Yoruba Myths
Yoruba Myths
Georgina Beier
£42.00
GBPThis collection of myths – some of them simple, strong pieces of narrative, others mysterious, poetic and often amusing – illustrate the religion and thought of the West African Yoruba People. Interspersed with drawings by Georgina Beier of Yoruba motifs and collected and translated by authors and artists long-familiar with Yoruba culture, the myths are compiled and introduced here by Ulli Beier, who himself holds two Yoruba chieftaincy titles. Some are creation myths: these explain the division of the original God into the many orisha, or gods, and the development of their various functions. In the folk- or trickster-tales the orisha often assume different personalities whose actions and their consequences reveal the Yoruba wisdom and customs. This book makes the myths of an orally transmitted religion available as literature to Nigerian school children, who are often unfamiliar with their traditional mythology. It will also strengthen English interest in original African literature.
Product details
October 1980Paperback
9780521228657
100 pages
198 × 129 × 5 mm
0.1kg
Available
Table of Contents
- List of illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- Notes on the contributors
- Introduction
- 1. The sun
- 2. The moon
- 3. Choosing a fate
- 4. Orishanla
- 5. The creation of land
- 6. Obatala and Oduduwa
- 7. Oranmiyan
- 8. How Obatla lost the Calabash of good character
- 9. Obatala the creator
- 10. Obatala and Ojiya
- 11. Obatala and the witches
- 12. Oranmiyan and the foundation of Old Oyo
- 13. Oranmiyan estyablishes dynasties in Benin and Oyo
- 14. Shango
- 15. Shango and his brothers
- 16. Shango and the origina and tribal marks
- 17. Shango and the usurper
- 18. Shango and Oya (I)
- 19. Shango and Oya (II)
- 20. Obatala and Shango (II)
- 21. Obatala ans Shango (II)
- 22. Oya
- 23. Ogun
- 24. Ogun and the origin of circumcision
- 25. Ogun confronts Oduduwa
- 26. Ogun and the food-seller
- 27. Erinle and Ogun
- 28. Oluorogbo
- 29. Sakpata
- 30. Shonponna
- 31. Yemenja
- 32. Otin
- 33. Orisha Oko
- 34. Oro
- 35. How Orunmila became an orisha (I)
- 36. How Orunmila became an orisha (II)
- 37. Orunmila and his wife
- 38. Osanyin
- 39. Eshu (I)
- 40. Eshu (II)
- 41. Eshu (III)
- Notes
- Illustrations.
