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Oranmiyan Omoluabi Odede, Great Prince of Ife, King of the Yoruba, also known as Oranyan, was a Yoruba king from the kingdom of Ile-Ife. Although he was the youngest, he became the prime heir of Oduduwa upon his return to claim his father's throne. According to Yoruba history, he founded Oyo as its first Alaafin at around the year 1300 after he had left Benin where he had been crowned the first Oba of Benin. Following the Oba Oranyan's death, his family is fabled to have erected the commemorative stele known as the Staff of Oranmiyan - Opa Oranmiyan in the Yoruba language - at the place where their father died. This obelisk Is 5.5m tall and about 1.2m in circumference at its base. During a storm in 1884 about 1.2m was broken off from its top and it has fallen down about twice and re-erected. It currently stands in a groove in Mopa, Ile-Ife. Radiocarbon tests have however shown that this royal marker was erected centuries before the start of the Oduduwa dynasty, during what is known as the "classical" Ife period.

Early Life

Not much is known about Oranmiyan's childhood and most information about his early life come from Ife sources. A man of two fathers - Oduduwa and Ogun - who had relations with the same woman, Lakange Anihunka (a slave captured by Ogun in one of his war expeditions) The legend further compounds the controversy as Oranmiyan, was two-tone in complexion: half his body was light-skinned (like Ogun), while the other was ebony-black, like Oduduwa! Prompting his name Oranmiyan or Oran ni Omo ni yan meaning The child has chosen to be controversial. His other name Odede set him up as a great hunter, which he was known throughout his early life in Ife and also a great warrior like his two fathers. His strength and talent at battle made him take up the role of defending Ife which had no standing military at the time as the first Akogun

Oranmiyan at Benin

The Edo chiefs, who had earlier requested for spiritual and political direction from Ife after the death of Ogiso Owodo of Benin Kingdom, were given Oranmiyan by his father Oduduwa to serve as their king. He however met opposition from the kindred of the Ogiso, and was refused entrance into the city upon his arrival there. Oranmiyan camped at a place called Use, meaning "making of a city" or "Politicking", and began to rule Benin. His foreign style of management didn't go down well with the chiefs, and they sent agents to spy on him. All this made Oranmiyan declare that only a son of the soil can cope with the attitude of the Igodomigodo people and call the land "Ile - Ibinu", meaning "Land of Vexation". On leaving Ile-Ibinu (later Ibini, and corrupted to "Benin" by the Portuguese), he stopped briefly at Egor where he took Erinmwide, the daughter of the Enogie (or duke) of Egor, as a wife. Eweka I was the result of this union. Oranmiyan was never to return to Benin. In his place, Eweka I became king. Oranmiyan, or Oromiyan as pronounced by the Edo people, is recognized as the first Oba of Benin and founder of the Eweka or Oba dynasty, which is still ruling today.

Oranmiyan at Oyo

After leaving Benin at about 1290, he moved north with his ever loyal entourage and settled close to the river Moshi (a tributary to the Niger River). He founded a city there, Oyo-Ile, which his descendants then expanded into the Oyo Empire. He engaged in war with the Bariba, his immediate neighbors to the north, and subsequently married Torosi, a Tapa princess, who became mother to Sango Akata Yẹri-Yẹri.

Oranyan festival

The first ever Oranyan Festival of Arts, Culture and Tourism was initiated in 2012 by his descendant and reigning successor, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III of Oyo, who mandated that subsequently the festival was to be celebrated annually between the 8th and 15th days of the month of September in Oyo, Nigeria.