The Importance of Oriki in Yoruba Mural Art

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Ijele: Art eJournal of the

African World (2002)ISSN: 1525-447X

The Importance of Oriki inYoruba Mural ArtStephen Folrnm

AbstractIn visual art, inspiration and concept are the driving forces in the execution of aparticular art piece, be it in the Fine or industrial Art. Yorb traditional mural has beenexecuted in most cases in veneration of the rs and most of the products are for theOba as well as for rich or influential individuals. Despite the painters claim to havebeen moved or inspired by the spiritual powers of the rs in the execution of suchmurals, Ork, cognomen has been discovered to be a very important driving force inthese paintings. This paper tries to examine the importance and impact ofork in the

execution and interpretation of selected Yorb traditional murals.

IntroductionThe various studies on Yorb traditional mural are very revealing and most, if not allYorb traditional murals and shrine paintings have been documented. This gives ussufficient data for further analysis and investigation. Although the genesis of researchinto Yorb wall paintings is traceable to Ulli Beier,1 who in 1960 carried out a briefstudy and documentation of about ten shrine painting and other paintings in Yorblandand Diaspora. Murals such as rspopo in gbms. Obtl in ll.Irele in krun.

Oya in Jbb. Sng in Pobe-Dahomey, and private house in Gbngn and Ilara were allexecuted in locally procured materials. Moy kdji, and Blj Campbell have bothpresented a better understanding of the art of shrine painting. Particularly revealing iskdjis rskire painting school in Il-If.2 On a general survey, the paintings arespecifically done in the veneration of the rs, while the materials used are much thesame everywhere.
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kdji opined that the abundance of clay and soil materials and the simplicity ofYorb colour sensibility, which is polychromal in nature, explain the preponderance ofthe tradition of mural painting in Yorbland. All shades of browns and ochres, are

derived from clay and soil materials, while reddish-pupa are derived from vegetablematerials such asIbje leaves (randia maculata) jkn leaves (mucuna solenei), andosn- cam wood. l leaves gives indigo, while pure black-dd is sourced fromcharcoal. White-funfun is obtained by heating eggshell to a certain temperature andgrinding it into fine powder; it is also derived from kaolin and chalk.3 To bind thesematerials together so that they adhere to the wall surface, congealed pap (ko tutu) ismade into paste and added to the prepared pigments. It is noteworthy to mention thatprocurement and preparation of these pigments are laborious and tedious. In recent timessome changes have been witnessed in the execution of these paintings. Studies byCampbell4 reveals that modern paints such as enamel and emulsion paints have beenintroduced to the art of mural painting in Yorbland. The gbni painting in Ils is

one of such paintings. The result of these studies into traditional Yorb murals is itssuccessful introduction and fusion into contemporary modern painting, which finds itsdevelopment in the birth ofOn group of artist from the If art school. Dance Drama isan example of such paintings executed purely with the locally procured materials (fig.1). Efforts have been made to interpret numerous symbolic images on these paintings.The interpretation has been achieved by probing through rich Yorb cultural values,religion, myths, tales, folklore and oral tradition. These have eventually helped tobroaden our knowledge about these murals and their significance.

Shrine painters over the yearshave claimed to have beenmoved or inspired by the rsin the painting of shrine walls.Some, on the other hand, say thatduring the annual festivals theyonly touch up what had initiallybeen painted on the walls butwhich in the course of time had

faded due to exposure to the elements. Totally disregarding the spiritual basis ofpainters inspiration may not be wise because we have not experienced it personally.However, notwithstanding our lack of spiritual experience, we are still able to undertakeiconographic analyses of these murals. Recent studies have revealed that some of theconcepts and images represented on the murals are derived from the ork (cognomen) ofthe rs or Oba. Ork is an attributive name, expressing what the child is, or what he orshe hopes to become, an endearment or praise intended to have a stimulating effect onthe individual.5This can also be said of a Yorb rs.

