Below is a sample page from the yorubenglish book, hansel and gretel. Practitioners of traditional yoruba religion believe in a pantheon of 401 gods known as orisha who govern various aspects of the world and human life. The woman with the artistic brush traces her life history and illustrates the strategies developed by women to mitigate male rule. A bildungsroman comingofage novel, the book focuses on issues of. African goddess of love and sweet waters ancient origins.
This kingdom was founded by the deities oduduwa and obatala, who are believed to have created the world. Buy yoruba girl dancing by simi bedford from amazons fiction books store. In present day west africa, the main countries where yoruba speaking people live are nigeria, togo and benin. It reminds us of the beauty, pain, violence and resounding relevance of yoruba culture easily mirrored in other african ethnicities. This is a foundational book in the field, attempting to collect and anthologize some of the most important voices of indigenous nigerian theatrical history and criticism. More than any book of or about the yoruba in the 20th century, olodumare succeeded in combining religion with philosophy and literature. Yoruba people are a large ethnolinguistic group or ethnic nation in africa, and the majority of them speak the yoruba language. The semiotics of movement and body attitude in a nigerian culture 9780865435636. Puerto rico has a rich culture whose origins can be traced back to native taino indian, spanish and west african roots. In bahia and other parts of brazil, much of the yoruba way of life remained unchanged. The first epoch is a history of cosmogony and cosmology. They have been enjoying for centuries a wellorganized pattern of society, a pattern which persists basically in spite of all the changes resulting. The yoruba people believe the goddess oshun oversees sweet waters and love from her sacred grove.
This book is en route from one of the boston consortium libraries. Buy this book a semiautobiographical first novel about a nigerian girls adjustment to life at an english. Further afield in west africa, the yoruba people believe in a love goddess by the name of oshun. Designs, repetition, rhythms and movement lesson unit. Nike davies is one of the few african women known internationally in contemporary art circles. In his book titled ileifethe source of yoruba civilisation, prince adelegan adegbola said that the yorubas are the progeny of great kingship, efficient kingdombuilders and astute rulers. The question whether or not there is african philosophy has, for too long, dominated the philosophical scene in africa, to the neglect of substantive issues generated by the very fact of human existence. Unauthorized use or duplication of our contents without express and written permission from us is strictly prohibited.
Elewe music and dance includes tracks of traditional music from the yoruba tribe, located in modernday nigeria. Yoruba cultural thought is a witness of two epochs. Origin of the yoruba and the lost tribes of israel dierk lange abstract. Samuel johnson 18461901 was an anglican minister and historian renowned for his magisterial history of the yoruba people. Yet the beliefs of yoruba are also incredibly widespread around the world. The book has a vivid picture of a generation of yoruba nationhood within nigerian nationality, prior to the british invation and colonalization of nigeria, yoruba had been a nation with an institutionalized government and there is no better place to understand and assess this form of government except in this book, the book is a bag of history, politics and culture of a nation called the yorubas, it is one of the best book to describe the politics of government in which history defines the. Whatever is created belongs to the creatorsnot to the god that created them, and certainly not to the colonist or slavemaster. It is illuminating and engaging and strangely funny in its quaint often sententious tone. The history of the southwest yoruba culture of nigeria. He states further on internal proofs of yorubas early contact with arabic and islamic institutions in the literature of ifa poetry, the theme of which is about orunmila and alqaadi yoruba.
Yoruba girl dancing is the debut novel of nigerian author simi bedford. The yoruba have for centuries lived in what is now nigeria and benin, where they have founded great african empires and forged a cultural legacy. How to say dance in yoruba whats the yoruba word for dance. Cambridge university press, sep 30, 2010 history 750 pages. Oduduwa was the first divine king of the yoruba people, and obatala fashioned the first human beings out of clay. Although there are many studies of yoruba music, art, oral traditions, and theater, omofolabo ajayis work is the first book length treatment of the aesthetics, semiotics, style, and philosophy of dance in an african culture. Yoruba introduction, location, language, folklore, religion. Yoruba is a west african spirituality that some anthropologists estimate is 10,000 years old. Childrens yorubaenglish audio, books kids dual language. When they arent farming or worshipping the gods, the yoruba can often be found employed in a variety of arts. I actually bought it twice and gifted it to my mother.
The first part of the book discusses the people, theircountry and language, religion, government, land law, manners and customs. Collection includes yoruba folktales, fables, multicultural stories, myths, legends, board books, and a beautifully illustrated yoruba picture dictionary available with audio recorder pen. A study of relationship between arabic and yoruba languages. The first part of the book discusses the people, their country and language. This book investigates the aesthetics, significance, and the production of meaning in yoruba dance forms through an analysis of the dancers body attitude in communication as well as through the events in which dances take place.
