The Relevance of the Practice of Ifá Divination in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame
The custom of Ifá divination is common among the Yorùbá of Western Nigeria, and among Africans generally. This paper attempts an evaluation of the relevance of the practice of Ifá divination in the selected play of Ola Rotimi to Yorùbá culture and metaphysics. This is purposely to attain a greater...
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| Language: | English |
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LibraryPress@UF
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Yoruba Studies Review |
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| Online Access: | https://ojs.test.flvc.org/ysr/article/view/134089 |
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| author | Olusegun Olu-Osayomi Babatunde Adebua |
| author_facet | Olusegun Olu-Osayomi Babatunde Adebua |
| author_sort | Olusegun Olu-Osayomi |
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The custom of Ifá divination is common among the Yorùbá of Western Nigeria, and among Africans generally. This paper attempts an evaluation of the relevance of the practice of Ifá divination in the selected play of Ola Rotimi to Yorùbá culture and metaphysics. This is purposely to attain a greater and more profound awareness of its role as a symbol of communal and cultural identicalness. Using The God Are Not to Blame (1975) as an illustration, the paper contends, in a poignant manner, that the elements of Yorùbá Ifá divination, through oracular devices, well manifested in the structuring principles of Rotimi’s work. This is analyzed from spiritual and mythological angles. With an overwhelming lucidity, the paper posits that actions in the play are influenced by an assumption that any collective catastrophe or adversities are the outcomes of disharmony between disparate cosmos. The aforementioned includes a detailed interrogation of the rationality and logic of these beliefs as Rotimi presents them. Through the ambiance of the various events in the play, the paper establishes that the practice of Ifá divination in Yorùbá land is not only a way of life but has also transcended traditional, Christian, and Muslim traditions and beliefs. Finally, while recognizing the enduring popularity and artistic forte of Rotimi’s magnum opus, the paper broadens spasmodically our perception of the pervasiveness and practical relevance of the practice of Ifá divination as means for rectifying evil destiny, regulating what the future holds and resolving problems of existence in Yorùbá culture and metaphysics.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-baa113e3a14c45589882e98977757af9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2473-4713 2578-692X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | LibraryPress@UF |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Yoruba Studies Review |
| spelling | doaj-art-baa113e3a14c45589882e98977757af92025-02-07T13:44:16ZengLibraryPress@UFYoruba Studies Review2473-47132578-692X2023-05-0181The Relevance of the Practice of Ifá Divination in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame Olusegun Olu-Osayomi 0 Babatunde Adebua1Babcock UniversityBabcock University The custom of Ifá divination is common among the Yorùbá of Western Nigeria, and among Africans generally. This paper attempts an evaluation of the relevance of the practice of Ifá divination in the selected play of Ola Rotimi to Yorùbá culture and metaphysics. This is purposely to attain a greater and more profound awareness of its role as a symbol of communal and cultural identicalness. Using The God Are Not to Blame (1975) as an illustration, the paper contends, in a poignant manner, that the elements of Yorùbá Ifá divination, through oracular devices, well manifested in the structuring principles of Rotimi’s work. This is analyzed from spiritual and mythological angles. With an overwhelming lucidity, the paper posits that actions in the play are influenced by an assumption that any collective catastrophe or adversities are the outcomes of disharmony between disparate cosmos. The aforementioned includes a detailed interrogation of the rationality and logic of these beliefs as Rotimi presents them. Through the ambiance of the various events in the play, the paper establishes that the practice of Ifá divination in Yorùbá land is not only a way of life but has also transcended traditional, Christian, and Muslim traditions and beliefs. Finally, while recognizing the enduring popularity and artistic forte of Rotimi’s magnum opus, the paper broadens spasmodically our perception of the pervasiveness and practical relevance of the practice of Ifá divination as means for rectifying evil destiny, regulating what the future holds and resolving problems of existence in Yorùbá culture and metaphysics. https://ojs.test.flvc.org/ysr/article/view/134089Yoruba Culture, Ifá Oracle, Divination, Metaphysics, Ola Rotimi |
| spellingShingle | Olusegun Olu-Osayomi Babatunde Adebua The Relevance of the Practice of Ifá Divination in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame Yoruba Studies Review Yoruba Culture, Ifá Oracle, Divination, Metaphysics, Ola Rotimi |
| title | The Relevance of the Practice of Ifá Divination in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame |
| title_full | The Relevance of the Practice of Ifá Divination in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame |
| title_fullStr | The Relevance of the Practice of Ifá Divination in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Relevance of the Practice of Ifá Divination in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame |
| title_short | The Relevance of the Practice of Ifá Divination in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame |
| title_sort | relevance of the practice of ifa divination in ola rotimi s the gods are not to blame |
| topic | Yoruba Culture, Ifá Oracle, Divination, Metaphysics, Ola Rotimi |
| url | https://ojs.test.flvc.org/ysr/article/view/134089 |
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