Yoruba Mythology

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

Divining the Self weaves elements of personal narrative, myth, history, and interpretive analysis into a vibrant tapestry that reflects the textured, embodied, and performative nature of scripture and scripturalizing practices. Velma Love examines the Odu—the Yoruba sacred scriptures—along with the accompanying mythology, philosophy, and ritual technologies engaged by African Americans. Drawing from the personal narratives of African American Ifa practitioners along with additional ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Oyotunji African Village, South Carolina, and New York City, Love’s work explores the ways in which an ancient worldview survives in modern times. Divining the Self also takes up the challenge of determining what it means for the scholar of religion to study scripture as both text and performance. This work provides an excellent case study of the sociocultural phenomenon of scripturalizing practices.

Delve into the world of Yoruba mythology! Are you interested in learning about different religions? Do you want to learn about an ancient religion still practiced today? Have you heard of Orisha and IFA and want to know more about them? Like almost every culture in the world, Yoruba culture is steeped in poetry, allegories, mythology, and knowledge of the Ifa divination system. These practices are a constant reminder to the people of their practices and their long and colorful history, handed down through the generations via oral tradition, which has shaped who they are today. The Yoruba people have existed for centuries and can still be found today across parts of Africa, practicing their religion and worshipping their gods and goddesses, collectively known as the Orisha.

This original work is a two-volume study of Èṣù Ẹlégbára, a Yoruba deity. Volume one consisted of six chapters, three appendices, and a bibliography. The texts of praise poems (orìkí), songs, and narratives selected from research in the field comprise volume two.

NOTE: This book has been illustrated and published by the students of Edgbarrow School in Berkshire, England as a special project to raise funds for their Ghana Sponsorship campaign. DESCRIPTION: The Yoruba people are descendants from a variety of West African communities. They are united by Geography, History, Religion and most importantly their Language. In this volume you will find 31 stories and tales like: AKITI THE HUNTER, SONS OF STICKS, WHY WOMEN HAVE LONG HAIR THE LEOPARD-MAN, THE COOKING POT and many more. You also will find a further nine stories of the adventures of Tortoise and the many mischievous things he gets up to. Many years ago, before the advent of the West African slave trade, the Yoruba people inhabited an area which stretched, along the coast of West Africa, all the way inward and down to Angola in South West Africa. Today this is not the case. The legends and fairy stories in this book belong to the Yoruba. They relate the adventures of men and animals, and try to explain the mysteries of Nature-Why Women have Long Hair, How the Leopard got his Spots, the Three Magicians, the Boa-Constrictor, How the Elephant got his Trunk and more. These stories grew from the imagination of the people. We read these folk-tales for their quaintness and humour, for their sympathy with Nature, and because we find in them the ideas and ideals, not just of one man, but of a race of people. In modern times we have begun paying close attention to folklore - old tales, not invented by one man, but belonging to the whole people; not written down, but told by parents to their children, and so handed on for hundreds of years. The legends express primitive notions of right and wrong. As a rule, the wicked are punished and the good rewarded; and that, we feel, is as it should be. We may weep at the death of rascally Tortoise, but we may also feel that he somehow has deserved his fate!

This short book is a translation of some of the myths of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. It is a history of the creation of the world, the gods, and humanity, and the early days of the sacred city of Ífè, the traditional center of Yoruba culture. The text was recited to the author/translator by the high priests of Ífè, and the book is still cited in some books on traditional Yoruba religion and thought today. It has undeservedly become quite rare, as it can be considered a minor classic in the field.

Yoruba mythology is often studied and yet many questions remain about the ancient gods and goddesses, or Orishas, of West Africa. As the Orisha stories were passed down orally through the centuries, there evolved many variations of the characters, their name spellings, and their relationships to one another. This coloring book is designed to help you explore answers about their nature while enjoying the relaxation and fun of coloring! Plunge into this educational coloring book, featuring: -20 stunning pictures of various Yoruba gods and goddess for you to color -Detailed and informative information of the Yoruba faith on every page -Text designed to help relax and inspire -For adults and children -Huge variety of styles and designs -For artists of all levels, beginner to expert -8.5 x 11 inches book size