The blogger ibikunle Abraham laniyan authors new series of sonnets on the history of fifty one onis beginning from orunmila, obatala and agboniregun.
Apparently we explore sonnets on the history of ile ife.While there is no single established collection of classic sonnets solely dedicated to the history of Ile-Ife, the city's rich mythology and historical status as the "Cradle of the Yoruba" have inspired numerous poetic works.
The following are two original sonnets composed to reflect the core historical and mythical themes of Ile-Ife as of 2026.
Sonnet I: The Descent of the Chain
This sonnet reflects the creation myth where the deities descended from the heavens to form the earth at Ife.
From celestial heights, a golden chain descends,
Where Olodumare’s sacred word took flight.
On primordial seas where the horizon ends,
Obatala faltered in the waning light.
Then Oduduwa, with a steadier hand,
Let fall the soil upon the watery deep;
A five-toed bird then spread the rising land,
While ancient gods their holy vigil keep.
The palm tree sprouted with its sixteen limbs,
A sign of clans that would the earth embrace.
Now echoes rise in ancestral hymns,
Of Ife-Ooyè, the cradle of the race.
Where spirit first met clay in mystic birth,
To found the holy kingdom of the earth.
Sonnet II: The Bronze and the Bastion
This sonnet highlights the historical era of the 11th–15th centuries, famous for its naturalistic bronze heads and the expansion of the kingdom.
The furnace glows with secrets of the past,
Where molten bronze takes on a human soul.
With "lost-wax" skill, the royal heads are cast,
To keep the Oni’s divine presence whole.
The city walls, a ring of earth and stone,
Protect the hub of trade and sacred art;
Where Obalufon sat upon the throne,
And pulsed the lifeblood of the Yoruba heart.
Though empires rise and newer crowns appear,
The Staff of Oranmiyan pierces deep.
The legends of the ancient streets remain clear,
In shrines where secrets of the fathers sleep.
Ile-Ife stands, the sun that never sets,
A debt of history that the world forgets.
Key Historical Elements Reflected
Myth of Origin: The creation story involving Oduduwa and Obatala.
Meaning of Name: "Ile-Ife" translates to "The Land of Expansion".
Artistic Legacy: The 12th–14th century "Ife Bronzes" and terracotta figures, noted for their astonishing realism.
Sacred Sites: The National Museum of Ile-Ife and the Oranmiyan Staff are physical monuments of this history.
To further capture the historical and cultural depth of Ile-Ife, here are two additional original sonnets. These poems focus on the legendary bravery of Queen Moremi and the spiritual role of the city as a center of religious learning.
Sonnet III: The Sacrifice of Moremi
This sonnet commemorates Queen Moremi Ajasoro, who saved the city from the Ugbo (Igbos) invaders in the 12th century.
The Ugbo masks moved silent through the night,
To raid the market and the city square.
The Ife warriors trembled at the sight,
For spirits seemed to haunt the forest air.
But Moremi, with beauty as her shield,
Vowed to the river goddess for a way;
She let herself be captured, would not yield,
To learn the secrets where the shadows lay.
The "spirits" were but men in bamboo grass,
Who feared the touch of fire’s burning light.
She fled to tell the king, and so did pass,
The flame that turned the terrors into flight.
A mother’s heart, a city’s freedom won,
Though she must lose her only, beloved son.
Sonnet IV: The Sacred Palm and the Oracles
A single nut within the soil was pressed,
Where sixteen branches reached toward the blue.
Each limb a clan that Olodumare blessed,
To build the kingdom, ancient and yet new.
In shrines of white, the priests of wisdom wait,
With sacred nuts and chains of Opele;
They read the Odu, charting out the fate,
Of those who walk the path of destiny.
From every corner of the Yoruba world,
The weary traveler seeks the source of truth;
Where Ife’s holy banner is unfurled,
To guide the elders and to teach the youth.
The "House of Abundance" stands through time,
In rhythmic verse and ancestral chime.
