Yoruba Art & Culture - Phoebe A. Hearst Museum Of Anthropology
Yoruba Art& CulturePhoebe A. Hearst Museum of AnthropologyU n i ve r s i t y o f C a l i f o r n i a , B e r ke l ey
Yoruba Art and CulturePHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGYWritten and Designed by Nicole MullenEditorsLiberty Marie WinnIra JacknisSpecial thanks to Tokunbo Adeniji Aare, Oduduwa Heritage Organization.COPYRIGHT 2004 PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND THEREGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.P H O E B E A . H E A R S T M U S E U M O F A N T H R O P O L O G Y U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A AT B E R K E L E YB E R K E L E Y, C A 9 4 7 2 0 - 3 7 1 2 5 1 0 - 6 4 2 - 3 6 8 2 H T T P : / / H E A R S T M U S E U M . B E R K E L E Y. E D U
Table of ContentsVocabulary.4Western Spellings and Pronunciation of Yoruba Words.5Africa.6Nigeria.7Political Structure and Economy.8The Yoruba.9, 10Yoruba Kingdoms.11The Story of How the Yoruba Kingdoms Were Created.12The Colonization and Independence of Nigeria.13Food, Agriculture and Trade.14Sculpture.15Pottery.16Leather and Beadwork.17Blacksmiths and Calabash Carvers.18Woodcarving.19Textiles.20Religious Beliefs.21, 23Creation Myth.22Ifa Divination.24, 25Music and Dance.26Gelede Festivals and Egugun Ceremonies.27Yoruba Diaspora.28Activities.29Critical Thinking Questions.30Review Questions.31, 32Lists of Objects.33, 34Sources Consulted.35
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREABSTRACT not a realistic or exact copy of somethingADZE a tool used to cut and shape woodBABALAWO a diviner in Yoruba societyCASSAVA a starchy root similar to a sweet potatoCOMPOUND a building or buildings where people live set off and enclosed by a barrierDEITY divine character or being of a supreme nature, a god or goddessDIASPORA a scattering of a people from their original homelandECONOMY the management of the resources of a countryEXPORT to ship goods to other countries or places for sale, exchangeGOODS materials made to be soldIMPORT to bring or carry in from an outside source, especially to bring in (goods or materials) from a foreign countryfor trade or saleINDIGO a blue dye obtained from various plantsKOLA NUTS brownish seed, about the size of a walnut containing caffeineMILLET a grain used as food for humans and fowlsORISA a god or deityPALM OIL an oil obtained especially from the crushed nuts of an African palm (Elaeis guineensis) used to make soaps,chocolates, cosmetics, and candlesPETROLEUM crude oil found in the ground which is refined and used to power things like cars and gas stovesPLANTAIN a starchy form of the bananaREALM a region, sphere, or domainSHRINE any structure or place devoted to a saint, holy person, or deity, as an altar, chapel, church, or templeSORGHUM an edible cereal grassSTAPLE a basic or necessary item of foodTARO a stemless plant, farmed in tropical regions, for the edible tuberURBAN characteristic of the city or city lifeYAM a starchy root or sweet potatoPHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY4
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREWestern Spellings and Pronunciation Key of Yoruba WordsEsu: EshuIlesa: IleshaOlorun: OlrunOrisanla: OrishalaOrisa: OrishaSango: ShangoPHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY5
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREAFRICAAfrica is the second largest continent in theworld after Asia. It is an extremely diverseplace with many different cultural groups andlandscapes.PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGYThere are tropical forests, grasslands, plains, anddeserts. There are 54 countries in Africa, over800 million people, and over 1,000 differentlanguages spoken.6
YORUBA ART AND CULTURENIGERIAPeopleLandNigeria's population is multi-ethnic with morethan 250 groups having a variety of customs,religions, traditions, and languages. The country’smajor ethnic groups, which make up about twothirds of the total population, include the Hausaand Fulani in the north, the Yoruba in westernNigeria, and the Igbo in eastern Nigeria. Othergroups include the Kanuri, Nupe, and Tiv of thenorth, the Edo of the south, and the Ibibio-Efikand Ijaw of the southeast. Although English is theofficial language of the country, Hausa, Igbo, andYoruba are commonly spoken. About half of thepopulation living in the north are Muslim; another40 percent, in the south, are Christian. Theremaining population follows traditional beliefs.Abuja has been the capital city of Nigeria since1991. Nigeria is more than twice the size ofCalifornia. The Republic of Niger borders it tothe north, the country of Cameroon to the east,the Republic of Benin to the west, and theAtlantic Ocean to the south. The Niger Riverruns through the country. Nigeria has a coastlinemade up of sandy beaches, behind which lies abelt of mangrove swamps and lagoons. Northof the coastal lowlands is a broad hilly region,with rain forest in the south, and savanna inthe north. Behind the hills is the great plateauof Nigeria, a region of plains covered largelywith savanna. This area becomes scrublandin the north.Lagos, Nigeria, 1960PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY7
