Outskirts Press, INC.

THE RARE LEAF YORÙBÁ LEGENDS AND LOVE STORIES: Volume I of Glimpses into Yorùbá Culture

“The Quest for the Rare Leaf” teaches that breaking tradition can have grave consequences when the Olúwo (town council leader) forces his daughter to marry someone she does not love. “The Legend of the Queen’s Basket” tells the story of how the be̩ é̩ rè̩ (first daughter) of the O̩ba (King) becomes the custodian of the Queen’s Basket, which offers him untold powers and contains the ìbálé (sheets bearing the proof of virginity) of the village women. “The Legend of O̩rúnmìlà” is the tale Àjànà who dedicates his life to learning and teaching the Word of God and is believed to have become a god himself – O̩ruńmìlà (god of wisdom and divination). “The Ebìrìpò Episode” tells the story of how, when the town’s warriors are lured away to help their seeming allies, the women of Ogèrè devise a plot to entice the invaders with èbìrìpò and defeat them all.