Arts of Being Yoruba: Divination, Allegory, Tragedy, Proverb, Panegyric (African Expressive Cultures)

There is a culturally significant way of being Yorùbá that is expressed through dress, greetings, and celebrations—no matter where in the world they take place. Adélékè Adék documents Yorùbá patterns of behavior and articulates a philosophy of how to be Yorùbá in this innovative study. As he focuses on historical writings, Ifá divination practices, the use of proverbs in contemporary speech, photography, gendered ideas of dressing well, and the formalities of ceremony and speech at celebratory occasions, Adéékó contends that being Yorùbá is indeed an art and Yorùbá-ness is a dynamic phenomenon that responds to cultural shifts as Yorùbá people inhabit an increasingly globalized world. Review "This book is bound to change how we think about and perhaps how we study what it is to be Yoruba. More importantly, it opens new vistas for contestations, interpretations, characterizations, and idenitification of what being Yoruba means or entails." ―Olufemi Taiwo, author of Africa Must Be Modern "Adeleke Adeeko articulates how people act Yoruba through the retention of traditional cultural practices, like naming ceremonies, kneeling down to greet, lineage praise poetry, and even in writing and art. All of these are part of the Yoruba "art of being," and thus, are a configuration of culture." ―Akintunde Akinyemi, author of Yoruba Orature and Riddles About the Author Adélékè Adéèk is Humanities Distinguished Professor in the English and African American and African Studies departments at Ohio State University. He is the author ofProverbs, Textuality, and Nativism in African Literature andThe Slave's Rebellion: Literature, History, Orature(IUP). There is a culturally significant way of being Yoráub{acute}a that is expressed through dress, greetings, and celebrations--no matter where in the world they take place. Ad{acute}el{acute}ekáe Ad{acute}ek documents Yoráub{acute}a patterns of behavior and articulates a philosophy of how to be Yoráub{acute}a in this innovative study. As he focuses on historical writings, If{acute}a divination practices, the use of proverbs in contemporary speech, photography, gendered ideas of dressing well, and the formalities of ceremony and speech at celebratory occasions, Ad{acute}e{acute}ek{acute}o contends that being Yoráub{acute}a is indeed an art and Yoráub{acute}a-ness is a dynamic phenomenon that responds to cultural shifts as Yoráub{acute}a people inhabit an increasingly globalized world "There is a culturally significant way of being Yorùbá that is expressed through dress, greetings, and celebrations--no matter where in the world they take place. Adélékè Adéèkó documents Yorùbá patterns of behavior and articulates a philosophy of how to be Yorùbá in this innovative study. As he focuses on historical writings, Ifá divination practices, the use of proverbs in contemporary speech, photography, gendered ideas of dressing well, and the formalities of ceremony and speech at celebratory occasions, Adéékó contends that being Yorùbá is indeed an art and Yorùbá-ness is a dynamic phenomenon that responds to cultural shifts as Yorùbá people inhabit an increasingly globalized world." -- Publisher's description

There is a culturally significant way of being Yorùbá that is expressed through dress, greetings, and celebrations—no matter where in the world they take place. Adélékè Adék documents Yorùbá patterns of behavior and articulates a philosophy of how to be Yorùbá in this innovative study. As he focuses on historical writings, Ifá divination practices, the use of proverbs in contemporary speech, photography, gendered ideas of dressing well, and the formalities of ceremony and speech at celebratory occasions, Adéékó contends that being Yorùbá is indeed an art and Yorùbá-ness is a dynamic phenomenon that responds to cultural shifts as Yorùbá people inhabit an increasingly globalized world.

Cover ARTS OF BEING YORÙBÁ Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 “Writing” and “Reference” in Ifá Divination Chants 2 Culture, Meaning, Proverbs (For Oyekan Owomoyela, in Memoriam) 3 Reading, Writing, and Epistemic Instability in Fágúnwà’s Novels 4 Sex, Gender, and Plot in Fágúnwà’s Adventures 5 Akínwùmí Ìṣolá’s Ẹfúnṣetán Aníwúrà and Yorùbá Woman-Being 6 Photography and the Panegyric in ContemporaryYorùbá Culture Conclusion: Book Launches as Cultural Affirmation Bibliography Index