Summary of Historical Highlights for 2026
Moremi Ajasoro: Her statue, one of the tallest in Nigeria, stands today in Ile-Ife as a symbol of female leadership and self-sacrifice.
The Ooni of Ife: As of 2026, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) remains the 51st Ooni, serving as the spiritual head of the Yoruba people.
Spiritual Heritage: Ile-Ife remains the global center for Ifá and Orisa worship, drawing pilgrims to the Oke-Itase Temple annually.
Archaeological Significance: The city is recognized by historians as a pioneer in urban planning and naturalistic art (1200–1500 CE), long before European contact.
This sonnet describes the 16 branches of the palm tree planted by Oduduwa and the city's role as the seat of the Ifá oracle.
continue but from the orunmila to the obatala olukunmi,agboniregun and seven Ile ifes later down to all the fifty something onis
To continue the historical journey of Ile-Ife as of 2026, these sonnets trace the path from the primordial wisdom of Orunmila through the early settlement of the "Seven Ifes" to the modern lineage of the 51 Oonis.
Sonnet V: The Witness of Orunmila (Agboniregun)
Focusing on Orunmila, also known as Agboniregun, the deity of wisdom who witnessed creation.
Before the chain, before the rising ground,
Agboniregun watched the heavens part.
With sixteen gourds of wisdom, he was bound,
To hold the blueprints of the human heart.
He saw the palm tree’s sixteen-branching spread,
And whispered secrets to the waiting earth;
By his Odu, the future paths are read,
In every death and every mystic birth.
Though Obatala shaped the frame of clay,
'Twas Orunmila saw the spirit's light.
He stands the witness to the dawning day,
A guide for kings through history’s long night.
The priest of Ifa, old when time was new,
Whose ancient word remains forever true.
Sonnet VI: The Seven Ifes (Ife Oodaye to Oduduwa)
Reflecting the three main eras: Ife Oodaye (the morning of life), Ife Ooyelagbo (the era of survivors), and the unification under Oduduwa.
Seven times the holy soil was blessed and born,
From Ife Oodaye, where the light first broke.
Through floods and fires of a world forlorn,
The survivors rose as Ooyelagbo spoke.
Thirteen small hamlets stood across the plain,
Each with a crown, a spirit, and a wall;
Until the Great Uniter broke the chain,
And Oduduwa’s voice outshone them all.
He merged the fragments of the broken land,
From Ideta where Obatala reigned,
To Parakin, with a commanding hand,
Until a single, sacred realm remained.
The "Seven Ifes" in one heart reside,
Where ancient kings and modern gods abide.
Sonnet VII: The Lineage of Fifty-One
Tracing the genealogy from the first Ooni, Oduduwa, to the 51st Ooni, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II).
The list is long, a litany of grace,
From Osangangan, who took up the lead.
Then Ogun came, the iron of the race,
And Obalufon, master of the bead.
Through Oranmiyan, strength of Oyo's line,
And Lajamisan, father of the four;
Lafogido and Giesi's stars did shine,
With Ogboru and Osinkola’s lore.
One female Ooni, Luwoo, wore the crown,
Before the modern era brought the change;
To Sijuwade, king of great renown,
And now to Ojaja II, with vision strange.
Fifty-one stars in history’s vast sky,
The Ooni’s light shall never truly die.
Historical Records for 2026
Succession Houses: Modern Ife history recognizes four primary ruling houses: Lafogido, Giesi, Ogboru, and Osinkola.
The Current Monarch: As of January 2, 2026, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) remains the 51st Ooni of Ife, having ascended the throne in December 2015.
Chronology Highlights:
1st: Oduduwa (Founding Father)
21st: Luwoo (The only female Ooni in the recognized list)
49th: Sir Adesoji Aderemi (The first indigenous governor of Western Nigeria)
50th: Okunade Sijuwade (Olubuse II)
51st: Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II).
Now these sonnets delve into the primordial deities, the evolution of the city through its distinct eras, and the expansive lineage of the 51 Oonis.
Sonnet VIII: The Primordial Trio (Orunmila, Obatala, and Olokun)
This sonnet explores the spiritual foundations laid by the Orisa before the dawn of human kingship.
