A LITERARY STUDY OF ODOVAN, AN URHOBO ART FORM

BY

OKORO, AGHOGHO. A.
G2004/MA/EST/297

AN M.A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

STUDIES, FACULTY OF HUMANITIES, UNIVERSITY OF

PORT HARCOURT, PORT HARCOURT

SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN

PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE

AWARD OF THE MASTER OF ARTS (M.A.) DEGREE IN

ENGLISH.

DECEMBER, 2006

CERTIFICATION

UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT

 SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

A LITERARY STUDY OF ODOVAN, AN URHOBO ART FORM

OKORO, AGHOGHO. A.
G2004/MA/EST/297

DECLARATIONS

THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS

DECLARE AS FOLLOWS: THAT THIS IS THE ORIGINAL WORK OF
THE CANDIDATE. THAT THE THESIS IS ACCEPTED IN PARTIAL
FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE
DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH

DR. NKEM OKOH ------------------- --------

Supervisor Signature Date

DR. CHINYELO OJUKWU ------------------- --------

Head of Department Signature Date

External Examiner -------------------- --------

Signature Date

Chairman, Board
Of Examiners --------------------- --------
Signature Date
DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to Awhotu John Okoro of blessed memory

ii
 (18 July, 1985-9 January, 2006).

Otus,
That was the name by which you were popularly known
And,
Leaving your footprints in the sands of time
Was your dream
Your ambition
Your promise
It is no wonder that you are missed.
Though you are gone
Your dream, your ambition and your promise
Still linger.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Gratitude not expressed is ingratitude. Therefore, here is saying “THANK

YOU” to all those who have in one way or another contributed to the
iii
completion of this work. All thanks to GOD for His love and mercies and for

His protection throughout this course.

Many thanks also go to my thesis Supervisor, Dr. Nkem Okoh, whose

ideas, criticisms and corrections contributed to the successful completion of this

work. My lecturers are not left out. To Professors Charles Nnolim, Chidi

Maduka, Chidi Ikonne and Doctors Onyemaechi Udumukwu, Edmund Bamiro

and Dennis Ekpo, I say thank you.

Gratitude is also hereby expressed to my family - immediate and

extended for their prayers and support. Special thanks go to my parents Chief

and Mrs. P.E.A. Okoro (KSM) for their unending support and encouragement.

To dad, I say a big ‘thank you’ for your contributions. You are a reservoir of

knowledge on the Urhobo people. Your continuous provision of odovan texts

for study made this work a lot easier. To my brothers and sisters, you all are

highly appreciated. T. J and V. K. thanks for the days and nights you babysat.

Tony, Ikus, U. J, Kevwe and Yenky, thanks for being there. Aunty C, you are

indeed a rare gem. I appreciate you a lot. To Mrs. Oyegun and the entire

Oyegun family, words alone cannot express how grateful I am. Your home was

always a welcome haven. Thanks for everything. Emma Ngwoke, I can’t stop

saying thank you for all your help and academic advice. Same goes for all my

course mates especially Sandra, Ijeoma, Chidinmma, and Okon.

iv
 To my informants, here is saying ‘thank you’. Without your information,

this work may not have seen the light of day. ’Ghogho Obakaenurhe, it’s ‘a

thank you’. Mrs. Okaruefe, thanks for your words of encouragement.

Special thanks to my baby– Une Frances Okuneh. You brought joy into

our lives when it was most needed. I love you. Finally, to my husband, Patrick

Arierhie Okuneh, the love of my life, I simply could not have done it without

you. Your support, the sleepless nights you shared to make this work a reality,

the babysitting you had to do, the suggestions you made, the typing, the

criticisms, are all highly appreciated. I shall love you for life.

ABSTRACT

v
 This piece of research attempts to illustrate the literary qualities found in

ODOVAN, a form of oral literature of the Urhobo people. The work is carried

out in five chapters.

