Yoruba Animals

8/12/2019 Yoruba Animals

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English Name Yoruba Name Comments

Cock (Hen) Akuk

Source of meat, has both economic and

religious value. A time-keeper for

natives before atches!clocks (precision

e"uipment) ere introduced, valued for

its potenc#. Several $oruba statementsuse cock as figures of speech

(simile!metaphor) and proverb. %or

e&ample, $oruba ill sa# 'adi#e funfun

ko mo rare lagba (Adi#e fun-fun in this

conte&t *a full gron +hite Cock is

used as a metaphor and a proverb)

hich means 'a respectable or

dignif# person, ho loses honor and self-

orth because of bad conduct.

Cobra ka

/non for its death-dealing poison hen

it bites. 0t re"uires immediate attention or

else, death. +hile other snakes die iththeir venom (poison) and become

innocuous, Cobra in death, becomes

more virulent. 1&tremel# poisonous and

venomous 2ust like hen still alive.

1dible, source of materials for local

medicines, especiall# the teeth and

bones. 3etaphor for a icked act or a

person.

4& , 5ull 3alu

3a2or source of meat, has economic

values, materials for local medicines.

Spit-Snake

ru knon for its bite, its dangerousspit hich can easil# affect sight hen

there is no proper medical care. 1dible.

Snake ebe 6er# poisonous and dangerous.

7og A2a

0t has a good sense of Smell, it guards

and protects its oner, useful for

hunting. 8here are man# t#pes of dog,

closel# related to olf in the ild. 0t has

economic, religious and social values.

7espise for lack of control hen it

comes to mating. 3etaphor for a

philander, a orthless, pestilential or

contemptible person.

Hedgehog #a

0t is a ild animal, ver# tast#, it has

economic value.

A scal# animal!9angolin Akika

A scal# animal, it eats insects trapped b#

its scales, source of meat and invaluable

material for local medicines.

Crocodile oni

:iant reptile, lives ver# close to ater,

eats sea animal, e&tremel# dangerous,

can kill human, if attacked. ;eproduce

b# la#ing eggs. 1dible, skin use for shoes

and e&otic bags.


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Alligator Ahnrihn

l?d?

3ale pig, knon for its si=e, source offatt# meat, but dirt#. @se as a simile for a

dirt# and unkempt person.

6ulture 0gun, :unnugun, :urugu, Akala

A special bird, not edible, a scavenger.

3etaphor for something ithout value.

+ood-Carrier Arugi ?gi

A mediumsi=ed insect, ala#s ith

load. 3etaphor to denote self-inflicted

pain.

Haks Aodi, Asa

A carnivorous bird, it feeds on chicks.

3etaphor for a icked person or act.

9alm 5ird 4logiri 1dible

A species of 5ird 4lof?r? -

Sparro 4logo ?

3#thical elder brother of kin, ho

stubbornl# refused sta#-at-home order

from 0fa priest (1lla), but lost out hen

gifts ere presented to kin, his #ounger

sister.

9eacock kin

8he most beautiful bird ever knon,

s#mbol of ro#alt# and beaut#. 4bedient

sister of 4logose, ho received all thegifts from 1lla, the 0fa priest, became

ealth# and adore.

S"uirrel k?r?

Source of meat. 3etaphor for

stubbornness or stubborn act.

;abbit 1horo


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;at!3ouse 1ku!1kute

7omestic rat, ver# destructive. 3etaphor

for a destructive act, or person.

1arthorm

1kolo, long terrestrial annelid, moves b#

setae. 1arthorm feeds on deca#ingorganic matter. -

Sing 5ird >#?-4rin


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3etaphor for deception or hidden

personalit#.

Sea-:ulls 9?2u-p?2u 1ats fish.

$ello-haired 3onke# Smidlti!4lo#o 1dible.

Sea-5ird $an2a-#an2a 1ats fish, ver# ild.

3os"uito >fn!$anmu-#anmu 0nsect-carr# disease.

A species of 5eetle $anrinbo 8he 3#thical 8ortoise ife.

;aven >#?-0o Small, instinctingl# ise bird.

Snail 0gbin!Aginni

;ich in protein has both the economic

and the religious values.

Another species of Snail 0 auru

0t represents goodness, prosperit# and

success.0t is sometimes used as a

metaphor for a permanent action, or

hen an irreversible decision!step is

taken on an issue. %or $oruba ill sa#,

'atipa ni 0sauru n tile e. 0t means

'hen 0sauru closes its door, no one

else can open it.

