The problem of time has assumed an acrimonious debate in african philosophy. A woman who is single at a marriageable age is seen as a crownless woman. Within nigeria, the yoruba dominate the western part of the country. The yoruba are the second largest ethnic group in nigeria, with a population of about 30 million, and occupy most of what we refer to today as south western nigeria. Nigerias population is multiethnic with more than 250 groups having a variety of customs, religions, traditions, and languages. The museum was the first to be established in nigeria when it opened in 1945. A lot of thought, research, family traditions and history are considered before a name is picked for a new baby in yoruba culture. An accumulated culture is an invented culture added to the already present one. This work explores the concept of taboos in yoruba land.
A softdeterministic interpretation oladele abiodun balogun olabisi onabanjo university, nigeria abstract the debate on the philosophical nature of the beliefs in ori and human destiny in traditional yoruba thought has for sometimes now, been controversial. Famous for her huge population of more than 150 million and with more than 370 ethnics groups, nigeria has the highest population in african continent. Most of them are performed with the hands, but theres one eyecatching exception i want to mention here. Yoruba language which is the bases of learning yoruba traditional education should be given a priority in our schools. Department of religious studies, university of ibadan. The semiotics of movement and body attitude in a nigerian culture, 1998. The naming ceremony in yoruba culture is taken seriously because the yorubas believe that a child eventually lives out the meaning of his or her names. Abstract religion is the strongest element in african culture and exerts great influence upon the conduct of the african people. Yoruba people are a large ethnolinguistic group or ethnic nation in africa, and the majority of them speak the yoruba language.
From that foundation have yoruba philosophy, religion, and literature developed, all of which blend ancient truths and divine moralities with reason. The aggregate of the ways of life of the yoruba speaking peoples of southwestern nigeria and their kiths and kins elsewhere in the world. Southwestern nigeria is home to about 2025 million yoruba figures projected from the nigeria fertility survey 1984, who inhabit an area that stretches about 120 miles along the coast of the gulf of guinea, east from the benin border, to about 200 miles inland into the savannah belt of west africa. Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups of nigeria, concentrated in the southwestern part of that country. Cultural similarities in nigeria and their differences. Brief history of yoruba people, culture, religion and. The dialect of the edo people also bears a few similarities to yoruba, and in some parts of edo state, indigenes even bear yoruba names. The museum once housed over a thousand tombstone figures or images. The yoruba of southwestern nigeria have been described. Here are 10 things that might surprise you about yoruba culture. Conclusion according to lawal 2007, the contact of nigerian culture with that of foreign culture has made it. They are, in fact, not a single group, but rather a collection of diverse people bound together by a common language, history, and culture. This kingdom was founded by the deities oduduwa and obatala, who are believed to have created the world.
The yoruba numbered more than 20 million at the turn of the 21st century. Noting the lack of similar studies in the country for those with informal education, the paper calls for a similar research to be. Ife art from the vantage of yoruba cultural practices collected in nigeria more broadly, andor the indiscriminate use of regional and modern yoruba proverbs, poems, or language idioms to inform this citys unique 700yearold sculptural oeuvre. The yorubaspeaking peoples of southwestern nigeria. Much smaller, scattered groups live in benin and northern togo. Analysis and interpretation ades ola o late ju university of ibadan, nigeria abstract the paper undertakes a study of animal metaphors in the yoruba language with a view to highlighting the stylistic and communicative potentials of these metaphors. A sociocultural analysis of yoruba discourse patterns in selected.
It denotes a process of cultural growth whereby new cultural elements or traits are added by invention. It is a way of showing respect to elders and important figures in the community. Each group has its own language and other unique cultural characteristics. The yoruba constitute approximately 35 percent of nigeria s total population, and around 40 million individuals throughout the region of west africa. The family lifestyle in nigeria by morire oreoluwapo labeodan. Many claim that they are part of the diaspora of the yoruba as slaves. Culture is simply everything that embraces our mode of live. The concepts of ori and human destiny in traditional yoruba thought. Dating back to as far as the transatlantic slave trade, which existed between the 15th to the 19th century, the yoruba people were said to have migrated to other countries as well, including cuba, dominican republic. Yoruba people and culture from sierra leone and the gambia. Yoruba copper mask for king obalufon, ife, nigeria c.