Chapter One provides some background information on the geography

and origin of the Urhobo people. In addition, the classification of the forms of

Urhobo oral literature is discussed.

In Chapter Two, the content, context, performer / performance and the

occasion of use of odovan are treated while Chapter Three discusses the social

relevance and functions / uses of odovan.

Chapter Four covers the literary significance of odovan by examining its

use of such devices as metaphor, simile, humour, repetition and irony. In

addition the use of sound devices such as alliteration, consonance and assonance

are also examined.

Chapter Five, the conclusion, summarizes the whole work, and

emphasizes the importance of odovan in particular, and the need for our oral

literature in general, to be studied.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pages

Title Page i
vi
Certification ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgements iv-v

Abstract vi

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 Introduction 1-4

1.2 Aim of Study 4

1.3 Research Methodology 5

1.4 Problems of Translation 5-6

1.5 Scope of Study 7

1.6 Dialect 7

1.7 The Urhobo Background: Geography and Origins 8-11

1.8 Classification of Urhobo Oral Literature 11-16

1.8.1 The Prose Genre 17-22

1.8.2 The Poetic Genre 22-24

1.8.3 The Dramatic Genre 24-29

1.9 The Place of odovan in Urhobo Oral Literature 29-31

CHAPTER TWO

2.2 Content of odovan 32

2.2 Context of odovan 32-33

2.3 The Performer / performance of odovan 33-34

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2.4 Occasion of use of odovan 34-35

CHAPTER THREE

3.1 Function and Uses of odovan 36

3.2 Odovan: Its Social Relevance 36-40

3.3 Functions of odovan 40-44

CHAPTER FOUR

4. I Literary Significance of odovan 45

4.2 The Use of Metaphor in odovan 45-50

4.3 The Use of Simile in odovan 50-56

4.4 The Use of Humour in odovan 56-58

4.5 The Use of Repetition in odovan 59-61

4.6 The Use of Sound Devices in odovan 61-64

4.7 The Use of Irony in odovan 64-66

CHAPTER FIVE

Conclusion 67-70

Appendix 71-78

Informants 79-83

Works Cited 84-86

CHAPTER ONE

viii
1.1 INTRODUCTION

The Urhobo people boast a rich source of oral traditions. Their values are

reflected in the names they bear, their songs, and proverbs to mention a few.

According to Bruce Onobrakpeya, these values are “the results of careful

observations of nature and the understanding of both physical and spiritual

aspects of man … that become codes (or canons), which guide the behaviour

and reasoning and are profusely used during speeches. In fact the beauty and

strength of Urhobo oratory lies in their effective use (388).

Among the Urhobo as is the case with most cultures in Nigeria, naming is

very important. On this V.C Uchendu comments as follows: “receiving a name

is an important event in a child’s life, for he is socially accepted as soon as he is

given a name” (qtd in Nwachukwu-Agbada 82). Thus an Urhobo name such as

Omonoro meaning that ‘a child is more precious than gold’ shows how much

value the Urhobo give to child bearing and children in general.

In the Urhobo culture, every adult, particularly the male, has a self –

given name known as odovan. This odovan is used mainly during social

gatherings and at occasions and is carried out in a call - and - response format.

As such, before a gathering is addressed or a formal presentation of drinks and

kola-nuts and money is made to visitors as is the custom of the Urhobo in any

formal gathering, the odovan of every adult present must be called. On hearing

the name, the bearer makes a brief remark explaining the deeper meaning of the

odovan. What then is odovan? Two words: ‘nickname’, on the one hand, and
ix
‘alias’ on the other, are the most suitable equivalents in English for the Urhobo

word odovan. As mentioned above, they are used at social gatherings. As such,

they are very important among the Urhobo and play various functions as will be

illustrated in the work. Therefore are aliases peculiar to the Urhobo alone? In

the words of Nwachukwu-Agbada,

Among the Igbo people in the Anambra State of

Nigeria, aliases often bridge the gap between
people of different social and economic strata.
Aliases that are derived from proverbs, usually
involving a call and response, allow humor and
geniality and confer on users recognition and
worth. (Nwachukwu-Agbada 81)
The above assertion sums up the position of aliases in the socio - cultural

