Oral Narratives as Intertexts in Selected Nigerian Films Joshua Usman Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Literature in the Faculty of Arts at Nelson Mandela University April, 2019 Oral Narratives as Intertexts in Selected Nigerian Films Joshua Usman Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Literature in the Faculty of Arts at Nelson Mandela University April, 2019 Supervisor: Professor M L Crous Co-Supervisor: Professor H E Janse van Vuuren i ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ………………………………………………………………………….………...ii Dedication …………………...……………………………………….……………….………iii Acknowledgement......................................................................................................…viii Abstract……………………………….....…………………………………………….…..........ix CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction….......................................................................................................1 1.1 Background to the study………………………….………….…….………................1 1.2 Intertextuality:conceptual framework ………………………..……………………..4 1.3 Nollywood and/as third cinema……………………………….…………………….11 1.4 Research problem……………………………………………….…………………...14 1.5 Research objective……………………………………………………………….…..15 1.5.1 Research question…………………………………………………………………...15 1.5.2 Research hypothesis………………………………………………………………...16 1.6 Theoretical frame work………………………………………………………….…...16 1.7 Research methodology ………………………….…………………………….…....18 1.8 Movies considered for the study ……………………………………………….…..19 1.9 Justification of the study………………………………………………………….…19 1.10 Key terms……………………………………………….………………………….….20 CHAPTER TWO 2.1 Orality in Nigeria cultural studies ……………..……………………………..……..21 2.1.1 Nigeria ethnic group and culture……………………………………………….…..24 2.2 Oral Tradition: early ethnic-linguistic festivals and culture……………………...25 2.2.1 Igbo Festivals…….……………………………………………………………….…..26 2.2.2 Yoruba Festivals….…………………………………………………………..………28 2.2.3 Hausa Festival………………………………………………………………………..30 2.3 Oral tradition and development of literary tradition in Nigeria…….…………….31 2.3.1 The nature of study telling in Nigeria traditional milieu………………………….35 iii 2.3.2 Overview of literature and film………………………...………………….…………37 2.4 The basic forms of oral tradition in Nigeria...……………………………….…..….45 2.5 Oral narratives and film making ………………………………………………........47 2.5.1 The artistic process of engaging oral narratives in films.……………………..…48 2.6 Historical background of Nigerian films……………………..….………………….51 2.6.1 The emergence of Nollywood film industry……………………..…………………52 2.7 contemporary ethnic custom and beliefs in Nigeria……………………..…….…52 2.8 Nollywood culture……………………..……………………..…………….…….…...68 2.9 Intertextuality ……………………..……………………. .……………………….…..74 2.10 Adaptation …..………………..……………………..……………………...……..…..75 2.11 Folklores and film making in Nigeria ……………………..…………………….. ..76 2.12 The Nigerian audience and culture-oriented films…….……………..……….….79 2.13 Orality in African films other than Nigerian films ……….……………..………….83 CHAPTER THREE 3.0 Analysis of oral narrative forms in Nollywood following ….……………..………87 3.1 Prose narrative ……………………..……………………..….……..……………..…88 3.1.1 Methodology narratives……………………..………………..……..………….……97 3.1.2 Proverbs……………………..……………………..…………………….……..……..98 3.1.3 Beliefs …………………..……………………..……………………..…..…….……106 3.1.4 Legend ……………………..……………………..……………………...……….…108 3.1.5 Myths……………………..……………………..……………………..….……….…110 3.1.6 Wise saying……………………..………………….…..………………….…..….…112 3,1,7 Witticism ……………………..……………………..……………………..………....113 3.1.8 Adage……………………..……………………..……………………..………….…114 3.1.9 Occult arts…………………...…..……………………..………………………….…116 3.1.10 Riddles ……………………..……………………..……………..………..…………116 3.1.11 Oral performance …………..………..……………………..…………….………...117 3.2 Analysis of poetic forms of oral narratives in selected films…………………...117 3.2.1 Oral poetry………………..……………………..……………………..……… .…..117 3.2.2 Songs …….……………..……………………..……………………..………….…..188 iv 3.2.3 Praise-Songs (Praise-singing)……….….…………....…………………..……….128 3.2.4 Music and Dance ………… ……..……………………..……………..…….132 3.2.5 Incantation……………………..……………………..……………………....……...132 3.2.6 Invocation……………………..……………………..……………………………....133 3.3 Dramatic forms of oral narratives in Nollywood films….......…………..………..133 3.3.1 Dramatic music and dance ………………………………..……………..………..139 3.3.2 Dramatic oral performance …………………….…………..……………………...140 3.3.3 Festival ……………………..……………………..……………………..………..…141 CHAPTER FOUR 4.1 Yoruba secret worship and traditional practices in Nollywood films …………144 4.2 The Igbo secret worship and ritual practice in films ……………………..……..146 4.3 Ritual killing and occult practice in Nigeria films …………………..……………153 4.4 The secret practice of witchcraft in Nigerian ethnic films ……………………...154 4.5 Magic power in Nigerian films ……………………..…………………...