CHRONICLES OF ORI

A reimagining of Yoruba mythology and folklore, vividly illustrated.

An acclaimed Afro-Cuban American painter, Rosales specializes in using the stylistic tropes of European artists to depict Black- and African-oriented subject matter. So this “personal retelling of West African myths” is a powerful extension of that body of work. Opening with creation stories and closing with the launch of the slave trade, Rosales fills chapters with stories about gods, spirits, Orishas, and mortals, often focused on climactic battles and transformative moments. Some elements of the narrative resonate with Judeo-Christian stories, like a garden called Edin, or Oah, a mortal who preserves humanity after a torrential flood; others are rooted fully in Yoruba lore, such as the supreme being Olodumare, the god of creation, and the concept of ashé, a divine force. The cast of characters is massive and complex, which makes the storytelling sometimes feel overly dense. But the paintings that accompany Rosales' words are clear and stunning. A painting of Mama Onile, the Earth’s female spirit, evokes Orthodox iconography and Michaelangelo. Oah’s battle against the coming flood is evoked in an epic seascape; another spread featuring Bida, a seven-headed snake encompassing humans’ multiple sins, is an exquisite rendering of Boschian horror. Centering Black bodies in each of these works alters not only the composition of mythological tropes but also their meanings; Rosales wants to spotlight Yoruba lore and cosmology that's often neglected by Western definitions of mythology. “I do not claim that my retelling of these myths is definitive or authoritative. It is simply mine,” she writes in a closing note. But her sensitive touch with words and gifted imagery should make this a sourcebook for retellings to come.

A lavish, eye-catching rethinking of ages-old stories.