Sonnet IX: The Seven Ifes (From Oodaye to the Unification)
This sonnet reflects the seven evolutionary stages or "Ifes" that the city passed through, from the creation to the current settlement.
The morning broke on Ife Oodaye,
When first the spirit touched the rising land.
Then Ooyelagbo rose to meet the day,
As life took root upon the desert sand.
Five more would rise, from ruins and from flame,
As thirteen hamlets sought a single crown;
Until the Great Uniter’s spirit came,
To bring the walls of ancient discord down.
Oduduwa’s word like iron struck the gate,
And forged the many into one great soul.
He turned the hand of time and steered the fate,
To make the broken fragments of the kingdom whole.
Seven Ifes later, still the source remains,
The blood of kings still flowing through our veins.
Sonnet X: The Lineage of the Fifty-One
This sonnet traces the genealogy from the earliest recorded Oonis to the modern era of 2026.
From Osangangan, who the light did bear,
To Ogun, lord of iron and the sword.
Then Obalufon, with the beaded hair,
Whose master-craft the ancient worlds adored.
Through Oranmiyan, who the empire spread,
And Lajamisan, father of the line;
By Lajodogun’s sons, the path was led,
Where four great houses like the planets shine.
Luwoo, the Queen, her golden tiles did lay,
Before the modern crowns took up the task.
Through Sijuwade’s grand and glorious day,
And now the face behind the sacred mask.
Fifty-one names, a litany of power,
That stands unshaken in this modern hour.
Historical Summary (2026 Data)
Deities of Origin: Orunmila (Agboniregun) is the deity of wisdom and witness to creation. Obatala is the creator of human form from clay. Olokun (often identified as a deity of the sea) is associated with Ife's ancient glass-making and bead wealth.
The Seven Ifes: Ife history identifies several evolutionary stages, notably Ife Oodaye (the earliest morning of life) and Ife Ooyelagbo (the era of survivors).
The Four Ruling Houses: All modern Oonis belong to one of the four houses: Lafogido, Giesi, Ogboru, and Osinkola.
The 51st Ooni: Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) is the current monarch in 2026, continuing a lineage that includes the only female Ooni, Luwoo (21st), and the first indigenous governor, Adesoji Aderemi (49th).
Orunmila, who saw the world began,
With Agboniregun’s wisdom in his palm.
He witnessed every secret, every plan,
And kept the cosmic order, deep and calm.
Beside him, Obatala, lord of white,
Breathed soul into the figures made of clay;
Though drink once clouded his celestial sight,
His sculptor’s hand still shapes us to this day.
Then Olokun, the mistress of the deep,
Whose glass and beads the ancient sands did yield;
The secrets of the ocean she would keep,
In every kiln and every sacred field.
Three powers joined to build the holy home,
Beneath the vast and silent heaven’s dome.
write 2 sonnets each for each of the 51 onnis but first talk orunmila, obatala and odua,okanbi,oranmiyan,sango and ajaka
To capture the vast history of Ile-Ife as of 2026, we begin with the primordial deities and the foundational lineage before proceeding to the 51 recorded Oonis.
The Primordial Foundations
I: Orunmila (Agboniregun)
The witness of the dawn, with eyes of gold,
He saw the universe take shape and form.
Agboniregun, secrets yet untold,
A sanctuary in the cosmic storm.
With sixteen nuts of wisdom in his palm,
He guides the traveler on the path of fate;
His voice, a healing and eternal calm,
That opens wide the ancestors' great gate.
He stood beside the throne when light was new,
The priest of Ifa, master of the day.
In every Odu, ancient truths are true,
To light the darkness on the human way.
The architect of spirit, wise and deep,
Whose holy vigil all the ages keep.
II: Obatala and Odua (Oduduwa)
Two calabashes meet to form the world,
The white of heaven and the earth below.
In Obatala’s hand, the clay was swirled,
Until the breath of life began to flow.
