What is the poem Abiku about?

What is the poem Abiku about?

Summary: The poem is about the concept of the child that dies while still only a child, then gets reborn by the mother only for the child to die again. It is believed that it is the late child that comes back to life. The Yoruba people calls this child ‘Abiku’.

What is the meaning of Abiku?

According to the custom of the Yorubas, an Abiku is any. child who dies and is reborn several times into the same. family; hence, the life-span of an Abiku is characteristically. very short indeed.

When was Abiku by JP Clark written?

1965
Unarguably, one of Africa’s biggest poets and playwrights, Clark was at home whether painting a vivid picture of African mythology, for example, in ‘Abiku’, a 1965 poem that explores the Yoruba belief that one can die early and then reincarnate.

What is emere in Yoruba?

An emere, in traditional Yoruba culture, is a child who can travel between the spiritual and physical world at will. A negative connotation is associated with the word, as it implies that a family’s child may disappear and reappear at will.

Did you know facts about Yoruba?

5 Interesting Things About The Yoruba People

  • The Yorubas are Among the Most Urbanized People in Africa.
  • Yorubas are very Expressive People.
  • The Yoruba People are One of the Largest Ethnic Groups in Africa.
  • When a Child is Born in Yorubaland, the Naming Ceremony is Carried Out After 8 Days.

What kind of people are Yoruba?

The Yoruba people (Yoruba: Ìran Yorùbá, Ọmọ Odùduwà, Ọmọ Ilẹ̀ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire) are a Sub-Saharan African ethnic group who inhabit West Africa and mainly reside in the parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo that constitute Yorubaland.

What is amere in Yoruba?

An emere, in traditional Yoruba culture, is a child who can travel between the spiritual and physical world at will. An emere is a spirit in disguise, misrepresenting death as life, and is clever enough to disguise its objectives.

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