Destiny of Freewill as the Architect of Human Fate: Perception in the Odunke Artists Ojaadili

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Date
2008-10-19
Authors
Ikwubuzo, I.
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Volume Title
Publisher
Network 2000: In the Spirit of the Harlem Renaissance
Abstract
In "The Carrier Ritual as Medium of Vision in Nigerian Drama: The Examples of Soyinka Osofisan" Chris Egharevba rightly observes that early pre-occupation of writers like Chinua Achebe. John Pepper Clark. and Wole Soyinka consists of a reworking of societal myths as a means of portraying a moral value needed by the society. Similarly, Igbo writers represent Igbo myths in their works of art. The myth of destiny, for instance , is reflected in Igbo poetry, novels, and drama. This paper focuses on the representation of the myth of destiny in the Igbo play ojadilli by the Odunke Artists. In this play, although destiny can be seen as an ineluctable phenomenon or power that controls events, an individual can exercise freewill and be the architect of her/his fate. In Igbo traditional cosmology, the concepts of Chi (personal creative principle) and akaaraka. Chi is believed to be a spark of the Supreme Being (Chi Ukwu) which he imprinted on the individual at creation. This is why it is believed that humans share in the divine nature of God through possession of Chi essence.
Description
Scholarly articles
Keywords
Societal myths , Freewill , Moral value , Destiny , Research Subject Categories::HUMANITIES and RELIGION::Languages and linguistics
Citation
Ikwubuzo, I. (2008). Destiny of Freewill as the Architect of Human Fate: Perception in the Odunke Artists Ojaadili. Network 2000: In the Spirit of the Harlem Renaissance