Ogboni
- proper noun
:
sociedad Ogboni
- From 1850 onward, Abeokuta was a fast-growing city that harbored several kings, several Ogboni lodges, and quite a number of war chiefs, locked together in an ever-shifting power balance.
- Ogboni society
- Ogboni member
- Ogboni carvings
Examples
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"Among the Egbas," he noted, "the Ogboni are more powerful than the king" (Baudin 1885:63).
Academic text (2002) -
Uneasy about the power wielded by Ogboni in particular, the C.M.S. conducted a formal inquiry into its affairs.
Academic text (2002) -
Some of the works can be associated with a specific Ogboni office.
Academic text (2002) -
What is more, he held the highest Ogboni title, that of Oluwo.
Academic text (2002) -
Richard Burton may have been the first to mention an Ogboni woodcarving in print.
Academic text (2002) -
Ownership of such an object would have added to the prestige of its Ogboni wearer in the local community.
Academic text (2002) -
Why were carvings of Ogboni officials relatively prominent in Abeokuta yet so rare elsewhere?
Academic text (2002) -
Sydow's photograph of the Ogboni courtyard provides important contextual information for the placement of the carved images.
Academic text (2002) -
In one of them (Fig. 14), we see four Ogboni members in their distinctive attire, as depicted in the carvings.
Academic text (2002) -
The Ogboni society plays a critical role in the governance of the Yoruba community.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Ogboni comes from the Yoruba people of Nigeria and names a traditional secret society that mixes religion, law and local politics. Think of the Ogboni as a 'council' of elders who make decisions and lead ceremonies, which explains why the word refers to the whole group.
