African Supernatural Worldview In Clark’s Ozidi And Soyinka’s Ozidi and Death and the king’s Horseman
1.1 Background to the study
For generations, African beliefs and practices have been located in the intersection between the natural world and the supernatural world. Despite the impacts of colonialism and even in the contemporary test of modernization, the complex interplay between these worlds has not been reduced. The interaction between religion and indeed traditional beliefs, as a facet of culture has been long a subject matter in anthropology. This relationship brings these aspects of African beliefs as in witchcraft, healing, re-incarnation, superhuman or extra-ordinary prowess among others, together in such a complex manner.
This therefore has made it difficult to attempt to understand the dynamics of African belief in the supernatural. Evidently, the existing ethnographic instances of African communities in different parts of the continent have a somewhat near, if not a total semblance.
In order to comprehend the interaction between these numerous cultural concepts, it is necessary to understand the general cosmological view of the African as evidenced in the world. In this stage art world, just like anyone else on the continent, it is believed that humans have the ability to control both the natural and supernatural worlds and thus become the centres around which natural and supernatural forces interact. These interactions are evidenced in witchcraftcy, sorcery, talisman and others, as they move along symbolic interpretation given.
The belief in the impersonal (mystical) power is dominant and pervasive in traditional African religious thought. The whole of creation, nature and all things and objects are consumed with this impersonal power. This impersonal power is what Edwin Smith called mysterious tremendous. This same power has been given various names, such as, mana, life force, vital force, life essence and dynamism.
In African beliefs, the source of this impersonal or (mystical) mysterious power is not always known, but it is usually attributed to the activities of higher “mysterious” powers, whether personal or impersonal that either generates or deposits such powers in things or objects. The potency, efficacy and the durability of such “inhabited” impersonal powers varies from object to object. Some objects are said to be inherently more power induced or “imputed” than others, that is, they are more naturally endowed with powers than others are.
African Supernatural Worldview In Clark’s Ozidi And Soyinka’s Ozidi and Death and the king’s Horseman
The manifestation and the use of the impersonal powers are related to the practices of medicine men and women, diviners and seers who use natural objects, plants and animals for medicine, magic, charms and amulets. Some specialists’ belief that mysterious powers imbedded in things or objects can be extracted for specific uses. Mystical and mysterious powers can be transmitted through certain object media or by pure spiritual means. Mystical powers can be sent to specific destinations for an intended good or evil. Mystical powers can be contagious by contact with objects carrying or mediating such powers. Traditional African concepts of reality and destiny are deeply rooted in the spirit world.
The activities and the actions of the spirit beings govern all social and spiritual phenomena. The spirit world can be divided into two broad categories: non-human spirits and the spirits of the dead. Non-human spirits are regarded in hierarchical order in accordance with their kind and importance, depending upon their power and the role they play in the ontological order in the spirit world (Oji, 1988:17). First in the hierarchy is the Creator, then the deities, object-embodied spirits, ancestors’ spirits and other miscellaneous spirits that are non-human, comprising both good and harmless spirits and evil spirits. Man stands between this array of spiritual hosts in the spirit world and the world of nature (Ikenga-Metuh, 1987:125-144)
Among the Africans, for instance, witches are regarded as opponents to the natural order of harmonious community life. As such, any unnatural misfortunes that befall a community rises suspicious of witchcraft. The suspected witch is hunted out and may be killed by members of the community. Similarly, a supernatural talisman that weird enormous prowess could embark on a ruthless revenge mission in response to a grievous injury or harm caused to him. Deeply rooted in the cultural expressions of African cosmology and understanding of the essence and appreciation of the concept of African supernatural belief as reflected in selected African plays is quite pertinent. This can be done through a dissection of the literary works and reflection on the notable playwrights for such an appreciation.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Over the years, interaction between natural and supernatural world has post a problem to the Africans especially during this era of Africa modernization by the whites who happen to colonized us. The problem in our society is sometimes label to the forces that are conflicting which have the ability to change the course of actions in our society and Africa at large as it is portray in the selected drama. They are individuals around whom these two worlds interact and they have the ability to impose meaning through culture on these worlds.
The implication is that forces in both the natural and supernatural worlds are in themselves neutral. To understand this interaction is imperative as some studies undertaken to believe this evolved from the angles of history or anthropology. This is not enough as it failed to mirror the interplay of the forces of supernatural, to this end, the study of selected African plays has become imperative which will give more insight into understanding to the concept and essence of supernatural belief to African worldview as explained in the selected play for this study.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
This study intends to achieve the following specific objectives:
- General nature of African worldview would have been appreciated.
- The existing techniques or approaches to theatre performance would have been studied and analyzed.
- Play production approaches to the African worldview would have been identified.
- The analyses of Ozidi and Death and the king’s Horseman as work of art would have been done.
- The establishment of the relationship between Ozidi and Death and the King’s Horseman with African cosmology would have been firmly established.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study is of significance in many ways: it will contribute to an understanding of cultural perspective of the supernatural, as rooted in the African belief system. Also, this study will be of immense benefits to scholars in the field of literature; Moreover, this sturdy will spark up further studies and research into the African belief system which supernatural is a high point of such African belief systems. It will also helps to keeps Africans connected to their root because we will learn how to manage the two worlds to avoid conflict between them through the careful study of the selected plays.
1.5 Research Methodology
The researcher made use of Literary and Artistic methodologies. The Literary methodology is applicable to literary work as it focuses on written and printed literary and archival sources, especially books, journals, theses, reports, literary works such as plays, novel and poems. In this regard, data would be collected from the theatrical literary works in focus, namely Ozidi by J.P. Clark and Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka. This also involves an analyses of the two literary works mentioned above. The other is the artistic methodology which involves artistic creation and interpretation according to Ukala:
The artistic methodology is for artistic creation and interpretation, writing for the stage, the screen or the radio or developing a model for doing so; composing, arranging and performing a piece of music acting; choreographing and dancing; designing and building set or costumes, designing and executing light or sound plots; directing for the stage, the screen or radio.(15)
To accomplish ones creativity effectively, the individual’s artistic intuition, inspiration and imagination must be in place. In this consideration, the Artistic methodology is used in an overview of supernaturalism evidenced in the selected drama text by Ozidi by J.P. Clark and Death and The King’s Horseman by Wole soynka.
The texts indeed are reflective of African cosmology which can only be understood through critical analysis even though an explanation of these occurrences could be easily understood. The issue of discerning the meaning and the essence of Ozidi and Death and The King’s Horseman is complex and cumbersome as a result, with the use of Artistic methodology, the researcher is constrained to rely very strongly on her intuition, inspiration and imagination in a bid to fathom out some latent meaning of the two plays. These three concepts are crucial to the use of Artistic methodology for the research