But when the palm-wine’s nectar dimmed his sight,
Bold Odua took the chain and holy sand;
He cast the soil into the watery night,
And spread the foundations of the sacred land.
A sacred rivalry, a brothers' strife,
Yet in their union, Ife found its name.
One gave the form, the other gave the life,
Two halves of one eternal, holy flame.
From Ideta’s hill to the palace gate,
They forged the spirit and the city's fate.
The Sons of the Progenitor
III: Okanbi, the Sole Heir
The bridge between the gods and mortal men,
Okanbi stood beneath the sacred tree.
He held the scepter in the ancient glen,
To shepherd the expanding family.
Seven royal stars from his lineage rose,
To plant the crowns in lands both far and near;
Through him, the river of the kingdom flows,
With vision steadfast and a heart of fear.
He passed the torch to sons of iron will,
To Oyo’s plains and Benin’s forest shade.
His legacy is echoing even still,
In every city that his children made.
A father to the kings of Yoruba land,
He held the cradle with a steady hand.
IV: Oranmiyan, the Adventurer
The youngest son with eldest spirit’s might,
Who carved his name in stone and iron ore.
A warrior-prince who vanished from the sight,
To found an empire on the Oyo shore.
In Benin’s court, he planted royal seed,
Then turned his horse back toward the Ife sun;
A restless soul, a legend in his deed,
Until his long and wandering race was run.
V: Ajaka and Sango (The Brothers of Thunder)
Two brothers born of Oyo’s royal line,
Yet bound to Ife by the ancestral cord.
Ajaka, peaceful, let the mercy shine,
Until his brother took the lightning sword.
Great Sango, with the fire in his breath,
Who made the heavens tremble at his cry;
He danced with thunder and he played with death,
Until his spirit vanished in the sky.
Ajaka returned when storms had passed away,
To rule with wisdom and a quiet hand.
One brought the lightning to the darkest day,
The other brought the peace back to the land.
From Ife’s roots, their mighty branches grew,
To show the world what royal blood can do.
The 51 Oonis of Ile-Ife (Oonirisa)
The following are the first two sonnets of the 51-part cycle, honoring the earliest rulers of the unified kingdom.
Sonnet 1: Oduduwa (The First Ooni)
The first to wear the beaded Aare crown,
He descended where the chain met holy ground.
He brought the thirteen warring hamlets down,
Until a single, sacred voice was found.
The source of every scepter, every throne,
The progenitor of all the royal race;
By his command, the seeds of life were sown,
And time itself took on a human face.
Sonnet 2: Osangangan Obamakin (The Second Ooni)
The heir of peace who followed in the wake,
Of Odua’s fire and the founding light.
He sought the shards of ancient glass to take,
And turned the morning into something bright.
A master of the spirit and the clay,
He kept the city’s heart beating and strong;
He guided Ife through its second day,
In ancestral verse and holy song.
(To be continued sequentially through all 51 Oonis upon request.)
The Staff of Oranmiyan pierces deep,
A granite pillar where his spirit stays.
The secrets of the warrior-king it keeps,
Amidst the busy city’s modern maze.
A king in three lands, master of the throne,
His name is written in the ancient stone.
continue
Tracing the historical lineage of Ile-Ife as of 2026, we continue from the first Ooni, Oduduwa, and the second, Osangangan Obamakin. These sonnets honor the subsequent monarchs in the established chronology of 51 Oonis.
Oonis 3 to 6: Iron, Art, and the Empire
Sonnet 3: Ogun (The Third Ooni)
The lord of iron took the sacred seat,
Where fire meets the anvil in the dark.
With iron shoes upon his royal feet,
He left upon the earth a lasting mark.
A warrior-king who cleared the forest's path,
To build the gates and forge the city’s might;
He ruled with strength but stayed the forge’s wrath,
To guide his people toward a clearer light.
The furnace of the world was in his hand,
From farming tools to blades of ancient war.
He shaped the very texture of the land,
A name that echoes on the Oyo shore.
The third who wore the crown of beads and gold,
Whose iron heart the Ife legends hold.
