ERIC Number: EJ1128615
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Oct
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2203-4714
EISSN: N/A
Against Her Kind: The Phenomenom of Women against Women in Ovia Cult Worship
Yakubu, Anthonia Makwemoisa
Advances in Language and Literary Studies, v5 n5 p133-140 Oct 2014
This paper addresses the incidence of 'Women against Women' in Nigerian folklore. Much has been written on Nigerian folklore, but mainly from within the mortal axis, as reflected in many folktales that cut across different communities in Nigeria. However, it has been observed that this gender phenomenon extends to the supernatural realm, where gods and goddesses, especially the latter, seem to prefer members of the opposite sex as the objects of their attention and goodwill. This paper focuses on Benin mythology, with particular emphasis on the cult and festivals of the Bini goddess, Ovia. Of the origin stories of most of the gods and goddesses in Bini mythology, the "Ovia" cult is unique, as it provides a gender reason why membership is restricted to men. Adopting a psychoanalytical and feminist approach, the paper concludes that Ovia's deliberate exclusion of women re-echoes the negativity ascribed to women.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, African Culture, Folk Culture, Females, Conflict, Religious Factors, Religious Cultural Groups, Incidence, Mythology, Gender Issues, Gender Discrimination, Feminism, Gender Bias, Power Structure, Sex Role
Australian International Academic Centre PTY, LTD. 11 Souter Crescent, Footscray VIC, Australia 3011. Tel: +61-3-9028-6880; e-mail: editor.alls@aiac.org.au; Web site: http://journals.aiac.org.au/index.php/alls/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Nigeria
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A