Ọba — King / traditional ruler
Category: Titles
The title for a Yorùbá traditional monarch, who rules over a town or kingdom.
An Ọba is typically enthroned with ceremonial regalia, including a beaded crown.
An Ọba's authority traditionally combines political leadership with a spiritual role — many Yorùbá kingship traditions describe the beaded crown itself, often with a veiled front, as carrying a sacred quality distinct from the person wearing it.
Succession customs vary significantly from town to town: some kingdoms rotate the throne between a fixed number of ruling-family houses, while others follow a more direct line of descent — there is no single, universal Yorùbá rule for how a new Ọba is chosen.
Example: Ọba náà jókòó lórí ìtẹ́ rẹ̀ pẹ̀lú adé rẹ̀. — "The king sat on his throne with his crown."
Related words:
- Ààfin — Palace
- Adé — Crown