WHY I ALWAYS WEAR ‘ABETIAJA’ AND NOT THE CROWN ALAAFIN OF OYO .

 ~ ALAAFIN OF OYO Oba Lamidi Adeyemi has revealed why the ‎abetiaja cap has become the symbol of the Alaafin of Oyo, explaining that the crown must be ‘sparingly’ worn for its distinctiveness and cultural essence.

He added that some monarchs have their crowns into fashion objects. The monarch disclosed that “the ‎crown is a sacred object. It is the most prized paraphernalia of kingship. It connotes the essence of the Oba. Yoruba Obas wear crowns for cultural, traditional and religious purposes. During festivals, the attraction and indeed gravitational pull of the crown are unparalleled

” According to Oba Adeyemi, who is nearing his 50th year on the throne, “the subjects must be eager to see the type of crown the Oba would wear. An average subject must see the crown of the Oba once in his lifetime. Subjects can only see the Alaafin putting on his crown in pictures. How many times is Her Imperial Majesty, the Queen of England, seen wearing her crown? What you see on her is her hat. It is not right to find traditional rulers wearing their crowns to just any kind of meeting or social function. Some monarchs have turned it into fashion objects. You will also find them carrying the same staff but with different colours everywhere.

Even if their subjects don’t publicly talk about it, they are not happy about it.” Speaking on why he sticks to the abetiaja cap, ‎he noted: “The abetiaja cap is a way to send a message. You can see that it is designed in a manner resembling the ears of a dog. The way I shape each piece sends a message. There is a specific message attached when one piece is shaped vertically and the other horizontally. If the two pieces are shaped vertically or horizontally, there is a message to be communicated.




These messages are coded; only those who are versed in Yoruba culture can decode them. This is one of the intangible cultural heritages of Yoruba.” Oba Adeyemi said the Yoruba nation is one of the strongest ethnic groups in Nigeria. ‎”What you call the Yoruba question is not as simple as you asked.