Re-interpreting Yoruba incantation: an example of Fryean apocalyptic and demonic imagery

Abstract

Yoruba incantation is an oral poetic genre known to Yoruba people. Incantations can make things magically materialise and mostly follow the logic of observational truisms. Scholars have examined Yoruba incantation from different perspectives ranging from its poetics, aesthetics, potency, therapeutic value, contextual realisations, and typology. However, none of the available literature employs a particular theory to analyse Yoruba incantation. This study re-interprets Yoruba incantation using Fryean imagery vis-à-vis the incantation’s relevance in modern times. To this effect, a number of incantatory chants were collected from skilled chanters and translated by the researchers. The researchers adopted descriptive and content analysis research methods. The study employed Northrop Frye’s archetypal model, particularly his theoretical tenets of apocalyptic and demonic imagery, to analyse the data used in the article. The study then establishes that Yoruba incantation is not only rife with apocalyptic and demonic images, but that it also appeals to contemporary socio-cultural realities.