A Critique of Folklore and Orality in Nollywood. A Case Study of "Osun Sengelese"

Table of content

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

METHODS OF STUDY

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

ABSTRACT

This research identifies with the growing film industry of Nigeria, globally referred to as Nollywood. As a distinct and third largest industry after Hollywood and Bollywood, the industry is inherently ladened with its carved underguarding genres. Of importance to this research is the genre known as “Epic”. Epic here refers to a conglomeration of several cultural variables that elevates culture and promotes cultural diversities. Following this, it is the attempt of this research to shed its spot light on a particular cultural variable – folklore – and how it is deployed in Nollywood. To examine this, this research attempts to subject the film titled “Osun Sengese” as a case study.

INTRODUCTION

Uwah (2009) in his unpublished dissertation submits that “the functional idea behind emphasis on the analysis of films is the fact that there is always a message encoded in every filmic text waiting to be decoded. Moores (1993) also agrees that film is “a complex and structured arrangement of songs, rather than an empty vehicle for the transmission of information”. Following this, the notion we envisage to present can find affirmation in both Uwah (2009) and Moores (1993). Nollywood as a film industry is inflated with the capacity to project certain cultural tropes that elevate the cultural aesthetics of the Nigerian people. The Nollywood milieu imbues the philosophy-religion and ideology, aspects of socialisation, culture-verbal, paraverbal and props that distinguish the politically constructed nation, Nigeria, from other countries.

Needless to say that within the broad spectrum of Nollywood are strands of variants that seem to be culture specific. The idea here is that, Nigeria, being a heterogeneous nation is honed with an avalanche of tribes. To address certain specific tribe, there have been springing up of films with the boundary of the particular culture. Of importance here is that these films portray and promote the cultural beauty that are exclusive to a particular culture. Jensen (2002) opines that “a film is not only a sequence of moving images but also an organized mixture of images, words, texts, music and noises that are characterized by a constant displacement and circulation of meaning”. Going by Jesen’s opinion, it becomes clear that films do more than just relaying meaning through motion pictures but they also illuminate our understanding of the ways of the people being displayed.

To understand the idea of epic in Nollywood is to decode the signs and symbols that qualifies that particular movie to be credited with that genre of film known as epic. This epic could be as Dutton (1997) notes, it is a ‘cultural way of making sense of the world’ (emphasis, mine). Here, we are quick to seeing the synthesis between film and reality. The convergence is what Uwah (2009) attempts to situate when he offers that:

‘Reality’ in films was viewed to be the social world as represented which is the underlying signifier of meanings that characterized textual messages. In this sense, film producers were seen to encode ideological impressions to promote propaganda, stereotypes, interests and stories through signs and symbols that can be decoded from the purview of existential reality.

Indeed, most of Nollywood Epic, if not all, captures the cultural consciousness of a particular tribe. They achieve this through certain pointers such as language, fashion, folklores, folktales, myth, legends, proverbs, cultural dance, songs, festivals, food, etc. This study, therefore, attempts to investigate the representation of folklores in Nollywood films.

METHODS OF STUDY

CASE STUDY

The object of study with concerns to this research is “Osun Sengese”, a film by Ronke Ojo. The film which is selected at random is an objective tool for this research because its primal sympathy gravitates towards the revealing of certain cultural tropes that are of relevance to the objective of this research. It is, indeed, reassuring to note that this film does not just capture the authorial message but also present the, arguably, full glare of cultural aesthetics particularly, that which is of interest here – Folktale.

DATA COLLECTION

Information for this research were extracted from

1. The principal case study – “Osun Sengese”
2. Literature (published and unpublished)

AIMS

This study aims to:

1. Discover the “epicness” in Nollywood with regard to folktale.

2. Bring to the fore the use of folktale in “Osun Sengese”.

3. Render explanations to the present end folktale.

FINDINGS

Running through the filmic scenery, it is observed that the idea of folklore captured in the object of research here – “Osun Sengese”, identifies with a proportionate measure of traditional customs, tales, sayings, dance of art form, preserved among the people. These findings then motivate the extracted folklore to be grouped foregoing “proportionate measure”.

TRADITIONAL CUSTOMS

From the film, it is observed that certain customs are dear to the people. These customs include the culture of hunters; the rites of passage in marriage, the ethics of children gathering among others. Among the hunters, the philosophy of communism is very strong. They do things in harmony. According to the film, when the leader of the hunters, Oluode, is getting married, al the hunters were in attendance. Beyond their attendance, it is also noticed that they were all dressed in the traditional wear of hunters. Their tradition wear is captured in the table below; also, based on deductions, the significance of their wear is rendered.

Fig 1.0: Ceremonial Hunter’s Wear and Deduced Significance

Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten

As a people proud of their profession, they do not only wear this complete regalia to engage in their professions, they also wear it to attend important ceremonies such as wedding as depicted in the film. Following the observation, it is noticed that during this ceremony, the spectating hunters are expected to shoot in the air to announce their presence and also signify that it is time for the performance. This act is immediately punctuated by the hunter’s chants. Among the group of hunters, a particular one will be singled out from the crowd to profess this chant, while this is going on; there is an acrobatic display by some other hunters while the others just dance. Equally important is the enormous display of ceremonial dance of the celebrated hunter. In the film, Oluode dances very well with several calculated jumps as though he was in the bush trying to take a good position to aim at a prey.

