Research summary
The centuries-old mythology of the Yoruba of West Africa centres around the presence of the Creator and other minor gods or spirits known as Orishas. Given its rapidly growing cultural influence, the Yoruba mythology is arguably humanity’s most dynamic and multifaceted mythological tradition. Dr. Ayodeji Ogunnaike, Canada Research Chair in the Globalization of African Religions and Yoruba Mythology, aims to make this mythology better understood and more widely accessible.
Ogunnaike will develop the first anthology of Yoruba mythology as well as a monograph about Bilikisu Sungbo, a female ruler of a medieval Yoruba state. He and his research team will explore Bilikisu Sungbo’s rich mythological tradition and what her existence as a “female king” can tell us about Indigenous notions of gender identity. Ogunnaike’s team is also collaborating with a filmmaker on a series of films and books drawing from Yoruba mythology and rituals.