Orature: A Strategy for Socio-Religious Harmony in YoruIbaIland

Abstract

Before the advent of Christian and Islamic religions, African Traditional Religion was solely practised among the Yorubá without any interference or hindrance. However, in the 19th century, when Christian and Islamic religions emerged, there was a marriage of inconvenience initially, but later, these religious practitioners found a way of peaceful co-existence among one another. In this paper, we evaluate the importance and use of Yorubá orature in relation to the spread and peaceful co-existence of Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion in the Yorubá society and argue that one of the ways adopted to ensure peace and unity among the three groups is the use of Yorubá orature and that during the advent of Christianity and Islam, the Yorubá manipulate proverbs in various degrees to also enhance the spread of the two religions in the Yorubá society. We further argue that, since all the adherents of the three religions have the same cultural background, they find it very easy to adjust to the prevailing religious situations. It is also observed that the deadly wave of westernization has not been able to do any havoc to the socio-cultural unity, peaceful co-existence and religious harmony in the Yorubá society but instead, it has helped to boost the use of Yorubá orature and the effect is that socio-religious harmony is noticeably waxing stronger and stronger among the adherents of the different religions in the society. Finally, we conclude that the use of the Yorubá orature in churches, mosques and shrines has paved way for the socio-cultural unity, peaceful co-existence and religious harmony in the Yorubá society.