life of the people of Anambra State of Nigeria. Taking a cue from Nwachukwu-

Agbada’s statement above, odovan among the Urhobo of Delta State of Nigeria,

like aliases among the Anambra, often act as “gap-bridgers” between people but

in this case people of the same age grade in the society. As Nwachukwu-Agbada

remarks, an alias is “usually acceptable to the person being addressed because

more often than not he or she has chosen it” (81). This statement again tallies

with the above statement that an odovan is chosen and self-given. In other

words, it is acceptable to the bearer. It therefore should not be confused with

nicknames that are often imposed by others and may or may not be acceptable

to the bearer.

x
The practice of odovan dates as far back as those days when villages and

tribes fought inter-tribal wars to conquer and possibly take over

leadership of the defeated. While some tried to attack and conquer, the

village to be conquered fought to defend her territories from attackers. It

was in the midst of all these that men of great strength and bravery earned

such titles, from their admirers and followers.

Note that it was not only in cases of war that the odovan tradition

came to be derived. But that seems to be the origin. However, when

someone does something outstanding in whatever sphere of life, people,

especially admirers, may start referring to him by a particular name. If it

is a name that the individual likes, he may decide to continue with it or

otherwise choose one for himself. One who is a great singer for instance

may be called oghuoghuile, meaning “great singer”, to acknowledge his

singing prowess. From then onwards, it may stick to the individual and in

no time become his odovan.

An odovan such as Adakaza denotes great strength. When an outsider

hears it, what immediately comes to mind is that that person is from a

family of warriors, or is himself a warrior. This illustration goes to show

that odovan actually originated as a means of recognizing people with

great achievements. To this end, a son may decide to take the odovan of

his late father when he comes of age. In contemporary times though, an

xi
 adult male who has come of age is free to take one for himself because at

social gatherings, the odovan becomes very handy.

Having looked at the background of odovan, the question now is

why must it be studied?

1.2 Aim of Study

The field of Urhobo oral literature in general retains numerous

forms which have received little or no scholarly attention. An example is

the literary phenomenon known as odovan. This work therefore sets out

to study this genre with a bid to demonstrating its validity as a literary

form and identifying those literary qualities inherent in it.

1.3 Research Methodology

The odovan texts that are used for analysis were collected in the

field through oral interviews which were tape recorded, and written by

long hand on certain occasions. While most of the texts were collected

from individuals at any given opportunity, others were at more formal

gatherings such as traditional marriage ceremonies and funerals. Various

individuals cutting across different ages were interviewed in the field.

These interviews were also carried out at different times of the day and

xii
 night. The aim of such an exercise was to ascertain whether or not

odovan accepts all ages, selects sex, or time of day.

Problems were encountered during fieldwork. Even though some

of the individuals interviewed at first put up some resistance because of

the misconceptions they had about the aim of the study, a detailed

explanation made it possible for such barriers to be broken. With such

barriers broken and doubts cleared, it became a smooth sail from then on,

with drinks and kola nuts to accompany the process of interviews.

1.4 Problems of Translation

Life after field work, however, was another matter altogether. After

having successfully collected data for analysis, translating the data

collected from the source language, Urhobo, into the target language,

English was one big hurdle. This experience re – echoes Okoh’s comment

that “translation, by its nature is a highly elusive and irksome exercise”

(Preface 192).

The problems of translation encountered were numerous, and as

Okoh again rightly points out, it was “a well-nigh superhuman feat to

transpose successfully the rhythms, idioms, nuances, lexical or syntactic

structures” (Preface 193) of the Urhobo language into English language.

