TALES OF YORUBA GODS AND HEROES

by Harold Courlander ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 24, 1972

This entertaining collection of the myths of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria bears a surprising resemblance to those of the Greeks. The same rather arbitrary intervention of ""orishas"" (gods) in human affairs obtains -- plus all the rivalries and pettinesses we axe accustomed to from the Olympians. There are both legends peculiar to the Africans (as of Sonponno, the orisha of smallpox) and those apparently universal to all cultures, such as the Yoruba parallel to the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel. As in Greek legend, the chief god of the sky, Olurun, wields the thunderbolt with absolute power, and, like Zeus, can only be circumvented by flattery or trickery. The tales have evidently been gathered and translated with care by Courlander -- (he's written many books on African and Indian culture) with an emphasis on readability rather than faithful transcription of any specific version.

Pub Date: Oct. 24, 1972

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1972

Categories: NONFICTION