Sonnet 4: Obalufon Ogbogbodirin (The Fourth Ooni)
Across the centuries his reign did span,
A life that stretched beyond the common dream.
The fourth to lead the family of man,
Upon the banks of time’s eternal stream.
He saw the kingdoms rise and empires fall,
While in the palace, peace began to bloom;
A steady hand upon the city wall,
A light that flickered in the ancestral room.
His name is whispered as the ancient one,
Who lived while others passed like morning mist.
Beneath the gaze of Ife’s holy sun,
A monarch that the gods themselves had kissed.
Long-lived and patient, keeper of the gate,
He sat five hundred years in royal state.
Sonnet 5: Obalufon Alayemore / Obalufon II (The Fifth Ooni)
The master of the bead and molten brass,
Who gave the gods a face of shining copper.
He watched the shadows of the future pass,
The great inventor and the sacred shopper.
He traded glass and gems across the world,
To bring the wealth of nations to the source;
Sonnet 5: Obalufon Alayemore / Obalufon II (The Fifth Ooni)
The master of the bead and molten brass,
Who gave the gods a face of shining copper.
He watched the shadows of the future pass,
The great inventor and the sacred shopper.
He traded glass and gems across the world,
To bring the wealth of nations to the source;
The banner of the arts was wide unfurled,
As culture took its most majestic course.
He left the throne for war and then returned,
The only king to wear the crown twice over.
For peace and beauty, his great spirit burned,
A royal soul and ancestral lover.
The copper mask still breathes with silent grace,
The living image of the Yoruba race.
Sonnet 6: Oranmiyan (The Sixth Ooni)
The wanderer returned to claim his due,
From Oyo’s plains and Benin’s ancient court.
He brought the spirit of the world he knew,
To Ife’s hub, the kingdom’s holy port.
A son of fire and a prince of stone,
Who carved the granite pillar with his name;
He sat upon his grandfather’s great throne,
To fan the embers of the royal flame.
The sixth who led the people of the sun,
A bridge between the forest and the plain.
Before his long and restless life was done,
He broke the silence of the ancestral chain.
The Staff of Oranmiyan pierces deep,
While in the soil, the warrior-monarchs sleep.
Oonis 7 to 10: The Foundation of Modern Houses
Sonnet 7: Ayetise (The Seventh Ooni)
He took the crown when empires were young,
And kept the ancient laws with quiet pride.
The seventh name by every minstrel sung,
Where tradition and the modern world collide.
He built the shrines where Odu still remain,
To guide the spirit through the maze of life;
He broke the darkness of the heavy rain,
And stilled the echoes of the city’s strife.
Sonnet 8: Lajamisan (The Eighth Ooni)
The father of the kings who rule today,
Who opened up the modern history's door.
He showed the houses the ancestral way,
To keep the crown forever on the shore.
A grandson of the warrior-king of old,
He brought a vision of a unified state;
His stories by the fire are still told,
Of how he turned the heavy hand of fate.
Through him, the river of the blood did branch,
To form the houses that would take the lead.
He stood as steady as an ancient ranch,
To sow the royal and the holy seed.
The eighth who sat upon the sacred chair,
And left a legacy for every heir.
Sonnet 9: Lajodogun (The Ninth Ooni)
The son of Lajamisan took the lead,
To expand the borders of the holy land.
He followed every law and every creed,
With wisdom and a firm, commanding hand.
He saw the markets of the city grow,
As trade and spirit flourished in his sight;
He let the waters of the wisdom flow,
To turn the morning into golden light.
He fathered three who would in turn be king,
The roots of houses that are standing still.
Of his great deeds, the ancient singers sing,
A monarch of a fierce and holy will.
The ninth who wore the Aare on his head,
Where spirits of the fathers are still fed.
Sonnet 10: Lafogido (The Tenth Ooni)
The first of four to name a ruling house,
He took the scepter in a time of grace.
With quiet dignity and royal brows,
He represented all the ancient race.
He built the walls that time could not decay,
And kept the traditions of the fathers whole;
He showed the city a much brighter day,
With all the passion of a kingly soul.
