Abstract

In 2016, the Ọọ̀ni (King of Ife) erected a 42-foot statue of Mórẹ̀mí in Ilé-Ifẹ̀. Here, mythico-legendary history takes root in a concrete and material object. History binds itself to materiality. However, this history and heritage have been challenged by the construction of another statue of Mórẹ̀mí by Ọba Akinrùntán, the Adétolugbò of Ùgbò Kingdom. His act serves as a direct challenge to the Ọọ̀ni’s statue and constitutes a rejection of his reading of Yorùbá history. I frame this analysis within the discourse of dissonant heritage and memory. How do we engage the complex and often conflicting ways in which both the Ọọ̀ni and the Ọba of Ùgbò interpret and ascribe divergent meanings to the shared story of Mórẹ̀mí? Furthermore, implicated within this dissonance is the House of Ọ̀rànfẹ̀ in Ilé-Ifẹ̀, who are historically linked to the Ọba of Ùgbò. Although they seek recognition of the fuller history of Ifẹ̀, they nevertheless align with the House of Odùduwà, represented by the Ọọ̀ni. It is important to attend to the political negotiations and tensions embedded in these alignments. Additionally, I explore broader questions surrounding the following: (1) whether Odùduwà is the progenitor of the Yorùbá race, which involves the politics of Ilé-Ifẹ̀’s historical narrative, with this section being primarily historical in examining how the Palace negotiates this legacy; and (2) the battle for supremacy among Yorùbá kings.

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