Another traditional custom worthy of mention is noticed in the marriage ceremony. This is considered as the rite of passage as it concerns female; it is believed that she is moving to a new life totally. This ceremony involves several organised and practiced steps as seen from the film. First, the wife-to-be is moved to her would-be husband’s house at night together with members of his household and friends. Also, members of the house she is going to also joins her in this traditional epic journey. This is no ordinary journey, it is a sacred significant one that is tightly weaved into the nuptial traditional custom. During this journey there is a rendition of bridal chant, culturally referred to as Ekun Iyawo. This chant, in the film, is rendered by the friends of the bride.

K’ẹ́ẹ k’ọ́kọ p’ó kúù ’náwó,
Ẹ sì k’álè p’ó kú àṣedànù.
Àṣedànù, àní níí b’owó ọ̀rẹ́ẹ́ jẹ́.
Eyin ọkọ bí a já gb’eegun.
Eyin àlè bi tákàdá, mọ oríadé,
Gbogbo ’ẹ̀ ò dùn mí,
Àní, bí iwájú ’ẹ̀ t’ó y’ọ̀páláḿbá
Iwájú kọrú, ẹnu bọ́ọ́ke
Èèkàn l’áyà bi àgẹ̀rẹ̀.
Ìpín-in ’lákọrí, fùrọ̀ ọ̀ ’yá.

The explanation to this is that the bride-to-be will experience blessings and joy in the house she is going to. The overarching theme of this bridal chant is foregrounded in its prayer-essence. It engages proverbs reeled out in a melodious tune to fulfill its traditional essentials. During the song the closest member of the household the bride-to-be is advancing to, signals for a halt, then she offers her prayer. In this case, the prayer is not said in form of the above poetry. Also, the said prayer is accompanied by an “Ase” (this interprets to, so shall it be) from the crowd. The basic thematic preoccupation of this prayer is tinseled by child birth, peace and prosperity as seen below.

Ori re o di ori owo
Ile re o di ile Aje
L’agbara olorun o ba abiro
Bi o ba ko abiye
Oma bi meji meji
Asuko ti o wa wo ile mi, ile oni gbono wa
Won ni kigbo egba mi egba mi ni tori ti e.

Still within the periscope of marriage, it is seen that from the mere culture where a woman can marry a fellow woman for her husband is practiced, especially in a case where the first woman is unable to give birth to a child. From the film, the eponym, Osun Sengese, could not give birth so she takes on the role of a pater, who marries a consort for her husband who is regarded as the genitor. The genitor, Oluode, unlike the practiced idea of the hidden identity of the genitor. Here, the genitor is known. The idea here as said earlier is to enable the genitor have a child that could not be given by the pater. Without forgetting to mention is the art of ritual feet washing of the bride-to-be. The significance of this is embedded in its connotative relevance. The immediate explanation to this is to mark the cleansing of the bride-to-be as she journeys into her new life. This cleansing is to ensure that she is spiritually and physically free from anything that will make her not to enjoy the family she is to form.

DANCE OF ART FORM

From the film, it is observed that dance is a cardinal element in the construction of folklore as constituted in the film. Several readily available examples validate this. It is noticed that in the film there are different cultural dances. The first is the dance of single men and ladies as seen during the wedding ceremony of Oluode. Each dance step by this group seems to be culturally motivated by a strategic traditional beat from the traditional drums. The beat regulates the steps and the dance in general. There is also the hunters dance. As seen in the display of some of the hunters as well as the head hunter – Oluode. Their style, unlike the first group, is a little more radicalised. It involves several jumping and hunter-like displays. Unlike the first group, the dance of this set of group is punctuated by gun shots, shot in the vast air. The children dance during their play time is also another element of dance in folklore deduced from the film. While the children give a rendition of their children songs they seem to arm it with their dance step. Although not acrobatic in the real sense of it but also passes off as a dance which can be subjected to a form of communication – paralinguistics.

During a plaiting session as seen in the film, there is always an accompanying dance to promote the motivation of work. During hair plaiting, songs are usually rendered to lighten the mood of a working atmosphere. While this song is rendered, there is a somewhat traditional dance style which is usually a head nodding affair.

TRADITIONAL SAYINGS IN FOLKLORE

As deduced from the film, traditional saying which is also a constituent in the folklore dynamics is observed. These sayings can be properly grouped into the category of myth; common sayings, proverbs and idioms. The below table shall render at least one of each of the category.

Fig 2.0: Traditional Sayings and Category Placement in “Osun Sengese”

Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten

CONCLUSION

This research has been able to foreground the impressive use of folklore in the construction of Nollywood movies. To validate this, it elevated the film, “Osun Sengese” as a case study. As explained that folklore captures the traditional customs, tales saying, dance of art forms preserved among a people, this research has, to a large extent, been able to shed the spot light on these tropes.

REFERENCES

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