This essay, therefore, seeks to explore the cognomen (ork) of selected Yorb rsand Obas on whose walls such paintings have been executed. The influence and impactofork in the execution of such murals will also shed more light on the significance ofthese murals in Yorb art and culture.
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Ork

Ork forms the basis of formal praise poetry. These are most often given to people, butmay also describe class, animals or inanimate objects, and they are usually laudatory. 6Although not very common today among the educated Yorb elite, it used to be a day-to-day form of showering praises on children by their parents when they greet them inthe morning. I did enjoy such endearment from my grandfather while he lived.

Ork (cognomen) are permanent titles held by individuals, some of whom have severalof these names so that a collection of them recited together resemble loosely constructedpoem about the person praised.7 Various scholars (Johnson, S.1976: Karin Barber,Olatunji, O, 1984) have identified several forms ofork. There is ork sk- one wordork, as in kn, bn, j, rm, and so on. There are also ork of lineages,

towns and places, chiefs and kings, divinities, plants and animals.

8

These laterork areoften descriptive, for example:-

j kr, Algada ogun

j s nl, omo ade dgb

j w nl omo ade k k kan

j n w ld

Gbogbo omoge yo wsej kr, algada of war

In the absence of j, chicks grow to maturity

when j is at home, chicks are devoured

while j takes his bath at the river,

all young ladies come with soap.

The discipline and characteristic role ofork evokes the feeling of well-being in thesubject as he or she has a comprehensive citation being presented about him or her. 9 Thisyou experience when you visit most, if not all Yorb palaces. It is the duty of the courtdrummers and akw at the y palace to wake the Alfin with such praises every day.The same applies to chiefs and notable personalities whenever they visit the palace.Ork is spoken, chanted, or sung (and in the context of this essay, painted) depending onthe situation of performance.10 They contain expression, which praise and characterize
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This painting chronicles the attribute of theAlfin. Most of the animals depicted wereactually kept in the palace by the Oba. (elephant, leopard, horse, tortoise, chameleon,ostrich, egret, hare and others). All the images depicted show clarity of form and are

realistically rendered.16

Other images were chosen to enhance and promote the positionof the Oba. Scenes like attendants and visitors prostrating before the Oba and attendantsholding silken parasol over the Oba are depicted (fig. 2).

Apart from the clarity of form and images represented onthis painting, some of the images depicted are frequentlymentioned in some ork of theAlfin. In these variouspraise songs, the Oba is sometime compared with verystrong animals, which are associated with leadership,authority and power. Some of these animals have cognomenattributed to them. It has been affirmed that ork can be

concerned with almost anything - animals, birds ... makeapostrophized in high-sounding terms.17

Some of the ork assert:

jnk k ni kn,

Oba t y m erin so k t j e

The elephant has no post to which it is tethered;

the king that will tether the elephant has not been crowned.This thus shows the great power of theAlfin over other Obas, more so when he isdescribed as:

Alse igb kej rs

One with authority next only to the gods.

The elephant is often praised in some ork (praise names) as:

Erin onb owAlgbl kun

Elephant owner of abundant wealth

and a courtyard of sea.
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These praises summarily symbolize the wealth of theAlfin on the mural. In anotherork the elephant is described in relation to the Oba,

Erin gb n igb yan bi ba

Elephant the jungle dweller who walks majestically like a king.

Otherork describe, erin as:-

jnk, kan soso rb t mi igb kjikji

elephant, the only gigantic one like rb tree who shakes the forest violently.

This in reference to theAlfin shows him as the all powerful amongst the other Obas.

The antelope (egbin) is also depicted tethered like the elephant. The antelope is knownfor its long horns which symbolises se, (life force) because it is the traditional containerforse a kind of medicine which make wishes and utterances to materialize. se as aword, means authority.18The antelope can also be said to be a symbol of beauty as it isevident in its ork19 (Fig. 3:). The ork reveals the descriptive beauty of the antelope asan animal that:

Uses velvet leather as bed sheet-

beauty of the forest

animal with shining fur

fwo rn seaso tsn

dra nj,

ranko abara yy.

it is also described in anotherork as:-

Very beautiful antelope, its rival does not exist in the forestEgbin dra tti, elegn egbin k s ngb

In relation to theAlfin Siyanbl Ldigbl at whose instance the mural wasexecuted, there is no such beautiful palace, mural or even king as the Alfin. He is theembodiment of beauty. For this reason, the ostrich (gng) icon is the most prominent
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of the images on the mural. gng is associated with leadership, the following orkdescribes:

gng baba eye

gng, king of birds.