Saburi biobaku director of the yoruba historical research schzme, nigeria the history of the indigenous peoples of west africa is ripe for intensive research. From the earliest times to the beginning of the british protectorate. I would recommend it as mustread text for all yorubas and indeed all interested nigerians, beninois and brazilians. The handbook of yoruba religious concepts religious encounter and the making of the yoruba african systems of thought yoruba dance. Here luis teaches afrocuban dance to some of his collegues. This book investigates the aesthetics, significance, and the production of meaning in yoruba dance forms. This landmark book shows how five african civilizationsyoruba, kongo, ejagham, mande and cross riverhave informed and are reflected in the aesthetic, social and metaphysical traditions music, sculpture, textiles, architecture, religion, idiogrammatic writing of black people in the united states, cuba, haiti. The inevitable starting point is their traditional accounts. The semiotics of movement and yoruba body attitude in a nigerian culture. First published in 1921, and cited on the africas best 100 books list, this is a standard work on the history of the yorubas from the earliest times to the beginning of the british protectorate. Women do not dance around or in front the egungun, but their chant and songs are essential to the melodramatic success of the festival. In the ancient near east, love was personified in such goddesses as ishtar and astarte. The handbook of yoruba religious concepts ebook free. Within nigeria, the yoruba dominate the western part of the country.
Lord tennyson writes morte darthur and other idylls. Dec 25, 2019 the yoruba people believe the goddess oshun oversees sweet waters and love from her sacred grove. On the basis of comparative studies between the dynastic tradition of the. First published in 1921, and cited on the africas best 100 books list, this is a standard work on the history of theyorubas from the earliest times to the beginning of the british protectorate. It was first published in great britain in 1991 by william heinemann ltd and then in the united states in 1992 by viking books. Significance of egungun in yoruba cultural history the guardian. Yoruba culture consists of cultural philosophy, religion and folktales.
This article aims to shed more light on the origin and history of the yoruba people. Represented in this novel is the rich and complex history of nigeria. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full credit is given to oldnaija which must include appropriate and specific backlink to the original content on our website. In west african traditions, land belongs to the person who works it. The yoruba people inhabit the southwestern part of modern day nigeria and the southern part of benin. They are united by geography, history, religion and most importantly language. Adebanji akintoye deploys four decades of historiography research wit. Sep 30, 2010 samuel johnson 18461901 was an anglican minister and historian renowned for his magisterial history of the yoruba people. The basics of yoruba an african spiritual tradition metal. The rhythms and sounds of the bata drums dictate the dancers movements, and different bata drums correspond to different areas of. Born in freetown in sierra leone and educated by the church missionary society, johnson was sent with his family to idaban in nigeria in 1857. We would attempt to examine the influences on the language, dressing, food and cultural practices and norm of the yoruba people, in an attempt to reach a befitting conclusion as to the history of the yoruba, we would also include some folk lore and stories, to enable you the readers reach a strong conclusion. Dada adelowo introduction this paper is motiated by the need. Introduction the goal of the bead museum education and community outreach program is to present exhibitions and instruction that facilitate participants understanding of the symbolic meaning and function of beads in diverse cultural contexts.
Coupled with this is the fact that the dance history of africa is equally. Thus, i was and still exceedingly happy that the book the history of the yorubas you sent to me via ups is indeed new. Across many ancient civilizations throughout the world, love was placed under the domain of a certain deity, usually, but not in all cases, a goddess. This short paper provides an overview of the yoruba during their precontact history. They are, in fact, not a single group, but rather a collection of diverse people bound together by a common language, history, and culture. What is the role of dance and drumming in yoruba society. Although there are many studies of yoruba music, art, oral traditions, and theater, omofolabo ajayis work is the first booklength treatment. The history and traditions of the yoruba people panorama. The truth about the ancient african yoruba religion the pan. Significance of egungun in yoruba cultural history. The yoruba constitute approximately 35 percent of nigerias total population, and around 40 million individuals throughout the region of west africa. The yoruba constitute about 44 million people in total. Feb 27, 2010 here luis teaches afrocuban dance to some of his collegues. The yoruba are one of the largest african ethnic groups south of the sahara desert.
Samuel crowther writes and publishes the first yoruba language book called, yoruba vocabulary and yoruba grammar, based on his native oyo language. A new history of empire in early and medieval west africa. Iran yoruba are an african ethnic group that inhabits western africa, mainly nigeria and benin. Aug 27, 20 yoruba is a west african spirituality that some anthropologists estimate is 10,000 years old. The yoruba people are descendants from a variety of west african communities. The first part of the book discusses the people, their country and language, religion, government, land law, manners and customs. A history of the yoruba people is an audacious comprehensive exploration of the founding and growth of one of the most influential groups in africa. First published in 1921, and cited on the africas best 1. Secondly, i am very surprised that this book the history of the yoruba was shipped to me immediately, which made me get it within three to four days. The yoruba people occupy the states lagos, ondo, oyo, ogun, osun, ekiti, and some parts of kwara and edo states respectively. They are embodied in ifa divination, and are known as the tripartite book of enlightenment in yorubaland and in its diaspora. Weaving is an important craft, practiced by both men and women, as is. It comprises the beliefs of the yoruba people, whose homeland is in the south western part of nigeria and adjoining parts of benin and togo. The author examines the yoruba creative concept of dance as a performing art communicating nonverbally through and.
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