Andralee Cain LloydGeorge Mansour
http://www.mythicjourneys.org/bigmyth/myths/english/2_yoruba_full.htm
Obatala was sent down to create dry land, but got drunk before the task was completed.
Oduduwa was sent down to take over Obatala’s task
Oduduwa became the first king of Ife. Upon his death his children dispersed and started the Yoruba kingdoms of Owu, Ketu, Benin, Ila, Sabe, Popo, and Oyo.
Liberia Mali Mauritania Niger Nigeria* Senegal Sierra Leone Togo*
Benin* Burkina Faso Côte d'Ivoire Cape Verde Islands The Gambia Ghana* Guinea Guinea-Bissau
* Denotes countries in which the Yoruba tribe resides
Occupies 6,140,000 km squared or a fifth of Africa
The vast majority of this land is plains lying less than 300 meters above sea level
The northern section of West Africa is composed of semi-arid terrain known as Sahel
It has desert landscapes and also the tropical rain forests of the more humid south
Consists of 16 countries
Second largest and second most-populous continent in the world just after Asia with 11,668,545 square miles
Africa is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, as well as the Atlantic Ocean
Located just under Europe and connected to Asia on its northeast extremity by the Isthmus of Suez
500 BC - there is evidence found to support the start of the city of Ife
700-900 AD – Ife began to develop major artistic center
1200-1400AD- During this time they are known for their ancient and naturalistic bronze, stone and terracotta sculptures
1400 AD- Started to decline due to the Oyo and Benin Empires that were begining to form during this time.
1440-1897- Benin Empire (Edo Empire) – Was an African state located in modern day Nigeria
1485- First European travelers, the Portuguese, reached Benin. Trade begin to develop with the exchange of tropical products and slaves for European goods and guns.
1553- trade between Benin and England grew. They traded ivory, palm-oil and pepper.
1897- British forces conquered and burned the city
1400 - 1835 - Oyo Empire created by immigrants from Ife
Becomes the most populous kingdom in Yoruba history
Participate in the Trans-Saharan and Trans- Atlantic trade where they exchanged salt, leather, horses, kola nuts, ivory, cloth and slaves
At the ports Porto Novo and Whydah the Oyo Empire's took captives and criminals and sold them to Dutch and Portuguese buyers.
1836- empire is captured by Fulani Muslims
1901-Yorubaland was officially colonized by the British
1923 – Nigeria's first political party is formed, the Nigerian National Democratic Party. It is a single group which combined various Yoruba interest groups.
October of 1960- Nigeria was granted full independence from the British
Islam is the predominant religion of the West African interior and the far west coast of the continent
Christianity is the predominant religion in coastal regions of Nigeria, Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire
There are some Jewish populations in Ghana, Nigeria and Mali
Throughout West Africa there are numerous indigenous religions practiced such as the Yoruba religion
Is possibly the largest African born religion in the world.
Has given birth to several Afro-American religions such as Santería in Cuba and Candomblé in Brazil
There are many variations of the religion
They have between 400-700 gods Many of the Yoruba people today
have converted to Christianity or Islam
Yoruba religious beliefs are part of itan (A complex mix of songs, histories, stories which make up the Yoruba religion and society)
There are an estimated 2000 languages spoken in Africa
All African languages are considered official languages of the African Union (AU)
Most west African languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and Niger-Congo families
Most predominant languages in western Africa are English, Arabic, Portuguese, and French
The Yoruba people have their own language called the Yoruba language which is comprised of over 22 million speakers
Dance - important mode of communication Yoruba have many dance they do during
ceremonies such as the dance for the god Shango
Music – focus on the creation of complex and subtle rhythmic patterns. The Yoruba are known to give birth to
music variety such as highlife, Juju, Fuji, and Afro-beat
Art & Craft – themes such as a couple, a woman and child, a male with a weapon or animal, or an outsider or stranger are reoccurring in African art The Yoruba depict twins a lot in their art
and are revered because of their sign of fidelity. When twins die a carving of them are formed called ere ibeji.
