The ‘Waaja’ and burial rituals of Oonis’ of Ife in Southwest Nigeria: between continuity and change

Ile-Ife is regarded as the cradle of Yoruba civilisation and Ooni has been considered the Arole Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race. Previous works on Ife history do not discuss or explore the burial rituals of the Ooni except for references to the installation rites of the Oonis. The article’s objectives are to trace the changes in the burial rituals of the Oonis and the role played by modernisation in the burial processes of Ooni Okunade Adele Sijuwade, Olubuse II, in 2015. The article argues that the Oba (monarch) does not die (Iku) but ‘Waaja’ (ascends to ancestral heaven). The article employed a historical approach in its analysis, utilizing both primary and secondary historical sources. The article’s findings show that despite continuous observation of traditions in the burial rites of the Ooni, modernisation continued to influence burial procedures. Thus, the article affirmed that tradition and modernity intersect in the burial process of monarchs in any given society.