When chanting songs or praise names of the Alfin, his wives always refer to him asgng baba eye meaning he, theAlfin, is the king of kings in Yorubaland20(Fig.4: Alaafin and wives).

Another significant image in the mural isthe figure with a bow and arrow. This Ihave identified to either be a warrior or

hunter. Both professions are veryimportant toAlfin Ldigbl and allotherAlfins before him. Hunters andwarriors were very useful to the kings incarrying out their numerous Calvary andassaults in their bid to gain supremacyover other territories. This is no longer soin modern times where such exaltedpositions have been taken over by statemilitary personnel. The hunter couldprobably represent those who killed wild

animals for the Oba, or his warriors.In Awon Ork Orle by AdbyBabalol, he mentioned, the progenitorsof Ol-j who were brave elephanthunters using spears, bows and arrows.They killed elephants for the queen iny Il. He also goes on to mention the relationship between hunting and warfare. TheOnikys weapons were said to include bows and arrows and so Onkys are praised inan oriki as:-

won omo onle olf

ta f m ts

olf mm, olf or

t pa egbrin nyn
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Owner of the land of arrows;

sharp shooters,

shooter of sharp arrows,

poisoned arrows with which he killed 800 people.21

Distinct from the ork of the animals are the direct ork of theAlfin. These are knownas orkorl. Orkorl, totem denotes foundation or origin.22It is however not a namein that it represent every conceivable object such as, erin, (elephant) gn (the god ofiron and war) p (post) gb (a ram), kn (peacock) and many others. In orl, thelineage of theAlfin is revealed, making the representation of the images on the muralsmuch more meaningful. In relationship to the interpretation of the images on the y

Palace mural, the ork and orl becomes relevant. For example, erin (elephant) is thetotem of the original line of kings.23 Because orl, (totem) is never used by itself, as itwould be meaningless, it is always expressed along with ork when endearment oradmiration is intended.24

Alfin Siyanbl Ldigbl knbErin andAlfin Olywol Adyem III. tndErin both share the same totem of the original line of the y kings.Erin, the elephantbeing mentioned here again as it has been interpreted on the mural. In some lines ofvarious versions ofork chanted by Mrs. Afolb, an akw, and a descendant of afamily well versed in the in ork of theAlfin ofy, some of the images depicted onthe palace mural were mentioned.25 A testimony of this is narrated in lines such as-

B wo d, ariwo esin esin

B gk od, eruku esin

fes esin somi rk rk rk

Oba abor esin bb lon kso

brn esin tk tk lona br

When he enters the river, its the noise of horsesWhen he comes out, the horse raises dust

He stirs up the river with the horses hoofs

He, strides reluctantly like a horse towards br
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In the above lines ofork, esin (horse) seems to be the point of reference. Therefore, therepresentation of the horse on the mural is justified. (Fig. 5: Horse) In another line, theostrich was mentioned,

Ode gng t rn tomi tomi.

ostrich hunter, who walks with water).

In another line, theAlfin is praised poetically inwhich the sword is mentioned as:

yin lomo sr gbooro

gbd gbooro k

r gbooro tn

id gbooro wk

You are of the descendants of those,

who speak words of volume.

who hang the long sword;

long sword too long for the sheath.

The sword depicted on the mural may be the onementioned in this line ofork (Fig. 7a & 7b: The realsword and its representation on the mural).

