Yoruba: gender in their culture
There are three major ethnic groups in Nigeria: Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. I am going to talk about the Yoruba people and their culture, who make up twenty-one percent of the Nigerian population (Ember 1624). Some brief facts about this ethnic group include that their spoken language is Yoruban, they live in the southeastern region of Nigeria called Yorubaland and are also settled in Togo and Benin (Ember 1624). While all these facts are interesting and good to know, I will focus on gender in Yoruba culture. I believe exposure to the western world has influenced gender roles in Yoruba culture. I will cover Yoruba gender roles compared to other countries, gender roles in marriage, the influence of religion on gender role construction, gender in government and the gender perspective on children.
Ask for help with your essay
If you need help writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here for you!
Also see
The best VPN server countries to connect to"Dishonest and irresponsible" claim? Pinoy vlogger in South Korea investigated Sharon Cuneta's 'Hermes nudge'[Watch Free] Hocus Pocus 2 [] Watch Movies Online Free In SpanishOut of 20 best social media campaigns
Essay writing service
(Video) Yoruba is a gender neutral language.
Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí argues that gender is a Western idea introduced to the Yoruba people and that the Yoruba people previously had no concept of gender. One of their arguments is that there are no specific words related to gender. Other scholars, such as Olajubu, disagree, saying that the Yoruba people have allowed gender to play a major role in religion and traditions. She says sex is natural and gender is a constructed classification term. I think this ties into the nature versus nurturing argument that while human nature is learned through teaching and observation, something can be natural and we are born with it. An argument that gives a new perspective to this two-sided debate is that gender does matter, but not in the way our society sees it, namely as male or female. So what is the truth: have the Yoruba people always allowed gender to play a role in their culture, or have Westerners taught it to them?
(Video) Gender: How to say "masculine" and "feminine" in the Yorùbá language
To get this answer, I started reading about the differences in gender normality in different countries. I found that people in more than 16 countries believe that men have the first right to work, that they believe that men are better suited for political office, and that women must have children in order to be fulfilled (Weziak-Bialowolska). With the Yoruba, I discovered that the gender roles among the Yoruba changed more and more as time changed and as more outside influences came into contact with the Yoruba. I don't think they negatively affected women. I think they gave women more opportunities to get the careers they wanted. According to McIntosh in her bookYoruba women, work and social changeShe summarizes that women played an independent role in agriculture and trade until colonial notions of 'women's jobs' changed women's career paths (McIntosh). In a review of McIntosh's book, another scholar, Insa Nolte, concluded that "Yoruba women adapted their abilities to support more widely held cultural beliefs as they continued their household chores" (Nolte).
Speaking of domestic roles, an interesting place to study is the marriages and traditions of Yoruba culture regarding gender roles. In Yoruba, both sexes are expected to marry at the age deemed appropriate by society, women in their twenties and men in their thirties. A woman's place in society was once based on her being a daughter of her father and one of them
Women in the line of their husbands (Denzer). A woman was considered the property of the family into which she married and passed to a brother when her husband died, or the family was entitled to the children she bore (Johnson). One thing that seems to have changed is that in precolonial times divorce was not common and today a man has the free privilege to divorce his wife (Johnson). According to Johnson, the Yoruba were traditionally monogamous and polygamy was reserved for the wealthy. This is no longer the case today. A good example of the expression of polygamy is the Ooni of Ife. The leader of the Yoruba people, King Ojaja, has three wives and a recent divorce is said to have been his fourth wife (Oonirisa.org). There has obviously been an increase in polygamous marriages and I think this is because of the encounter with new religions during colonialism.
Let's take a look at the impact religion has on gender roles. Fifty percent of Nigeria's residents are Muslims, forty percent are Christians, and ten percent practice refined religions (Ember). The largest finds of Muslim and Christian followers are found in the Yoruba ethnic group. It is interesting that in the Yoruba religion, women are typically the most revered traditional priests (cinders). In Africa, especially Yoruba, we must understand that the Yoruba people worship many gods who are not given gender (shell). The influence of other religions began to help differentiate and define gender. Christian ministers and Muslim babalawo were predominantly male. A consequence of this primary gender being the head of the religion is that the Yoruba people began to establish a hierarchy in religion based on gender (shell). At one point in history, a woman had to pray to her husbandWhen aand find their spiritual destiny through their husbands (Peel). Based on this, I would say that religion has influenced gender roles in Yoruba culture simply by making people aware of gender and its hierarchy in certain religions.