Translating the collected odovan texts was indeed a herculean task. This

was because certain Urhobo words, phrases and sounds could not be
xiii
 accorded their proper equivalents in English without running the risk of

losing their meanings completely. In addition, the performer’s actions, the

addressee’s response and the audience reaction on certain occasions could

not be properly represented. This experience was similar to that suffered

by Bronislaw Malinowski whom during his study of Trobriand oral

narratives lost much matter in the reduction of the oral text to print and

for him, the subsequent analysis of the material got divorced from the

context that gave it life in the first place.

For this researcher however, to avoid loosing meaningful material,

the closest possible word or phrase that could stand as an equivalent and

still retain the meaning as much as possible was used. In cases where

there was no equivalent the word or phrase was presented in the source

language as it is. Other than this little hiccup, fieldwork was interesting

and the experience was worth the while.

1.5 Scope of Study

This work is limited to odovan, that is, aliases among the Urhobo.

A total of twelve villages cutting across six local Government areas

are visited. The total number odovan texts collected for the study is

a hundred and eleven.

1.6 Dialect

xiv
 The Agbarho and Udu dialects are used in the translation of the

collected odovan texts. In most Urhobo literatures – religious, intellectual

or otherwise, the central Urhobo dialect which is the Agbarho dialect is

used. To apply only this dialect to this work would have created more

difficulties for this researcher. This is because some of the contributors to

this work are people of Udu origin. Thus, their contributions are

presented in the dialect with which their contributions were made to

avoid loss of relevant matter. The odovan texts that are presented in the

central Urhobo dialect are the ones collected from individuals of other

local Government areas different from Udu. The reason for this is to

avoid the presentation of the collected texts in many dialects, and as

relevant material could still be retained, this central dialect is used.

1.7 The Urhobo Background: Geography And Origins

The Urhobo people are an Edoid group found in Delta State of

Nigeria. They are spread over nine Local Government Areas and

constitute the largest of the five ethnic groups that occupy the Delta

Region.

The Urhobo occupy a contiguous territory bounded by latitudes 5º15' and

6ºNorth and longitudes 5º40' and 6º 25'East. Positioned among the

tributaries of the famous River Niger, their territories consist of evergreen

xv
forests with many oil palm trees, covered by a network of streams and

rivers. They have the Isoko (South East) the Itsekiri (West), the Bini

(North) the Ijo (South) and the Kwale (North East) as neighbours.

History has it that the Urhobo belong to the category of peoples

whose origins are not adequately known. However, based on oral

tradition the origin of the Urhobo is traceable to migrations. Otite

provides four traditions of origin which are discussed below.

The first of these traditions is Autochthony. According to Otite,

there is the belief among the Urhobo that they are the original dwellers of

their lands and territory. Thus, they believe that they have been there from

time immemorial. In other words, they did not migrate from any where.

Otite posits that “there are no archeological findings to back up this

claim, yet it recurs among Urhobo respondents and should not be brushed

aside” (25).

Secondly, there are stories of migration from an original Edo

territory with suggestions based on two major migrations during the two

dynasties in Bini history – the Ogiso and Eweka dynasties. Among these

stories are claims that the Urhobo were not Bini people who turned out to

be Urhobo on reaching their territories. Instead, they assert that they were

already Urhobo before they left Bini (Otite 25). The reasons for their

leaving were due to cruelty, deprivation, insecurity and tyranny to

xvi
mention a few. Apparently they were less powerful and they left their Edo

abode in search of more peaceful territories with good economic bounty.

