Aesthetics of Yoruba culture and religion : an examination of the cultural and religious conflicts in the plays of Wole Soyinka

Abstract

Culture and religion are two main fibres sustaining the continued existence of a community. However, issues of cultural intersection, which is inevitable, results into diverse forms of conflicts. In the African setting, there remains, to date, a continuous conflict with the European way of life and value system. These conflicts, which are visible in differences in generational lifestyle coupled with the confusion and imbalance seen in the younger generation, are a result of the effect of colonialism on the indigenous culture, tradition, legacies and value system. In an attempt to resuscitate the best of the culture of the Yoruba people and redeem their vanishing value systems in an era of globalization, this study, viewed from the perspective of postcolonial theory, firstly looked into the beauty and significance of the Yoruba culture in Wole Soyinka’s the Lion and the Jewel and Death and the King’s horseman. It also examined the historical and contemporary impact of colonisation on Yoruba culture and religion. In addition, the study explores the possibility of co-existence of the best of old order and new order and how the playwright sheds light on human understanding of cultural and religious relations. The study concluded that an acknowledgement and respect for other people’s culture and ways of life will reduce conflicts and, therefore, promote co-existence of different cultures. The study emphasizes the need for the contemporary Yoruba society to re- embrace the best Yoruba cultural heritage, modernize the old values and imbibe the best of Western culture to make the society a better place. The propagation of the best of Yoruba cultures and value in a modern world through various means at various levels should be given maximum priority.