Also see
English pronunciation rules and how to learn themTypes of communication: types, meaning and examples | Use educationOver 20 of the Best Online Marketplaces in Germany - Ecommerce Germany News9 creative writing jobs you can do from home
(Video) WOMEN IN THE YORUBA TRADITION – CC PORT – FRANÇAIS
Finally, what role does gender play in the governance of their society? To answer that question, we first need to know what kind of government they run."Yoruba history and politics in Nigeria is dynamic rather than static."This is how the author Falola, who deals with African affairs, described the Yoruba government (Yoruba identity). How is this possible, you may ask? There are three types of trial courts in Yoruba. The first legal systems were the customary courts at the local level. Men were expected to sit on one side and women on the other, each voting on public affairs (Yoruba legal systems). This court mainly hears family and property cases. The second and next level is the District Court, which is based on the British system where legal cases were heard at a high level and linked to the state system of government and hierarchy (Mary M. Johnson). The last and third tier of their system of government is based on the Islamic legal system rather than active offices as there is no predominantly Muslim community (Yoruba legal systems). So we can see that women, at least in their government and courts, have equal rights of attendance and voting and the influence of the British and Islamic legal systems does not change this fact.
Find out how UKEssays.com can help!
(Video) Obatala explained - The sex fluid Orisha
Our academic experts are happy to help you with any writing project. From simple essay plans to full dissertations, rest assured that we have a service perfectly tailored to your needs.
View our services
Do their beliefs or lack of beliefs about gender influence the way their children are raised or treated? Men show superiority over their female counterparts, who are usually relegated to the background. Therefore, women are largely disadvantaged socially, politically, economically and religiously as decisions are predominantly made by women rather than men. (Ubrurhe). The scholar and author Olabode, who wrote about the birthright of female children in Africa, is quoted as saying:
Once a child is born, the question asked will focus on the gender and not the health of the mother. If the baby is female, the mother is abused and treated like a lazy, worthless woman. On the other hand, if the child is male, the mother is praised without regard to the fact that biology has shown that it is the father who determines the sex of an offspring (Olabode).
(Video) Yoruba Conceptions of Patriarchy | Does Yoruba culture support gender inequality? #Conversations
I think this is a good example of how women are disadvantaged from birth and seen as "less than" male children who are celebrated and praised. A mythological story from their culture shows the Yoruba belief that women are inferior to the cunning and overpowering man. "He had a whip in his hand. He turned his voice into oneBotto decorate. When Odu saw thatBotin the new form she was afraid. This is how men skillfully subjugated women.” (Olajubu). I also understand that men may have feared women's power and felt threatened enough to try to control them. I think gender balance of power is a global problem and this is an example of that in Yoruba culture.
Finally, I would like to reiterate that I believe Western influence has changed gender roles in Yoruba culture. I cannot say whether there were slight gender restrictions before Western influence or not, and I cannot say whether the influence was for good or for evil. However, I believe "gender" has definitely become a concept in Yoruba and the roles have shifted based on the research and data I've gathered. If anything can be said with certainty, it is that the concept of gender in Yoruba is far from being a uniquely defined idea. Gender roles change and change with every aspect of their culture, from marriage to religion to government.
bibliography
- Denzer, Laray. "Yoruba Women: A Historiographical Study."Das International Journal of African Historical Studies27.1 (1994): 1-39. Network.
- Ember, Melvin., and Ember, Carol R. Lands and Their Cultures / Melvin Ember and Carol R. Ember, editors. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network.
- Falola, Toyin., Genova, Ann and Perspectives on Yoruba Historical Culture. The Yoruba in Transition: History, Values, and Modernity / Edited by Toyin Falola and Ann Genova. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic, 2006. Print.
