Yoruba Myths

This mysterious, poetic and often amusing collection of myths illustrates the religion and thought of the West African Yoruba People.

Ulli Beier (Author), Georgina Beier (Illustrated by)

9780521228657, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 2 October 1980

100 pages
19.8 x 12.9 x 0.5 cm, 0.1 kg

This 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.

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.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: general [DSB]