Yorùbá and Medieval Plague: Could Sòpònná Originate as a Black Death Deity?

Abstract

In light of growing multi-disciplinary evidence, it appears that the medieval Black Plague may have actually struck West Africa. Through a Yorùbá lens, this paper explores a plague likelihood through the suggestion that the òrìsà Sòpònná may actually have originated as a plague deity together with Oya and Egúngún as adjuncts in the late 14^th – early 15^th centuries. Yorùbá oratures – èsè Ifá, oríkì, itàn -  may act to cross-reference archaeological and historical evidences of both the presence of medieval Yersinia pestis, its devastation, and disruption to gender dynamics with the provocation of religious innovation. This hypothesis posits the likelihood of Y. pestis’ arrival from trans-Saharan trade and Nupe cultural influence via the Ndǎkó gbòyá catalyzing the emergence of a new unnamed plague deity later to be named Sòpònná.