The Alémo̩Sóko Festival in Ìdóàní, Ondo State

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue V, May 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

The Alémo̩Sóko Festival in Ìdóàní, Ondo State

Omobola Agnes Aladesanmi PhD
Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria

Abstract: – This paper investigates the cultural factors that are responsible for the continuity of the Alémo̩sóko festival among the Iyayu people of Idoani in Ondo State of Nigeria. This study is an attempt to unravel the cultural factors that are responsible for the continuity of the Alemosoko festival at Iyayu quarter of Idoani in Ondo State despite the dominant presence of foreign religions such as Christianity and Islam which maintain a negative attitude towards traditions. Findings in this paper reveal that, the continuity of the Alémo̩sóko festival is hinged on the involvement of every family or house hold in the Ìyàyú quarters. The age group of age of 34 and 44 are made to participate fully in the Alémo̩sóko festival. Findings also show that, there are age differences among those who participate in Alémo̩sóko festival and those who masquerade in other Yorùbá towns and villages. While previous studies do not specify the ages of those who can masquerade, the present study on Alémo̩sóko festival stipulates the ages of the people who can masquerade in the Iyayu quarters at Idoani is between 34 and 44 years. For data collection, oral interview was employed by interviewing selected people of Iyayu people of Idoani in Ondo State. A simple percentage statistical method was used to test the data that were collected.

Keywords: Alémọsóko, festival, traditions, religions, cultural factors

I. INTRODUCTION

Ìdóàní, a town in Ò̩sé̩ Local Government Area of Oǹdó State, is a conglomeration of several ethnic groups which include Amùsìgbó, Ìsùré̩, Àkò̩, Ìsè̩wà, Ìyàyú and O̩wani. Today, Ìdóàní, which is about forty kilometers from Ò̩wò̩ on the way to Igarra in Edo State and Kabba in Kogi State, is the administrative headquarters of Irékárí Area Office. The Area Office comprises Àfò, Ìdóàní and Ìdógún (see Iko̩tun, 1995). Historically, Ìyàyú people were said to have migrated from Só̩san, a Local Government Area of Ondo State, to Ìdóàní about four hundred years ago1. The Ìsè̩wà people were said to have left Benin many years ago and had stayed at least in ten different places before they finally settled at the present site called Ìsè̩wà in 19502. Although they would have wished to stay at a place not very far from Ìdóàní, especially for cultural reasons, they decided to move to the present place because of lack of motorable roads to the former place. O̩wani people too claimed to have migrated from Benin, in the old Benin kingdom about three hundred years ago. In 1920, historical evidence claimed that they finally settled at the present O̩wani which is about four kilometers from Ìdóàní3. Ìsùré̩ people were said to have left Ilé – Ifè̩ for a place called Ìsùré̩ about two kilometers from Ìdóàní and, on the advice of the then District Officer, Mr. C. Conor ,a European, they moved to the present Ìsùré̩ in 19214.

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