………...155 4.6 The Hausa-Fulani festival …………………..……………………..…………..….156 4.7 The Yoruba ‘Magun’ (charm) practice ………………… …..…………….….…..157 4.8 Inheritance of women in Igbo land ……………………..……………..………....157 4.9 Practice of widowhood ……………………..……………………..……...….…….157 4.10 The Igbo ‘Nwaboy’ (master-servant agreement) ………………………………..158 4.11 Female circumcision ……………………..…………….…………..………..…….158 4.12 The practice of witch hunting among the Edo people in Nigeria ………….….159 CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 Intertextual relations in the selected Nollywood films ……………………….... 160 5.1 Pastiche..……………………..……………………..……………………..…..……..161 5.2 Adaptation ……………………..……………………..……………………..…...…..161 5.3 Imitation ……………………..……………………..……………………..………….163 5.4 Allusion ……………………..……………………..……………………..……...…..164 5.5 Reference……………………..……………………..……………………..………..165 v 5.6 Appropriation……………………..……………………..………….……………….165 5.7 Quotations ……………………..……………………..…………………….. ……..166 5.8 Intertextual translation ……………………..……………………..……….……….167 5.9 Parody……………………..……………………..……………………..……………167 CHAPTER SIX 6.0 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..169 6.1 Discussion and research questions …….………………..…………………….. 175 6.2 Research Findings ……………………..……………………..…………….. ……180 6.3 Recommendation.. ……………………..……………………..………………….. 185 5.4 The research contribution to knowledge …………………………..…………… 187 5.5 Suggestion for further research …………………………..…………………….. 188 Bibliography..……………………..……………………..……...………………..………….190 Appendix 1……………………..……………………..…………..………….…..………….235 Appendix 2 ……………………..……………………..…………….…………..….………..261 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I hereby dedicate this thesis to God Almighty, my beloved family and Usman’s family. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to God and all those who were part of this thesis. I am humbly and sincerely indebted to my promoter Professor Marius Crous. You helped me in overcoming the numerous obstacles I faced in the course of this research. Your contributions, critical comments and constructive criticisms have assisted me to widen my research from various perspectives. It is beyond exaggeration to admit that your patience, commitment, motivation and verse knowledge qualify you as a quintessence of academic excellence. I am highly privileged to undergo my PhD study under your tutelage. You have a striking humility and friendliness. Remain blessed. I am very grateful to my co- promoter Professor Helize Janse van Vuuren, an epitome of academic and moral excellence for her invaluable contributions and guidance throughout the writing of this thesis. Thank you very much. I appreciate the management of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, who deems it fit to approve the sponsorship of this study. I also thank the staff of Nelson Mandela University for subjecting this thesis to critical academic scrutiny from its embryonic stage to completion. May I also extend a word of gratitude to my examiners, who helped me to improve the thesis to its final form. I am grateful to my wife and children as well as other extended families for their moral support towards the success of this research. God Almighty will meet you at the point of your needs. I also appreciate the friendship of my research mates and colleagues which is quite inspiring and encouraging, remained blessed. Amen. Thank you all and God bless. vii Abstract: This research into the interface between orality and Nigerian film builds on previous scholarly works in the field (Ladebo (1992), Onabajo and M’Bayo (2009), Omolola (2013), Ezeigbo (2013), Mgbemere (2015) and Onzuike (2016)). Evident from these studies is the prevalence of recurring patterns of oral narratives in Nigerian film. The aim of this study is to consider the following research questions: • Do film producers/directors adopt the use of oral narratives in Nigerian film texts? • How do oral narratives translate into films? • What is the rate of recurrence of oral narratives in Nigerian films? • Do oral narratives aesthetically influence the quality of Nigerian films? For the purpose of this study a selection of nine Nigerian films (three each from the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo groups). These films are analysed as primary texts to show the occurrence of elements of orature and oral narratives. Underpinning such analysis is the theory of intertextuality as coined by the French linguist Julia Kristeva. Kristeva sees the text as “intertextuality […] within the text of society and history” (Kristeva, 1980: 37). This approach is augmented by the views of Greenblatt on New Historicism, which implies literature should be studied and interpreted within the context of the history of the author and cultural/social context. The nine films under discussion are considered within their cultural/social