Other versions claim that descendants of the royal family set out,

or were sent to rule over some defined Urhobo peoples usually after a

fight. This was done with or without the consent of the ruling Oba. Again

stories of political elite that comprised deserters or warriors fleeing for

freedom and independence from the obnoxious rule and decisions of an

Oba exist. According to this version, such warriors set up ruling cliques

over organized Urhobo groups (Otite 27). Stories that the Urhobo people

originated from Ife, Sudan and Egypt are also in existence. To this end,

Arawore suggests that:

The Urhobo for the first time came from Egypt,

left some of their people on the shore of lake
Chad, halted for a time at Ile-Ife had a permanent
abode at Benin and finally were driven to the
swamp of the Niger Delta. (in Otite 28)

A different suggestion by Egharevba is that “the first wave of

Urhobo emigrants left under the leadership of a man called Uhobo, who

is regarded as the eponymous leader of present day Urhobo” (qtd in Otite

26). The term Urhobo refers both to the people and their language as is

the case with most ethnic groups in Nigeria. Like other ethnic groups

found in Nigeria, the Urhobo have such practices as birth, death, marriage
xvii
ceremonies, and festivals to mention a few. They are united not only by

ties of ethnicity and culture, but also by salient geographic features of the

territory they occupy as their homeland.

Urhobo land is a deltaic plain, generally less than 30 meters above

mean sea level, with no prominent hills rising above the general land

surface (Aweto and Igben 11). The climate of the Delta Region is

characterized by uniform temperatures. Thus, all parts of Urhobo land

have an average annual temperature of about 270C with no marked

seasonal or monthly variations. The year is divided into two seasons – the

dry and rainy as in other parts of the country.

Urhobo people engage in a wide range of economic activities

including farming, fishing and hunting, tapping of rubber, mining, trading

and manufacturing. The major industries are concentrated in three major

towns, namely Warri, Sapele and Ughelli which form the centre of

commerce.

1.8 Classification of Urhobo Oral Literature

Since literature is generally defined by dictionaries as “a piece of

work that is written”, the concept of a literature that is oral seems a

contradiction in terms. According to Udosen, literature is a “collection of

writings on any given subject or field of endeavour” (qtd in Kiabara

198). Going by the above definition, it means that every discipline on the
xviii
surface of the earth has its own literature. Furthermore, it means that

anything that is not written does not qualify as literature. This definition

makes no provision for societies that still thrive on speech acts and

performance rather than printed material. Especially since literature

whether oral or written is a phenomenon that “instructs us enormously,

provides us with knowledge regarding the wider world, the physical,

psychological, religious, and cultural canvas of man”? (Okoh 2-3).

While some scholars hold that “oral literature” as a concept is non

existent and that “thinking of oral tradition or a heritage of oral

performance, genres and styles as “oral literature” is rather like thinking

of horses as automobiles without wheels (Ong 12), others, make room for

the concept by stating that the concept “is an unfamiliar one to most

people brought up in cultures which, like those of contemporary Europe,

lay stress on the idea of literacy and written tradition” (Finnegan 1). She

further shows a better understanding of the concept with the following

words:

There is a strong indigenous tradition of both

written and, in some areas, unwritten literature in

Africa. The oral literature in particular possesses

vastly more aesthetic, social and personal

significance than would be gathered from most

general publications on Africa (26-27)

xix
Again Ong’s disdain for the concept of oral literature is further

perceived in the statement below:

…scholarship in the past has generated such

monstrous concepts as “oral literature”. This
strictly preposterous term remains in circulation
today even among scholars now more and more
acutely aware how embarrassingly it reveals
inability to represent to our own minds a heritage
of verbally organized materials except as some
variant of writing, even when they have nothing to
do with writing at all. (11)

Okoh, arguing in favour of oral literature, points out that it has the

capability of contributing significantly to national development, if

properly operated or tapped” (“National Development” 35). In addition,

he writes:

The vehicle of oral literature can be appropriately

pressed into service for the education of our
people, particularly as a means of redirecting and
refocusing the prevalent values in the society. In
all, then, it is argued that oral literature constitutes
a crucial tool for advancement and enlightenment,
and should be accorded its due place in our drive
towards genuine freedom, self-reliance, overall
respectability, and national development
(“National Development”35).
xx
What then is oral literature? Being a relatively new field of study, copious

definitions of the term have not been proffered. But we shall attempt to

define the concept.

