Igbomina tribe

The people of the Ìgbómìnà, called in the vernacular also Igbonna or Ogbonna, is a Yoruba Tribe ( people ), who settled in northern mid- language area of the Yoruba in southwestern Nigeria.

Language

The Ìgbómìnà language is counted from the linguistics to the group of Central Yoruba dialects, one of the three dialects of the Yoruba language. It is spoken in the north of the state of Osun and to the east of the state of Kwara. At the periphery of the dialect area, there are similarities with each different Yoruba dialects: in the south and southeast of the Ekiti, the south and southwest of the Ijesha and to the west and northwest, with the Oyo.

Geographical Distribution

The Ìgbómìnà live both in three Gouvernment Local Areas ( LGAs ), in accordance with the German districts, in Kwara State namely Irepodun, Ifelodun and Isin and in the two LGAs of Osun State: Ifedayo and Ila. In addition to the aforementioned language relevant Yorubagruppen live in the East or the Yagba - Yoruba, Nupe in the north and in the west the Ibolo (language) - speaking occupancy of the cities Offa, Oyan and Okuku.

Archeology and oral traditions

In the western area of ​​over 800 stone sculptures Ìgbómìnà were found in the room of Esie near the villages of Ijara and Ofaro, which mostly have human form and are estimated to be one of the first built in around 1100 AD.

Archaeological and linguistic traces suggest that the Ìgbómìnà occurred as predators in the neighboring populations with the exception of the Nupe and the Yagba. The oral traditions relate that in the period after Oduduwa both kings and ordinary hikers from Ile- Ife came into the land of Ìgbómìnàs and the original ruler of the territory and the population either sold, incorporated or subjugated. On the other hand, representatives of Oyo and Ekiti the Ijesha seem to have afflicted parts of the Ìgbómìnà by occupation of the plains and to have those displaced in the hilly, less fertile parts of their homeland. These seem to have in turn passed on the pressure at the Nupe and the Yagba, however, to have lost parts of their own settlement area at this.

In some of the Ìgbómìnà clans there are oral traditions, seals and praise for the respective lineages, who report both conflicts, uprisings and wars and epidemics, scattered large parts of the population and forced to migration.

History during the colonial period

Records of the British colonial administration from 1918 predate the founding of the city Igbaja to the late 17th or early 18th century, in 1935 mentioned the Igbaja District gazeteer the date in 1750. Around 1800, had the supreme ruler of the Yoruba, the Alafin, his rule over Ìgbómìnà attached and a governor ( Ajele ) used in Ilorin to be there representing his interests.

Traditional economy, festivals and handicrafts

The Ìgbómìnà were known for their skill in agriculture and hunting. Furthermore, their works were in leather, their pottery and their famous wood carvings such as the Elewe mask that during special festivities the Egungun, a representative of the ancestors figured.