This article aims to shed more light on the origin and history of the yoruba people. Yoruba cultural studies university of african art press. She is completing her manuscript on yoruba grammar. Yoruba is classified within the edekiri languages, which together with the isolate igala, form the yoruboid group of languages within what we now have as west africa. Mosadomi is a poet, who has authored several articles in books and journals on creole studies, african language and gender, african linguistics and pedagogy. The yoruba culture was originally an oral tradition, and the majority of yoruba people are native speakers of the yoruba language. The country is made up of three major ethnic groups namely. The people in nigeria belong to more than two hundred different ethnic groups, each with its own language, customs and traditions.
Another continue reading traditional marriage system in yoruba culture, nigeria. Indigenous yoruba populations can also be found in the republic of benin and togo 1. Not many people are aware that there are living and thriving yoruba cultures in the two west african countries of sierra leone and gambia, that is apart from the well known nigerian, beninese and togolese yoruba communities. It also confirmed whether superstition and taboo means the same thing in yoruba society.
Thus, the average historian who is dealing with a topic affecting a cultural group within nigeria restricts himself strictly to the area now currently known as nigeria. Currently, even though edo state has its peculiar dialect and culture, its traditional leadership system is almost exactly the same as that of traditional yorubas. While many yoruba people have moved into urban environments like lagos, a good portion of them still keep their old traditions. One can find clear elements of yoruba culture today in cuba and brazil.
Culture of nigeria history, people, clothing, traditions. Yoruba people are popular for a number of dishes eaten in nigeria. An overview of taboo and superstition among the yoruba of. Her research interests include yoruba language, culture and history, yoruba women and creole studies. It is a continuum beginning from their subsistence, communal, agrarian life of the. Husbands are seen as crowns and a single lady is seen as incomplete without her crown. This article brings you some interesting facts about the yoruba tribe in nigeria, and well be looking into their history, culture and religion the yoruba tribe is one of the three largest and most powerful ethnic groups in nigeria. Abstract religion is the strongest element in african culture and exerts great. The importance of taboos in yoruba society is also discussed. 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. History and culture conference, held at the university of texas at austin in march. Yoruba people, language, religion, tribe, culture, facts. It was discovered that taboo in the concept of yoruba belief. The population of the country is around 170 million.
The yoruba are said to be prolific sculptors, famous for their terra cotta works throughout the 12th and 14th century. There is a lot to say about the rich culture of the country, every nation and tribe has its own features. Influence of yoruba culture in christian religious worship. A great article is pointing the yoruba way by olanike ola orie, which includes dozens of photos. This paper is an attempt to discuss the concept of time in yoruba african thoughts. Department of religious studies,university of ibadan. The yoruba people are an ethnic group of over 40 million people in total, inhabiting the southwestern and northcentral region of nigeria, as well as southern and central benin.
The yoruba culture, for the present purpose, can be defined as follows. In 1893, the yoruba kingdoms in nigeria became part of the protectorate of great britain. In yoruba culture we use honorific pronouns these function just as they are named, to honor and pay respect. Parents, teachers and government should encourage the use of yoruba languages in our schools. Issues on nigerian peoples and culture is the title of this book and also one of the general benchmark course requirements of the nuc for undergraduate studies in nigeria. Influence of yoruba culture in christian religious worship by odejobi cecilia omobola institute of education, faculty of education, obafemi awolowo university, ileife, osun state, nigeria. There are three major ethnic groups yoruba, igbo, hausafulani. Traditional marriage system in yoruba culture, nigeria. They serve to remind the yoruba of a past that has survived through oral tradition. Yoruba introduction, location, language, folklore, religion, major holidays, rites of passage mauritania to nigeria. Practitioners of the yoruba religion, which was developed among the yoruba people of nigeria and benin, believe that before we are born we stand before god and choose our own destiny. Until 1960 nigeria was a british colony and the yoruba were british subjects. The yoruba originated from a people known as the oyo who arose and became quite popular by their trading with the portugues which gave them a large supply of guns. Dada adelowo introduction this paper is motiated by the need.
The yoruba people are stereotypically described as the lively bunch for their enthusiasm for parties. An introduction to nigerias yoruba people culture trip. Director of the yoruba historical research schzme, nigeria. In part i, the author examines, with refreshing insights, the philosophical concepts of the person, individuality, community and morality, religiosity and causality, focusing on the yoruba of nigeria. The concepts of ori and human destiny in traditional. Yoruba mythology holds that all yoruba people descended from a hero called odua or oduduwa. Because of migration and the slave trade to the americas in the mid18th century, there are yoruba communities throughout the western world, especially in the caribbean, south america and north america.
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