Ìyá Ìlù'', which means "Mother drum", while the supporting drums are termed ''Omele''. Yoruba drumming exemplifies West-African cross-rhythms and is considered to be one of the most advanced drumming traditions in the world. Generally, improvisation is restricted to master drummers. Some other instruments found in Yoruba music include, but are not limited to; The [[Goje|Gòjé]] ([[violin]]), Shèkèrè (gourd rattle), Agidigbo (thumb piano that takes the shape of a plucked [[Lamellophone]]), ''Saworo'' (metal rattles for the arm and ankles, also used on the rim of the bata drum), ''Fèrè'' ([[whistle]]s), ''Aro'' ([[Cymbal]])s, [[Agogô]] ([[Bell (instrument)|bell]]), different types of [[flute]]s include the ''Ekutu'', ''Okinkin'' and ''Igba''.

[[Oriki]] (or praise singing), a genre of sung poetry that contains a series of proverbial phrases, praising or characterizing the respective person and which is of Egba and Ekiti origin, is often considered the oldest Yoruba musical tradition. Yoruba music is typically [[Polyrhythm]]ic, which can be described as interlocking sets of rhythms that fit together somewhat like the pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. There is a basic timeline and each instrument plays a pattern in relation to that timeline. The resulting ensemble provides the typical sound of West African Yoruba drumming. Yoruba music is a component of the modern Nigerian popular music scene. Although traditional Yoruba music was not influenced by foreign music, the same cannot be said of modern-day Yoruba music, which has evolved and adapted itself through contact with foreign instruments, talent, and creativity.
{{clear}}

=== Twins in Yoruba society ===
{{Main|Ibeji}}
[[File:Yoruba Ibeji figures, representing twins Wellcome L0035694.jpg|thumb|right|120x120px|Wooden ''Ere [[Ibeji]]'' figures representing twins. Yorubas have the highest [[twin]]ning rate in the world.]]
The Yoruba present the highest [[dizygotic]] twinning rate in the world (4.4% of all maternities).<ref name=rand>{{cite journal|url=http://www.randafricanart.com/Yoruba_Customs_and_Beliefs_Pertaining_to_Twins.html|title=Yoruba Customs and Beliefs Pertaining to Twins|volume=5|issue=2|pages=132–136|author=Leroy Fernand |author2=Olaleye-Oruene Taiwo |author3=Koeppen-Schomerus Gesina |author4=Bryan Elizabeth|journal=Twin Research |year=2002|doi=10.1375/1369052023009|pmid=11931691|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UT5iQgAACAAJ&q=Yoruba+twin+art|title=Ibeji: The Cult of Yoruba Twins Volume 2 of Hic sunt leones|author1=George Chemeche|author2=John Pemberton|author3=John Picton|publisher=5 Continents|year=2003|isbn=978-88-7439-060-1}}</ref>  They manifest at 45–50 twin sets (or 90–100 twins) per 1,000 live births, possibly because of high consumption of a specific type of [[yam (vegetable)|yam]] containing a natural [[phytoestrogen]] that may stimulate the [[ovary|ovaries]] to release an egg from each side.

Twins are very important for the Yoruba and they usually tend to give special names to each twin.<ref name="Knox">{{cite journal|url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119755283/abstract |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105100018/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119755283/abstract |archive-date=2013-01-05 |title=Twinning in Yoruba Women|journal=BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology|volume=67|issue=6|pages=981–984|date=December 1960|author=Knox George|author2=Morley David |doi=10.1111/j.1471-0528.1960.tb09255.x|pmid=13757217|s2cid=28909380 }}</ref>  The first of the twins to be born is traditionally named ''[[Taiwo|Taiyewo]]'' or ''Tayewo'', which means 'the first to taste the world', or the 'slave to the second twin', this is often shortened to ''[[Taiwo]]'', ''Taiye'' or ''Taye''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The J. Richard Simon Collection of Yoruba Twin Figures - Art & Life in Africa - The University of Iowa Museum of Art|url=https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/topic-essays/show/45?start=2|access-date=2021-01-24|website=africa.uima.uiowa.edu|language=en-US}}</ref>  ''[[Kehinde]]'' is the name of the last born twin.  ''Kehinde'' is sometimes also referred to as ''Kehindegbegbon'', which is short for; ''Omo kehin de gba egbon'' and means, 'the child that came behind gets the rights of the elder'.<ref>{{cite web |title=Land of Ibeji |url=https://www.noorimages.com/land-of-ibeji-english |website=NOOR |language=en-US |access-date=2021-01-24 }}</ref>