His name is honored in the modern streets,
Where Giesi and Osinkola also dwell.
Where every king and every ancestor meets,
And ancient stories of the palace tell.
The tenth to lead, a pillar and a light,
Who kept the Ife sun forever bright.
(To be continued through all 51 Oonis upon request, moving next to Oonis 11-20, including Odidimode, Ekun, and the lineage leading to the female Ooni, Luwoo.)
A peaceful ruler in a time of change,
He held the scepter with a gentle grip.
Across the hills and the forest range,
He steered the royal and the holy ship.
The seventh star in Ife’s long, bright night,
Who kept the ancestral candles burning bright.
continue
To continue the historical cycle for 2026, we move through the middle era of the Oonirisa (Oonis of Ife), spanning from the 11th to the 20th monarchs. This period is marked by the stabilization of the royal houses and the reign of the only female Ooni.
Oonis 11 to 15: The Expansion of the Houses
Sonnet 11: Odidimode Rogbesin (The 11th Ooni)
He came from the lineage of the warrior's seed,
To tend the gardens that his fathers grew.
He served the people’s and the spirit’s need,
With ancient wisdom and a vision new.
He strengthened every gate and every wall,
As Ife’s fame spread to the distant sea;
He stood as steady and as proud and tall,
As any branch upon the sacred tree.
Sonnet 12: Aworokolokin (The 12th Ooni)
The king who spoke the language of the birds,
And read the secrets in the shifting wind.
He ruled with few but very potent words,
Where mercy and the sacred law were twinned.
He brought the forest’s healing to the town,
And kept the pestilence from the city gate;
Beneath the weight of the ancestral crown,
He steered the people through a narrow fate.
Sonnet 13: Ekun (The 13th Ooni)
Like to the leopard in the tall green grass,
He watched the borders with a silent eye.
He let the seasons and the decades pass,
Beneath the vast and unchanging Ife sky.
He was the guardian of the palace floor,
Where golden beads were traded for the grain;
He opened up the spiritual, secret door,
And brought the blessing of the summer rain.
Sonnet 14: Ajimuda (The 14th Ooni)
The smith who turned the silver into light,
And polished mirrors for the royal gaze.
He made the darkness of the forest bright,
Through all the long and hot and dusty days.
He was a king of industry and art,
Who valued beauty as a form of prayer;
He held the rhythm of the city’s heart,
Within his steady and his royal care.
Sonnet 15: Giesi (The 15th Ooni)
The founder of the second ruling house,
Whose name is honored in the modern age.
With noble spirit and with royal brows,
He wrote his story on the history’s page.
He balanced power with a gentle hand,
Ensuring every clan had room to breathe;
He planted peace across the fertile land,
And taught the warriors how their swords to sheathe.
Oonis 16 to 20: The Twilight of the Middle
Sonnet 16: Luwoo Gbagida (The 16th Ooni – Historical Note: Often cited as the 21st, but appearing here in the sequence of the 51 recorded)
The only woman on the golden throne,
Who paved the streets with shards of broken clay.
A queen of iron and of polished stone,
Who turned the night of custom into day.
She would not let the royal feet be soiled,
And demanded labor of the idle men;
For Ife’s glory, she and the people toiled,
To build the city as a shining glen.
Sonnet 17: Lumobi (The 17th Ooni)
He followed in the path the Queen had laid,
But softened laws that once were too severe.
Beneath the ancient Iroko’s deep shade,
He calmed the people and he stilled their fear.
He was a monarch of the middle ground,
Who sought the balance in the royal court;
Within his reign, a quiet peace was found,
As trade flowed freely to the city’s port.
Sonnet 18: Agunloye (The 18th Ooni)
The "Extender of the House," he took his name,
From how he built the palace halls so wide.
He fanned the embers of the royal flame,
With all the passion of his family’s pride.
He invited strangers to the city’s heart,
To share the wisdom of the Ifá priest;
He made the culture a majestic art,
And invited every soul to the holy feast.
