Ìlá ló l’ẹmu: Why Palm Wine from Ìlá Holds Legendary Status in Yoruba Culture
Across Yoruba land, palm wine is cherished. But one town’s name keeps returning in solemn reverence. Why has Ìlá’s palm wine earned a reputation that refuses to fade?
Yoruba Sayings
A collection of Yoruba sayings and slangs that are not core proverbs or adages per se.
Òròòru làá ṣ’èkà – Yoruba Wisdom on Cruelty, Exposure, and Consequence
Cruelty thrives in secrecy, but open injustice invites reckoning. This Yoruba proverb warns that harm done without shame never ends well.
Agbàlọ́wọ́ọ méèrí, Baálẹ̀ Jòǹtolo — Yoruba Wisdom on Power and Extortion
Some leaders are remembered for building. Others are remembered for taking. Yoruba wisdom preserves both, but never confuses the two. A piercing Yoruba proverb that names power without mercy and leadership without conscience. When authority feeds on scarcity, culture never forgets, and neither does history.
À ṣé oò tiẹ̀ le – Yoruba Wisdom on False Bravado and Pressure
A quaint Yoruba slang that mocks false bravado, fake toughness, and untested confidence. When pressure arrives, who truly holds and who folds?
Ewu iná kìí pa àwòdì – Yoruba Wisdom on Resilience and Mastery Over Danger
A Yoruba proverb celebrating strength and preparedness: the peril of fire cannot harm the falcon. Wisdom for courage grounded in skill and resilience.
Ọdún á y’abo – Yoruba Wisdom on Fruitfulness and Yield
More than passing time, this Yoruba proverb expresses a hope for fruitfulness, that the year itself will produce results.
Ọdọọdún làá r’órógbó – Yoruba Wisdom on Continuity, Provision, and Stability
Some things return every year because they sustain life. This Yoruba proverb reflects on continuity, provision, and the strength of reliability.