Oba

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For other meanings, see OBA.

Oba has two meanings: it can be a King or a Goddess.

[edit] King

Oba, (pronounced Or-ba, King in Yoruba), is the supreme traditional head of a Yoruba town.

Yoruba towns are of three generations:-

• The first generation is made up of founding towns and cities of the origin or capitals of Yoruba states/kingdoms.
• The second generation is those created by conquest, diaspora or/and resettlment.
• The third generation is those that emerged after the Yoruba wars.

(It should be noted that Yorubaland is the only region of the major ethnic groups that has no colonially-founded towns or cities: Lagos was originally Eko, but its name was changed by the Portuguese, referring to it as "the place of the lagoon"). The first and most of the second generation towns are those with Obas, who generally wear beaded crowns; the third generation towns only have Baálě, or chiefs, who do not wear crowns. All Yoruba Kings bear titles related to the cities or ethnic groups. There are two categories of Yoruba kings and titles:

1. the kings of Yoruba ethnic groups (there are about 10). For example, the king of the Egba bears the title of ALAKE of Egbaland, whose capital is Abeokuta.
2. the kings of Yoruba towns. Example: the king of Iwo, a town in Osun States, bears the title Olu'wo (Olu Of Iwo).

[edit] See also

• Oba of Benin
• Oba of Lagos

[edit] Goddess

Obbá is the first wife of Sango, the second king of Oyo Empire and the Yoruba god of thunder and lightning. In Yoruba mythology, Obbá is a river-goddess (Orisha). She was the daughter of Yemaja and one of the wives of Shango. She offered Shango her ear to eat, and he scorned her. Grieving, she became the Obba river which intersects with the Osun river (Osun was another wife of Shango) at turbulent rapids, a symbol of the rivalry between the two wives. The Obba River flows through Iwo, that is why the Iwo people are called the son of the River Obbá (Iwo Olodo Obá). The real rivalry was between Oba and Oya not the Ochun and Obbá. Obbá was the only legtimate wife of Chango.

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