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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Is Tortoise a Trickster?
Author:Lawuyi, Olatunde B.ISNI
Year:1990
Periodical:African Languages and Cultures
Volume:3
Issue:1
Pages:71-86
Language:English
Geographic term:Nigeria
Subjects:Yoruba
folk tales
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/1771743
Abstract:This paper argues that, while many studies on Yoruba folktales present the tortoise as a trickster, there is no epistemological justification for this interpretation. In order to demonstrate this argument, the paper examines the activities of Tortoise in terms of certain epistemes or epistemological categories within Yoruba thought. Rather than speculate abstractly about whether a figure is a trickster or not, the paper takes a concrete example, analysing the Yoruba world view. These epistemes include 'orí' (destiny, or the head), symbolizing the individual potential of becoming; 'ayé' (the world), the enigmatic aspect of life, which is characterized by uncertainty, roughness, and protection against danger; and 'esè' (the leg), representing the dynamic element in human relations. The analysis shows that Tortoise is in fact a metaphor for life. Bibliogr., notes.
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