Awori
Encyclopedia
The Awori are a tribe of the Yoruba people
speaking a distinct dialect
of the Yoruba language
.
Traditionally, Awori are found in Ogun State
and Lagos State
, Nigeria
. The Awori people migrated from Ile Ife and occupy present day Lagos state, with a comsiderable section of the Awori clan occupying areas within Ogun State as a direct fall out of the creation of Ogun State in 1976. Towns including Ota, Igbesa, Ilobi, Tigbo are all Awori settlements within today's Ogun State in Nigeria. The settlement of the Awori clan preceded the establishment of Abeokuta as an Egba kingdom in 1832, as Ota, the foremost Awori town within present day Ogun State was settled in the 15th century. The Awori are direct descendants of Olofin, one of the sons of Oduduwa - the father of the yoruba nation. As such, in accordance with Yoruba custom, they brought their crown along with them from Ile Ife. Osolo, one of the sons of Prince Olofin, settled at the Osi quarters as his father and his brother journeyed further south from the place where the plate sank at Idumota. The first crowned Oba at Ota was Oba Akinsewa Ogbolu in 1621, he was the son of Osolo.
Oduduwa
in Ile-Ife and migrated southward along a river. Oduduwa had given Olofin a mud plate
and instructed him to place it on the water and follow it until it sank into the river. The plate is said to have stopped at various locations and finally sank at Idumota in the present day Lagos State in Nigeria. As they were to settle wherever it sank, the people were filled with joy when this finally happened. The name AWORI, which translates as "The plate sank", became the name by which the clan is known till today.
Several days after leaving Ile-Ife, the plate suddenly stopped near Olokemeji near present day Abeokuta
. After seventeen days, it began moving again, only to stop at Oke-Ata for another seventeen days. At the end of seventeen days, the plate began moving again, only to stop again on the southern outskirts of present day Abeokuta, where it stayed for another seventeen days. At this location, some of Olofin's followers decided to remain, led by a man named Osho Aro-bi-ologbo-egan. The plate continued downriver, stopping again at Isheri, where it remained for a much longer period of time. Olofin began instructing his followers to begin setting up a permanent settlement, but after 289 days (17 x 17) the plate began moving again. Olofin and a few followers followed the plate, while the rest of the group stayed behind. After two days the plate stopped briefly at Iddo
in Lagos
. At Idumota in central Lagos
, it whirled around in the water and sank to the bottom. When Olofin returned to his group at Iddo, they are said to have asked him where the plate was. He answered "Awo Ti Ri" meaning "The plate has sunk". This is how the name Awori is said to have come into being.
The Aworis are thought to be a peace loving, accommodating and friendly clan.
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
speaking a distinct dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
of the Yoruba language
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
.
Traditionally, Awori are found in Ogun State
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in South-western Nigeria. It borders Lagos State to the South, Oyo and Osun states to the North, Ondo State to the east and the republic of Benin to the west. Abeokuta is the capital and largest city in the state...
and Lagos State
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The Awori people migrated from Ile Ife and occupy present day Lagos state, with a comsiderable section of the Awori clan occupying areas within Ogun State as a direct fall out of the creation of Ogun State in 1976. Towns including Ota, Igbesa, Ilobi, Tigbo are all Awori settlements within today's Ogun State in Nigeria. The settlement of the Awori clan preceded the establishment of Abeokuta as an Egba kingdom in 1832, as Ota, the foremost Awori town within present day Ogun State was settled in the 15th century. The Awori are direct descendants of Olofin, one of the sons of Oduduwa - the father of the yoruba nation. As such, in accordance with Yoruba custom, they brought their crown along with them from Ile Ife. Osolo, one of the sons of Prince Olofin, settled at the Osi quarters as his father and his brother journeyed further south from the place where the plate sank at Idumota. The first crowned Oba at Ota was Oba Akinsewa Ogbolu in 1621, he was the son of Osolo.
Origin
Olofin and his followers left the palace of EmperorEmperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
Oduduwa
Oduduwa
Oduduwa Omoluabi, Olofin Adimula, Emperor of the Yoruba, phonetically written by his people as Odùduwà and sometimes contracted as Odudua or Oòdua, is generally held among the Yoruba to be the reigning ancestor of the crowned Yoruba kings....
in Ile-Ife and migrated southward along a river. Oduduwa had given Olofin a mud plate
Plate (dishware)
A plate is a broad, concave, but mainly flat vessel on which food can be served. A plate can also be used for ceremonial or decorative purposes.-Materials:...
and instructed him to place it on the water and follow it until it sank into the river. The plate is said to have stopped at various locations and finally sank at Idumota in the present day Lagos State in Nigeria. As they were to settle wherever it sank, the people were filled with joy when this finally happened. The name AWORI, which translates as "The plate sank", became the name by which the clan is known till today.
Several days after leaving Ile-Ife, the plate suddenly stopped near Olokemeji near present day Abeokuta
Abeokuta
Abeokuta is the largest city and capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria and is situated at , on the Ogun River; 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. As of 2005, Abeokuta and the surrounding area had a population of 593,140....
. After seventeen days, it began moving again, only to stop at Oke-Ata for another seventeen days. At the end of seventeen days, the plate began moving again, only to stop again on the southern outskirts of present day Abeokuta, where it stayed for another seventeen days. At this location, some of Olofin's followers decided to remain, led by a man named Osho Aro-bi-ologbo-egan. The plate continued downriver, stopping again at Isheri, where it remained for a much longer period of time. Olofin began instructing his followers to begin setting up a permanent settlement, but after 289 days (17 x 17) the plate began moving again. Olofin and a few followers followed the plate, while the rest of the group stayed behind. After two days the plate stopped briefly at Iddo
Iddo Island
Iddo Island was an island opposite Lagos Island in Nigeria, but due to infill is now part of the mainland. Iddo Island is connected to Lagos Island by the Eko Bridge and the Carter Bridge....
in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. At Idumota in central Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, it whirled around in the water and sank to the bottom. When Olofin returned to his group at Iddo, they are said to have asked him where the plate was. He answered "Awo Ti Ri" meaning "The plate has sunk". This is how the name Awori is said to have come into being.
The Aworis are thought to be a peace loving, accommodating and friendly clan.