Ork is especially set to record the events of anindividuals life in most favorable and glorious lightand to exalt and glorify him or her. Yngb chant is oneof the important varieties ofork that is reserved onlyfor the noble people of y in person of the king,

(Alfin) his son, rmo and the senior brother of theking. (Baba yaji) Although mention can be made ofother individuals in the course of their citations, TheYngb chant by theAkinyngbsis particularly todocument all the major activities that happened during the reign of each of theAlfin.26

One of such historical events was during the reign ofAlfin Ldigbl whocommissioned the palace mural. The Akinyungbadocumented the close friendship
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between Siyanbl Ldigbl and Captain Ross; after all, Captain Ross had beeninstrumental in the installation of Ldigbl asAlfin after his fathers death. Ofcourse, Ross accomplished this with the help of the yms. This event marked one of

the socio-cultural changes being witnessed by the Yorb people at the arrival of thecolonial masters. The colonialists desired to have a hand in most of what happenedaround them. It was such influence that brought a constitutional change in the system ofsuccession to the monarchy in Oyo, in which the crown prince no longer commitssuicide at the death of his father, but stands the chance of succeeding him. This was ameans by which the colonial masters introduced their infamous direct rule system.27 Theeventual result was the gradual erosion and usurping of the Obas powers. In the chanttheAkinyngb said.

Ldgbl knb

Adgbyga, pekun ObaAfnj oba t pb rns

Adegboyega Akanbi lawo Rosi (Ross)

Ladigbolu Akanbi

Adegboyega, the greatest of kings

A fashionable king that sends a white man on errand

Adegboyega Akanbi is Ross confidant.28

It will be true to assert that the significance of the ork is much more revealed in theexecution and interpretation of the y mural. The reason for this may not be farfetched. TheAlfin being human lived and dined with the people unlike most of thedeities who are mythically known. It was therefore easy to ascribe or attribute so muchpraise to him. From these ork and other sources, the Salami Alabebe drew his subjectand inspiration. As earlier mentioned, the ork became the driving force by which theartist executed his masterpiece.

Influence of Ork on Pp ShrinePainting


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Another painting, which has aconsiderable influence of ork, is thers Pp painting in gbmsh. rs

Pp is the name by which Obtl isknown in gbmsh. As a deity hispraises are daily expressed by thedevotees. Many Yorb deities have aseries of praises expressed in figurativeand obscure language, sung by thepriests. When the rs is to beworshipped or praised, its praise songsare played or recited one after anotheruntil it takes possession of one of itsworshippers29, this statement seems to

confirm the claim of the painters thatthey are inspired by the rs inexecuting the painting. However, we canpositively say that various praise songs

and chants are the real inspiration in the execution of the painting. The use of colour,images, and forms are all embedded in the ork of some of the deities. In 1960, UlliBeier described this painting as one of the most beautiful shrine paintings inYorbland; a recent photograph (1995) taken however betrays this statement (Fig. 7:Pp mural). The deterioration of the painting and the skill shows the decline in theartistic decoration of the shrine wall.

As earlier mentioned, rs Pp is the same as Obtl.30 Because Obtl worship iswidespread in Yorbland, he is known by other names in other Yorb towns. In jgbhe is known as gyn, rskir in kir, rs olfn atIfn, rl in krun, andrsnl in Ile-Ife.31 This is confirmed by the ork of Pp as chanted by one of thefemale devotees at the shrine.32 Every divinity has a set of cognomen with stories, whichare recited in commemoration of his attributes, greatness and nature. It is therefore notstrange to find images, forms and colors testifying to the lines in the various versions ofork. The painters also state categorically that the recitation ofork gives the paintersinspiration as they perform their religious duties. As the creator god, Obtl or rsPp is saddled with the responsibility of making humans. He is therefore known as thesculpture divinity33 .

