Ọba of Lagos
Èkó (Lagos)
A canoe on the lagoon. Èkó grew from an island market-town whose whole life — trade, war and ceremony — moved on the water.
Family tree
Royal crests of Yorubaland
Every family tree carries the mark of the crowns that rule its homelands — one medallion for each Yoruba town its people were born in or come from.
Olúbàdàn of Ìbàdàn
Ìbàdàn
The hills of Ìbàdàn. The city of war-chiefs rose over its famous ridges, and the Olúbàdàn — 'lord of Ìbàdàn' — rose with it.
Aláké of Ẹ̀gbáland
Abẹ́òkúta (Ẹ̀gbá)
Olúmọ Rock. The Ẹ̀gbá found refuge under the great rock — Abẹ́òkúta means 'under the rock' — and the Aláké's crown was replanted beneath it.
Aláàfin of Ọ̀yọ́
Ọ̀yọ́
The oṣe Ṣàngó, the double-axe wand of Ṣàngó — the deified Aláàfin whose thunder became the emblem of the imperial throne of Ọ̀yọ́.
Ọọ̀ni of Ifẹ̀
Ilé-Ifẹ̀
The staff of Ọ̀rànyàn (Ọ̀pá Ọ̀rànyàn), the studded granite obelisk that still stands at Ilé-Ifẹ̀, cradle of the race and seat of the Ọọ̀ni.
Emir of Ìlọrin
Ìlọrin
The whetstone. Ìlọrin bears its very name from ìlọ-irin — 'the sharpening of iron' — the stone on which the hunters and warriors who founded the town ground their blades.
Ṣọun of Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́
Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́
The hunter's cutlass. Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ began as the camp of the hunter Ògúnlọ́lá, whose feat of beheading Elémọ̀ṣọ́ gave the town its name.
Ataọja of Òṣogbo
Òṣogbo
The Ọ̀ṣun fish. The Ataọja's title is the pact itself — A-tẹ́wọ́-gbẹ-ẹja, 'he who spreads his palms to receive the fish' from the river goddess Ọ̀ṣun.
Ọwá Obòkun of Ìjẹ̀ṣàland
Ilẹ̀ṣà (Ìjẹ̀ṣà)
The sea-water gourd. Obòkun, 'fetcher of sea water', earned the Ìjẹ̀ṣà crown by journeying to the coast for the water that cured his father's blindness.
Ọ̀ṣemàwé of Oǹdó
Oǹdó
The royal twins. Oǹdó tradition traces the kingdom to royal twins — the founding queen Púpùpú among them — and honours the pair at its origin.
Déjì of Àkúrẹ́
Àkúrẹ́
The leopard's paw. In Àkúrẹ́, as across the Èkìtì forests, the ọba is hailed as the leopard — the royal animal of the kingship.
Èwí of Adó-Èkìtì
Adó-Èkìtì
The Èkìtì peaks. Èkìtì takes its name from its mounds and hills; Adó, the Èwí's seat, sits high among them.
Awùjalẹ̀ of Ìjẹ̀búland
Ìjẹ̀bú-Òde
The Agemo cone. The Awùjalẹ̀'s Ìjẹ̀bú kingdom keeps the Agemo festival, whose masquerades sweep through as living cones.
Àkàrígbò of Rẹ́mọland
Ṣágámù (Rẹ́mọ)
The kola pod, split. Rẹ́mọ prospered on the kola trade, and the split pod — shared as welcome and covenant — marks its crown.
Akran of Badagry
Badagry
The coastal palm. Badagry, the old coast town under coconut palms, stood as the gateway between the lagoon and the open sea.
Olúwo of Ìwó
Ìwó
The gbedu drum — the great state drum beaten only for the crown, as the book itself records of Yoruba royal state.
Olọ́fà of Ọ̀ffà
Ọ̀ffà
The arrow (ọfà). Ọ̀ffà bears the bowman's name: its people are praised as children of the archer, and the arrow is its sign.
Aṣẹyìn of Ìsẹ́yìn
Ìsẹ́yìn
The upright loom. Ìsẹ́yìn is a historic home of aṣọ-òkè, the prestige cloth woven on the upright loom.
Tìmì of Ẹdẹ
Ẹdẹ
The Tìmì's town was planted by Ọ̀yọ́ to guard the road and the river crossing — Johnson tells of the Tìmì among the empire's war-chiefs.
Aláàyè of Èfọ̀n
Èfọ̀n-Aláàyè
The Aláàyè's crown rules Èfọ̀n in the high Èkìtì country.
Ògìyán of Éjìgbò
Éjìgbò
The Ògìyán of Éjìgbò, a crown of the Ọ̀ṣun country tracing its line to Ilé-Ifẹ̀.
Ọlọ́jà of Èpé
Èpé
The Ọlọ́jà rules Èpé, the lagoon-side market town of the Ìjẹ̀bú waterside.
Ẹlẹ́rúwà of Ẹrúwà
Ẹrúwà
The Ẹlẹ́rúwà's crown rules Ẹrúwà in the Ìbàràpá country west of Ìbàdàn.
Olúfi of Gbọ́ngán
Gbọ́ngán
The Olúfi's crown at Gbọ́ngán descends from Ilé-Ifẹ̀'s royal line.
Ọwá of Ìdànrè
Ìdànrè
The Ọwá rules Ìdànrè, the kingdom in the hills whose old town sits high on the rock.
