Oranmiyan, the warrior prince of Ile-Ife and Benin, fathered Sango-Koso, who became the fourth Alaafin of Oyo. The royal lineage from Oranmiyan to Sango-Koso established the Oyo dynasty's claim to descent from Oduduwa.
Sango-Koso is the historical fourth Alaafin of Oyo who, after his crisis at Koso, ascended to become the thunder orisha Shango. His followers proclaimed 'Oba koso!' — the king did not hang — insisting he became divine rather than dying.
Gbonka served under Sango-Koso, the historical fourth Alaafin, but his growing military power and open defiance contributed directly to the king's loss of authority and flight from Oyo to Koso.
Dada, Sango-Koso's elder brother, abdicated the throne of Oyo because he lacked the martial temperament required of an Alaafin. Sango-Koso succeeded him and later honored Dada by placing the royal crown on his head.
Sango-Koso's transformation from mortal king to divine orisha made him the most prominent example of human deification in Yoruba tradition. The Egungun ancestral masquerade tradition acknowledges this passage from human ancestor to cosmic power.
Oba served as one of Sango-Koso's wives during his reign at Oyo. Her rivalry with Oya for the king's favor is remembered in oral traditions as part of the domestic tensions that characterized his turbulent rule.
Sango-Koso descended from Oduduwa through Oranmiyan, grounding the Oyo royal dynasty's legitimacy in the creation myth. His deification further elevated the lineage, making the Alaafins descendants of both the creator-king and a thunder god.
Oya was the most devoted wife of Sango-Koso during his reign as Alaafin of Oyo. When he fled to Koso after losing power, Oya alone followed him into exile, remaining loyal until his transformation into the thunder orisha.
Timi Agbale Olofa-ina served as war general under Sango-Koso, the historical Alaafin of Oyo. Sango-Koso appointed Timi as governor of Ede, but the warrior's growing independence led to the political crisis that ended Sango-Koso's reign.
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