- Falola, Toyin. in Genoa, Ann.Yorubá Identity and Power Politics / Edited by Toyin Falola and Ann Genova.Rochester, NY: U of Rochester, 2006. Printing. Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora, [v. 22].
- Family, O.O. "African Culture and the Status of Women: The Yoruba Example."Journal of Pan-African Studies5.1 (2012): 299. Web.
- Johnson, Samuel and Johnson, O.The History of the Yorubas from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the British Protectorate. G. Routledge & Sons, 1921. Web.
- Mary M. Johnson. „Yoruba Legal Systems“ Journal of Law and Judicial System, 1(3), S. 1-2
- McIntosh, Marjorie Keniston.Yoruba women, work and social change / Marjorie Keniston McIntosh.Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana UP, 2009. Drucken.
- Mercader, Julio, Raquel Marti, Jayne Wilkins and Kentd. bird watcher “The eastern periphery of the Yoruba cultural sphere. Pottery from the lowland rainforests of southwestern Cameroon.” Current Anthropology47.1 (2006): 173-84. Network.
- Nolte, Insa. "Bulletin der School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London."Bulletin der School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, born 73, no. 3, 2010, blz. 568-570.JSTOR, JSTOR,www.jstor.org/stable/40963348.
- Olabode B.O. “African gender myth in proverbs and verbal discourses; A Case Study of the Yoruba in Southwest Nigeria” in Kehinde, A. (ed.)Gender and Development: Essential Reading,Ibadan: Hope Publications (2009).
- Olajubu, Oyeronke. "Looking Through a Woman's Eyes: Yoruba Religious Tradition and Gender Relations."Journal of Feminist Religious Studies20.1 (2004): 41-60. Network.
- Oyewumimi, Oyerónke.The Invention of Woman: Understanding Western Gender Discourses Afrikaans / Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí.Minneapolis, Minn.: U of Minnesota, 1997. Print.
- Peel, JDY "Sex in Yoruba Religious Change." Journal of Religion in Africa32.2 (2002): 136-66. Network.
- Ubrurhe, J.O. "Cultural Religion and Feminism: Hermeneutical Problem" in Ifie, E. (ed.)deal with culture, Ibadan: Oputuru Books (1999)
- Weziak-Bialowolska, Dorota. “Differences in Gender Norms Between Countries: Are They Valid? The problem of measurement invariance”European Journal of Population = European Journal of DemographyBd. 31 (2014): 51-76.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There Gender in Yoruba Culture? ›
In the case of Yoruba society, the concept emerged in postcolonizationGender is timeless and universal; it also catalyzed the realization of that idea. This implies that gender segregation is an integral part of society, which contradicts the author's main argument.
What is the Yoruba Culture? ›The Yoruba culture consists ofPhilosophy of culture, religion and folk tales. They are embodied in Ifa divination and are known in Yorubaland and its diaspora as the three volume book of enlightenment. The cultural thinking of the Yoruba witnesses two eras. The first era is a history of cosmogony and cosmology.
Discover more >
One of the most important traditions in Yorubaland is the "divine name" -naming a newborn child. Names are given to children by their parents, grandparents (both father and mother), and some other close relatives. A typical Yoruba child can have up to 16 different names.
How do we show respect in Yoruba culture? ›Respect is an important aspect of the Yoruba tradition and a symbol of peace and order. The manner of greeting is one of the first things a stranger notices about the Yoruba system of respect.A man is expected to greet an elderly person with a bow or prostrate, and a woman with a kneel.
Learn more now ›
witchcraftThe Orisha of wealth, economic entrepreneurship, business and economic success in the Yoruba religion, probably a daughter of Olókun.
Where does the Yoruba language come from? ›The Yoruba group is believed to have evolved from undifferentiatedVolta-NigerPopulations in the 1st millennium BC Early Yoruba speakers are believed to correspond to those in the wider Niger area from around the 4th century BC. BC were found, especially in Ife.
Get more information >
According to Yoruba men, they are one of the most desirable men among women of different ethnicities in Nigeria. when it comes to dating and marriage. That's probably because the men aretrained to be respectful and helpfullike other tribes.
