Oriki Awon Òrìsà is a book and companion audio series by Fayemi Abidemi and Obafemi Origunwa. Visit www.ObafemiO.com to download the audio files. It is part of a larger multimedia curriculum that teaches the art and the practice of òrìsà lifestyle. Oríkì Awon Òrìsà is A LEARNING TOOL FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN PROPER WORSHIP. With materials in print, audio, video and online, Oríkì Awon Òrìsà is perfect for your personal shrine or as a temple worship and study guide. Visit www.ObafemiO.com for more resources.
This bibliography presents the patterns of writings in the Yoruba language between 1820-1970 and so traces the intellectual development of that society. It includes early publications, printed works, bibles, religious tracts, readers and some modern works written in Yoruba. Some writings about the language in English are also included. Most of the entries have been sourced from the Ibadan University library, the IAI and SOAS institutions in London, and the Schomberg Collection and the Library of Congress in the USA; or from publishers catalogues in Nigeria, the CSS Press and University Press Plc. The editor provides for each item, organised by subject discipline and also listed alphabetically, a bibliographic description, and location of the work. Additionally the volume includes a contents list of important rare works, or works of literary significance; and the bibliography is fully indexed.
Perspectives in Religious Studies is in three Volumes. It is a product of expertise of specialists from universities in Nigeria and abroad. The book is a response to the lack, in Nigerian universities, of relevant books in the various branches of Religious Studies. Topics covered by the volumes include: Church History, Philosophy of Religion, Islamic Studies generally, Biblical Studies, History of Religions, Comparative Religion, African Traditional Religion, Sociology of Religion, Ethics and Phenomenology of Religion.
This volume shares the results of research conducted within and across the complex nexus of language, religion and new technologies. It identifies the dynamic and mobile ways religious practice and language interact online to modify, confirm, transform and consolidate linguistic resources and repertoires. It makes a significant contribution to work in the emerging sub-discipline of the sociology of language and religion and adds to the growing work on digital religion. It also showcases leading and ground-breaking researchers working on online and offline examples of the complex relationships evinced by the study of language and religion. The chapter authors explore a wide range of religions, technologies and languages in order to provide an innovative insight into the overlap between the study of language and religion and language and technology.
African Oral Literature: Its Philosophical Thoughts Conveyed in Yuruba Society explores the ways that the Yoruba people of Nigeria have made remarkable contributions to the world’s civilization. Yoruba philosophical, religious tenets, artistic tenets, ideas, and icons have helped to transform religious beliefs and practices and the arts. When considering the study of Yoruba oral traditions, one learns how its philosophical concepts are the bases for an interpretation of what constitutes their aesthetic performance in art forms. This book introduces distinguished Yoruba cultural historians documenting the full spectrum, which extends beyond the visual art form. Through oral tradition, the effigy with its ako naturalism is not judged for its photographic realism, but for its efficacy within the context of the ako traditional ceremony, which is intended to make the end of this life and the beginning of the next one honorable and dignifying for one's parents where good will is needed by those still on earth. About the Author Howard James Jordan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1948. He is a lifetime member of the following associations: The Buffalo Soldiers, 24th Infantry Regiment of New Jersey; The Buffalo Soldiers 9th & 10th Horse Cavalry Association of Baltimore, MD and Los Angeles, CA; Disabled American Veterans (DVA) and Veterans of Foreign Wars, Dept. of New Jersey. Howard’s hobbies include writing, reading history, dancing, roller skating, horseback riding, traveling, wood carving, and painting. He also taught art in Nigeria Secondary Schools, was a research assistant at Nigerian University, and taught special education in Philadelphia Public Schools.
