Aroko - Yoruba Parabolic Message

Aroko was a way by which pre-literate Yorubas used to send message over long distance in the olden days. It is done by sending some symbolic items to the person for whom the message was meant through a third party; and the message would be understood by the receiver.

For an instance in December 1854, the Awujale of Ijebu sent such a parabolic message to Rev. David Hinderer who was then resident in Ibadan. The Aroko he sent to him was this: ten cowries strung together and a seed of the orange fruit. The meaning of the Aroko is this: come, it is well. Can you spot the correlation between the items sent and its meaning?

Ten in Yoruba language is ewa, which stands for e wa, meaning "come". Orange in Yoruba language is osan which stands for o san meaning it is well.
Now during the Ekiti parapo War, Aare Latoosa and the other Ibadan warrior chiefs wanting to get a passage through the Ijebu country to Lagos to obtain gun powder sent a fan and a bird called eye osin in Yoruba language to the Awujale of Ijebu.
Fan in Yoruba language is abebe which in the Aroko language stands for a be be meaning we are pleading with you. The osin bird in the Aroko language stands for we are willing to serve you: the verb sin in Yoruba language meaning to serve.
By: Daniel Ayodele Adeniran