THE PETERING DEMISE OF YORUBA CULTURE

The highly prestigious and recognized Yoruba ethnic group of West Africa does not need special introduction when sighted, the impetus for this global recognition is as a result of their rich cultural values on the continent of Africa. Yoruba culture refers to the idiosyncratic cultural norms of the over 45million population of the Yoruba race which make them one of the largest ethnic group in sub-Saharan Africa. This simply means their ways of life; their practices, customs, beliefs and social behaviours. The testimony of the cultural homogeneity of the Yoruba people is manifested in their arts- the magnificent terracotta works of the 12th century, textiles, cuisine, language, political structure, literature, family structure, music, philosophy and many activities, which defines Yoruba ways of life.

The decay and the gradual disintegration of the culture are astonishingly amusing if you compare our culture of the agrarian life of the pre-colonial era with what we have in the colonial and post-colonial days. This is as a result of the desecration of Africa in the past by the western powers which had serious and adverse effects on the traditional culture of the African people to the extent that many beliefs, customs, and social values were ignored and symbolically destroyed. In our society, every Yoruba man has now been compelled to detest his own self and roots so much that he is aiding and abetting the invaders to destroy his language and culture all in the name of Civilization, Colonialism, Christianity and Islam.

The Staunchness for these civilization and new religious beliefs make us believe that our culture is nothing more than pagan values and superstitions that are demonic in structure. Well! It was no surprise that Ray Bradbury wrote; “You don’t need to burn books to destroy a culture, just get people to stop reading them”.
It indeed calls for a sober reflection when you notice that civilization and technology never adversely affected the language and culture of their inventors. Then why should the embrace of civilization and advance in technologies be the beginning of our own madness and woes? It is appalling to note that many Yoruba spend fortunes learning foreign languages (i.e. French, English, and Arabic) and relegate their own language to the background. Moreover, English language has been ordained as the almighty determinant of progress, while we consciously and unconsciously celebrate the wholesale condemnation of our indigenous language. Speaking, reading the language of our ancestors is now a war on the tongues of our people; mostly the youths. And worst of all is the writing ability which is in the state of abyss. No wonder it costs Samuel Johnson some breaths to say; ‘’I am always sorry when a language is lost, because languages are the pedigrees of nations.” ‘Yoruba ronu ola’ (which literally means Yoruba think of your future).

The beautiful ‘Aso oke’ are worn out stuffs; ‘buba nsoro’ is now for illiterates, abandoned ‘iro ati buba’ is now re-styled in crazy fashion called ‘Oleku’. Oh my Ancestors! Where are the majestic ‘agbadas’? They have been buried alive; rather our women dress half-naked around the streets exposing what the traditional religion and even the imported religions forbid. The westerners systematically used official dressing and so called smart outfits to kill our befitting traditional attires. The devastating effects of these alien fashions on the Yoruba societies cannot be measured. Our anti-cultural youths should not be corrected alone, but alongside with the married and the aged women who are supposed to be our cultural ambassadors tend to be the role models in dispiriting our cultural values via sexy dresses they subscribe. Our youths are following the foreign trendsetters to an unknown end.
Also, the adopted modes of greeting (handshaking, pecking, hugging etc.) have outstripped our customs (kneeling, prostrating). Hardly will you see children kneeling/prostrating for their parents. Moral values of our culture are evaporating into the atmosphere as respect for elders can only be found in theory, and has resulted into moral decadence. Foreign names rent the air in our society, indigenous names are now treated as being fetish, and we have been hypnotized to the extent that none of us remember that the foreign names we signed up for are names of gods, goddesses and in most case many with no meaning.

We are therefore faced with cultural extinction as long as the language of the former colonizers remains the medium of instructions in schools and in the society, failure to promote our indigenous fashions and societal values we are known for will spell our doom. Yoruba culture would remain stifled and strangled if the traditional leaders and the concerned authorities do not as a matter of urgency restore, instill, maintain, and preserve our unparalleled culture.

The resuscitation of Yoruba cultural values begin with you.

Adeola Olaide Taofheek.