The walls of rs Popos shrine are painted with a rhythmic pattern of gods, men andanimals to show the acts of Obtl in the course ofcreation. Animals like birds and goats, though not sodistinct are represente.34 (Fig. 8: Birds). One of thepractical applications ofork on the painting is expressedin:

Eni soj se m
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rs ni ma sn

Ad ni b ti r

rs ni maa sin

He who fashion the eyes and nose

it is rs I will worship

He who creates as he wishes

It is rs I will worship35

One can visibly recognize stylized human figures with faces on the painting. In fact, themural has more human figures than other forms and images, all enmeshed in white dots.Anotherork attests to this:

-s-enkan-soso digba nyn

So m di rn

So m digba

So m di t-l-lgbje nyn36

O you who multiplies one into two hundred persons!

Multiply me into one hundred,

Multiply me into two hundred

Multiply me into one thousand four hundred and sixty persons.

The thousands of dots all over the wall may be translated as meaning the eye of thers. This is expressed in:

Olj kra bi ajere

One who is all seeing like ajere pot.

Ajere pot is a traditional Yorb pot perforated with several holes. It is used for severalreligious purposes and sometimes in preparation of efficacious medicine.
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Women play critical roles in the worship of Obtl. They seek help from the deity inorder to give them children. The stigma associated with barrenness among the Yorbpeople is very destabilising. It is believed that every marriage must produce its own

offsprings. Through this norm every married woman even in modern times goes to anylength to bear children. If visiting Obtls shrine will solve the problem, why not? Thesocietal verdict remains, without a child you cannot be considered a complete woman. Atestimony of this is narrated in:-

ml tar oj

so gn di albiyamo,

gn t rb, ti r s leyn olwa w37

Neighbor at the market,who makes barren women into nursing mother.

The barren women, stoops behind our lord for help.

This is practically depicted on the left side of the painting where female figures arepainted with earrings on their ears. Close to the floor on the left side are other figuresthanking Popo for answering their prayers.

Obtl represents the Yorb ideas of ritual and ethical purity, and therefore the

demand and sanctions of his morality. Immaculate whiteness is often associated withhim. This symbolizes holiness and purity38 . On rs Pp painting,funfun - white isperhaps the most dominant colour (Fig. 10). The devotees are usually dressed in white,all items used in the shrine should be white, including the food (pounded yam, ko,(congealed pap) r(shea butter) and gbn - (snail). On account of that also, he ispraised as:

Bt-banta nn l

sn nn l

j nn l ti in l dde

Immense in white robe

He sleeps in white clothes


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He wakes up in white clothes

He rises in white clothes.39

In anotherork there is a particular interesting aspect, which says:

Obtl k f epo

Obtl k f osun

Obtl abhors palm oil

Obtl abhors cam wood.40

This ork confirms Obtls preference for white.Pupa (red) and dd (indigo orblack) is also seen on the mural. These two colours do not have any symbolicconnotation to the rs, but they serve as complimentary colours to the white to giveaesthetic value and balance of design and harmony.

On the y mural, hunters, warriors and their tools of trade are depicted, this is not so onrsPp painting. This is because Obtl is a god of peace and purity. He does notharm his children whom he moulded with his own hand. The ork which expresses thisbelief and which invariably must have influenced the painting is in:

s m j k ta f nl y ll

Iyn oj Pp ni o j maa t snu

onl oj Pp m jgun j l re

gbod jgun le jl wa.41

rs, prevent us from shooting arrows in this town forever.

Provide us pounded yam to eat

Landlord ofPp, do not allow war to break out in your town.Do not allow war to break out in our town.

The significant influence ofork in the interpretation of this painting cannot be overemphasized. Inasmuch as the painters and devotees could not give any concreteinformation concerning the images they have painted, the ork has enabled us tounderstand and appreciate this mural.
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Another shrine painting with some glaring influence ofork in the images represented isthe gbni Repository in Ils.

