Ogboni council

E288905
council of elders judicial body political institution religious institution secret society

The Ogboni council was a powerful secretive society and advisory body of elders in Yoruba polities, notably the Oyo Empire, that wielded significant religious, judicial, and political influence.

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All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Ogboni council canonical 4
Ogboni lodge 1
Ogboni society 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf council of elders ⓘ
judicial body ⓘ
political institution ⓘ
religious institution ⓘ
secret society ⓘ
associatedWith Alaafin of Oyo ⓘ
Oyo Mesi ⓘ
authoritySource age and seniority of members ⓘ
religious sanction ⓘ
characteristic esoteric rituals ⓘ
oath‑bound membership ⓘ
secretive ⓘ
composition elders ⓘ
titled chiefs ⓘ
culturalArea Western Nigeria ⓘ
surface form: Southwestern Nigeria
culturalRole preservation of Yoruba customs and laws ⓘ
ethnicContext Yoruba ⓘ
function advisory body to rulers ⓘ
judicial arbitration ⓘ
political balance of power ⓘ
religious oversight ⓘ
governanceModel checks and balances within Yoruba polities ⓘ
influencePeriod 19th century ⓘ
precolonial era ⓘ
influenceType moral authority in the community ⓘ
religious legitimacy for political authority ⓘ
judicialRole enforcement of oaths ⓘ
settlement of serious disputes ⓘ
language Yoruba ⓘ
legalBasis customary law ⓘ
meetingPlace Ogboni council self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Ogboni lodge
membershipRequirement initiation ⓘ
sworn secrecy ⓘ
notableIn Oyo Empire ⓘ
politicalRole council in state decision‑making ⓘ
guardian of constitutional norms and traditions ⓘ
power ability to check the authority of the Alaafin of Oyo ⓘ
capacity to sanction or depose rulers indirectly ⓘ
influence over succession disputes ⓘ
region Yorubaland ⓘ
religiousAssociation Onile (earth deity) ⓘ
religiousRole custodians of earth cult ⓘ
ritualFocus veneration of the earth ⓘ
scope operated in multiple Yoruba kingdoms ⓘ
socialRole maintenance of social order ⓘ
protection of community interests ⓘ
status elite institution ⓘ
usesSymbol paired iron figures (edan Ogboni) ⓘ

Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Oyo Empire → hasOffice → Ogboni council ⓘ
Oyo Empire → checkOnRoyalPower → Ogboni council ⓘ
Ijebu Kingdom → hasInstitution → Ogboni council ⓘ
this entity surface form: ogboni council
Oyo Mesi → checksAndBalancesWith → Ogboni council ⓘ
Egba chieftaincy system → hasComponent → Ogboni council ⓘ
Ogboni council → meetingPlace → Ogboni council self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Ogboni lodge
Akure people → traditionalInstitution → Ogboni council ⓘ
this entity surface form: Ogboni society