The Owos are a subgroup of the Yoruba people in Eastern Yorubaland who trace their origin to Ile ife. The Owo Kingdom is ruled by the Olowo, Oba Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi III, who is the eldest son of the previous oba, Olateru Olagbegi II.
The Owo kingdom is comprised of many other towns and villages apart from Owo town itself. Such settlements include Emure Uli (Emure Ile), Uso, Upele (Ipele), Upenmen (Ipeme), Amuren etc. Traditionally the towns in the Osse local government were all at the beck and call of the Olowo, such as Ifon omimah, Ute, Ujagba (Ijagba), Arimogija, Okeluse, Ogbese, Sobe, Ido-Ani, Ugbonla etc.

Owo is one of the most historic and prolific centres of Yoruba civilizations, producing several works of art in various media, such as brass, and terracotta. Owo is also said to have the largest palace (Aghofen) in Africa which, it sits on 9 and a half acres of land, and was declared a national monument by the federal government. The Olowo Palace had as many as 100 courtyards (Ugha). Each courtyard had a specific function and was dedicated to a particular deity. The largest, said to have been twice the size of an American football field, was used for public assemblies and festivals. Some courtyards were paved with quartz pebbles or broken pottery. Pillars supporting the veranda roofs were carved with statues of the king mounted on a horse or shown with his senior wife. Owo is divided into the Following districts.

Udashen
Upenmen
Uselu (Iselu)
Isuada
Uyere
Uso
Ujebu (Ijebu)
Upele
Uloro

In this thread, I'll be showing various pictures of festivals, rites, cultural events etc from the historic Kingdom of OGHO IMADE.

I'll start with a few masquerades.

African culture is truly rich and amazing!
We've got fierce looking masquerades and very powerful jazz.
I still wonder how white people managed to subdue and colonize us, despite our "very potent" black science

This picture was taken during the 1950's. This was the tradition in Owo till the 1960s. Virgins went topless for the day and were dressed with different colours of ileke-idi (waist beads).
During igogo, the Olowo and other tirtled men in Owo also dressed like ladies to commemorate a very ancient Olori who sacrifised a lot fotr the survival of the Owo Kingdom with his hair braided.

Some scenes from the palace

MrRichmond:
African culture is truly rich and amazing!
We've got fierce looking masquerades and very powerful jazz.
I still wonder how white people managed to subdue and colonize us, despite our "very potent" black science

Egungun or Egun (Masquerades) are not protective Jujus or "Jazz" in Yoruba culture, they are a symbolic representation of the dead as well as past ancestors.
That being said, colonialism and subjugation by european powers has nothing to do with "black science" as you put it or whatever.

Ogho to the bone...following

Are they yorubas...


Because there language dont sound yoruba o

flashyoba231:
Ogho to the bone...following

Mo ki eghen gede o.

Blackfire:
Are they yorubas...

Because there language dont sound yoruba o

Proudly Ogho imade
Proudly Yoruba!

A picture of an Owo chief, Chief Aladeleye Ogwasoyen Oloye Ariyo, the Ariyo of Owo. (Owo ca 1950s)

On him are the following: Ape, Udamalore, Pakato, Ubolukun and Efa.



Display of Ogho (Owo) culture

Paramount rulers of the Owo kingdom, the Oba and the Ojomo luda, Past and present.



Olagbegi III the present Oba.

Blackfire:
Are they yorubas...


Because there language dont sound yoruba o

Yes they are Yoruba and their language does sound like Yoruba. Maybe, it's not the type of Yoruba you are familiar with, but it's still Yoruba. Broaden your horizon, Yoruba language isn't just the Yoruba spoken in Lagos or Ibadan.

Blackfire:
Are they yorubas...


Because there language dont sound yoruba o

OWO language is a mixture of yoruba and bini. UGHA is a bini's word that mean court.

What are the rulers of those district called?

The story of Owo is not complete without Benin. Virtually the entire original people of many parts of Owo are Benin people. Upele is a good example. I have family throughout the area. The traditional rulers in that picture are all my people by the way.
The current Olowo is Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III. A lawyer and former permanent secretary.

Owo history can never be mentioned without Oba Olateru Olagbegi II who was twice Oba/Olowo/Ologho (1941-1968 and 1993-1999), founded Imade College and brought modernity to Owo. Action Group was launched in his palace and assisted Michael Ajasin's career massively. Ajasin drafted Western Region education policy blueprint for Awo. As a former Imade College Principal, Ajasin's educationist ideas drove the education policy that Awo implemented. It led to Yoruba's high level of education.

Olowo Ojugbelu Arere (founder), Olowo Imade, Olowo Rerengejen and Ologho Elewuokun are also key historical figures.

The current ruling houses are Olateru-Olagbegi, Ajike and Ogunoye. All the ruling houses descend from Oba Elewuokun.

tunde233:
What are the rulers of those district called?

You have Olupele of Upele, Oniyere of Uyere, Olute of Ute, Asuada of Isuada, etc.

The ruler of Ijebu-Owo is Oba Ojomo-Oluda. Some may refer to him as Onijebu or just as The Ojomo.

AreaFada2:
The story of Owo is not complete without Benin. Virtually the entire original people of many parts of Owo are Benin people. Upele is a good example. I have family throughout the area. The traditional rulers in that picture are all my people by the way.
The current Olowo is Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III. A lawyer and former permanent secretary.

Owo history can never be mentioned without Oba Olateru Olagbegi II who was twice Oba/Olowo/Ologho (1941-1968 and 1993-1999), founded Imade College and brought modernity to Owo. Action Group was launched in his palace and assisted Michael Ajasin's career massively. Ajasin drafted Western Region education policy blueprint for Awo. As a former Imade College Principal, Ajasin's educationist ideas drove the education policy that Awo implemented. It led to Yoruba's high level of education.

Olowo Ojugbelu Arere (founder), Olowo Imade, Olowo Rerengejen and Ologho Elewuokun are also key historical figures.

The current ruling houses are Olateru-Olagbegi, Ajike and Ogunoye. All the ruling houses descend from Oba Elewuokun.

I was scrolling wondering when someone was going to point this out..... Then I saw your comment 🙌

Blackfire:
Are they yorubas...


Because there language dont sound yoruba o

I tire oo, every picture on this thread screams "Benin/Edo" Even down to the Masquerade......