The name Awori was said to have emerged from a particular scenario in which Oduduwa the founder of the Yoruba who settled in Ile-Ife was said to have given Olofin who is also known as Ogunfunminiere the founder of Awori a mud plate and instructed him to follow the mud plate until it sank into the river.
Following this instruction, Olofin and his follower began to follow the mud plate through the river until it stopped near Olokemeji in Abeokuta, till after seventeen days, the mud plate began to move again and stopped at Oke-Ata also in Abeokuta for another seventeen days. It also stopped at the outskirt of Abeokuta for another seventeen days where some of the follower of Olofin decided to remain, led by Osho Aro-bi-ologboegan.
After this the mud continue again and stopped at Isheri, for more than seventeen days where Olofin advised some of his follower to settled there until after 289days which was eventually 17X17 the mud plate moved again. Olofin and some of his follower journeyed for two days and stopped at Iddo in Lagos before it finally stopped at Idumota, the central of Lagos where it sank, after then Olofin return to his people at Iddo where they asked him about the mud plate and he replied by saying “Awo Ti Ri” which means the mud plate have sunk. That was how the name Awori is said to have come into being.
The most profound festival includes, Oro, Egungun, and Gelede festivals among the traditional Awori communities are celebrated as people celebrate modern Sallah and Christmas with indigenes trooping back home from far and near when dates are fixed.
Talking about religion, Traditional beliefs and practice exist alongside Islam and Christianity. Some of the Awori combined Islam or Christianity with their traditional beliefs and practices. Islam was introduced to different parts of Aworiland before the twentieth century by Muslim clerics from the hinterland, while the diffusion of Christianity followed missionary activities in the region of Badagry from the 1840s.
The use of Ifa oracle in the determination of certain issues and events such as date of festival, coronation ceremony, causes of state calamity is in practice among traditional believers. Individual’s future and fortune remained an important aspect of Yoruba civilization, which the Awori still retain. In addition, the institutions of priesthood and palace society for which the Yoruba of the interior are famous features prominently between them. For instance, the possession of Ade crown and recognition of Oba, which is the highest conception of political authority among the Yoruba, is what every tradition leader; especially those from royal lineages in Aworiland aspire to.
The Aworis are more active in fishing compare to the other type of conventional farming due to the geographical location and also history attached to the people, following a mud plate through the river for days before settlement shows a tie destiny with river.
Aside that, they also deal with palm oil, cassava, yams. Crop farming was of two geographical Categories: compound farmland called Oko-Etile and distant farmland called Oko Egan. It is in Oko Egan that most of the permanent crops like cocoa, palm trees and crops of commercial value like maize cocoyams, cassava, guinea corn etc, were grown. The Oko Etile is marked by cultivation of garden crops such as pepper, tomatoes and onions, Okro lemons, melon, vegetables, pumpkins, and soya beans, etc.
OLUWASEUN AFOLABI
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