Hoe heten de Yoruba? ›Even in many parts of Ondo state, people still call themselves Ondo, Idanre, Ilaje or Ikale, but their Oyo, Osun and Kwara brethren call them Yoruba, while Lagos and the Yoruba River identify other Yoruba peoples as Ara . that is, people of the highlands.
Tell me more >
In the traditional Yoruba environment, the traditional wedding is the most important or official marriage process.an alliance phase in which the two families come together in public to seal their children's love affair in the presence of friends, families and well-wishers.
Get more information >
The Yoruba culture also has a well-defined value system that is very important to them. Some of the values includewisdom, integrity, courage, hard work, honor and wealth.
How old is the Yoruba culture? ›
The historic Yoruba evolved in situ from earlier (Mesolithic) Volta-Niger populations through1st millennium BC. Archaeologically, the settlement of Ile-Ife dates back to the 4th century BC. BC, with urban structures emerging in the 8th to 10th centuries.
Discover more >
The Yoruba-speaking peoples share a rich and complex heritageat least a thousand years old. Today, 18 million Yoruba live mainly in the modern countries of southwestern Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
What is the history of the Yoruba culture? ›The Yoruba region was invaded in the 19th century by another ethnic group, the Fulani, who pushed them south to the regions they now inhabit. In the early 20th century, most of the Yoruba came under the control of the British Empire, where they remained for about 60 years before Nigeria gained independence.
Learn more now ›
The Yoruba culture also has a well-defined value system that is very important to them. Some of the values includewisdom, integrity, courage, hard work, honor and wealth.
What food do the Yoruba eat? ›Hunting, fishing, ranching and gathering of wild foods are practiced, but the basis of the Yoruba diet consists ofStarchy tubers, grains and fruits grown on their farms, supplemented with vegetable oils, wild and farmed fruits and vegetables, and meat and fish.
Learn more now ›
1. J Lorand Malory of FIU on gender in Yoruba culture and religion
2. Vul'umlomo: conversations about culture | Extract Identity | episode 3
3. Yoruba Culture: Traditional clothing of the Yoruba people in Africa
4. Major ethnic groups in Togo and their characteristics
5. Yoruba Sexuality | Eko Ile - Home Training | @TheOrishaCenter
6. Characterization of the Female Gender in Nigerian Yoruba Popular Music: Part 1 (Introduction)
Information about the author
Name: Frau Lucile Johns
Birthday: 16.11.1999
Address: Suite 237 56046 Walsh Coves, West Enid, VT 46557
Telephone: +59115435987187
Work: Head of Education
Hobby: genealogy, stone jumping, parachuting, nordic skating, couponing, coloring, gardening
introduction: My name is Ms. Lucile Johns, I am a successful, kind, friendly, homely, adventurous, handsome, delightful person who loves to write and would like to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
FAQs
Is there gender in Yoruba culture? ›
Since the Yoruba language is largely gender neutral and traditional Yoruba culture is gender balanced, this religious family offers insights into non-Western ways of thinking about gender that are shared among many indigenous groups.
Is Yoruba a genderless language? ›Unlike English, Yoruba has no gender-specific pronouns.
What is virginity in Yoruba culture? ›Virginity In Yoruba Culture
During the traditional era and before the advent of colonialism, virginity was held at high esteem among the Yoruba people. A lady is expected to get married as a virgin as having sexual intercourse before the wedding ceremony is a taboo.
Gender in Yorùbá Culture and Interaction with Colonialism
Today, the Yorùbá culture is patriarchal, and societal divisions have been created across gender lines (Akanle, Adesina, and Nwaobiala 2018; Aderinto 2001; Pogoson 2012).
Polygamy is practiced among the Yoruba, men can marry more than one wife. Both the wives and the half brothers/sisters or Obakan in a polygamous family still constitute parts of the nuclear family. It is the duty of the father to fend for the entire family and especially the children. He provides for all their needs.
How do Yoruba girls dress? ›Yoruba fashion and garment culture – which is awash with styles such as four-piece female of iro (wrapper), buba (blouse) and ipele (shawl) with the gele accessory (headgear) as well as the male agbada (robe), buba and, dansiki (baggy shirts), sokoto (trouser) and fila (cap accessory) – has been synonymous with Aso-Oke ...
