AFRICA Andralee Cain Lloyd George Mansour Yorubas Creation

AFRICA Andralee Cain Lloyd George Mansour

Yoruba’s Creation Myth http: //www. mythicjourneys. org/bigmyth/ myths/english/2_yoruba_full. htm

Another Creation Myth Obatala was sent down to create dry land, but got drunk before the task was completed. Oduduwa was sent down to take over Obatala’s task Oduduwa became the first king of Ife. Upon his death his children dispersed and started the Yoruba kingdoms of Owu, Ketu, Benin, Ila, Sabe, Popo, and Oyo.

Countries of West Africa Liberia Mali Mauritania Nigeria* Senegal Sierra Leone Togo* Benin* Burkina Faso Côte d'Ivoire Cape Verde Islands The Gambia Ghana* Guinea-Bissau * Denotes countries in which the Yoruba tribe resides

West Africa Occupies 6, 140, 000 km squared or a fifth of Africa The vast majority of this land is plains lying less than 300 meters above sea level The northern section of West Africa is composed of semi-arid terrain known as Sahel It has desert landscapes and also the tropical rain forests of the more humid south Consists of 16 countries

Earth Second largest and second mostpopulous continent in the world just after Asia with 11, 668, 545 square miles Africa is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, as well as the Atlantic Ocean Located just under Europe and connected to Asia on its northeast extremity by the Isthmus of Suez

History Ife 500 BC - there is evidence found to support the start of the city of Ife 700 -900 AD – Ife began to develop major artistic center 1200 -1400 AD- During this time they are known for their ancient and naturalistic bronze, stone and terracotta sculptures 1400 AD- Started to decline due to the Oyo and Benin Empires that were begining to form during this time.

History Benin Empire 1440 -1897 - Benin Empire (Edo Empire) – Was an African state located in modern day Nigeria 1485 - First European travelers, the Portuguese, reached Benin. Trade begin to develop with the exchange of tropical products and slaves for European goods and guns. 1553 - trade between Benin and England grew. They traded ivory, palm-oil and pepper. 1897 - British forces conquered and burned the city

History Oyo Empire 1400 - 1835 - Oyo Empire created by immigrants from Ife Becomes the most populous kingdom in Yoruba history Participate in the Trans-Saharan and Trans- Atlantic trade where they exchanged salt, leather, horses, kola nuts, ivory, cloth and slaves At the ports Porto Novo and Whydah the Oyo Empire's took captives and criminals and sold them to Dutch and Portuguese buyers. 1836 - empire is captured by Fulani Muslims

History 1901 -Yorubaland was officially colonized by the British 1923 – Nigeria's first political party is formed, the Nigerian National Democratic Party. It is a single group which combined various Yoruba interest groups. October of 1960 - Nigeria was granted full independence from the British

Culture Religion Islam is the predominant religion of the West African interior and the far west coast of the continent Christianity is the predominant religion in coastal regions of Nigeria, Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire There are some Jewish populations in Ghana, Nigeria and Mali Throughout West Africa there are numerous indigenous religions practiced such as the Yoruba religion

Yoruba Religion Is possibly the largest African born religion in the world. Has given birth to several Afro-American religions such as Santería in Cuba and Candomblé in Brazil There are many variations of the religion They have between 400 -700 gods Many of the Yoruba people today have converted to Christianity or Islam Yoruba religious beliefs are part of itan (A complex mix of songs, histories, stories which make up the Yoruba religion and society)

Culture Language There an estimated 2000 languages spoken in Africa All African languages are considered official languages of the African Union (AU) Most west African languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and Niger. Congo families Most predominant languages in western Africa are English, Arabic, Portuguese, and French The Yoruba people have their own language called the Yoruba language which is comprised of over 22 million speakers

Culture African Art Dance - important mode of communication Yoruba have many dance they do during ceremonies such as the dance for the god Shango Music – focus on the creation of complex and subtle rhythmic patterns. The Yoruba are known to give birth to music variety such as highlife, Juju, Fuji, and Afro-beat Art & Craft – themes such as a couple, a woman and child, a male with a weapon or animal, or an outsider or stranger are reoccurring in African art The Yoruba depict twins a lot in their art and are revered because of their sign of fidelity. When twins die a carving of them are formed called ere ibeji.

Culture Traditional Garments Boubou- a flowing wide sleeved robe. Its origin lies with the clothing worn by the Islamized peoples of the historic Ghana and Mali Empire who had in turn adopted the clothing of the nobility of the early Islamic Empire Dashiki- colorful men's garment that covers the top half of the body Kaftan – a woman's garment that is a loose-fitting pullover with an ornate V-shaped collar and tailored and embroidered neck and sleeve lines.

Values Rites of Passage Most African societies have some sort of rite of passage that they value. Some of these include: Birth Names Puberty Marriage Death For the Yoruba people the naming ceremony is an important part of their society. This is because they believe that a name is so powerful it can influence the rest of the child’s life.

Values Marriage Seen as a union of families and sometimes tribes Many of the marriages are arranged marriages Polygyny is often very common Often a pride-price is made before marriage (often involving livestock)

Values Family Africans value strong family ties and traditions Elders are considered the guardians of the family and are valued and respected due to their wisdom and knowledge. Family members are addressed according to social status out of respect A household consists of extended family (i. e. - aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents)

Values African American Rite of Passage and the importance of names African American names hold strong African ties Moesha- meaning drawn out of the water Niesha- meaning pure Tamika- meaning people Marriage- Usually mutual consent Families- Still have strong family ties to all family members including extended family

Form Scarification Involves scratching, etching, or cutting in order to leave permanent designs, pictures, or words into the skin. Ink rubbing – the process of rubbing ink into a fresh cut Skin removal/skinning - outlines are made and then the skin in between is removed creating a inconsistent texture. Packing - A cut is made diagonally and an inert material is packed into the wound causing massive keloids to form during the healing process

Form Performed by tribal members who specifically perform scarification Both healers as well as artists Watch the wounds as they heal to prevent infection Certain instruments are used in order to create various patterns and designs knife, glass, stone, or coconut shell are some examples of the instruments used

Function Tattoos are harder to see on darker colored skin than scars. Used to decorate and beautify the body Used as group/ tribe identity Used a lot during slave trade so that they could identify someone from their tribe even if they come across them in another region. Social Status Protection from death Mark a persons stage of life Coming of age Fertility Marriage

Facilitation The idea of body modification and scarification intrigues people of all races and cultures around the world. Unlike tattoos scarification is a product of ones own body and the final product varies from person to person. Is used for aesthetic and spiritual reasons.

Triangulation Variety. More complex patterns due to precise instruments A wide range of colors that can be applied Less painful- no more painful then tattooing with better anesthetics Less likely to endure an infection due to better antibiotics

Target market. African Americans, both men and women, aged 18 -30 with a strong connection to Africa. Americas youth, both men and women, aged 18 -25 with a desire to find a way of expressing themselves that is new and different from the tattooing world.

The Marketing Mix Product –Permanent and temporary scarification Place –Los Angeles, California and our website www. skinned. com Price – approx $80 an hour with a minimum price of $100. Promotion – African Americans- art shows and sites with a profit going to fight Aids in Africa Youth- Scar Wars, online at body modification sites, and body modification magazines such as Pain.

Taste Brand Name – Skinned Product – Permanent and temporary scarification Packaging for temporary scarification- Red box with name and logo on the lid. Slogan – “If you decorate me, then I will be beautiful. ” An African Probverb, “Ukinipamba nitapendeza. ” Logo – West African symbol “Gye Nyame. ” This symbol represents the supremacy of God and his omnipotence and immortality. Skinned

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