NUMBER 16 IN YORUBA MYTHOLOGY
The number ’16’ (sixteen) is quite prevalent in Yoruba mythology. The number ’16’ is always regular or constant in every primordial narrative. It pops up again and again.
But sadly, the arithmetical meaning of the figure ’16’ often in use especially in some critical Yoruba folklores is not clear to many people till this day.
Neither can one explain its true sociological import in any Yoruba’s historical analysis especially one dealing with the Royalty and Ifa divination.
For instance, you will hear such interesting expressions as:
*16 Elders in the heavenlies (Agba merindinlogun Ode Orun).
** 16 original Crown Heads of Yoruba Nation (Awon Oba Alade merindinlogun ni Ile Yoruba).
*** 16 original Crown Heads of Ekiti confederacy (Oba Alademerindinlogun Ipinle Ekiti.
***** 16 Agemo masquerades as in Ijebuland (Omo Alagemo merindinlogun ni Ijebu-Ode, as in Ijebu’s famous cognomen)
* Then figure 16 in Ifa corpus (Odu merindinlogun inu Ifa).
My questions now are as follow:.(1) How is the number 16 considered appropriate for the purpose it is often deployed to add value in any of the four identified areas? (2) Why not number 15 before it or number 17 after it? (3) What is the sanctity of the number 16 either as a historical or sociological item?
We need some education on this matter and we beckon on our historical and cultural experts to please explain this to us.
