Ìtàn

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HistoryCulture Oral tradition

The Yoruba kept professional national historians: hereditary families retained by the King at Ọ̀yọ́ who also served as the royal bards, drummers and cymbalists — living archives on whom all reliable early history depends.

Straight from the book

“The National Historians are certain families retained by the King at Ọ̀yọ́ whose office is hereditary, they also act as the King’s bards, drummers, and cymbalists; it is on them we depend as far as possible for any reliable information we now possess ; but, as may be expected their accounts often vary in several important particulars. We can do no more than relate the traditions which have been universally accepted.”

Keep reading at Part I, Ch. 1 ¶2 →

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