Manigua Writings
Yoruba Kings of the second Oduduwa dynasty

According to Yoruba stories passed down from countless generations, Shango was the 4th King that ruled as the Alafin of Oyo. { Note this is in the second Odua dynasty after the destruction of KATONGA the first Administrative capital of the Yoruba Empire. } According to Yoruba History the Yoruba people were chosen by God { OLORUN OLODUMARE } to serve him. And according to the words { ODU = WORD } of GOD if you ( Yoruba people ) will serve me and honor my commands you will live in the Land of milk and honey. But if you will not serve me then .Contrary to what many outsiders believe of the Odua Empire . The Yorubas believe all the ORISHAS = Angels or saints or messengers [Note the word gods nor deities are not used here because they do not apply ] that GOD (OLORUN OLODUMARE or Jehovah or Allah or Jah etc ) sent down from up above came to bring the message of GOD to the people and non of them asked to be worshipped as a god . They all ask the people to worship and serve only ONE GOD. And the Name of that one GOD in the Yoruba language is OLORUN OLODUMARE. many outsiders have tried to discredit the Yoruba people's history by saying the people worship sticks and stones . Its just like saying Christians worship sticks and stones because they have wooden crosses and brick crosses in the churches. OLORUNOLODUMARE OLO or OL =Owner ORUN = Heaven OL + ORUN = OWNER of HEAVEN OLODUMARE OLO or OL = ODU = WORD {the word ie In the begin the was the word and the word was GOD etc.}MARE = GO-BACK To OLODUMARE = Owner of the word that I would go back toSo when ever the Yoruba people would veer away from serving GOD then GOD would send in an individual or messenger or heavenly body or Angel to bring the people back to the ways of GOD . One such individual is Shango. 4th King Shango Shango came at a very difficult period in Yoruba history the people were not following the ways of God they were stealing from each other and engaging in all sorts of activities that did not please GOD. So GOD sent Shango down in the form of a baby ( with a twin ) , among the people to study them and help clean up the society. Shango grew up to be the fourth King of the kingdom and proceeded to turning the people back to the way of the One living GOD . If any one stole from any other Yoruba, Shango would ask GOD to command THUNDER to strike that individual down. this happened so often that the people started calling him Shango Lord of Thunder. ( A title shango himself did not ask for nor want ) After a while the people grew tired of Shango and started saying he was too strict . Some Yorubas conspired and used their SUPER DEMOCRATIC powers to remove Shango through the use of REGICIDE { A way to get rid of a Tyrant King }. Although Shango was not a tyrant.After his extraordinary life and controversial death, his friends and family revered him as GOD sent . His followers has enjoyed the royal patronage of the Alafin of Oyo, who is regarded as his descendant. Shango's followers played an important role in securing the people's loyalty to the Alafin in the days of the Oyo Empire. In 1910, Leo Frobenius took this photo of an interior of a Shango reminder houses in Ibadan { Home of the Warriors }. It impressed him greatly, and he wrote that "a lofty, long and very deep recess made a gap in the row of fantastically carved and brightly painted columns. These were sculptured with horsemen, men climbing trees, monkeys, women, great kings and all sorts of mythological carved work. The dark chamber behind revealed a gorgeous red ceiling, pedestals with stone axes on them, wooden figures, cowrie-shell hangings..." Because Shango was a warrior king the military generals at IBADAN loved Shango. Shango's followers regard him as the embodiment of great creative potential.This dedication to the power over life and death and to creativity is reflected in Shango's reminder houses, such as the one found at the compound of Baale Koso in Oyo, which overflow with carvings, ceramics, and other artwork. A well-carved mortar, ritual container, figure, or dance staff is believed to be able to better focus the followers attention on the important attributes of the great king and to better lure the spirit to the shrine. Small images of twins (ere Ibeji) are also often stored in the shrine, as legend states that Shango was himself a twin. Shango was one of the Yoruba kings that helped to build the Yoruba battle formations and expand the Yoruba Empire from Mauritania to Gabon. Essentially conquering not by destroying but by superior military moves and the establishing a beach head then collecting tributaries from the locals. Carvings of horsemen, with archers and foot-soldiers at their sides, are depicted on many objects including houseposts, doors, and festival masks, such as this Epa mask. The Oyo Empires three centuries of military dominance depended heavily upon the victories of its cavalry. Large war horses, costing up to 120,000 cowries each, had to be imported from the northern savanna regions. This left a great impression on the forest peoples, where horses were expensive and could not survive for long. Shango followers may be called to follow him in many ways. Most are taught by their parents and family A kneeling women holding her breasts in respect, as in this housepost depicting a kneeling Shango priestess, or offering a fowl in thanks, or holding a bowl filled with kola nuts is a popular subject in Yoruba art. Figures in this pose are known as olumeye, meaning "one who knows honor." They are found on the altars of many Yoruba saints or Angels. The model for the pose is that of a kneeling young bride, with her hair dressed in a traditional crested style called agogo. Her strands of waist beads signify virginity. As a decorative support at the entrance to a Shango shrine, the female may be depicted as a priestess wearing beaded dance panels (yata Shango).

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