Which African language has no gender? ›Swahili. Swahili is a Bantu language spoken in many parts of Africa such as Kenya and Tanzania. It is largely gender neutral in specific nouns. Words such as actor/actress (mwigaji wa hadithi) and waiter/waitress (mtumishi mezani) are gender neutral among most others in the language.
What language has no gender? ›There are some languages that have no gender! Hungarian, Estonian, Finnish, and many other languages don't categorize any nouns as feminine or masculine and use the same word for he or she in regards to humans.
What are gendered pronouns in Yoruba? ›| Yoruba | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| awon | Ah-won | They/them (female group) |
| yin | Yin | You (plural, female group) |
| wa | Wah | We/us (female group) |
The Bedsheet virginity test of brides is not a recent phenomenon. Centuries have passed and our society still determines the character and izzat of women based on whether their hymen is intact or not. If the bedsheet turns red on the wedding night after sex, the woman is considered pure and sanskari.
What is second virginity? ›
Many people who wish they could return to virginity are choosing to become "second-generation virgins." Second-generation virginity is a choice to abstain from sex again for a period of time. For some, that time is a few months; for others a few years or until marriage.
What are the Yoruba marriage taboos? ›Yoruba culture forbids a married woman to have sexual relations with a man that isn't her husband. A man that suspects his wife of cheating could be tempted to lace her with magun, which is one of the strangest traditions in Nigeria. Magun could lead to her lover losing his life or getting stuck while in the act.
What religion dominates Yoruba? ›Today, most contemporary Yoruba are Muslims or Christians.
What are the norms of Yoruba? ›Major traditional Yorùbá values, according to Abayomi, are hard work, integrity, diligence, self-reliance, honesty and social responsibility.
What is duality in Yoruba culture? ›The Yoruba regard the number two as sacred apparently because of the duality or "twoness" (ejiwapo) apparent in nature, such as day/night, sun/moon, life/death, hot/cold, wet/dry, right/left, and male/female.
What is a Yoruba wife? ›Yoruba. Abstract: The Yoruba woman is meek and overtly submissive to her husband; in the traditional compound her daily tasks were menial. But in her economic independence, accompanied by easy divorce, she has priveleges shared by few African women.
Can a woman marry two husbands in Nigeria? ›Under civil law, Nigeria does not recognize polygamous unions. However, 12 out of the 36 Nigerian states recognize polygamous marriages as being equivalent to monogamous marriages. All twelve states are governed by Sharia Law.
Can you marry 2 wives in Nigeria? ›In Nigeria, for example, polygamous marriage is not allowed at the federal level, but the prohibition only applies to civil marriages. Twelve northern, Muslim-majority states do recognize these unions as Islamic or customary marriages.
What is unique about Yoruba culture? ›The Yoruba are a very sociable and expressive people who commemorate major events with colorful festivals and celebrations. Weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals and even housewarming parties are celebrated in a lavish and ceremonial nature.
What food do the Yorubas eat? ›Hunting, fishing, animal husbandry, and the gathering of wild foods are practised, but the basis of the Yoruba diet consists of starchy tubers, grains, and fruits grown on their farms, supplemented by vegetable oils, wild and cultivated fruits and vegetables, and meat and fish.
What do Yoruba brides wear? ›
Yorùbá brides (Iyawo) traditionally wear Iro, Buba, Ipele, and Gèlè . Although lately, brides wear dresses or Komole (faux Iro).
What languages have 4 genders? ›Meanwhile, the Zande language of Africa divides nouns into 4 genders: masculine, feminine, animal and inanimate. However, some inanimate objects that are important in Zande mythology are classified as animate.
