Delusional Yoruba Traditional Belief: Pain, Regret and Motivation -By Tunmise Ajeigbe

In Soyinka’s play, prior Nigeria’s independence the western protagonist observed our old barbaric traditions that one man called Elesin Oba whom had pleasured with a ruling monarch in Oyo while reigning must die after the demise of the king to prevent the spirit of departed emperor from rambling-around like lost wave without a final rest. The colonial masters admitted that such customs should be forbidden, as it goes against humanity right and want to use the influence and instrumentality of their existence on our soil to curb this brutal tradition of ours but failed.

Elesin’s son, Olunde, educated but understood power of tradition travelled down from abroad to fulfill his hanging father’s rite that colonial powers planned to abort. Elesin finally committed suicide because of shame after he discovered his son had covered for him and resulted to double casualties. In the play, according to the writer, Wole Soyinka, he said the Death and Kings Horsemen story is incomplete without drums and songs, making it a legendary craft for generations to come.

In recent the Seven Doors Netflix series by Femi Adebayo, an iconic actor with prolific letters attributed to his legacy. He again told stories of barbaric Yoruba traditions that a ruling monarch must marry seven wives to abolish a generational curse that has been submerged with his throne for the king to have a peaceful ruling. So bitterly, more casualties birthed, predicaments arose leading to acrimony and questionable choices for the king makers and the king himself.

Our general assumption presumes that kings are born and not made, but royal homes are tide with covered pains and deep agonies that cannot be exposed due to traditions. Seven Doors and Elesin Oba have questioned our Yoruba faith to phantom if what we are holding up to is actually genuine. Perhaps the western way is only the way out. In Death and King’s Horsemen, we blamed the Westerners for not understanding our traditions and infringing upon our values. But in Seven Doors we can only blame ourselves for allowing ourself to make traditions as weapons against our growth and developmental potential.

 Books by Wole Soyinka “Season of Anomy” in 1973 and “Climate of Fears” in 2005 depict how humans are wired with cultural phobia and hindrances of revolutionizing a society known for awful social norms. In Africa, traditions remain traditions, any alter against tradition is considered as haram. Then for how long should we continue to bear rotten fruits when it known that traditions are made by men and should be unmade by men. Let’s leave the “White people” alone and let’s face our own reality ourselves.

This is my Sunday Motivation

 Happy Sunday!