At the Alaafin of Oyo’s palace, the death of a centuries-old tortoise known as Baba is being mourned as the loss of a living link to generations of Yoruba royal history.
Reputed to be about 420 years old, Baba had reportedly been cared for by successive Alaafins and became a familiar presence at the palace, attracting visitors who came to see the animal and hear accounts of its extraordinary age.
Durojaiye described Baba as more than a palace animal, saying it had become an important part of the history and heritage of the Alaafin institution.
“Baba was more than a turtle in status. He represented a part of the oral history of the Yoruba race. Now, the Alaafin has lost an ageless companion,” he said.
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The palace said oral tradition traced Baba’s origin to Oyo-Ile, the ancient capital of the Oyo Empire, from where the tortoise was reportedly brought to the present palace in Oyo town.
Over the years, Baba became a major attraction at the palace, drawing visitors interested in its reported age and size.
The palace said two officials were assigned to care for the tortoise, which was fed with watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass. Baba was also regarded by palace residents as an enduring link to generations of Alaafins who had cared for it.
The palace connected the tortoise’s significance to Yoruba traditional beliefs about the relationship between the living, the dead and the unborn, noting that such themes feature prominently in Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s play, Death and the King’s Horseman.
While the palace places Baba’s age at about 420 years, the figure is based on oral tradition and could not be independently verified.
The palace nevertheless described the tortoise as a treasured relic whose long presence had become intertwined with the history of the royal institution.
Prompt News Online