Which language has more than 2 genders? ›More than three grammatical genders
Czech, Slovak and Rusyn: Masculine animate, Masculine inanimate, Feminine, Neuter (traditionally, only masculine, feminine and neuter genders are recognized, with animacy as a separate category for the masculine).
| Language | Status | ISO 639-3 |
|---|---|---|
| Birri language | Critically endangered | bvq |
| Geme language | Critically endangered | geq |
| Ngombe language | Definitely endangered | nmj |
| Ukhwejo language | Severely endangered | ukh |
Languages such as Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian, Turkish, Indonesian and Vietnamese (to name just a few) do not have grammatical genders at all. Other languages have a gender distinction based on 'animacy', the distinction between animate beings (humans and animals of both sexes) and inanimate objects.
Is Hindi gender-neutral? ›Every Hindi noun has a gender — masculine or feminine. A noun's gender determines its inflection. Adjectives must agree in gender as well, and verbs change to match the gender of the subject.
Does Japanese have gender? ›In contrast to many Indo-European (including Romance, Slavic and Germanic) languages, Japanese has no grammatical gender in its nouns or adjective agreement. Moreover, the Japanese honorifics such as -san and -sama are gender-neutral, which contrasts with Mr., Ms. or Mx.
What is male in Yoruba language? ›masculine. ọkunrin noun, pronoun. male, man, he.
Does Yoruba have pronouns? ›There's no Yoruba equivalent of the English gendered singular 3rd person pronouns: 'He/She/Him/Her' What Yoruba has that English doesn't is age-sensitivity. The 'You' for a younger person different from 'You' for older person What are the quirks of your language, vs English?
What is the meaning of female in Yoruba? ›obinrin. More Yoruba words for female. obinrin noun. woman.
What is the female virginity layer called? ›
Your hymen is a piece of tissue covering or surrounding part of your vaginal opening. It's formed during development and present during birth. It thins over time and tears.
What happens in first night? ›It begins their married life and is frequently seen as a crucial turning point in their relationship. The first night together as husband and wife is a time for bonding, intimacy, and celebration of love. The first wedding night is usually thought of as a time for emotional and physical closeness between the newlyweds.
How many lose virginity before marriage? ›No one, not even a doctor can say for sure that a girl has lost her virginity. The HindustanTimes.com survey indicated that close to 60 per cent women have had sexual relations before marriage.
How far up is the virginity? ›It usually lies within 0.8 inches (1–2 centimeters) of the vaginal opening, creating a partial boundary between the external and internal genital organs.
What does a hymen look like before and after it breaks? ›The hymen surrounds your vaginal opening like a ring or donut, and then, as it tears or stretches, it appears more like a crescent. If you have an annular or crescent-shaped hymen, it might look slightly different depending on the way your hymen has stretched or torn.
What is ghost marriage in Nigeria? ›The “ghost marriage” is a practice similar to the levirate, whereby a woman marries a man in the name of his deceased brother.
What is the bride price in Yorubaland? ›The Yoruba bride price is only N5,000 (Five Thousand Naira) across most Yoruba states and villages. This is explained in the section above. This amount is purely symbolic and not asked for the sake of money. In fact, some parents (of brides) give back the money to the groom to drive this point home.
Do Yoruba believe in afterlife? ›It has spiritual, physical and social significance. Yoruba's do not see death as the end of life. It is believed that there is transformation from one form of existence to another. The belief in an afterlife which is a continuation of this life, only in a different setting.
What are the Yoruba famous for? ›The Yoruba have traditionally been among the most skilled and productive craftsmen of Africa. They worked at such trades as blacksmithing, weaving, leatherworking, glassmaking, and ivory and wood carving.
Are Yoruba people Arab? ›The history confirms the statement that the present Yoruba tribes were from four origins i.e. Negroes, Nubians, Berbers and Arab, while the last three were to have known to have dwelt in Egypt, took from their languages and cultures and carried them to Yoruba land.
Who rules the Yoruba? ›
Aristocratic titles among the Yoruba
The royals are led by the obas, who sit at the apex of the hierarchy and serve as the fons honorum of the entire system. They are joined in the class of royal chiefs by the titled dynasts of their royal families.
In Yoruba philosophical discourse, ethics relates to the norms that govern human behavior, on the one hand, and the behavior of the supernat- ural beings in their relationship with humans, on the other. As the above suggests, it is not only humans that have to be ethical: the gods too do.
