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The epigraph is an excerpt from the oríkì of the òpómúléró people among the Yorùbà. The full verses of this oral source will be examined within the course of this paper as a subject of enquiry to interrogate the veranda post in the palace of the Aláàfin1 of Ọ̀yọ́. The concept of òpómúléró in Yorùbà language and thought stems from the relevance of òpó—“pillar” in Yorùbá architecture. The word òpómúléró is a compound word, a combination of four or five Yorùbà words. Òpó, the pillar or post; , that or which; , holds; ilé, house or building, and , supports or upholds. The significance of this is that the pillar post is an important part of the building on which the roof structure and other important parts of the building rests. Without it, one...

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