The gbni Repository, IlsThe gbni repository in Ils consists of three shrines dedicated to gn, the Yorbgod of Iron, sun, river goddess and the gbni shrine.42 The presence ofgn shrinein almost all major shrines in Yorbland is significant. According to a myth, it wasgn who cleared the way for other divinities on their way to earth.43 gn is thuspraised as:

gn ald mj:

n f kan sn ko n f kan yn

gn, possessor of two machetes

with one he prepares the farm,

with the other he clears the way

The presence of the cutlass on the mural is

therefore seen as representing the attributepower of gn through the cutlass and other iron tools known as a hunter and the patronsaint of hunters in Yorbland, some versions of gns ork praise him as requestingparticular animals. Some of these animals may be the ones represented on (Fig. 9: Wallof motifs). Apart from the dog motifs, other animals depicted resemble some wildanimals with pointed teeth, whiskers and ear on the upper left side of the wall. The snakemotif is easily recognizable; one however quickly questions the representation of thesnake (Fig. 10: Compound wall). On this, Campbell explained that there are similaritiesbetween the fierceness of the gn with that of the fiery nature of the serpent, as well asthe closeness and eartheness of both the serpent and gn to Il.44To the extreme rightof the wall and the second to the last image is another animal with horns and long ears.

This anthropomorphic image cannot be mistaken for any other animal than the ram(gb). The representation of these animals is not out of place. It is attested to by yetanotherork:
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gn mje lgn mi:

gn Alr n gbaj;

gn Onr a gbgb;

gn kol a gbgbn;

Telmon ngba isu ssun

gn Akinrin a gbwo gb;

gn gbn-gbn, eran ahun lma je.

There are seven denominational gn who receive my devotion:

gn ofAlr it is who takes dog;

gn ofOnr it is who takes ram;

gn of Surgery habitually takessnail;

That of elemon it is who take roasted yam;

gn of Akinrin habitually takes rams horn;

gn of the artisans, it is the flesh oftortoise that he eats.45

Apart from the representation of the ram on the painting, other animals mentioned in theabove ork are not so painted; the artist may have excluded them for lack of space or forcompositional competence on his part.

gns favourite colour is red, and this in Yorb colour symbolism signifies fierceness,it marks the ferocious and volatile temper of the deity. This nature made it difficult forgn to adjust to community life. He therefore resides in seclusion. Whenever he sought

a settled life, every community rejected him on account of his terrible appearance. Thisis alluded to in an ork chant:

Ij t gn nti or-k b

aso in l m bo ra

w j l w
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The day gn was descending from Hilltop

he was clothed in fire

and wore garments of blood.46

It has been earlier mentioned that the decorations of the walls are usually accompaniedwith drumming and dancing, which most times include the recitation of the deitiesork. It is therefore not strange to find such artists well versed in the ork chants of thedeities especially when the bt drummers are performing (bt drum is requisite forgn and Sng worshippers). At such times the painter is in a highly charged state ofcreative consciousness enabling him or her to create images that best befits the rs.

sun is one of the female rs in Yorbland. As a fertility goddess she is regarded as

the most important of these female divinities, she is therefore a symbol of motherhood.In her honour, a segment of the gbni repository in Ils is dedicated to her.47 As aprovider of children, women from all walks of life visit her shrine (sun groove insogbo) to offer ablution in hope of the gift of children. She is thus praised as:

slr gbo, gbr gbo,

l sn fi we omo r

k dkt t d

Floods of concoctionAre what sun bathes her children in

Before the doctors came.

Therefore the kneeling figure of the second section of the gbni shrine represents suchendearment. It symbolizes knl Abiamo (Birth pains). knl Abiamo summarilysymbolises a woman in labour pains, at the very moment when she is to be delivered ofher baby. At such a crucial moment, she experiences labour pains. (Birth pains) Inreference to this critical period, the Yorb people often say:

E rnt knl abiamo

Remember the labour pains.

This they plead for when a child or a person is being subjected to inhuman treatment.The importance of labour pains and the relationship between a child and the mother asexpressed by the Yorb people is also corroborated by a passage in the Holy Bible,


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where Jesus spoke about when a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hourhas come; but when she is delivered of the child she no longer remembers the anguish,for joy that a child is born into the world John 16:21 (RSV.Holy Bible)48 . The joy a

woman exhibits after delivery despite the pains signifies their desire to have a childirrespective of what it takes. The kneeling could also symbolize a barren woman seekingsuns help to heal her of barrenness.