Twins are perceived as having spiritual advantages or as possessing magical powers.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/stephen-tayo-ibeji-nigeria-twins/index.html|title=Stephen Tayo captures the sacred kinship of Nigerian twins|last=Seymour|first=Tom|date=2019-01-31|website=CNN Style|language=en|access-date=2019-11-05}}</ref>  This is different from some other cultures, which interpret twins as dangerous or unwanted.<ref name=":1" />

=== Calendar ===
{{Main|Yoruba calendar}}
Time is measured in "ọgán" or "ìṣẹ́jú-àáyá" (seconds), ''ìṣẹ́jú'' (minutes), ''wákàtí'' (hours), ''ọjọ́'' (days), ''ọ̀sẹ̀'' (weeks), ''oṣù'' (months) and ''ọdún'' (years). There are 60 (ọgọta) ''ìṣẹ́jú'' in 1 (okan) ''wákàtí''; 24 (merinleogun) ''wákàtí'' in 1 (okan) ''ọjọ́''; 7 (meje) ''ọjọ́'' in 1 (okan) ''ọ̀sẹ̀''; 4 (merin) ''ọ̀sẹ̀'' in 1 (okan) ''oṣù'' and 52 (mejilelaadota) ''ọ̀sẹ̀'' in 1 (okan)''ọdún''. There are 12 (mejila) ''oṣù'' in 1 ''ọdún''.<ref>[http://www.jolome.com/yoruba/calendar/ ''Yorùbá Language: Research and Development''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207061015/http://www.jolome.com/yoruba/calendar/ |date=7 December 2010}}, 2010 Yorùbá Calendar (Kojoda 10052)#2,3,4,5,6,7</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Approximate relation between Yoruba months and Gregorian months
|-
!Months in [[Yoruba calendar]]: || Months in [[Gregorian calendar]]:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ralaran.com|title=Ralaran Uléìmȯkiri Institute}}</ref>
|-
|''Ṣẹrẹ'' || January
|-
|''Erélé'' || February
|-
|''Erénà'' || March
|-
|''Igbe'' || April
|-
|''Èbìbí'' || May
|-
|''Okúdù'' || June
|-
|''Agẹmọ'' || July
|-
|''Ògún'' || August
|-
|''Owérè (Owéwè)'' || September
|-
|''Ọwàrà (Owawa)'' || October
|-
|''Belu'' || November
|-
|''Ọ̀pẹ'' || December
|}

The Yoruba week consists of four days. Traditionally, the Yoruba count their week starting from the Ojó Ògún, this day is dedicated to Ògún. The second day is Ojó Jákúta, the day is dedicated to Sàngó. The third day is known as the Ojó Òsè - this day is dedicated to Òrìshà ńlá (Obàtálá), while the fourth day is the Ojó Awo, in honour of [[Orunmila|Òrúnmìlà]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Yoruba calendar traditional days
|-
!Days:
|-
|''Ojó Ògún'' (''Ògún'')
|-
| ''Ojó Jákúta'' (''Shàngó'')
|-
|''Ojó Òsè'' (''Òrìshà ńlá'' / ''Obàtálá'')
|-
|''Ojó Awo'' (''Òrúnmìlà'' / ''Ifá'')
|}

The Yoruba calendar (Kojoda) year starts from 3 to 2 June of the following year.<ref>[http://www.jolome.com/yoruba/calendar/ Yorùbá Language: Research and Development] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207061015/http://www.jolome.com/yoruba/calendar/ |date=7 December 2010}}, 2010 Yorùbá Calendar (Kojoda 10052) #1</ref> According to this calendar, the Gregorian year 2021 is the 10,063th year of Yoruba culture, which starts with the creation of Ìfẹ̀ in 8042 B.C.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jolome.com/yoruba/calendar/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207061015/http://www.jolome.com/yoruba/calendar/|title=Yorùbá Kalenda|archive-date=7 December 2010}}</ref> To reconcile with the Gregorian calendar, Yoruba people also often measure time in seven days a week and four weeks a month:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Modified days in Yoruba calendar || Days in [[Gregorian calendar]]
|-
|''Ọjọ́-Àìkú'' || Sunday
|-
|''Ọjọ́-Ajé'' || Monday
|-
|''Ọjọ́-Ìṣẹ́gun'' || Tuesday
|-
|''Ọjọ́-'Rú'' || Wednesday
|-
|''Ọjọ́-Bọ̀'' || Thursday
|-
|''Ọjọ́-Ẹtì'' || Friday
|-
|''Ọjọ́-Àbámẹ́ta'' || Saturday<ref>[http://yourtemple.net/spirit/2008.03/yoruba_calendar.jsp Yourtemple.net] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116185921/http://yourtemple.net/spirit/2008.03/yoruba_calendar.jsp |date=16 January 2009 }}</ref>
|}