Simply put, oral literature or a literature that is oral refers to

aspects of literature that have been handed down by word of mouth from

one generation to another. In the words of Akporobaro:

Oral literature… refers to the heritage of imaginative

verbal creations, stories, folk beliefs and songs of
pre-literate societies which have been evolved and
passed on through the spoken word from one
generation to another. (32)

In the above definition, Akporobaro makes mention of pre-literate

societies. This does not mean that oral literature is no longer produced or

practiced in present day societies, but that it was predominantly a

phenomenon carried out by societies when the print medium had not

come into existence. With the introduction of print however oral literature

has been accorded some permanence.

Another definition offered by the same author is that oral literature

is the “totality of verbal expressive forms and beliefs evolved in tribal

societies for social entertainment and for the ordering of society and

passed on orally from one generation to another” (33).

xxi
 Still on the definition of oral literature, Chukwuma comments that:

it is “oral, of anonymous creation and is communally owned and

communally transmitted” (8). From the above definitions, one thing is

clear - that oral literature is literature that is transmitted by the spoken

word. Thus language plays an important role in oral literature as it does in

written literature. Okoh comments on this:

Language is used to express the entire cultural

equipment of a people and literature constitutes an
integral part of such cultural baggage. Language
can be described as the essence of literature, the
means through which literature is realized. Thus,
literature nurtures the language of a people and
conversely, is itself preserved and perpetuated by
the language (179).

Form the above it goes beyond doubt that the phenomenon called

literature uses language as its medium of transmission and expression.

Oral literature retains as much literariness as written literature, and

as Okoh declares, “oral forms (tales, tongue twisters, myths, riddles,

proverbs, anecdotes and oral songs, for example) exhibit overwhelming

evidence of such literary traits. Thus we confront the entire question of

literariness or what constitutes, amounts to, or makes for literariness”

(Preface 23).

xxii
 Oral literature is concerned with creativity, imaginativeness and

excellence of form. Forms found in Urhobo fall under three broad

categories - poetry, prose and drama. The prose genre comprises such

literary forms as jokes, myths, legends and tales that constitute the free-

phrase form and others like the proverb and the riddle make up the fixed

– phrase form; while the poetic genre comprises birth songs, funeral

songs, work and war songs, to mention a few. The dramatic genre, on the

other hand, has forms such as masquerade displays, dance, festival and

ritual as its components. While the prose genre is spoken, the poetic genre

is sung and the dramatic genre acted or dramatized. Below is a

diagrammatic representation showing the taxonomy of Urhobo oral

literature.

1.8.1 The Prose Genre

Beginning with the prose genre, eta means the spoken word. It is

the most suitable word to describe or represent the prose genre because it

encompasses all spoken words. Eta has under it proverbs, tales, riddles

and tongue twisters.

Proverbs in Urhobo are known as Ise. They are used in almost all

life situations by the Urhobo people as is the case with most cultures in

xxiii
Africa. In support of this claim, Nketia, commenting on the proverb in

Ghana writes as follows:

The value of the proverb to us does not lie only in

what it reveals of the thoughts of the past. For the
poet today or, indeed, for the speaker who is some
sort of an artist in the use of words, the proverb is
a model of compressed or forceful language. In
addition to drawing on it for its words of wisdom,
therefore, he takes interest in its verbal techniques
– its selection of words, its use of comparison as a
method of statement, and so on. It is no wonder
therefore that the use of proverbs has continued to
be a living tradition in Ghana. (qtd in Akporobaro
78)

Proverbs have a striking figurative quality that sets them apart from other

forms of oral literature. As Finnegan rightly observes, “in many African

activities, a feeling for language for imagery and for the expression of

abstract ideas through compressed and allusive phraseology comes out

particularly clearly in proverbs (390).

Urhobo proverbs are usually expressed in short sentences. That is

not to say that they cannot be expressed in long sentences as well. They

are characterized by such literary devices as irony, simile, metaphor,

allusion, wit, imagery and hyperbole usually. In addition the language is

also compressed and highly figurative.

