The story of Queen Amina is a controversial one. However, some facts are clear: from her childhood, she took an interest in governance and the military and would be seen attending meetings while sitting on her grandfather’s lap. Her grandmother also caught her wielding a dagger when she was a child, indicating her natural inclination…
Moremi was a queen in the 12th-century Yoruba town of Ile Ife. She was married to Oramiyan, the heir to the king of Ife. They lived a peaceful life except for the occasional attacks by the spirit warriors of a neighbouring town. The warriors often attacked and captured the people of Ife, enslaving its inhabitants…
A long, long time ago, and according to Yoruba mythology, God (the supreme God) ordered one of his deities to create the earth. However, this deity got drunk with palm wine, and another deity took advantage of his drunkenness, took the creation items from him, and descended the earth using a chain. The earth was…
The word pharaoh means “Great House”, which is a reference to the palace where the pharaohs lived. The original title given to the Egyptian rulers was King, but the name Pharaoh stuck in time. These kings were considered divine emissaries and mediated between the gods and the people of Egypt. They performed religious and civic…
The Fort Rock cave in Oregon, US, is famous for the discovery of the earliest known shoes in 1938. They are known as the sagebrush bark sandals, which date back to approximately 8000 BC. The oldest leather shoe in the world dates back to 3500 BC. It is made from a piece of cowhide laced…
Fela Kuti is the originator of the music genre known as Afrobeat. Born to Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, Fela’s parents played active roles in Nigerian politics. His brothers, Beko Ransome-Kuti and Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, are well-renowned medical doctors. Fela is a cousin to the writer and Nobel laureate winner Wole Soyinka. His music…