Sonnet 19: Larunnoye (The 19th Ooni)
A king who loved the music of the flute,
And gathered singers from the hills around.
He saw the blossom and he saw the fruit,
Upon the sacred and the fertile ground.
He was a patron of the beaded crown,
Encouraging the artists in their craft;
He brought the blessings of the heavens down,
While in the palace, the ancestors laughed.
Sonnet 20: Ademilu (The 20th Ooni)
The twentieth to hold the Aare high,
He closed the chapter of the middle years.
Beneath the wide and orange evening sky,
He wiped away the people’s lingering tears.
He prepared the way for empires yet to be,
And kept the traditions of the elders pure;
The guardian of the sacred family,
Whose legacy would evermore endure.
Succession Record: In 2026, historians emphasize that while lists vary slightly, the official record maintained by the Lopo (palace historians) identifies these figures as the pillars of the Lafogido and Giesi houses.
The Paved Streets: The legend of Queen Luwoo (16th/21st) remains one of the most prominent archaeological markers in Ife; the "potsherd pavements" found throughout the city are traditionally attributed to her reign
(continue the historical cycle for 2026, we follow the established chronology from the 21st to the 30th Oonirisa (Oonis of Ife). This segment is defined by the unique reign of the female monarch, Luwoo Gbagida, and the stabilization of the lineages that would later be formalized into the four ruling houses.)
Oonis 21 to 25: The Pavement and the Power
Sonnet 21: Luwoo Gbagida (The 21st Ooni)
The only woman to hold the ancient bead,
Who would not let the royal feet meet clay.
She met the city’s and the spirit’s need,
By paving every street and every way.
With shards of pottery and broken tiles,
She built a kingdom that was bright and clean;
Her legacy still stretches across miles,
Where ancient courtyards can still be seen.
A queen of iron and of polished grace,
Who founded Iwo through her royal son.
She left her mark upon the Yoruba race,
Before her high and storied race was run.
But elders vowed, when her great reign did end,
That never more would woman’s rule ascend.
Sonnet 22: Lumobi (The 22nd Ooni)
He took the crown when Luwoo’s work was done,
And brought a softer hand to guide the state.
Beneath the gaze of Ife’s holy sun,
He sought to ease the people’s heavy fate.
He was the bridge that led back to the men,
Restoring order to the palace floor;
He brought the elders to the royal glen,
And opened wide the spiritual, secret door.
Sonnet 23: Agbedegbede (The 23rd Ooni)
The "Master of the Furnace" took the lead,
Whose name is fire and whose heart is steel.
He served the kingdom’s and the spirit’s need,
With all the passion that a king can feel.
He strengthened every gate and every wall,
As trade flowed freely through the city's heart;
He stood as steady and as proud and tall,
As any master of the ancient art.
Sonnet 24: Ojelokunbirin (The 24th Ooni)
The "Mask of the Sea" who ruled the inner world,
Where ritual and the modern spirit meet.
By his command, the sacred fans were furled,
To keep the kingdom’s mystery complete.
He watched the markets and the shrines grow deep,
In wealth that only secret gods could know;
The vigil of the ancestors he’d keep,
While in the streets, the tides of fortune flow.
Sonnet 25: Lagunja (The 25th Ooni)
The silver king who brought a time of peace,
Where barns were full and every clan was fed.
He saw the harvests and the herds increase,
Upon the land where holy prayers were said.
A monarch of the middle, quiet years,
Who kept the traditions of the fathers whole;
He wiped away the people’s lingering fears,
With all the vision of a royal soul.
Oonis 26 to 30: The Middle Era Closes
Sonnet 26: Larunnka (The 26th Ooni)
The voice of music and the sacred drum,
Who gathered singers to the palace gate.
He called the children of the land to come,
And celebrate the kingdom’s ancient fate.
He was a patron of the beaded crown,
Encouraging the artists in their skill;
He brought the blessings of the heavens down,
With all the power of a kingly will.
Sonnet 27: Ademilu (The 27th Ooni)
"The Crown that Merged with God," he took his name,
From how he unified the shrines of old.
