Referred as to as the first
female king of Oyo Empire, Orompotoniyun had to do this to secure the rightful
place on the throne after her father’s death, as a woman was never allowed to
become an Alaafin (supreme overlord) to rule over men.
Her late father Alaafin Ofinran
was then living in a strange land, called Bariba. He and his people decided to
return to Oyo after his father, Alaafin Onigbogi passed away.
Ofinran began the journey with
his daughter, Orompotoniyun, and his sons, Ajiboyede and Eguguoju.
When Ofinran died, Prince
Eguguoju became the Alaafin. They settled in Oyo-Igboho, where Alaafin Ofinran
was buried. Prince Eguguoju, however, passed away.
With his demise, the next to take
over the throne was Prince Ajiboyede but he was too young to become a King.
Prince Tella, who was also born on the way to Oyo, was just a toddler so he was
not considered.
Princess Oromootoniyun was the
only link to the Alaafin dynasty, but since it was forbidden for a woman to
rule the empire, the chiefs and elders started making plots on how to install
themselves as kings.
The strong-willed Orompotoniyun
was, however, not going to let that happen. Ready to defend her family rights
that were divinely ordained, she summoned the chiefs and asked them to start
preparing for her coronation but they refused, saying that a female could never
be king. Orompotoniyun, still determined told them that she was ready to prove
to that she was a man and not a woman.
Thinking they could ridicule her,
the chiefs agreed, on the condition that she appeared stark naked at the palace
in 7 days. Before that meeting, Orompotoniyun started wearing male clothing. On
the said day of the meeting, which the whole Yoruba land were looking forward
to, Orompotoniyun mounted the podium and first removed her cap to show her
barbed hair. She also showed off her chest, but the council of chiefs was still
not pleased. She finally removed her trousers to the shock of many, according
to accounts, they not only saw a penis, they also saw a scrotum sack drooping
with two scrotum eggs in the sack.
At once, everyone dropped on
their chest in prostration and she got enthroned as Alaafin Orompotoniyun.
Orompotoniyun came to be
popularly known as Ajiun, the custodian of the vagina that kills evil plots.
Orompotoniyun ruled with so much
success and won many wars and kept Igboho very safe and secured. The king built
a wall around Igboho which can still be seen till now.
Such was the story of
Orompotoniyun, the greatest transgender who turned herself to a man within 7
days.
Some would say it is a myth, and
others, demonic powers.
Source: facetofaceafrica.com,
yorubyte.com
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