Moremi Ajasoro (Yoruba: Mọremí Àjàṣorò) was a legendary Yoruba queen and folk heroine in the
Yorubaland region of present-day southwestern Nigeria assisted in the liberation of the Yoruba
Kingdom of Ife from the neighboring Ugbo Kingdom.
She was a courageous queen of the ancient Yoruba city-state of Ile-Ife, known for her bravery and sacrifice
to save her people from the neighboring kingdom of the Ugbo people. According to the myth, Moremi
allowed herself to be captured by the Ugbo people to learn their secrets and tactics, which she then used
to help her people defeat them. She is celebrated as a symbol of bravery, intelligence, and selflessness in
Yoruba culture. Moremi was married to Oranmiyan, the son of Oduduwa, the first king of Ife.
Biography
The Ayaba (Queen Consort) Moremi lived in the 12th century, hailed from the area of Offa, and was married to Oramiyan, the heir to the king of Ife and son of the founding father of the Yoruba people, Oduduwa.
Ile-Ife was a kingdom that was said to have been at war with an adjoining group who were known to them as the Forest people, Ugbò in the Yoruba language.
Scores of Ife citizens were being enslaved by these people, and because of this, they were generally regarded with disdain by the denizens of early Ife. Although the people of Ile-Ife were furious about their raids, they did not have the means to defend themselves. This is because the invaders were seen as spirits (Ará Ọ̀rùn) by the people of Ife, appearing as masquerades completely covered in raffia palm fronds.
A movie was made in honor of Queen Moremi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zdbhLwGyR0
Queen Moremi was a courageous, brave, and beautiful woman who, to deal with the problems facing
her people, pledged a great sacrifice to the Spirit of the Esimirin River so that she could discover the
strength of her nation’s enemies.
Following the incessant raids and with Ife under siege, she took the heroic step of offering herself to
be captured by the raiders. She was then taken as a slave by the Ugbo, and due to her beauty and
Esimirin’s help, she married their ruler as his anointed queen. After familiarizing herself with the secrets
of her new husband’s army, she escaped to Ile-Ife and revealed this to the Yorubas, who were
then able to subsequently defeat them in battle using the intelligence she provided.
Following the war, she returned to her first husband, King Oramiyan of Ife (and later Oyo), who immediately
had her re-instated as his queen.
The Life Of Moremi Ajasoro
Moremi returned to the Esimirin River to fulfill her pledge. The river demanded she sacrifice her only son, Oluorogbo. The demand was inconceivable, and Moremi pleaded with the god for a less terrible offering to be accepted. In the end, however, she kept her promise and paid the price. The offering of Oluorogbo to the river god grieved not only Moremi but the whole kingdom of Ife. Its people consoled Queen Moremi by offering to be her eternal children as a replacement for the child she lost – a promise kept by them until today.
The Sacrifice and Triumph
Moremi’s time among the Igbo people was fraught with danger and uncertainty. Yet, she remained resolute in her mission, gathering vital intelligence that would prove invaluable to her people.
Through her cunning and resourcefulness, she uncovered the weaknesses of the Ugbo warriors, their strategies, and their vulnerabilities. But Moremi’s sacrifice did not end there.
Armed with the knowledge she had gained, she returned to her homeland and shared her
findings with her people. With her guidance, the people of Ile-Ife were able to devise a cunning plan
to defeat their adversaries and secure their freedom once and for all.
In a daring and decisive battle, the forces of Ile-Ife emerged victorious, thanks in no small part to the bravery and sacrifice of Moremi Ajasoro. Her unwavering courage and selflessness had saved her people from the brink of destruction, earning her a place of honor and reverence in the annals of Yoruba history.
Legacy
The Edi Festival was started shortly after Moremi’s death to celebrate the sacrifice she made for the Yoruba people. More recently, Queen Moremi: The Musical – a theatrical story of love, faith, honor, and the ultimate sacrifice – has also been produced.
Moremi’s legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of the Nigerian people, who honor her memory through festivals, monuments, and cultural celebrations. Her tale serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration, reminding us all of the transformative power of courage and sacrifice in the face of adversity.
In the annals of history, Moremi Ajasoro stands as a shining example of the indomitable spirit of the human soul, forever immortalized as a true heroine of Yoruba folklore and a symbol of resilience for generations to come.
Various public places are named after her in the contemporary Yorubaland region of Nigeria, such as Moremi High School and the female residence halls at the University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo University.
In 2017, Oba Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Osun State, erected a statue of Moremi in his palace. The statue is the tallest in Nigeria, displacing the previous holder of that record (a statue in Owerri, the Imo State capital). It is also the fourth tallest in Africa.
Read More: https://placesandlifestyle.com/the-olojo-festival-a-celebration-of-culture-and-tradtion/