Boubou- a flowing wide sleeved robe. Its origin lies with the clothing worn by the Islamized peoples of the historic Ghana and Mali Empire who had in turn adopted the clothing of the nobility of the early Islamic Empire
Dashiki- colorful men's garment that covers the top half of the body
Kaftan – a woman's garment that is a loose-fitting pullover with an ornate V-shaped collar and tailored and embroidered neck and sleeve lines.
Most African societies have some sort of rite of passage that they value. Some of these include:
Birth Names Puberty Marriage Death
For the Yoruba people the naming ceremony is an important part of their society. This is because they believe that a name is so powerful it can influence the rest of the child’s life.
Seen as a union of families and sometimes tribes Many of the marriages are arranged marriages Polygyny is often very common Often a pride-price is made before marriage
(often involving livestock)
Africans value strong family ties and traditions
Elders are considered the guardians of the family and are valued and respected due to their wisdom and knowledge.
Family members are addressed according to social status out of respect
A household consists of extended family (i.e.- aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents)
Rite of Passage and the importance of names African American names hold
strong African ties Moesha- meaning drawn out of the
water Niesha- meaning pure Tamika- meaning people
Marriage- Usually mutual consent
Families- Still have strong family ties to all family members including extended family
Involves scratching, etching, or cutting in order to leave permanent designs, pictures, or words into the skin. Ink rubbing – the process of
rubbing ink into a fresh cut Skin removal/skinning - outlines
are made and then the skin in between is removed creating a inconsistent texture.
Packing - A cut is made diagonally and an inert material is packed into the wound causing massive keloids to form during the healing process
Performed by tribal members who specifically perform scarification Both healers as well as artists Watch the wounds as they heal
to prevent infection Certain instruments are used
in order to create various patterns and designs knife, glass, stone, or coconut
shell are some examples of the instruments used
Tattoos are harder to see on darker colored skin than scars.
Used to decorate and beautify the body
Used as group/ tribe identity Used a lot during slave trade
so that they could identify someone from their tribe even if they come across them in another region.
Social Status Protection from death Mark a persons stage of life
Coming of age Fertility Marriage
The idea of body modification and scarification intrigues people of all races and cultures around the world.
Unlike tattoos scarification is a product of ones own body and the final product varies from person to person.
Is used for aesthetic and spiritual reasons.
Variety- More complex patterns due to precise
instruments A wide range of colors that can be applied
Less painful- no more painful then tattooing with better anesthetics
Less likely to endure an infection due to better antibiotics
Target market- African Americans, both men
and women, aged 18-30 with a strong connection to Africa.
Americas youth, both men and women, aged 18-25 with a desire to find a way of expressing themselves that is new and different from the tattooing world.
Product –Permanent and temporary scarification
Place –Los Angeles, California and our website www.skinned.com
Price – approx $80 an hour with a minimum price of $100.
Promotion – African Americans- art shows and sites
with a profit going to fight Aids in Africa Youth- Scar Wars, online at body
modification sites, and body modification magazines such as Pain.
Brand Name – Skinned Product – Permanent and temporary scarification
Packaging for temporary scarification- Red box with name and logo on the lid.
Slogan – “If you decorate me, then I will be beautiful.” An African Probverb, “Ukinipamba nitapendeza.”
Logo – West African symbol “Gye Nyame.” This symbol represents the supremacy of God and his omnipotence and immortality.
Skinned
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hs/english/2_yoruba_full.htm
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WA.htm
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f_Africa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shango http://www.africaguide.com/culture/artcr
aft.htm
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carifacatoin.htm
http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/pdf/scarification_web.pdf
http://www.randafricanart.com/Scarification_and_Cicatrisation_among_African_cultures.html
http://www.med.uottawa.ca/medweb/hetenyi/ayeni.htm
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http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo_facts.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Africa
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sus1.html
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http://www.grainsofafrica.com/catalog/article.php?id=9
http://www.skidmore.edu/academics/arthistory/AfricanBodyArts/webpages/Yoruba.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boubou_(clothing)
http://www.yorubanation.org/yoruba/Culture.htm
http://family.jrank.org/pages/1774/Yoruba-Families-Steps-That-Lead-Marriage.html
http://kamalkapoor.com/name-meanings/African-American-baby-girl-names.asp
http://www.cultural-expressions.com/ifa/ifahistory.htm
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