ConclusionAs evident in the traditional murals influenced by ork, Yorb ork has been proven tobe a very potent tool in the hands of the local artists in representing their visual art. Thecontents and attributes of various ork were utilized to paint images in beautifying thewalls of palaces and shrines; most of these paintings were executed before the

widespread use of written language among the Yorb people. Their art thus became ameans of visually representing the attributes of the rs or Oba as expressed in variousork chants. This was even more acceptable because a larger number of the communitywas well versed in their indigenous ork.

In contemporary times, ork can also serve as a rallying point, and a driving force in thedevelopment of traditional themes in painting. It can create a possible means by whichmodern materials like oil paints can be used in executing paintings using the ork as thebasis for composition. Execution of traditional themes in painting will then no longer berestricted to palace walls and shrines alone but also on canvass, private and public walls(murals). It has been ascertained by many scholars (Karin Barber 1991, Adpgba, 1995

Aknyem, 1991, Oltnj, 1984, Finnegan, 1970 and Johnson, 1976), that ork also playthe role of historical record keeping among the Yorb. Today however, citation orsinging ofork is only left to the aged and akws who use it as a means of livelihood intheir musical production.

Introducing ork into our arts it makes it more lasting because art is known to lastforever. Art is also not static. If our traditional artists could achieve considerable successin utilizing ork as a driving force in the production of the murals, artists incontemporary times should also tap ideas and inspiration from the same source. Thiswill enhance, and bring some traditional identity in their creative works. Through this,we may be able to spur the younger generation to have a renewed interest in theirindividual, family and town ork.

ReferencesAdby B. (1967):Awon Ork Orle: ed. William Collings, Glasgow.
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Adpgba, C.O. (1995).Nigerian Art: Its Tradition and Modern Tendencies, IbadanJolad Press.

rm, A: 1979Asanyan Oriki: Onje, Ohun Ogbn, r, Eye, Eranko ati Ej.University of Ibadan Press Limited, Ibadan.

Aknyem, A. (1991): Poets as Historians: The Case of Akinyungba in y, in ODU, AJournal of West African Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife.

Aw, B,. (1975):Notes On Oriki and Warfare in Yorubaland, in Yoruba Oral Tradition.Ed. Wande Abimbola, Dept. of African Languages, University of Ife.Ile-Ife.

Karin Barber. (1991):I Could Speak Till Tomorrow: Oriki, Women and the Past in aYoruba Town. Edinburgh University Press.

Beier, U. (1960): Yoruba Wall Painting in ODU. A Journal of West African Studies,Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Campbell, V. B. 1989 : Comparative study of selected shrine Paintings in Ile-Ife andIlesa. (Unpublished MFA Thesis, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife).

Fdp, N.A., (1975): The Sociology of the Yoruba, Ibadan University Press.

Finnegan, R. (1970): Oral Literature in Africa, Oxford University Press.

Folrnm, S. A. (2000): y Palace Mural, (Unpublished MFA Thesis), ObafemiAwolowo University Ile-Ife.

--------. (1995): Orisa Popo Shrine Painting in Ogbomoso. (Unpublished B.A. ThesisObafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife)

dw, B. (1996): Olodumare, God in Yoruba Belief, Longman Nigeria Plc. Revised andEnlarged edition.

Johnson, S. (1976): The History of the Yorbs, Lagos CSS Bookshops.

Oltnj, O. (1984):Features of Yoruba Oral Poetry, University Press Limited, Ibadan.kdji, Moy (1992): Orisakire Painting School, Ile-Ife, inKurio Africana. Vol.1no.2.

---------. (1986): Yoruba Paint Making Tradition inNigerian Magazine, vol.54. No.2


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Smith, M.G. (1957): The Social Functions and Meaning of Hausa Praise-Singing,Africa 27.

Endnotes1. Beier U. (1960): Yoruba Wall Painting in ODU: A Journal of West African Studies,Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, 36-39.

2. kdji, Moy (1992) : Orisakire Painting School, Ile-Ife, inKurio Africana. Vol.1no.2,.122.