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREPolitical Structure and EconomyAlthough Nigeria's natural resources include vastamounts of oil and gas reserves, the country suffers from poverty. Nigeria has endured warfare andcivil unrest since it became an independent nation.Years of military regimes and political corruptionhave left the country with economic problems.well-being. Although agriculture is an importantpart of Nigeria's economy it is difficult for thecountry to produce enough food to keep up withthe rapid population growth. Although Nigeria stillexports goods it must also import some of thecountry’s food in order to feed all of its people.Nigeria has one of the largest populations of allthe African countries with an estimated 104million people. About 60 percent of the populations live in rural areas. However, the capital citiesare crowded as a result of people leaving thecountryside in search of social and economicIn 1999 democratic elections were held andOlusegun Obasanjo was elected. There is hopethat his leadership will turn Nigeria's economyaround. Even so, Nigeria still has many challengesto overcome before it can obtain a strongeconomy.PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY8
YORUBA ART AND CULTURETHE YORUBAThe Yoruba people live on the west coast of Africain Nigeria and can also be found in the easternRepublic of Benin and Togo. Because the majorityof the slaves brought to the Americas were fromWest Africa Yoruban descendants can also be foundin Brazil, Cuba, the Caribbean, and the UnitedStates. There are also many Yoruba currently livingin Europe, particularly Britain, since Nigeria wasonce a British colony. The Yoruba are one of thelargest cultural groups in Africa. Currently, there areabout 40 million Yoruba world-wide. The Yorubahave been living in advanced urban kingdoms formore than 1,500 years. They created a strongeconomy through farming, trading, and artproduction. Their outstanding and unique artistictraditions include woodcarving, sculpture, metalwork, textiles, and beadwork.Beaded Ibeji (twins)PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICOLE MULLENThe Yoruba have one of thehighest rates of twin births in theworld. Twins (ibeji) are consideredspecial children whose birthsignifies good fortune. The loss ofa twin is considered a greatmisfortune. If a twin dies, themother has a memorial figuremade and the soul of thedeceased twin is transferred to it.The figure is then kept in thehome and the mother continuesto take care of it. She offers it foodand prayers weekly and performsmore elaborate rituals on thetwin’s birthday.Beaded bag (detail)PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY9
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREWest Africans, such as the Yoruba, have lived inurban societies and have produced extraordinaryart work since the 5th century BC. During thistime, the Yoruba began to use iron to createmetal tools and weapons such as machetes,axes, and hoes. These tools made it easier forthe Yoruba to farm the land. They planted cropsincluding yams, their staple food. They alsoharvested the seeds from the palm oil tree. Theseeds from this tree produce a vegetable oil thatis used for cooking. Kola nuts were also grownand harvested. Soon the Yoruba began tradingwith neighboring areas for rice and sorghum.Due to increased agriculture, the Yoruba community began to grow in size and large towns werecreated. They arranged their communities by clanlines, or extended families. Families who had thesame ancestors lived next door to each other inlarge compounds. An elder was put in charge asthe head of the compound. Towns becameorganized by the type of work that people did.Forestland, NigeriaFor example, farmers lived close by blacksmithswho made the tools they needed to farm theirland. By 600 AD the Yoruba were ruled by kingsand chiefs.Royal palace compound, Oyo, Nigeria, 1960PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY10
