A Reconsideration of the History and Iconology of Yorùbá Equestrian Figure through Two Ifá Verses and the Ojúde-Ọ ba Festival

| african arts SUMMER 2022 VOL. 55, NO. 2 This study probes into the iconology, history, and representation of the horseman figure in Yorùbáland and art. Although literature abounds on this topic, many such writings have approached the topic from the investigation of visual cultures and plastic representation of the horse. The present study employs multidimensional and unconventional approaches arising from considerations of iconology, religion, orature, and socioreligious performative festivals among the Yorùbá. The aim is to expand the research frontiers of the history of the horse and representation of the horseman figure in Yorùbáland and add new narratives to existing discourse on the topic. Following extensive and perplexing scholarship on the horse and equestrian figure in Yorùbáland, the present research is premised on sources guided by the Yorùbá maxim ọ̀rọ̀ sùnùkùn, oju sùnnùkùn ni a fi nwòó, meaning, “a bewildering situation requires an infrequent approach.” This maxim is generally recalled when a situation seems to defy known solutions. Such puzzles require unusual approaches. Here, the proverb is recalled to justify different methods of inquiry, especially those unexpected from an art historian like me. Beyond the historical importance of the horse as a war machine and object of prestige—which I can justifiably say has been overflogged by scholars from different academic disciplines—the iconology of the equestrian figure in Yorùbá society is so strong that the horse’s importance is reflected far beyond academia; it even has a place in the play of Yorùbá children. I remember quite vividly how, as a seven-year-old Yorùbá boy, at playtime we used to climb on the backs of our elder siblings and, sometimes, our bigger mates, while they rested on their hands and knees, imitating the horse, while surrounding playmates clapped their hands and sang “kútúpà kútúpà” (mimicking the rhythm of a horse’s hooves in motion and hailing the human “horse”), and “ẹṣin do ndo” (“the horse, high up”), as other children applauded and acknowledged the superiority of the child on the back of the “horse.”1 At that time the interesting and enjoyable thing, for me, was riding on someone else’s back. I also recall that we sometimes fell and sustained injuries from such antics. Now, as an adult, especially an art historian, the performance reverberates in my memories. Now that I am aware that my ancestors were trans-Saharan traders from Mali, I have more personal associations with the idea of horseriding. The history of the introduction of the horse to Yorùbáland suddenly becomes germane to the discourse that connects my present place with my ancestral space.2 My family history was gathered from my uncle, Olaide Abass— professor emeritus of computer science at the University of Lagos—while we were discussing matters concerning our family compound at Ẹdẹ3; he asked if I knew the reason why our family compound is called Ilé-Ìmàle. I told him I thought it was because the members of the compound were mostly Muslims, who are often referred to by Yorùbá Christian groups as ìmàle (a compression of ìmọ̀líle, meaning “difficult understanding”) as a way of casting a sneer at Islam and its practitioners. However, the professor showed me that I was wrong—the name Ilé-Ìmàle was an inaccurate way of saying Ilé Mali (“Malian home”). Our ancestors, he told me, were trans-Saharan traders who travelled from Mali to Ilorin4 on horseback and later came to settle down, by the invitation of the then-timi (king) of Ẹdẹ town. He went on to narrate the story of how our ancestors found their way to Ẹdẹ, which we now know as our native home. Much more, the horse assumes a symbolic phenomenal position in the worldview of the Yorùbá by its association with very vital histories and sociopolitical systems, such as the founding of historically important settlements in Yorùbá mythology and its association with key kingship positions. Samuel Johnson (1921: 4) A Reconsideration of the History and Iconology of Yorùbá Equestrian Figure through Two Ifá Verses and the Ojúde-Ọba Festival