Ọba kò so

Ọba kò so (The King Did Not Hang) is a play by Duro Ladipo depicting the mystical and ambivalent personality known as Shango of Yoruba mythology.

Background

Shango is the protagonist of the play, according to some historians, as the king of Oyo, he was a feared figure both by his subjects and across the Niger by the Borgu and Nupe empires. He was known for his warring and tyrannical ways and as a symbol later deified in history and worshiped by some. His era was one of turbulence and also of intrigue. Duro Ladipo, was however influenced by the writings of Samuel Johnson, a Yoruba historian who used a lot of old Oyo sources for his book on the Yoruba's. Duro's play created the image of Sango as a tragic hero.

Plot

The play tries to revisit history by portraying a stout and space consuming Sango, as a leader mindful of the wishes of the people; in his desire to please them, he set two of his most powerful chiefs against each other. The chiefs, Gbonka and Timi had grown too powerful and were becoming a nuisance to the kingdom. However, the plot ended up dividing his cabinet and many of his advisers, friends and a wife, Oya left him.

Shango's friend Mogba, rather than joining the traitors, desired to redeem the battered image of the king. Mogba invoked incantations causing thunder and lightning to damage the homes of Sango's enemies.

References

• Ogundeji, "Philip Adedotun: The Image of Sango in Duro Ladipo's plays". Research in African Literatures, 1998, pp. 57–75.