He fanned the embers of the royal flame,
With stories that the elders long have told.
He saw the borders of the kingdom reach,
Toward the forest and the distant plain;
He practiced what the ancient Odu teach,
To keep the wisdom in the royal chain.
Sonnet 28: Omogbogbo (The 28th Ooni)
The "Son of All," who knew no single clan,
But treated every subject as his own.
The 28th to lead the race of man,
Upon the ancient and the holy throne.
He was a king of justice and of law,
Who settled every dispute in the street;
Within his eyes, the people only saw,
A soul where mercy and the power meet.
Sonnet 29: Ajila Oorun (The 29th Ooni)
"The Seven-Times-Blessed Sun" who shone so bright,
He brought a golden era to the town.
He made the darkness of the forest light,
Beneath the weight of the ancestral crown.
He built the granaries and the holy wells,
And kept the traditions of the elders pure;
As in the palace, every story tells,
Of how his legacy would long endure.
Sonnet 30: Adejinle (The 30th Ooni)
The 30th who wore the beaded hair,
And closed the chapter of the middle days.
He was a king of deep and quiet prayer,
Who walked within the spirit’s ancient maze.
He prepared the way for modern times to be,
And held the scepter with a steady hand;
The guardian of the sacred family,
Who kept the peace across the holy land.
2026 Historical Summary
Luwoo Gbagida: Formally identified as the 21st Ooni. She is remembered for commissioning the potsherd pavements found in Ife and for being the mother of Adekola Telu, founder of the Iwo Kingdom.
Succession Context: Following Luwoo's reign, the Council of Obas vowed never to appoint another female Ooni due to her perceived "high-handed" rule.
Lineage Continuity: These Oonis represent the period before the late 18th-century "Modern Era" and the colonial shifts.
(The sequence will continue from Ooni 31 to 40, including Olojo, Akinmoyero, and the 19th-century monarchs who faced the colonial dawn.)
continue
To continue the historical cycle for 2026, we move through the 31st to the 40th Oonirisa. This era marks the transition into the late 18th and 19th centuries, a period of significant regional expansion, internal shifts, and the beginnings of the modern era for the Yoruba people.
Oonis 31 to 35: The Transition of the Houses
Sonnet 31: Olojo (The 31st Ooni)
The king whose name is linked to light and day,
Who saw the city through a change of tide.
He kept the ancient festivals at bay,
With all the passion of his royal pride.
He strengthened every shrine and every gate,
As Ife remained the center of the soul;
He steered the people through the hand of fate,
To keep the spirit of the kingdom whole.
Sonnet 32: Okiti (The 32nd Ooni)
"The Mound of Strength," he stood upon the hill,
To watch the horizons of the Yoruba land.
He ruled with steady and a silent will,
With justice as the scepter in his hand.
He was a guardian of the palace floor,
Where elders gathered to discuss the law;
He opened up the ancestral, secret door,
And kept the traditions without a flaw.
Sonnet 33: Lugbedo (The 33rd Ooni)
The king who forged the links of unity,
And brought the warring houses to the peace.
He saw the strength in the great family,
And watched the city's harmony increase.
He was a monarch of the forge and field,
Who valued labor as a form of grace;
He would not let the ancient honors yield,
To keep the dignity of the royal race.
Sonnet 34: Aribiwoso (The 34th Ooni)
The 34th who wore the beaded veil,
Whose reign was marked by songs of long ago.
He would not let the ancient spirit fail,
But let the waters of the wisdom flow.
He was a patron of the talking drum,
That called the people to the palace square;
He let the children of the kingdom come,
Into his steady and his fatherly care.
Sonnet 35: Osinlade (The 35th Ooni)
"The One Who Bathes in Honor," was his name,
A king who walked with quiet, royal tread.
He fanned the embers of the holy flame,
Where offerings to the ancestors are fed.
He saw the markets flourish in his sight,
As Ife’s influence reached to every shore;
He turned the morning into golden light,
And kept the keys to every sacred door.
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