service in Benin, he left behind a child named Eweka that he had had in the interim with an indigenous princess. The young boy went on to become the first legitimate ruler of the second Edo dynasty that has ruled what is now Benin from that day to this. Oranmiyan later went on to found the Oyo empire that stretched at its height from the western banks of the river Niger to the Eastern banks of the river Volta. It would serve as one of the most powerful of Africa's medieval states prior to its collapse in the 19th century.
Traditional setting
The King (Ooni)
The Oòni (or king) of Ife claims direct descent from Oduduwa, and is counted first among the Yoruba kings. He is traditionally considered to be the 401st deity (òrìshà), the only one that speaks. In fact, the royal dynasty of Ife traces its origin back to the founding of the city more than two thousand years ago. The present ruler is Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, styled His Imperial Majesty by his subjects. The Ooni ascended his throne in 1980. About eight years ago it was agreed that the Ooni be the head of the Oba council and is still acknowledged as the first class Oba basically making him the king of kings amongst the Yoruba people. Owing to the formation of the Yoruba Orisha Congress in 1986, Ile-Ife and the Ooni acquired an international stature.
Cults for the deities
Ife is well known as the city of 401 or 201 deities. It is said that every day of the year the traditional worshippers celebrate a festival of one of these deities. Often the festivals extend over more than one day and they involve both priestly activities in the palace and theatrical dramatisations in the rest of the kingdom. The most spectacular festivals are those which demand the participation of the King. They include the Itapa festival for Obatala and Obameri, the Edi festival for Moremi Ajasoro and the Igare masqueraders, and the Olojo festival for Ogoun. During