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREYoruba KingdomsThere were about 20 Yoruba kingdomsat one time with a different king rulingover each one. Ife was known as thecenter of cultural and religious life.Oyo was the strongest kingdom withthe largest military and political system.The kingdom of Oyo was close to theNiger River. The rich soil in Oyoallowed the people to grow more cropsthan they needed. This helped thekingdom of Oyo to easily trade withneighboring groups. They also created astrong military. Oyo was in control of6,600 towns and villages by the end ofthe 18th century. Internal wars andfighting with neighboring groups, alongwith the beginning of the slave trade,eventually led to the decline of thesegreat kingdoms.Above: royal palace door, (Detail) 1951PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGYBelow: Royal Place horse, Oyo, Nigeria 196011
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREA Story of How the YorubaKingdoms Were CreatedPHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGYPHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLE MULLENPHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLE MULLENOdua became old and blind. He told his sixteensons to go the ocean to collect salt water to curehis blindness. None of his sons except theyoungest, Obokun, brought back saltwater.Odua washed his eyes with the salt water andcould once again see. When he opened his eyeshe saw that his land and all his crowns exceptfor the one upon his head had been stolen awayfrom him by his sons. Obokun was the only sonof his who took nothing from him. He thankedhis son by giving him a sword. Obokun thenwent to Ilesa and became king. Odua’s othersons also built large kingdoms. Kings that ruleeven today are said to be ancestors of thesesixteen kings.Above: King, Otun, Nigeria, 1951Left: Beaded crown of a Yoruba kingRight: Beaded royal foot cushion12
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREIn the 18th century, European countries werebeginning to create colonies all over the world.Europeans were taking villagers from West Africaand bringing them to the New World to be slavesin the new colonies. The British came toYorubaland in 1852. By 1884 European nationswere meeting to discuss how they wouldbreak-up Africa into different colonies. The Britishwere granted the right by the other Europeannations to colonize Yorubaland, and in 1893Yorubaland became part of a larger colony knownofficially as Nigeria.In 1960 Nigeria became an independent country.Ten million Yoruba were known to live in Nigeriaat that time amongst many other ethnic groups.Today, the Yoruba still continue many of theirtraditional ways of life. Many Yoruba live in largetowns and cities, and many towns are still basedon the extended family dwellings in compounds.Lagos is the largest city in Nigeria and over tenmillion people live there, including a large Yorubapopulation. Many Yoruba today are still employedOyawoye family at the IndependenceExposition, Lagos, 1960as carvers, blacksmiths, farmers, weavers, andleather workers. Today, the Yoruba still makesome of the world's greatest works of art.Lagos, Independence Day Ceremony, 1960PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY13
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREFood, Agriculture and TradeYams are the most important food for the Yorubain their homeland of Nigeria. Grains, plantains,corn, beans, meat, and fish are also eaten.Poultry, goats, sheep, pigs, and cattle are raisedas livestock. Large rivers, lagoons and the oceanprovide fish and shrimp for the Yoruba. Fishermansell fresh and dried fish through traders at thelocal markets. The Yoruba make stews out ofyams, plantains, corn, cassava, and taro. Palm oilfrom the nuts of the palm oil tree is often usedto cook with.Every country has an economy. People createeconomies through employment, trade, and thebuying and selling of goods. Around 1900 cacaobecame the most important crop that Nigeria soldto other countries in order to earn money. Cottonand indigo were also grown and sold. Todaynatural resources like crude oil, coal, palm oil,peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, corn, rice, millet,cassava, and yams are exported. Many men areemployed as farmers. Women are responsible forselling goods at the markets.Potters, blacksmiths, carvers, and leather andbead workers are important to Yoruba societybecause they all contribute to the economy.The goods that they produce are made to beused and also have great artistic value.Iseyin Market, 1960PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY14