Another form of oral literature is udo, the riddle. It is usually

performed in a question and answer form. Unlike the proverb that falls

xxiv
mainly in the adult domain, the riddle is usually employed by children.

According to Okoh,

… riddles are generally associated with children…

as a form of oral literature, riddles are designed to
sharpen the wits of children, raise and sensitize
them to various phenomena in their society, or
teach them something of their society’s conception
of the world around, even the universe (136)

In other words, riddles do not only entertain, they also teach and

help in moulding children. Riddle posing is usually in a performer and

audience format. The performer poses the question and the audience

guesses at the answer. The session is usually an interesting one of childish

banter and noise making. Riddles touch on virtually all aspects of life.

They are generally associated with entertainment, unlike the proverb that

features in serious discourse.

Eta echahen erevwe (words that twist the tongue) is the most

suitable for describing the tongue twister. While in the field, this

researcher posed the question of what the Urhobo equivalent for tongue-

twister is. Only a few people could come up with the reply “eta echahen

erevwe” which means “words that twist the tongue”. “Echahen” here

connotes the twisting or meandering of the tongue.

xxv
 Tongue twisters are mainly for entertainment. Among the Urhobo,

they are used to test the proficiency of an individual in the language.

“They remain tools for sharpening wit… the poser’s objective is clear, to

see whether the respondent can cope comfortably with the concatenations

of ideophonic or alliterative sounds” (Okoh, Preface 140).

Urhobo tongue twisters, like tongue twisters in other cultures, are

cited in a rapid manner with words arranged to have a play on syllables.

An example is:

Urhobo: omiovwo mue omo mie omiovwo.

Translation: new mother carried a child from new

mother.

This example of the tongue-twister is supposed to be repeated

rapidly by a respondent when asked to recite it. In an attempt to repeat it

as many times as possible in the shortest possible time, a respondent may

almost bite his or her tongue. However speed and accuracy form the very

heart of rendering a tongue twister and failure to successfully recite when

asked to may lead to taunting from other participants.

Like proverbs, tongue twisters have a striking figurative quality

and in their form and style, they resemble the riddle. Urgency is a

distinctive quality attached to tongue twisters. Though fun and

entertainment are the main features of tongue twisters, they are also

employed in some serious situations and cut across all ages. Tongue
xxvi
twisters have no particular time of performance. Literary devices such as

assonance, alliteration, irony, allusion and humuor are inherent in them.

Examples are given below:

Urhobo: kwa kpe ekrokpe kwa kpe ekrokpe ekrokpe ben we kwa ra

English: park to ekrokpe park to ekropke, you are tired of parking

to ekrokpe

In the above example, we notice a cluster of consonants that make rapid

or quick pronunciation as is the case with tongue twisters difficult. Thus

is an example of alliteration. An example showing assonance is given

below:

Urhobo: omiovwo mue omo mie omiovwo

English: a new mother carried a child from a new mother.

In the above, the presence of vowels is very evident. It therefore makes

for assonance. Another example is:

Urhobo: avwubuara mie ubuara

English: he used ubuara to get ubuara

In the example:

Urhobo: onoge na gro’ogbigbi gro

English: the palm tree grows any how

Palm tree is here used to allude to human beings. What this tongue

twister talks about is the need for people to be sensible and to behave

xxvii
with caution instead of behaving anyhow. People should not in pidgin

English context, “grow leave sense”.

Ikun in Urhobo generally means story. This broad term stands for

all verbal compositions whether true or imagined that recount history or

any other form of narration. There are different types of stories in

Urhobo. Some have only animals as characters in them. These characters

are depicted as full-fledged characters with voices inhabiting an

organized society. Some animals represent particular character traits, and

this recurs in the story or tale. The tortoise for instance is known for

cunning and mischief, while the goat stands for foolishness and the

elephant for strength.

