Yoruba Mythology Research Paper

529 Words2 Pages

From the Yoruba cosmological myths, in the beginning of time, Olodumare (God) sent seventeen divinities to earth. Sixteen of the primordial divinities were male while one of them being a female named Osun. The male being the majority in number excluded Osun from making decisions and in turn, Osun retaliated by gathering all women around the universe to disrupt the activities of the sixteen male divinities. The women succeeded in their quest prompting the male to seek divine intervention from Oldumare who advised them on making peace with Osun.
The Yoruba Cosmological Myth accounts for lots of gender based practices and beliefs in the contemporary African culture. They have for long prescribed the level of cultural interaction between the males and females as well as their relationships when it comes to family and leadership. The cosmological narrative defines the inability of the women to access powers, either in religion or in politics. The sixteen primordial divinities excluded Osun, a woman when it came to decision making. This reflected in the contemporary African culture, where...

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