Sta# Ak-Agbnrin, 0gala

Source of meat, knon for siftness and

agilit#. Simile for siftness, strength,

accurac#, and poer.

Steer >gbr-Ak 3alu Source of meat, poer and strength.

8rout >2a 1dible.

+ether, Castrated animal 4gufe 1dible, has economic value.

5uffalo >fn!1de

Source of meat, unusuall# poerful, ver#

ild, dangerous, and lives in savannah.

Horns are valuable.

3onke# b

dun 1dible.

l?d?, a ba lu 2? bi ?ru

ba 2ba, ko ni ku ?nikan).

Ama=ingl# poerful, eats fruits, seeds

and plants, makes holes ith mouth, kills

human hen attacked, but is edible. @se

as a metaphor for underprivileged and

poor, hose condition in life later


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FG feet long), peaceful animal. Sleeps for

less than four hours in a

da#. Ala#s alert to dangers from

predators such asB lion, tiger, and

leopard.

Co Abo-3alu Source of meat and milk, has economic.

Crab Akan Sea-food, rich in protein.

+ild 9igeon 4riri -

9orcupine 4or?, 1er?, 42igbn 1dible.

A kind of :reen +ild 9igeon 4rofo,

A talkative bird, use metaphoricall# for

garrulous or chatt# person.

5lack-Ants 8anp?p?%ound on 9alm-tree date, carries painfulsting.

A variet# of bird 8angala -

Centipede 8anisanko Stings and painful

3illipede kun

/non for its several legs. Crals,

metaphor for someone that is ver# slo.

%rog pl

o economic value, not edible. @se

metaphoricall# for something of no

value.

$oung fol 4rom-Adi? %ood for haks. Simile for the eak.

octurnal Animal A2ao

Animal that has the features of bird and

mammals. 3etaphor for things or

persons ith multiple or several

identities.

Hound A2a-d? -

1lephant

1rin!A2anaku

(A2anaku ki n bi rara m ti >#a ba bi

>#a ni n 2).

8he biggest land mammal, eighs

beteen I and FD tons. 1&tremel#

poerful, tusk from it has economic

value. S#mbol for poer and strength.

@se as metaphor to 2ustif# action carried

out to sho or to demonstrate courage,

braver#, and to cover up evil even hen

such action ill have adverse effect on

others.

Sheep Aguntan

Source of meat, has social, religious and

economic value. Simile for peacefulness,

submissiveness, #ielding, meekness,

gentleness, humilit#.

;am Agbo 3ale sheep, source of meat, has religious

value, has ver# strong horns stuck to

forehead. Horn has medicinal value. 0t is

used as metaphor, hen to e"uals are


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beteen FK and GG #ears. #?le (>#?le ko ni boni l? 2?, ko bo ni

le mu ko #?ri ni 2 iku).

l?d?

Source of fatt# meat, highl# valued for

fertilit#. Hates for dirt. Simile for dirt,

unkempt.

1agle >#?-0di

6alued for its poerful sight. 3etaphor

for insight and knoledge.

:uinea %ol Ao tu m-0le Source of meat.

Lell#-%ish >2a-4do Sea food.

A species of 5ird Af?r?gbo2o!Afe-imo2o -

A bron feathered 5ird >lulu -

Spider

Alantakun(4u Alantakun, ko s? ni to

le fi ran )

/non for its comple& eb design.3etaphor for impossibilit#. 4u

Alantakun, ko se ni to le fi ranso.

5utterfl#


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gaois# and chatt#. Simile for a nois#person or ob2ect.

A species of insect like 3os"uito 1mukuru -

A species of Horse 0ra -

0nsect 0pin -

;ed-Ant Abonile2pn

Civet-cat >ta

A sleep# animal. 3etaphor for la=# and

sleep# person.

Mebra /?t?k?t?-Abila -

4l 4ii

A s#mbolic bird. 0t portends or

(foreshados) something imminent.

Although, man# ill dispute this

reasoning scientificall#, and put forard,

share coincidence. Hoever, this has

been $orubas belief for centuries.


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/ine Abo-3alu Source of meat.

Stallion Ak-> in Strength, poer and ro#alt#.

:adfl# 0ru, 1 in in- la Causes sleeping sickness.

7uck 9?p?#?

Source of meat. 3etaphor for parental

guidance.

A species of 5lack-Ant. Aladi

8his insect build its house on the stem

of a tree.

Lackal Akata!A2ako

1dible. Has a metaphoric use for hen

one does something unauthori=ed or

hen goes be#ond (his!her) legal!social

limits.

Yoruba Animals

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