YORUBA ART AND CULTURESculptureThe Yoruba began creating magnificent sculptureout of terra cotta clay in the 12th through 14thcenturies. Bronze figures were made during the14th and 15th centuries. Tocreate bronze sculptures,artists first made models outof clay. When the clay driedthey would put a thin layerof beeswax over the clayand engrave details in thewax. Next, they covered thewax with more layers of clayuntil they created a thick mold.The mold would then be heatedover a fire until the middle layer of wax melted.The artist poured the bronze into the top of themold through tubes. The bronze now took on theform of the wax that was once there. When thebronze cooled and hardened the outer layer ofclay was broken off and the sculpture was completed. These life like sculptures may representkings and gods.The Yoruba began tocreate more abstract woodensculpture as their major art formlater on. Many African cultureschoose to create sculptures ofhumans in an abstract formrather than a realistic one.PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGYAbove: Tada bronze figurineLeft: Ife bronze heads15
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREPotteryWomen are the potters inYoruba society. They makemany different types of potteryincluding pots for cooking,eating, and storage. Palm oillamps are also crafted. Uniquepots are made in honor ofYoruba deities. Pottery is onlymade in towns where clay isavailable. It is sold to neighboring towns that do not haveaccess to clay.Above:Stages in constructing awater pot, Oyo, NigeriaBelow: Finished pots,Oyo, NigeriaPHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY16
YORUBA ART AND CULTURELeather and BeadworkMen are responsible for leather and beadwork. Goat, sheep, andantelope skins are used to make things like bags, cushions,and sandals. Leather scraps in different colors are often piecedtogether to form designs. Beads are used to decorate crowns,hats, bags, and other items worn by kings and babalawo.Popular bead designs include, human faces, birds, and flowers.PHOTOGRAPHBYNICOLEMULLENLeft: Leather and beaded knife caseRight: Leather and beaded pendantBelow: Royal leather cushionPHOTOGRAPHBYNICOLEMULLENPHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY17
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREBlacksmiths andCalabash CarversBlacksmiths are very important to local townsand are responsible for making tools that manyother professions use, such as hoes, axes,knives, chains and hammers.Calabashes (dried gourds) are carved by menand are used to serve food or drink. Goodscarried to markets are often carved fromcalabashes. They are also used as containers forstoring medicines and food. Calabashes are alsocarved into musical rattles.Above: Calabash carver, Oyo, 1965Below: Calabash carver’s toolsPHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY18
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREWoodcarvingMen are responsible for woodcarving.Woodcarving is the most important art form inYoruba culture. Men use knives and adzes tocarve wood. Divination trays and many othersacred objects are carved out of wood.Stages in the carving of a Sango staff, Meko,Nigeria, 1950View the completed staff on page 22PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY19
YORUBA ART AND CULTURETextilesMen and women both act asweavers and dyers. Weaving is doneon different types of looms.Weavers create hundreds of differentpatterns on their looms. Wild silkand cotton are used to make cloth.Indigo, a native plant, is often usedas a dye to color threads.Above: Man’s loom, Meko,Nigeria, 1950Below left: Master weaver, Oyo,Nigeria, 1951Below right: Drying dyed yarn,Meko, Nigeria, 1950PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY20
YORUBA ART AND CULTUREReligious BeliefsTraditional Yoruba beliefs see the world made upof two connected realms. The visible world of theliving is called Aye, and the spiritual world of theOrisas, the ancestors and spirits, is called Orun.Ase is the life force that is given to everything bythe Creator of the universe. Ase is in everything:plants, animals, people, prayers, songs, rocks,and rivers. Existence is dependent upon Asebecause Ase is the power to make things happenand change.The Yoruba people worship over four hundreddifferent deities. These gods are called Orisas.Some of the Orisas are worshiped by all of theYoruba. Other gods are only worshiped by certaintowns or families. Every person is given