african literature jayati

Prepared By: Jayati ThakarRoll no. 30Part 2Semester 4Smt. S. B. Gardi Department of EnglishM. K. Bhavnagar UniversityGujarat India

Mythical Connection in Soyinka’s ‘The Swamp Dwellers’

Connection of AfricanYoruba Myths

Intro of an author• Wole Soyinka born on 13

July 1934) is a Nigerian playwright and poet. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, the first African to be honoured in that category.

• He wrote plays, produced it and also worked as an actor.

• And also remain political activist.

What is ‘Myth’

“A story that was told in an ancient culture to explain a practice, belief, or natural

occurrence.” – Merriam Webster• But the belief only, not the truth.• "myth is a necessary way of transcending

reality"

Nigerian Yoruba Myth

• Represents the Yoruba culture.• Yoruba culture separates the cosmos into the

human world and the world of the deities.• Soyinka's messiahs fail as revolutionaries or as

heroes who can lead their people out of chaos. In this regard, Soyinka has effectively interpreted the tragic reality of our contemporary world.

Text stands on the pillar of the myths

Yoruba Myths

Mythical Gods or Heroes

Myth of Ibeji/ Yoruba

• Goddess Eden and her twin sons.• One dies and calls another one.• Alu and her twins son.

• Awuchike • Igwezu

• Awuchike went to city and never come back (symbolic death)

• Alu is strong and perfect woman in the play as his husband Makuri used to say to her-

“There wasn't a woman anywhere more faithful than you, Alu; I never had a moment of worry in the whole of my life”

• To give birth to twins is well-known for fertility of a woman. And she considers most respectful woman.

Myth of Ogun

• God of Iron• Holds Blade in his hand.• Helped by his friend Obatala

to explore land.• Igwezu stands as Ogun• He is barber and also having

blade.• Helped by the bagger to

work for his land- swamp.

Myth of Sango

• God of lightening.• Was abandoned by his

own people, denounced by the chiefs.

• He fled to the country was abandoned by his wife, left alone with one loyal slave.

• Committed suicide.

• In the text Igwezu’s character is compared with sango.

• He too betrayed by his brother and his wife. • Also abandoned by his father Makuri and

swamp dwellers• in the end he has left the story, it is believed

that he has lost his courage and commit suicide. He told Beggar that – “the swallows find their nest again when the cold in over”

• Shows his utter failure.

Myth of Obatala

• Creator of the universe and humankind

• The myth offers an explanation for humanity’s imperfection.

• Deformity in creation- Obatala becomes drunken while was creating humanity.

• The beggar stands for Obatala• Wears white robes• Blind too• Wants to help Igwezu to reform the

swamp.

Work Sited

• <http://bhattlajja031314.blogspot.in/2015/03/use-of-myths-in-swamp-dwellers-of-myths.html >.

• <https://sites.google.com/a/asu.edu/mythology-of-africa/the-creation-of-the-universe-and-ife>.

• <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wole_Soyinka>.• jadeja, Poojaba. "Use of African Myths in Soyinka's

'The Swamp Dwellers'."

• Submitted To:• Smt. S. B. Gardi Department of

English• M. K. Bhavnagar University• Gujarat • India