A Semiotic Analysis of Sibling Bonds in Yoruba Royal Relationship

This paper examines how sibling bonds are encoded and maintained in Owo-Yoruba royal culture through analysis of the 18th-century relationship between Olowo Adedipe and Ojomo Oluda Oludipe. Using Peircean semiotics, the study identifies three types of signs that institutionalise fraternal relationships: iconic signs (shared royal regalia and parallel rituals), indexical signs (spatial proximity and genealogical continuity), and symbolic signs (linguistic codes and ceremonial obligations). The analysis demonstrates that Yoruba culture employs multimodal semiotic systems to preserve essential kinship relationships across generations despite political tensions and historical transformations. The study critically examines how these signs simultaneously encode both fraternal loyalty and power hierarchies, revealing the inseparability of kinship and political authority in Yoruba thought. This research contributes to semiotic theory by demonstrating how indigenous African cultures deploy sophisticated sign systems to maintain social relationships through time and space.