Ile-Ife, in Nigeria’s Osun State, is revered as the Yoruba race’s birthplace, making its presiding Ooni (King) a prominent figure among Yoruba traditional rulers.
Interestingly, NAIJATRAFFIC reports that over 70% of Yorubas are unaware of Ife’s history with a female king.
Moreover, nearly half of this percentage were astonished, given the Yoruba culture’s traditional patriarchal norms, which rarely allow for female monarchs.
Queen Luwoo of Ife is one of the few female Yoruba traditional rulers recognized in history, as she reportedly hindered future opportunities for women to rule Ile-Ife.
Who was Queen Luwoo of Ife?
Queen Luwoo was the 21st Ooni of Ife and remains the only woman to have ever held the throne. She followed Ooni Giesi, the 20th Ooni of Ile-Ife.
In ancient Yoruba land, writing was not practiced, so much of the history from that time was passed down orally. As these stories were transmitted through generations, many details were gradually lost, leaving little information about Queen Luwoo of Ife.
However, further research into the history of Ile-Ife reveals that Queen Luwoo was a woman of beauty and grace who cherished cleanliness in her surroundings, akin to a mother’s love for her children.
NAIJATRAFFIC reports that she pioneered the construction of decorative pavements and courtyards with pottery shard adornments in Ile-Ife, setting a precedent later followed in other Yoruba territories. The majority of Ile-Ife’s roads were beautifully decorated with quartz stones and shattered pottery, with some sections still intact today.
Queen Luwoo did not employ builders to enhance the streets of Ife or parts of the palace with broken pottery; instead, she made offenders, regardless of age or gender, complete the task by hand.
As previously mentioned, history has not been favorable to Queen Luwoo’s legacy, as it recorded that she hindered the possibility of another female Ooni in Ile-Ife. Her subjects perceived her as authoritarian, arrogant, and harsh, ruling as if there would be no tomorrow.
She was also criticized for prioritizing her beauty and elegance over the administration of the kingdom. Consequently, following her death, the kingmakers convened and resolved never to crown another woman as Ooni of Ife indefinitely.
Queen Luwoo of Ife was succeeded by Ooni Lumobi, a male.
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