Ilé L’àbọ̀ Simi Oko

Abstract

This study employs the Yorùbá canonical maxim Ilé làbọ̀ simi oko and its antonymous equivalents as theoretical propensities and models for religion and material exchanges between the Ọ̀yó̩-Yorùbá, Sábę-Yorùbá, and Ifè̩-Ana Yorùbá communities. After centuries of independent existences, the Sábę and Ifè̩-Ana Yorùbá communities have continued in the practice of traditional Yorùbá religion and its attendant liturgical artefacts that they took with them from Ọ̀yó̩-Yorùbá, their original homeland. Using ethnography, history, and iconography, this research identifies practices such as Ifá, Sàngó, and egúngún,ìbejì, and respective paraphernalia such as ọpó̩n Ifá, agere Ifá, ìróké Ifá, osé Sàngó, ère egúngún, and ère ìbejì as artefacts shared between the three communities. The research avers that the deep-rooted Yorùbá cultural beliefs as encapsulated in ilé l’àbọ̀ simi oko and its antonymous maxims account for the people’s thoughts about their homeland and consequent adherence to the homeland religions as memorials of and communion with the homeland.