Ibeji And Other Poems

Die Yoruba in Nigeria betrachten die Geburt von Zwillingen als einen besonderen Segen. Wegen der hohen Sterblichkeitsrate sind Yoruba-Mütter aber häufig mit dem Tod eines Kindes konfrontiert. Die Yoruba glauben, dass die Zwillinge gemeinsam nur eine einzige Seele haben. Beim Ableben eines Zwillings wäre der überlebende Zwilling lebensunfähig. Die angefertigte Ibeji-Statue für den verstorbenen Zwillingsteil kann somit die andere halbe Seele enthalten. Darüber hinaus ist die Linie zwischen Leben und Tod für die Yoruba nicht absolut. Es gibt für sie ein enges Wechselspiel zwischen der spirituellen und der materiellen Welt. Der Zwillingskult zählt zu den ältesten Kulten der Menschheit. The Yoruba people of Nigeria consider the birth of twins a special blessing. Due to the high mortality rate of twins, Yoruba mothers are often confronted with a child’s death. The twins are believed to share only one soul. When a twin dies, the surviving twin would be unable to live. The Ibeji sculpture for the deceased twin can thus contain the other half of the soul. Yorubas do not draw a strict line between life and death. To them there is a close interaction between the spiritual and the material world. The Twin Cult is one of the oldest known cults of mankind.

Ifowodo was a frontline student leader in the early eighties and is a lawyer and civil rights activist. In 1996 he was a writer-in-residence at the Heinrich Boell Foundation. He was imprisoned between 1997 and 1998 and was subsequently adopted by PEN. This is his first collection of poetry which won the 1993 Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize. Many of the poems are responses to politics; or spring from the tensions between writing political poetry, or art for art's sake, and other competing subjects of poetry, such as romantic love. The poet, quoting Neruda, first asks the reader expecting a poetic celebration of his natural world to 'come see the blood in the streets'. In the section section he writes tributes to Tracey Chapman, Winnie and Nelson Mandela and Margeret Thatcher ('the butcher'). The subject of the third section is the rediscovery of romantic love, amidst and beyond turmoil and oppression.

EJIRE (MYTHICAL TWINS) is a monograph about the phenomenon of twins and their deification as cognized and practiced in Yoruba culture. The book in concise headings explore the spiritual, artistic and modernist aspects of the Ibeji tradition, highlighting its peculiarities and the special place twins occupy in the scheme of traditional society. Featured with illustration, the book is written by foremost Neo Negritudian, Wale Sasamura Owoeye.

Designed specifically for young readers, the Mythology A to Z series explores the world's most important myths and legends in an accessible and entertaining manner. Each volume includes vividly written entries on the major figures, places, stories, objects, and themes of a given mythology. A vast continent, Africa is the home of the first humans and the birthplace of many cultures, ranging from nomadic bands to farmers to sophisticated civilizations. With four major language families and myriad peoples, Africa is also the source of a diverse and engaging body of myth. African Mythology A to Z is a clearly written reference guide to this lore. Containing 42 illustrations, two maps, a time line, a bibliography, an index, and extensive cross-references, African Mythology A to Z is a comprehensive and accessible reference guide for anyone interested in learning more about various African myths, traditions, and beliefs.