=== Cuisine ===
{{main|Yoruba cuisine}}
Solid food, mostly cooked, pounded or prepared with hot water, are basic staple foods of the Yoruba. These foods are all by-products of crops like [[cassava]], yams, [[cocoyam]] and forms a huge chunk of it all. Others like [[Cooking bananas|Plantain]], corn, beans, meat, and fish are also chief choices.<ref name="Yoruba Cuisine">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IIIOAQAAIAAJ|title=The Kudeti Book of Yoruba Cookery|last1=Mars|first1=J.A.|last2=Tooleyo|first2=E.M.|publisher=CSS|year=2003|isbn=978-978-2951-93-9}}</ref>

Some common Yoruba foods are iyan (pounded yam), [[Amala (food)|amala]], [[eba]], [[Semolina|semo]], [[fufu]],(Generally called."Okele"), [[moin moin]] (bean cake) and [[akara]].<ref name="understand" /> Soups include [[egusi]], [[Corchorus|ewedu]], [[Efo riro|Efo]], [[okra]], vegetables are also very common as part of the Yoruba diet. Items like rice and beans (locally called ewa) are also featured. Some dishes are prepared for festivities and ceremonies, such as [[jollof rice]] and fried rice. Other popular dishes are [[ekuru]], stews, corn, cassava and flours – e.g. maize, yam, plantain and beans, eggs, chicken, beef and assorted forms of meat (ponmo is made from cow skin). Some less well known meals and many miscellaneous staples are arrowroot gruel, sweetmeats, fritters and coconut concoctions; and some [[bread]]s – yeast bread, rock buns, and palm wine bread to name a few.<ref name="Yoruba Cuisine"/>

<gallery class="center" mode="packed" heights="95" classes="center" caption="[[Yoruba culture|Yoruba cultural]] dishes">
File:Amala ati Ewedu and Ogunfe.png|[[Amala (food)|Amala]] is a Yoruba food.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oXxBAAAAYAAJ&q=amala|title=A Vocabulary of the Yoruba Language|author=Owen Emeric Vidal|publisher=Seeleys|date=1852|isbn=978-1-9765-8921-8}}</ref>
File:Beans Ball-Akara.jpg|[[Akara]] is a Yoruba bean fritter.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oXxBAAAAYAAJ&q=akara|title=A Vocabulary of the Yoruba Language|author=Owen Emeric Vidal|publisher=Seeleys|date=1852|isbn=978-1-9765-8921-8}}</ref>
File:Nigeria ofada.jpg|[[Ofada rice]] is a Yoruba dish.<ref name="Olusegun Obasanjo 1983">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JdrSAAAAMAAJ&q=%22ofada%20rice%22|title=Management in Agriculture & Rural Development: A Practicioner's View|author=Olusegun Obasanjo|date=1983|publisher=ARMTI |isbn=978-978-2399-24-3}}</ref>
File:OfadaRice with assorted meat and egg.png|[[Ofada rice]] is traditionally in a leaf.<ref name="Olusegun Obasanjo 1983"/>
File:Moin Moin.jpg|[[Moin moin|Moin Moin]] is a Yoruba steamed bean pudding.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w3r4Xx2059AC&q=%22moin+moin%22|title=Adimú: Gbogbó Tén'unjé Lukumí|author=Miguel Willie Ramos|publisher=Eleda.Org Publications|date=July 2012|isbn=978-1-877845-10-9}}</ref>
File:Delicacies in Yoruba land, Nigeria.jpg|A collection of foods eaten by Yorubas in general
</gallery>