Title: Omen and Divination in African Literature: Study of Selected Works of Igbo Playwrights
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TITLE: OMEN AND DIVINATION IN AFRICAN LITERATURE: STUDY OF SELECTED WORKS OF IGBO PLAYWRIGHTS STELLA OGONNA OKAFOR Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu, Enugu State Nigeria E-mail: [email protected] Abstract- Part of the major pre-occupations of writers all over the world is to produce literary composition such as poems, plays, and critical essays via imagination. To do this, to adopt some idiosyncratic approaches, which give their works certain peculiarities or uniqueness? Nevertheless people at times tend to overlook this while reading such works. They have not tried to find out why such writers chose to be identified with particular styles. For instance omen and divination are predominant phenomena in the plays of some contemporary Igbo playwrights like Godwin Onyekaonwu, A.B.C Chukwuezi, Enyinna Akoma and many others. It is that gap that the resent study intends to fill in selecting some of the works of these Igbo playwrights with a view for examining the extent to which the incidence of omen and divination help to enhance and elucidate the themes of these works. The selected Igbo plays are Nwata Rie Awọ and Akụ Fechaa. The examination of the incidence of these phenomena is based on theory of myth. In order to achieve this purpose, the researcher adopted a descriptive survey method. This is because there are so many Igbo drama texts written by different authors but data of the research were collected only on those that have ominous and divinatory phenomena in them. Through this method it was discovered that the authors made use of these phenomena to explore the culture and traditions of Igbo people which form the common motif of their plays. Secondly Igbo cultures are myth in Igbo which they respect, reference and not mere superstition. They are in various cultures of the world. The authors project them for documentation, preservation and posterity. Key words- Omen, Divination, African Literature, playwright I. INTRODUCTION presenting their works. These unique styles are noticed in the incidence of omen and divination. They There is hardly any society in the world without adopt these motifs as a device of bringing to light literature or literature without a society. This is some aspect of Igbo culture associated with them because literature is an integral part of language. It thereby reflecting the life and practices of the Igbo. helps to preserve the language and culture of the society. Literature as a work of imagination is a II. WHO ARE THE IGBO? mirror through which the writer represents the society in its ideas and ideals, its thoughts, its visions, and its The Igbo are sub-Saharan African people numbering way of life. In the words of Caudwel (1977:145) the up to 40 million that are living in the territory that is task of literature is keeping the collective imagination currently called the South East of Nigeria. South East of a society alive, such that its members will be able of Nigeria comprises five main states which are Imo, to channel their energies to communal social Abịa, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, and part of Rivers, construction. In a nutshell, literature does not only Delta and cross River. The above mentioned areas are reflect, it affects the society. The literary artist does where the Igbo are found, predominantly, but they not just reflect his society, rather he also responds and can also be found in their large numbers in all parts of reacts to socio political and economic changes of the the world. Igbo people are known from their time through the medium of specific languages. ingenuity in exploring into available avenues with a Literature is language well used for understanding of view of finding solutions in tackling most of the the audience according to the message passed across. challenges they encounter in life. The language of the It comprises three parts and these parts are referred to Igbo is Igbo language. The Igbo are usually dark in as literary genres. They are prose, drama and poetry. complexion, stoutly built with tick lips and usually The concern of this study is drama. Drama s viewed tall. Industry is one of the characteristics of the Igbo. by Aristotle as quoted in Akwanya (1998:3) as the art The northern Igbo kingdom of Nri, which rose around of the stage, as a mode of imitation representing the 10th century is credited with the foundation of much characters as performing all the actions dramatically. Igbo culture, customs and religious practices and is Drama is therefore a literary form that tells the story also one of the oldest existing monarchy in the of human conflict by means of dialogue and action. It present-day Nigeria. Nri kingdom is credited with the derives its subject matters from the day to day foundation of much Igbo’s culture, customs and realities of man. According to Jacobus (1989:1) ... religious practices. drama is one of the art forms that help us realize the potentiality of life for both good and bad. III. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Igbo playwrights attempt to produce drama that Omen: Omen as a concept has been defined by reflects life by adopting some unique styles in several authors and scholars. Among those authors Proceedings of ISER 35th International Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 9th - 10th September 2016, ISBN: 978-93-86083-34-0 15 Title: Omen And Divination In African Literature: Study Of Selected Works Of Igbo Playwrights and scholars that have given their definitions to the gave a detailed definition of divination by saying that: word Omen is Walker (1997:389), he asserts that divination is the practice of foretelling the future by “Omen in popular and traditional belief is a natural means of alleged predated natural powers. It is based event thought to presage a future event. According to on the belief that the future is predetermined, that all him there are two basic forms of Omen, normal things however casual or accidental they might occurrence of nature (the craving of ravens, hooting appear have significance, and that the pattern of of Owls or holing of dogs for example). These are coming events can be read from them. The practice interpreted in a specific context to augur good or bad has been common to all people from earliest times future and usual occurrences such as flight of sacred often through the medium of prophet. Divination birds or eclipses, or comets that are believed to be includes all methods of fortune-telling: card reading, direct manifestation of the gods. crystal gazing, palmistry, in Astrology the general On the other hand, Gromen Timms, Branser and direction of a person’s life is read from the position of Lindo (1997:459) stated that omen is supposedly a the stars as the time of his or her birth. Dream sign of future good or bad luck. A good omen interpretation, once a popular form of divination is foretells a desirable event, and a bad omen forecasts today an important aid to psychoanalysis. disaster. For example a person may believe that the Divination from the definition has something to do death of a relative will follow a dream about losing a with prophecy. The prophetic work of divination is tooth, sometimes, omen come from a deliberate done by a priest called diviner priest. In Igbo attempt to look into the future such as a fortune teller language he is called (Dibịa-afa). In the words of reading cards. They go on to say that many ancient Mckenzu (1965:239), “The priest is the Shaman and societies believed that lightning, thunder or the religious figure in primitive societies who functions behaviour of animal foretold event. The as a healer, diviner and possessor of psychic power, Mesopotamians thought that fire would destroy the diviner (foreteller) and the mystic. Diviners are kings palace if a dog is seen laying on the throne, in consulted whenever there is ominous event or folklores many heroes due after disregarding such manifestation. They declare the future as revealed to signs. them by the gods and idols. They warn people of Omen is handwriting on the wall, a portent or impending disaster, displeasure of goods, misdoing or prophecy of disaster a sign of impending and neglect of some religious ceremonies, rituals or unavoidable doom, an indication or sense of what is sacrifices, to idols, outbreak of infectious disease are to come often the writing on the wall (Collins 1991: epidemic. They prescribe remedies in the way of 2). The allusion is to the Daniel in the Bible, in which sacrifice and give better solution to people’s a hand mysteriously appeared and wrote a message of problems. Balshazzars Palace wall, foretelling his destruction and loss of his kingdom. Going further in his V. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK illustration, he gives some examples of omen by saying that pain or pleasurable sensation on the This research work adopted mythical theory which fingers was considered by the ancient Roman augurs helps to trace the traditional sacred story, typically as a sign of evil or joy to come respectively. The revolving around the activities of the gods, goddesses pricking of thumbs was considered a portent of evil. and heroes which purports to explain a natural “By pricking of my thumbs something wicked this phenomena or cultural practices. The study of myths way comes (Macbeth) iv:1). revels the mind and character of people. And just as However, from the above references, the implications dreams reflect the unconscious desires and anxieties of the authors’ definitions of Omen is that for a sign of the individual, so myths are the symbolic to be regarded as an Omen, it must be capable of projections of people’s hopes values fears and foretelling the future, and omen can either be good or aspirations.