When Kings Behave Like Plebeians

In Africa, kingship has been considered ineffable from clip immemorial. We invented the Divine Right of Kings earlier Europe copied and popularised it. We ascribed eventual powerfulness to the Unmade Maker nether whom galore gods operated. Next to the gods were the kings. Thus, successful Yoruba culture, the king is, “Alase ekeji orisa” (equivalent of lawman gods). Because helium ranks adjacent to the gods, helium is revered successful the customised greeting, Kabiyesi (“Who tin question you?”) An Oba worthy of the sanction is an embodiment of goodness, justness and, astir especially, the civilization of his people.

I americium present referring lone to kings whose thrones tin beryllium traced to hundreds of years. Not quota kings, created implicit imaginary kingdoms successful societies that person nary structures for it. Some cultures are, by choice, republican. There’s thing incorrect with that, but that they should not muddy the waters by pretending that they excessively tin make kingdoms retired of nothing. It doesn’t enactment that way. If you uncertainty me, inquire the mean American what helium thinks astir the effort by his president to play emperor!

Bolaji Idowu

The British colonialists thought they were superior and so, described “African people religion” arsenic polytheism. Ignorance! In his book, “Olodumare, God In Yoruba Belief”, the large cleric and academic, Professor Bolaji Idowu postulated that Olodumare is the Creator, Cause and Origin of each Things… the divinities were brought into being by Olodumare and t the enactment of creating the world was commissioned by Him. Everything successful eden and connected world owes its root successful Him.

Bolaji Idowu (1913–1995) was the 3rd native-born Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, from 1972 to 1984. He did not let his Christian indoctrination to interfere with his intelligence peregrination. When the follower of Christ discovered the existent essence of Olodumare, helium kept religion with his conscience and declared that Olodumare and God were names of the Supreme Being fixed by 2 antithetic cultures— Yoruba and European. One did not negate the other.

Olodumare is excessively big, excessively awesome to beryllium approached directly, hence the African goes done lesser gods who are his emissaries. And they taxable themselves to a king who is simply a lawman to the gods and takes complaint of their affairs connected this temporal plane, usually arsenic clergyman and administrator.

The lone happening they request of the king is that helium beryllium supra board, morally and spiritually. When a king truthful revered descends to the plebeian basement of behaving similar a cause addict oregon centrifugal parkland enforcer, it is clip to nonstop him packing.

Memorable Royals

There are kings and determination are kings. My favourite illustration of a exemplary king is the Orangun of Oke Ila, Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin (Aroyinkeye I) a lawyer, planetary relations adept and teacher. I americium awed by his sheer humanity. Not lone did helium recovered a secondary schoolhouse for the children of the poor, helium besides teaches successful the schoolhouse and guides the children up to assemblage level (see https://www.instagram.com/ reel/DL7B0gqNq5x/. )

His bequest is assured.

In the years gone by, truthful overmuch mystique surrounded Obas. I retrieve the archetypal clip when, arsenic a pupil of the University of Ife, I saw the erstwhile Ooni of Ife, Sir Adesoji Aderemi, physically. The closest I got to the large antheral was to basal with hundreds of different students successful beforehand of the palace portion Baba addressed america from his balcony. He had a winning genial smile, which we were each utilized to, from seeing his photographs regularly successful the newspapers, close from his tenure arsenic the Governor of the Western Region to the aboriginal days erstwhile helium became much similar an oracle to beryllium consulted by subject and civilian leaders alike. That was the concern until helium joined his ancestors successful glory.

Talking astir ‘drummunication’, who tin hide however the past Timi of Ede, Oba Adetoyese Laoye, contributed his mastery of the talking drum to constitute the signature drum rotation that opened the presumption each day: “Western Nigerian Broadcasting Service”. We had truthful overmuch amusive attempting to decode the drum’s message:

“T’Olubadan ba’ku ta ni o j’oye?” (When Olubadan dies, who shall win him?)

“Ko s’oni gbese nibi lo si ‘le keji” (No debtor lives here, effort adjacent door).

“Ninu ikoko dudu la ti nse’be” (It’s successful the belly of the achromatic cookware that we navigator our soup)

I remember, too, an absorbing communicative erstwhile told astir Alaafin Adeyemi Adeniran, the begetter of the contiguous past Alaafin Lamidi Adeyemi. The assemblage politician had visited Kabiyesi successful his palace and was bemused astatine the palace courtesies and however everybody seemed truthful acceptable to delight the Alaafin.

“Surely, you person the champion of each imaginable worlds, Your Highness. Everyone prostrates earlier you, no...