The Adventures of Cosmic Yoruba
& Her Flying Machines too
Did you know that “Sudan” was the term used by Arabs historically to refer to lands south of the Sahara? Ah, it seems this north/south divide is older than I thought. “Western Sudan” refers to north of the river Niger. In this context “Western Sudan” will be the area in what is now Northern Nigeria.…
Fantasy History is a series by Vitabu Books that features “excerpts from a book on Sierra Leonean women councilors, mayors, cabinet ministers, and political candidates”. The first of this series covers the life of Constance Horton Cummings-John, a pioneering politician from Sierra Leonean history. Constance came from an influential family and was an activist for…
‘Who was…?’ a new series that explores the African women who pop up in history yet remain mysterious. History. When I look into it, what I see is men, men, men, oh here’s a woman, men and more men. This pattern repeats itself when one investigates that part of history that is even less popular…
If you’ve not read the Brittle Paper interview with Omítọ̀nàdé Ifáwẹ̀mímọ́, you should head over there right now. Omítọ̀nàdé is a priestess of Yemoja and had really interesting things to say while explaining her faith and stance as a Yoruba traditional worshipper. I’ve seen in so many places online where Ifa and Orisha worship are…
Another one from the drafts. In an earlier post I shared what I had read from Renee Pittin’s research on gidajen mata in Katsina, Northern Nigeria. Here I will share another aspect of these houses of women, that of the connection between ‘yan daudu, karuwai and the bori “cult”. Unfortunately, bori is often described as…
‘Who was…?’ a new series that explores the African women who pop up in history yet remain mysterious. After Mansa Musa, the most famed Malian king, came Mansa Maghan I and after him, Mansa Suleiman. Suleiman assumed the throne in 1341, he was described as miserly, forgetful or a liar by ibn Battuta the medieval…
A resource for all things Yoruba, past, present and maybe future. They have little tidbits like Yoruba symbols of communication in the Middle Ages (there’s a part 2!). That and this article on Yoruba life in the Middle Ages were very useful to me recently when I decided to write some historical fiction all of…
In this cosmic space, there is no denying that we love history. Yet history is not just about what has happened in the past, it is also what is being created now. Life stories to me are like time capsules. They are important tools through which women can record their stories in their own words,…
When you think of “mud” buildings, I bet palaces do not come to mind first. This replica of the Palace of the Emir of Katsina is breathtaking. I shared it on tumblr last year and remembered it because it is the season of unbearable heat in Nigeria at the moment. I keep thinking of how…
If you thought Ahebi Ugbabe was the only woman to befriend colonial agents and possibly help expand their hold on her community, think again. I present Alaba Ida, a royal wife of Ketu (a Yoruba kingdom in present day Benin Republic) who later in her life became a “queen” to the French. Born around 1854,…