What are two beliefs of Yoruba? ›The Yoruba believe that daily life depends on proper alignment and knowledge of one's ori. Ori is the part of one's soul that influences personal destiny and success. Another important Yoruba concept is called aché (or ashe), the divine energy that runs through all living and nonliving things.
What is Yoruba taboo? ›The word taboo is called eewo in Yorubaland, that is, that which is forbidden. The action or conduct of one man/woman within the community can affect other members for good or evil (Idowu and Dopamu: 1980: 44-46).
What are Yoruba beliefs about twins? ›Twins are therefore given special names and believed to detain special preternatural powers. In keeping with their refined artistic tradition, the Yoruba have produced numerous wooden statuettes called Ibejis that represent the souls of deceased newborn twins and are involved in elaborate rituals.
Why do the Yoruba have twin figures? ›In Yoruba culture, twins are considered to possess special powers: they are believed to be one soul, and must be cared for accordingly. If a twin dies in infancy, the family have a wooden figure carved to represent the dead twin.
What is the Yoruba belief of the soul? ›The The Yorùbá people believe in reincarnation (atunwaye). They actually believe that the souls of some individuals do return after death to live again in a different body. There are different types of reincarnation beliefs among the Yorùbá.
What are the gender pronouns in Yoruba? ›| Yoruba | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Mi | Mee | I/me |
| Mo | Mo | You |
| O/un | Oh/wun | He/she/it |
They would marry as many as they liked and treat them cruelly and unjustly. Therefore, Allah warned them that they should refrain from doing injustice to their wives as they did in case of the orphans. They were restricted to marry not more than four wives, if only they would do justice to them.
Does Nigeria have a gender policy? ›The National Gender Policy Strategic Framework (Implementation Plan) is a sector national strategic framework of Nigeria.
What language has no gender pronouns? ›
Genderless languages: Chinese, Estonian, Finnish, and other languages don't categorize any nouns as feminine or masculine, and use the same word for he or she in regards to humans.
Which African languages do not have gendered pronouns? ›Swahili is a Bantu language spoken in many parts of Africa such as Kenya and Tanzania. It is largely gender neutral in specific nouns. Words such as actor/actress (mwigaji wa hadithi) and waiter/waitress (mtumishi mezani) are gender neutral among most others in the language.
What language is genderless? ›Genderless languages (e.g., Turkish and Finnish) are languages where most human nouns as well as pronouns are generally unspecified for gender. If there are distinctions in personal pronouns, they refer to other features than femaleness and maleness (e.g., Finnish hän “she/he” = human, animate vs.
What are Yoruba pronouns? ›| English Pronouns | Yoruba Pronouns |
|---|---|
| you | iwo |
| he | oun |
| she | oun |
| we | awa |
This includes languages like Indonesian, Finnish, Hungarian and Mandarin. These languages still have words that mean “man” or “woman” and other words that designate a natural gender. However they have no pronouns or indicators for male/female in people or objects.
Is Yoruba Religion is true? ›Today, the Yoruba religion is especially popular among African Americans in the United States. Yoruba priests and priestesses are helping adapt this ancient religion to a modern reality.
How is Yoruba marriage? ›The Yoruba
First, a man identifies a woman he is interested in. Then he asks his friends or a mutual friend to approach her on his behalf. The go-between person or friend is called an alarina. Once mutual interest and love has been established, they inform their parents of their intention to get married.
This statistic shows the total population of Nigeria from 2011 to 2021 by gender. In 2021, Nigeria's female population amounted to approximately 105.57 million, while the male population amounted to approximately 107.83 million inhabitants.
Can a woman marry a woman in Nigeria? ›In some parts of Nigeria, an unmarried but prosperous woman who desires to have a family of her own may, if she cannot bear children, marry' another woman to do so on her behalf. She attains this objective by providing the bride-price for a new wife who while living with her bears children.
What are the gender issues in Nigeria? ›Gender inequality in Nigeria is influenced by different cultures and beliefs. In most parts of Nigeria, women are considered subordinate to their male counterparts, especially in Northern Nigeria as well as in other sectors including the Nigeria music industry, politics, and education sector.