The Alaafin of Oyo is one of the most powerful royal figures in Yoruba history, yet even many Nigerians don’t know the deeper mysteries surrounding his coronation. Beyond the official ceremonies, there are ancient rules, symbolic withdrawals, and sacred restrictions that have survived centuries almost unchanged.
One of the most striking: after being crowned, the Alaafin must never return to the Sango shrine until after his death.
Let’s walk through what really happens during this secretive journey to kingship.
21 Days of Seclusion
Before he can speak as king, he must first disappear.
Every newly selected Alaafin undergoes the Oro Ipebi, a 21-day confinement period marked by silence, ritual instruction, and spiritual strengthening.
During this time, a strict night-time curfew is enforced across the town—no noise, no movement, only the unseen rituals preparing a man to become a living institution.
A Night Inside Sango’s Shrine
At Koso, the Alaafin spends the night inside the Sango shrine—one of the most spiritually sensitive locations in Yoruba cosmology.
At dawn, the Baba-Mogba crowns him ritually, and it is here he hears his first “Kabiyesi.”
From this moment, he becomes more than a ruler—he becomes custodian of legacy, considered spiritually accountable to Sango himself.
The Elephant-Teeth Blower
Few people know of the Eyìn-Erin, the ceremonial elephant-teeth blower who performs during the crowning.
His musical call announces the transformation of an ordinary man into Alaafin, echoing ancestral memory through sound older than most kingdoms in West Africa.
A Forbidden Return
Once crowned, the Alaafin may never step into the Sango shrine again—not until death escorts him back.
Tradition holds that returning would break ancient boundaries between mortal duty and spiritual covenant. His final return to Koso only comes when his body is taken back for last rites.