orreceives a special deity to worship. A personusually worships the god of his father, but someworship the god of their mother. Some people arecontacted by a particular god in their dreams andare instructed to worship them.PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGYPHOTOGRAPH BY THERESE BABINEAUThe Yoruba believe in the Creator who rules overthe entire universe along with many other godsthat serve underneath him. The Creator of theuniverse is called Olorun. Olorun lives in the skyand is considered to be the father of all the othergods. Olorun is the only god that never lived onearth. Olorun is the supreme god and has nospecial group of worshippers or shrines, like theother gods do.Stool. Made by Duga, Meko, Nigeria, 1950This Stool is made to represent Iroko, a deity whomakes peace when Esu, the trickster and divinemessenger, causes a fight.21
YORUBA ART AND CULTURECreation MythEvery culture has stories thatexplain how the universe wascreated. This is one version ofa creation story that is told bythe Yoruba to explain thebeginning of the universe.PHOTOGRAPH BY THERESE BABINEAUOlorun lived in the sky with allthe other gods. He toldOrisanla, the god of whiteness, to create the earth forhim. Olorun gave Orisanlasome soil, a chain, a five toedchicken, and a snail shell andsent him on his way. WhenOrisanla got to the gates ofheaven he noticed some othergods having a party. Hestopped to chat with the othergods for a bit and drank someof their palm wine. Orisanla became quite drunkfrom the palm wine and fell asleep. Orisanla'syounger brother Odua came by and noticed hisbrother fast asleep. He took all the things thatOlorun had given him and went to the edge ofheaven with Chameleon.Odua dropped the chain and climbed down,throwing some of the soil onto the water.He then released the chicken andthe chicken scratched out theearth, expanding it in manydirections until the ends of theearth were made. Chameleonthen stepped upon the earth tomake sure that it
YORUBA ART AND CULTURE PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY 6 AFRICA Africa is the second largest continent in the world after Asia. It is an extremely diverse place with many different cultural groups and landscapes. There are tropical forests, grasslands, plains, and deserts. There are 54 countries in Africa, over
Global Yoruba Lexical Database v. 1.0 0.0 Dedication 0.1. Acknowledgements 0.2. Personal Reflections 1.0. The Yoruba language 1.1. Lexicographic Philosophy 1.2. Yoruba Around the Globe 1.3. Continental vs. Diaspora 2.0. Program and Yoruba Font 3.0. Components of the Over-all Database together with Fields and Markers 3.1. Yoruba English Database .
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Ife on the one hand is widely acclaimed to be the cradle of the Yoruba group. And according to Oyeniyi (2010), Ile-Ife has been described as the political, religious and cultural headquarters of Yoruba-land. Oyo on the other hand was a Yoruba town spanning many parts and towns of Yoruba-land foun
6 In the language of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, the term Oke is defined as mountain, hill.This is the Qi or Ke (oKe) of Kamit.There are five sacred hills in Yoruba cosmology, one of them being oke ara which is defined as: the hill upon which the Orisha (Yoruba for 'Deities') first descended to create the world. The terms ka (qa), koko (kaka) and oke (qi; ke) in Kamit, Akan and Yoruba .
and artefacts from traditional mind -set, that is, from the point of view of the epistemological attitude of Yoruba and African mode of knowing. (2) It is an expressive embodiment as in music, sculpture, literature and so on. (3) It expresses an attitudinal and a behaviouristic approach to the Yoruba way of life and the complete art of living.
America,by Joseph M. Murphy, (3) Santería: The Beliefs and Rituals of a Growing Religion in America, by Miguel A. De La Torre, (4) Yoruba-Speaking Peoples, by A. B. Ellis, (5) Kingdoms of the Yoruba, 3rd ed., by Robert S. Smith, (6) The Good The Bad and The Beautiful: Discourse about Values in Yoruba Culture, by Barry Hallen, and
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not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’ (Genesis 4:9) N NOVEMBER 2014 the Obama administration in the United States announced an extension of relief for immigrant families, prompting one cartoonist to caricature ‘an immigrant family climbing through a window to crash a white family’s Thanksgiving dinner’ with the ‘white father unhappily telling his family, “Thanks to the president .