Olú of Ìgbó-Ọ̀rà
Ìgbó-Ọ̀rà
The Olú's crown rules Ìgbó-Ọ̀rà, chief town of the Ìbàràpá country.
Alẹpàtà of Ìgbòho
Ìgbòho
Ìgbòho sheltered the Aláàfin's court in exile — four kings reigned there before Ọ̀yọ́ was resettled, as Johnson records. The Alẹpàtà rules the town.
Orímọlúsì of Ìjẹ̀bú-Igbó
Ìjẹ̀bú-Igbó
The Orímọlúsì's crown rules Ìjẹ̀bú-Igbó in the forest of the Ìjẹ̀bú kingdom.
Elégborò of Ìjẹ̀bú-Ìjẹ̀ṣà
Ìjẹ̀bú-Ìjẹ̀ṣà
The Elégborò's crown rules Ìjẹ̀bú-Ìjẹ̀ṣà in Obòkun's Ìjẹ̀ṣà country.
Ajerò of Ìjerò
Ìjerò-Èkìtì
The Ajerò ranks among the great crowned kings of Èkìtì, named with the Èwí and the Ọlọ́jà of the old accounts.
Olúkàrẹ́ of Ìkàrẹ́
Ìkàrẹ́
The Olúkàrẹ́'s crown rules Ìkàrẹ́ in the Àkókó hills.
Olú of Ìkẹjà
Ìkẹjà
Ìkẹjà stands on Àwórì ground, the Yoruba of the Lagos mainland; its obaship is the Olú's.
Alákẹ́nnẹ́ of Ìkẹ́nnẹ́
Ìkẹ́nnẹ́
The Alákẹ́nnẹ́'s crown rules Ìkẹ́nnẹ́ in the Rẹ́mọ country.
Ògògà of Ìkẹrẹ́
Ìkẹrẹ́-Èkìtì
The Ògògà's crown rules Ìkẹrẹ́, one of the strong towns of Èkìtì.
Akirè of Ìkirè
Ìkirè
The Akirè's crown rules Ìkirè on the old road between Ìbàdàn and Ifẹ̀.
Akírun of Ìkirun
Ìkirun
The Akírun's crown rules Ìkirun — beside it was fought the great battle of the Jalumi war in Johnson's pages.
Elékọ̀lé of Ìkọ̀lé
Ìkọ̀lé-Èkìtì
The Elékọ̀lé's crown rules Ìkọ̀lé in the eastern Èkìtì country.
Ayangburẹn of Ìkọrọdú
Ìkọrọdú
The Ayangburẹn's crown rules Ìkọrọdú, the Rẹ́mọ town on the Lagos lagoon.
Ọ̀ràngún of Ilá
Ilá Ọ̀ràngún
One of the original crowns: Johnson counts the Ọ̀ràngún of Ilá among the children of Odùduwà sent out with beaded crowns.
Olú of Ìlaro
Ìlaro
The Olú's crown at Ìlaro is paramount in the Yewa (Ẹ̀gbádò) country of the west.
Jẹgun of Ilé-Olújí
Ilé-Olújí
The Jẹgun's crown rules Ilé-Olújí, kin to the Oǹdó kingdom's royal line.
Olobu of Ilobu
Ilobu
The Olobu's crown rules Ilobu in the Ọ̀ṣun country, neighbour to Ìkirun and Òṣogbo.
Ajálayé of Ìpetu-Ìjẹ̀ṣà
Ìpetu-Ìjẹ̀ṣà
The Ajálayé's crown rules Ìpetu on the Ìjẹ̀ṣà–Èkìtì borderland.
Aláperu of Ìperu
Ìperu
The Aláperu's crown rules Ìperu in the Rẹ́mọ country.
Ọbarò of Kabba
Kabba
The Ọbarò leads Kabba, chief town of the Okun Yoruba beyond the Niger bend.
Ogunsua of Mọ́dàkẹ́kẹ́
Mọ́dàkẹ́kẹ́
Mọ́dàkẹ́kẹ́ was raised beside Ilé-Ifẹ̀ by Ọ̀yọ́ refugees of the wars Johnson chronicles; the Ogunsua is its ruler.
Onjò of Òkèhò
Òkèhò
The Onjò's crown rules Òkèhò under the Ọkẹ́ Ọ̀gùn hills, in the old heartland of the Ọ̀yọ́ country.
Abodi of Ìkàlẹ̀
Ọ̀kìtìpupa
Ọ̀kìtìpupa is the chief town of the Ìkàlẹ̀, the Yoruba of the southeastern lowlands; the Abodi is their paramount crown.
Olomu of Ọmù-Aràn
Ọmù-Aràn
The Olomu's crown rules Ọmù-Aràn in the Ìgbómìnà country of the northeast.
Olọ́tà of Ọ̀tà
Ọ̀tà
The Olọ́tà's crown rules Ọ̀tà, the old Àwórì town on the road to the coast.
Ọlọ́wọ̀ of Òwò
Òwò
The Ọlọ́wọ̀'s crown rules Òwò, the easternmost of the great Yoruba kingdoms, between Èkìtì and Benin.
Ọ̀kẹrẹ̀ of Ṣàkí
Ṣàkí
The Ọ̀kẹrẹ̀'s crown rules Ṣàkí, one of the ancient towns of the upper Ọ̀yọ́ country.
Alákétu of Kétu
Kétu
The Idena gateway. Kétu's famed gate guarded one of the oldest crowns of Odùduwà's line, the Alákétu's.
