Popular Accounts of Alaafin Sango

According to Samuel Johnson’s The History of the Yorubas, Alaafin Sango (or Shango) was the fourth ruler of Old Oyo.^{Footnote 3} Sango deposed Alaafin Ajaka, his older brother, and began a reign of warfare and tyranny, aspects of the era stressed in The History of the Yorubas and Duro Ladipo’s Oba Koso. In popular memory Alaafin Sango sometimes is named Kabiyesi (“who dares to question your action”). His symbols were a double edged axe and thunderbolt, and he was known to possess extraordinary power which he acquired through charms and other supernatural means. Alaafin Sango ruled independently of the Oyo Mesis or ruling council, whose members opposed Sango’s militancy but who reportedly were too intimidated to use their power to depose him.

Stories of Alaafin Sango’s demise emphasize Sango’s relations with two generals, Gbonka and Timi. They rose in stature with each campaign, so much so that Alaafin Sango became insecure and crafted a plan to eliminate one through a match pitting them against each other. Gbonka defeated Timi in battle, used his charms to put Timi in a deep sleep, and brought him to Alaafin Sango’s palace. Unsatisfied with the outcome, Alaafin Sango announced a re-match, but Gbonka refused and met Alaafin Sango’s challenge by walking through a huge fire unharmed. These events led the Oyo Mesis to prepare the sacred covered calabash, the receipt of which signified that he should abdicate the throne and commit suicide. Instead of receiving the calabash Alaafin Sango traveled to the south and hung himself on a tree. In Yoruba mythology Alaafin Sango was transformed into the god of thunder,^{Footnote 4} and Oba kò so became one of his praise names. Alaafin Ajaka, Sango’s elder brother was restored as the king of Old Oyo.

Psychological Perspectives on Alaafin Sango with a Focus on Suicide

Various psychological interpretations of Alaafin Sango’s reign and demise are possible. The goal is not to make categorical diagnoses but to highlight elements of popular memory that are consistent with such interpretations. One is psychopathology. The representations of Alaafin Sango in all accounts, for example, stress his impulsivity and extreme anger. These traits are represented in other rulers, but they are excessive in Alaafin Sango and fit an impulsive-aggressive personality disorder. Additionally, completed suicides have many risk factors, with psychiatric disorders ranked first. Poor emotional control and impulsive personality traits also have been associated with suicide. Popular memories of Sango’s rule and suicide are consistent with these psychological assessments of Sango’s personality.

Depression is another possible diagnosis in a multi-factorial psychopathology. Alaafin Sango’s humiliation by his generals and the plans to depose him by the Oyo Mesis might suggest that he was depressed. Freud also has postulated an association between melancholia, mourning and loss of love object: in Alaafin Sango’s case, the love objects may have been power, fame and his esteemed Ego. Depression constitutes a high risk factor for suicide, and it accounts for the vast majority of all suicides caused by psychiatric disorders.

Durkheim’s theory on suicide classification and society is based on disruption of protective features offered by social cohesion and integration. Having suffered defeat and possible rejection, Alaafin Sango dissociated from his community. He embarked on an endless journey and eventually committed suicide by hanging on a tree. Going by Durkheim’s proposition, suicide in Alaafin Sango was most likely Egoistic.

It is methodologically risky and historically misleading to explain micro events in terms of macroproperties. This note suggests that representations of Alaafin Sango can be associated with psychopathology, including depression and/or impulsive-aggressive personality traits as well as Durkheim’s analyses of suicide. Given the fact that all our available evidence is from oral tradition, the impact of “feedback”^{Footnote 5} may be present in popular accounts. Accounts of Alaafin Sango’s suicide may have been influenced by twentieth-century as well as foreign/non-Yoruba conceptualizations of individuality and personhood.