Obalumo

Ọbalúmọ̀ (or Ọba'lúmọ̀ , a contraction of Ọba Olúmọ̀), is the titular name of the founder-king of the ancient Ìsèdó-Olúmọ̀ city-state of the Igbomina-Yoruba.

Origin of the Name and Title

Translations of the title Ọba’lúmọ̀ as “The King, the Lord of Knowledge” or “King of the Lords of Knowledge” or “King and Lord of Knowledge”, meaning “ Knowledgeable King,” suggests that this founder-king of the Ìsèdó city-state, who is reputed in oral history to be a veteran hunter and warrior, was also a highly skilled Herbal doctor/pharmacognosist and Babalawo (a diviner priest of the Ifa oracle).

Some oral history ascribe a personal name of Tìímọ̀ (pronounced Tì-í-mọ̀) to the first King Ọba'lúmọ̀. Tìímọ̀ led one of the migrations from the Ọ̀bà kingdom perhaps as a result of the cyclic conflict with their Nupe neighbours to the north. The orature of the Ìsèdó people refer to their recent ancestry from King Ọba'lúmọ̀ (Ọmọ Ọba’lúmọ̀ n’Ìsẹ̀dó), their more remote ancestry from the Ọ̀bà kingdom (Ọmọ ọrọ̀ l’Ọbà), as well as to their more ancient royal ancestry from King Olúnlákin of Ọ̀bà (Ọm’Ọba Olúnlákin).

Ọba'lúmọ̀. the Kingdom Founder

Results of recent archeological research of the region's contemporary and later settlements suggest that the Ìsèdó City-State commonly known as Ìsèdó-Olúmò (i.e. the Olúmò’s Ìsèdó), was established between the 10th and the 12th centuries by Òbà refugees (led by Oba'lúmò), displaced by internal wranglings within their former kingdom or/and the cyclic conflicts with the neighbouring Nupe to the north. (It was the same problem of cyclic conflicts with the Nupe that caused the ancient Òwu kingdom, perhaps a contemporary of Òbà, to move further south from their original location in this region to establish a new settlement called Orile-Òwu south of Ile-Ife).

Relationship with Other Ancient Igbomina Kingdom & City-States

Oratures of ancient origin and oral-historians ascribe the role of land-grant authority to the Oba'lúmò of Ìsèdó. Some oral historians report that at the request of Oduduwa’s fourth son Òràngún, the region’s king Oba'lúmò gave land-grants to the later arriving Òràngún immigrants at a location sufficiently distant from Ìsèdó’s location. Another, seemingly more reliable version of the oral history, indicates that the land-grant occurred a few centuries later, when the faction of the younger of two quarreling princes arrived from the Ìlá Yàrà schism in the vicinity of the Oba'lúmò's Ìsèdó kingdom. This younger prince, Arutu Oluokun, founded Ila-Magbon but the new kingdom was forced to move within a short time to establish another settlement at Ila-Odo which is the settlement that became the modern Ìlá Òràngún.

An annual celebration called "Ìmárúgbó" (or "Òkùnrìn") festival was instituted between the two city-states during which the King Òràngún leaves his palace with his chiefs to pay a day-long homage to the King Oba'lúmò in the Oba'lúmò's palace. This is in partly in symbolic tribute to Oba'lúmò's land grant and his (Oba'lúmò's) precedence of him (the Òràngún) in the region, and partly in appreciation of Oba'lúmò's hosting of the Òràngún's elderly mother who could not continue with the immigrant party to their allocated land. The Òràngún's mother died in the palace of the Oba'lúmò and was buried at Ìsèdó, so the Òràngún also visits her grave.

The older Òràngún prince's faction departing the Ìlá Yàrà schism, established a new settlement called Igbohun. After a few other settlement locations, the modern Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún was founded near the original Igbohun. The Obaálá clan of Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún, according to their oratures which refer to their origin from Ìsèdó, is actually a segment of the Ìsèdó royalty which emigrated several centuries ago (for some yet indeterminate reason) to the kingdom of Oke-Ila Orangun. At Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún, the Ìsèdó immigrants retained their royal title of Oba'lúmò (and for some time probably their separateness), but subsequently "federated" or consolidated with the Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún kingdom. In the Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún heirachy, they were accorded an additional recognition awarding their clan the title of Obaálá ("mighty king" or "senior king"), a title next in rank to the Òràngún of Òkè-Ìlá the paramount king. The Obaálá automatically becomes regent on the demise of any reigning Òràngún of Òkè-Ìlá.

Modern Status and Role in Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún and Ìlá Òràngún

The Oba'lúmò's Ìsèdó city-state has been virtually engulfed by the modern Ìlá Òràngún but the clan has maintained the royal title of Oba'lúmò. The modern Oba'lúmò clan which is now enclosed within Ìlá Òràngún, has about thirteen various sub-clans and, as with the branch of the clan in Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún, maintains traditions and festivals that go back to the founding of Ìsèdó, as well as to their original homeland at Òbà.

In Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún, the Ìsèdó clan of Òkè-Ìlá for some reason, did not fill the Oba'lúmò title for more than a century before the current one that was installed in 2003. From oral historians accounts of events, the reason for this long interregnum is perhaps connected to the internal strife in the Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún kingdom that let to the treacherous murder at the war-front of Páko, who was then an Obaálá/Oba'lúmò candidate. However, the clan's oral historians ascribe the long interregnum to a population shortfall in the clan and consequent lack of suitable candidates. As to why the the holder of the Obaálá title had not continued the practice in the past of taking the additional royal title of Oba'lúmò, the clan's oral historians indicate that there was a shortage of the required retinue servants that were dedicated to the various ritual observances, ceremonies and royal etiquettes of the holder of the Oba'lúmò title as to his water, his meals and various ceremonial routines.

In the modern Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún and Ìlá Òràngún, the king Oba'lúmò of the Ìsèdó clans, works cooperatively with the paramount kings (Òràngún), for the development of the consolidated city-states while maintaining their own royal heritage and the observances of their ancient kingdoms at Ìsèdó and earlier at Òbà.