Ritual as Theatre: An Analysis of Oduduwa Festival in Ikoro-Ekiti

Abstract

Oduduwa festival is one of the festivals mostly cherished among the Yoruba people right from the onset. As an unforgettable hero in Yoruba history Oduduwa, after his death was deified and worshipped by the people with cult following. This paper specifically focuses on the Oduduwa festival celebration in Ikoro-Ekiti, a Yoruba town in the south west region of Nigeria. The research examines the history, origin and the mode of worship of Oduduwa deity while isolating the ritual performances and theatricalities in the festival celebration. The paper concludes that while ritual acts and ceremonies are fading away in most African communities , festival like the Oduduwa should be encouraged and supported because of its significant socio- cultural contributions to the Ikoro-Ekiti community.