“Willis should be commended for penetrating a complex and socially guarded ritual resource to glean the hidden histories manifested therein.” —African Studies Review In West Africa, especially among Yoruba people, masquerades have the power to kill enemies, appoint kings, and grant fertility. John Thabiti Willis takes a close look at masquerade traditions in the Yoruba town of Otta, exploring transformations in performers, performances, and the institutional structures in which masquerade was used to reveal ongoing changes in notions of gender, kinship, and ethnic identity. As Willis focuses on performers and spectators, he reveals a history of masquerade that is rich and complex. His research offers a more nuanced understanding of performance practices in Africa and their role in forging alliances, consolidating state power, incorporating immigrants, executing criminals, and projecting individual and group power on both sides of the Afro-Atlantic world. “Willis cites oral traditions, archival sources, and publications to draw attention to the link between economic development and spectacular and historically influential masquerade performances.” —Babatunde Lawal, author of The Gelede Spectacle “Important in its emphasis on the history of an art form and its specific cultural context; of interest to academic audiences as well as general readers.” —Henry Drewal, editor of Sacred Waters “Willis’s work should be a must-read for students and established scholars alike.” —Africa
What is the secret of African joy? From Bahia to New Orleans to London, Black people are the very embodiment of happiness! Our songs, our dances and our vibrant cultures light up the African diaspora with joy. The Yoruba say, mbari-mbayo! It means, "You see me and rejoice!" According to Yoruba tradition, Obatala is the Orisa closely associated with happiness. He is praised as "the father of laughter." Through his example, we discover happiness as a path of inner peace. In Obatala: Four Paths to Equanimity, you will learn four ways that Obatala shows the way to inner peace. The book includes a series of sacred text, self-exploration exercises, and activities designed to increase your personal connection to the magnificent energy of Obatala, the Great Orisa.
Obafemi Origunwa, founder of the Orisa Lifestyle Academy and creator of the Orisa Lifestyle Agreements, articulates an in-depth, yet simple blueprint of the world's fastest growing spiritual movement. In his insightful study, Origunwa surveys a full range of traditional and modern African thought expressed through religion, sacred poetry, philosophy, mythology, psychology and business. He demonstrates that Yoruba sacred culture is far from being doomed to destruction or irrelevance at the hands of Islamic and Christian incursion. Instead, Orisa Lifestyle is evolving into a world wide cultural empire that is capable of actually using foreign tools to propogate its basic values. The Fundamentals of Orisa Lifestyle presents an invaluable insight into the foundations of the unique and vital tapestry of Yoruba indigenous knowledge systems practiced by over seventy million Africans all over the world.
As the twenty-first century begins, tens of millions of people participate in devotions to the spirits called Òrìsà. This book explores the emergence of Òrìsà devotion as a world religion, one of the most remarkable and compelling developments in the history of the human religious quest. Originating among the Yorùbá people of West Africa, the varied traditions that comprise Òrìsà devotion are today found in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia. The African spirit proved remarkably resilient in the face of the transatlantic slave trade, inspiring the perseverance of African religion wherever its adherents settled in the New World. Among the most significant manifestations of this spirit, Yorùbá religious culture persisted, adapted, and even flourished in the Americas, especially in Brazil and Cuba, where it thrives as Candomblé and Lukumi/Santería, respectively. After the end of slavery in the Americas, the free migrations of Latin American and African practitioners has further spread the religion to places like New York City and Miami. Thousands of African Americans have turned to the religion of their ancestors, as have many other spiritual seekers who are not themselves of African descent. Ifá divination in Nigeria, Candomblé funerary chants in Brazil, the role of music in Yorùbá revivalism in the United States, gender and representational authority in Yorùbá religious culture--these are among the many subjects discussed here by experts from around the world. Approaching Òrìsà devotion from diverse vantage points, their collective effort makes this one of the most authoritative texts on Yorùbá religion and a groundbreaking book that heralds this rich, complex, and variegated tradition as one of the world's great religions.
Iyanifa means Mother of Wisdom or Mother of Ifa. It is the position of the High Priestess in the Ifa Orisha tradition . The Ifa Orisha tradition of Africa is thousands of years old and was so strong, it was able to survive the slave trade to go on in the new world. What didn't survive the slave trade ,but remained in Africa was the position of Iyanifa. In a world where women have lost much of their ancient mysteries to patriarchy and slavery, a tradition is presented here that went underground but did not die. Iyanifas, Iyami, and Queen mothers of Africa resurface now to continue a legacy for new generations across the globe. This book is a collection of stories, essays, and explorations of the position of Iyanifa and its resurgence in the Diaspora. Gleaned from the perspective of the elder mothers who broke the glass ceiling to reclaim the tradition , they share their divine wisdom teachings, candid personal experiences, joys, and growing pains drawn from their lives as Iyanifas and women in the tradition. This volume of work features authors such as Luisah Teish, Iyanla Vanzant, Aina Olomo and many other powerful healers, diviners, and counselors. It is offered as a gift to women in the tradition and to those interested in Woman’s and African Studies to explore the path of Iyanifa and to be a resource for years to come.
