Documenting Social and Ideological Change through Yoruba Oriki: A Stylistic Analysis

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Periodical article

Title:	Documenting Social and Ideological Change through Yoruba Oriki: A Stylistic Analysis
Author:	Barber, Karin
Year:	1981
Periodical:	Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria
Volume:	10
Issue:	4
Period:	June
Pages:	39-52
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Nigeria
Subjects:	Yoruba praise poetry (form) Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) History and Exploration
Abstract:	Yoruba oríkì (appellations) have been used as a source of historical information despite their cryptic and non-narrative form. A potentially rewarding approach to oríkì is the examination of their actual style and the stylistic changes that can be observed. In the 19th century marked stylistic change occurred in the personal oríkì being composed for prominent men. Far-reaching political and economic changes were going on at that time. The author uses this example to show how the analysis of style in oríkì can be used to provide evidence for the claim that the world views of pre-colonial African societies were flexible and adaptive, undergoing constant adjustment as social reality altered. Notes.