Myth, Ritual, and Visible Expressions of Obtl and Olkun in Il-Ife` [Hardcover]

InMyth, Ritual, and Visible Expressions of O?b?t?l? and Ol?kun in Il?-If?`, Oluwafunminiyi Wasiu Raheem and Ayowole S. Elugbaju explore O?b?t?l?'s (the Yor?b? deity of creation) and Ol?kuns (the preeminent owner of the ocean) existence in myth, history, and religion through various facets of pan-human worship, belief, and everyday ritual practices. Raheem and Elugbaju explore Yor?b? history, culture, and religion to provide an extensive analysis of core themes in O?b?t?l?s and Ol?kuns stories. They argue for a more complex reading of O?b?t?l? beyond the often sustained and single narrative of struggle and defeat as well as a more nuanced reading of Ol?kun as a holy well beyond its popular exemplification of a female deity of wealth, childbirth, and preeminent owner of the worlds ocean. Drawing from oral accounts, chants, folk songs, praise poems, and verses from theIf?corpus, the authors provide new insights into the worlds of both deities hitherto missing in the literature.This book fills a gap in Yor?b? history and religion to provide an extensive analysis of two deities: O?b?t?l? and Ol?kun. Drawing from oral accounts, chants, folk songs, praise poems, and verses from the If? corpus, the authors provide new insights into the worlds of both deities hitherto missing in the literature.

Oluwafunminiyi Wasiu Raheemis affiliated to the Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria.
Ayowole S. Elugbajulectures in the Department of History and International Studies at Redeemer's University, Ede, Nigeria.

Myth, Ritual, and Visible Expressions of O?b?t?l? and Ol?kun in Il?-If?`is a brilliant work in religious studies and makes a significant contribution to the literature on Yoruba cosmology. Oluwafunminiyi Wasiu Raheem and Ayowole S. Elugbaju offer a thorough account of the role of sacred stories and rituals in Il?-If?`, a city steeped in religious and philosophical significance. The authors explore and reimagine Yor?b? Traditional l3¢