It is difficult these days to talk of compound family in Igangan-Ijesha because of the complexity and largeness of the community. In other words, Igangan-Ijesha used to be a very small community where people could easily recognise their compound family.
Now, many Igangan indigenes in diaspora find it quite difficult to trace their way back home because of the difficulty they face in finding their compound.
This article is published to examine both the historic and the extended compounds in Igangan-Ijesha including their affinity with their respective gods, deities and others.
I made this article out of the oral tradition I collected from the current Asawo of Igangan-Ijesha, Oloye Folorunsho Aribilola. I examine the nine (9) historic compounds Igangan and other compounds that emanated from the historic ones to date.
Contents
Historic Compounds
From the beginning, 9 persons – that is 9 compounds – headed by Arake migrated to Igangan-Ijesha around the 1420s to establish a settlement. They also brought along with them their loved ones, wives and apprentices.
These nine foundational compounds in Igangan are Saba, Adolo-Akin (Oke-Iroko Omo), Wadogun, Sajugu, Ogomoisi-Yoko, Olojo Egbirigbiri Ogunmo (Omo Ajantari) and others.
Extended Compounds
These historic compounds extended to several compound families as the population of the peopling kept growing. The extended (contemporary) ones are examined and linked with their historic compounds. Also, I took pictures of houses I could get during my travel to Igangan-Ijesha
Saba
The Saba hosts the Ajo-Ilu meeting in his house and this house performs rituals for the Arake deity.
Ajo-Ilu holds every nine days and is hosted by the Oloye Saba of Igangan-Ijesha. Saba worships the Arake festival, while the Kabiyesi worships Olookun. Compounds under Saba are:
- Saba (Arake)
- Adeniyi
- Ogunkoyejo
- Akoidu
- Ojigi
- Ogundiyimu
Ogomoisi-Yoko
This compound is also linked to Oke Iroko Omo. They’re from a maternal lineage of Igba-Odu, according to the tradition of Igangan-Ijesha.
The following are the compound under Ogomoisi-Yoko:
- Igba Odu
- Osungboun
- Akintunde
- Oyeniran
- Adeyeye
- Abu Awe
Wadogun Asagba Sun
The Balemo chief comes from this family. They worship, and perform rituals to Wadogun, a deity in Igangan-Ijesha. The current Oluode and Loogan are from Wadogun’s compound. Compounds under Wadogun are:
- Ogbara
- Oni
Adolo-Akin
The Adolo-Akin compound is also linked to Oke-Iroko Omo in what is now known as Oke-Iroko Omo street in Igangan-Ijesha. The listed compounds fall under Adolo-Akin:
- Oke-Iroko Omo
- Ijifisayo
- Awokola
- Awofisibe
Olojo Egbirigbiri Ogunmo (Ajantari)
This family produces chief Asawo, the community chief priest. The current Asawo during the time of writing this article is Asawo Aribilola Folorunso who narrated this tradition to me in early July 2022.
Asawo is the community chief priest who is responsible for the implantation of oath, rituals and other things in that line Compounds under Ajantari are:
- Aribilola
- Anurin
- Olukanni
- Aro
- Beleyeke
Expansion
These early settlers also went back to Igbagiri to encourage their people to migrate to Igangan-Ijesha, thereby expanding the population of the people, and the community at large. They settled at Odo-Igbagiri in Igangan-Ijesha at that time.
Marriage was also a factor responsible for the expansion of the community during this period. For instance, Ajantari came with his apprentice who was learning Ifa. He settled at what is now known as Odolaye Street in Igangan-Ijesha.
Ajantari’s father who was then the Aro Agba (elder Aro chief) married three wives and had three sons: Anurin, Oluganni, and Aribilola. Aribilola married eleven (11) wives, Anurin married two wives: Beleyeke and Sekoni.
Conclusion
If your compound family is not here, comment with the name of the compound below to help me search for it in Igangan. If you know yours and it’s not here, kindly use the comment box below to submit the name and pictures (if available)
Moreover, getting articles about Igangan-Ijesha on the internet has always been based on oral tradition which is quite demanding.
I hope to get tens of hundreds of articles about Igangan-Ijesha on my website, TADEXPROF, to help Igangan-Ijesha indigenes in diaspora, corps members posted to Igangan-Ijesha as well as researchers. Donate
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