3. kdji, Moy (1986): Yoruba Paint Making Tradition in Nigerian Magazine, vol.54.No.2.

4. Campbell V. B.(1989) : Comparative Study of Selected Shrine Paintings in Ile-Ife andIlesa. (Unpublished MFA Thesis, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife).

5. Johnson, S. (1976): The History of the Yorbs, Lagos CSS Bookshops, 85.

6. Finnegan, R. (1970): Oral literature in Africa, Oxford University Press, 111.

7. : op. cit., p. 11

8. Oltnj, O. (1984):Features of Yoruba Oral Poetry, University Press Limited,

Ibadan. p 779. op. cit., 68.

10. op. cit., 14.

11. Finnegan, R. (1970): op cit., 114.

12. Aw, Bolanle: (1975): Notes On Oriki and Warfare in Yorubaland, in YorubaOral Tradition. Ed. Wnd Abmbl, Dept. of African Languages, University of Ife,Ile-Ife 268-29.

13. Karin Barber. (1991):I Could Speak Till Tomorrow: Oriki, Women and the Past in aYoruba Town. Edinburgh University Press, 184-187.

14. Folrnm, S. A. (2000): y Palace Mural, (Unpublished MFA Thesis, ObafemiAwolowo University Ile-Ife, 26.

15. Ibid.
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16. : op. cit., 33.

17. Finnegan, R. (1970): op. cit., 122.

18. Adpgba, C.O. (1995):Nigerian Art: Its Tradition and Modern Tendencies, IbadanJolad Press, 22.

19. rm, A: 1979Asanyan Oriki: Onje, Ohun Ogbn, r, Eye, Eranko ati Ej.University of Ibadan Press, Limited, Ibadan, 11.

20. Adpgba C. O.: op. cit., 22

21. Adby B. (1967):Awon Ork Orle: ed. William Collings, Glasgow, lines 29, 39,113-117

22. Johnson S. (1976): op. cit., 85

23. Ibid.

24. Ibid.

25. Mrs. Afolb: Oriki Chants of Alaafin of y. (recorded audio tape by StephenFolrnm, y town, March 1999) lines 56, 59, 7, 38-41.

26. Aknyem, A. (1991): Poets as Historians: The case of Akinyungba in y, in ODU,

A Journal of West African Studies. Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, 142-143.27. Fdp, N.A., (1975): The Sociology of The Yoruba, Ibadan University Press, 316.

28. : op. cit.,pp. 146-147.

29. Smith, M.G. (1957): The Social Functions and Meaning of Hausa Praise-Singing,Africa 27. 3.

30. Folrnm S. A. (1995): Orisa Popo Shrine Painting in Ogbomoso. (UnpublishedB.A. Thesis Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), p. 2230. Johnson, S. (1976): op.

cit.,.2731. Johnson, S. (1976): op. cit., 27.

32. Adt Akrle : Oriki chants of Orisa Popo (recorded audio tape by StephenFolrnm, Ogbomoso, 1995).
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33. dw B. (1996): Olodumare, God in Yoruba Belief, Longman Nigeria Plc. Revisedand Enlarged edition. 90.

34. Beier U. (1960): op. cit., 36-39.

35. dw B. (1996): op. cit., 71.

36. op. cit., 73.

37. Adt Akrle: Ibid.

38. dw B. (1996): op. cit., 72.

39. op. cit., 73.

40. Adt Akrle : Ibid.

41. Ibid.

42. Campbell V. B. (1989): Comparative study of selected shrine Paintings in Ile-Ifeand Ilesa, (Unpublished MFA Thesis, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife), 58.

43. dw B. (1996): op. cit., 85.

44. Campbell V.B. (1989): op. cit., 62.

45. dw B. (1996): op. cit., 86-88.

46. op. cit., 84.

47. Campbell V.B. (1989): op. cit., 63.

48.Holy Bible, St. John 16:21 (Revised Standard Version).

Copyright 2003 Africa Resource Center
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