In human tales, human characters convey the message within the

composition. The tales are usually didactic. To this end various human

vices and virtues are presented. Human tales sometimes move from the

human to spiritual realm. Audience participation usually makes the telling

more enjoyable.

Myths (Osia) and legends (Ikun Ihwo foron) are used most times to

tell about the heroic deeds of people usually unknown to the audience.

Myths are specially based on the origin of villages, and towns while

legends revolve around acts of bravery. The presence or use of literary

devices depends solely on the performer or narrator.

xxviii
1.8.2 The Poetic Genre

Ule is the general name for songs in Urhobo. Just as the poetry of

most cultures is captured in songs and rendered in various forms, so also

is the poetry of the Urhobo people. These songs derive their names from

the context in which they are rendered. Okoh comments on this.

For members of several traditional African

communities, virtually every occasion necessitates
singing and for the composers, provides suitable
material for the composition of new songs.
Because songs permeate every aspect of African
life and culture, they commonly derive their names
from the different occasions on which they are
performed, or from which they derive (Preface
141).

In her Oral Poetry, Finnegan notes that: “one of the qualities of

literature is that it is in some way ‘set apart’ from common speech or

writing. This applies, above all, to poetry where style and structure are a

signal to the audience of the type of communication intended” (189). In

the same vein, Obuke notes that “oral poetry as an art makes use of

imagery (metaphor, similes, analogues, anecdotes, parables and full

length stories), repetition and wit” (qtd in Nwosu 79).

xxix
 The above statements imply that works of art are highly

connotative and so require careful reading and understanding. This also

applies to poetry which makes use of specialized and figurative language

for its expression and communication.

Poetry in general makes use of repetition. To this end, Perrine

comments thus:

An essential element in all music is repetition …

all art consists of giving structure to two elements:
repetition and variation. All things we enjoy
greatly and lastingly have two elements. The
composer of the music therefore repeats certain
musical tones; he repeats them in certain
combinations or chords and he repeats them in
certain patterns or melodies (716-17).

Various types of songs that make up Urhobo oral literature range from

play songs to work songs, birth songs to funeral songs, praise songs to

war songs and title-taking songs. In the rendition of these songs, there is

usually a leader who raises the song before others join in.

1.8.3 The Dramatic Genre

xxx
 The dramatic genre as a form of oral literature has generated a lot

of controversy from scholars. While scholars such as Chukwuma, Okoh

and Akporobaro maintain that the dramatic art exists in the traditional

African society, others like Finnegan, Echeruo and Kalu Uka are of the

opinion that the dramatic art in the real sense of the word does not exist in

African traditional life. According to Akporobaro, these doubts have

arisen because of the way the concept of drama is applied in Western

literary tradition (61).

Drama, as defined by M.H. Abrams, is the literary form designated

for the theatre, of which actors take the roles of characters, perform the

indicated action and utter the written dialogue (Glossary 45). In his

Poetics, Aristotle analyses the essence of drama to consist in the notion of

imitation. “By this he means an imitation of historical or imagined event

or experience through action or through words” (qtd in Akporobaro 62).

From Aristotle’s point of view, therefore, theatre is to be separated

from real life, from drama which seeks to portray real life through real

incidents. In other words, “drama should entail the use of characters who

imitate the action of historical or imagined characters. In addition,

dialogue should play an important part, but in a stage specifically

designed for the purpose of performance or enactment (Akporobaro 62).

This notion seems myopic as it makes room for only performances that

xxxi
are restricted to the theatre and a stage specifically designed for the

purpose of performance. It is typically a Western concept.

For Finnegan what “obtains in Africa are certain dramatic and

quasi-dramatic phenomena, not a developed form as is the case with

Western Europe and Asia” (Oral Literature 500). In other words Africa

has no drama. Ossie Enekwe however has a different view. According to

him,

The ritual festivals in Africa represent full and

authenticated drama that should be recognized as
such; that they are communal dramas which differ
from secular, individuated modern drama with its
precise separation of its stage from the auditorium,
of actors from the audience and stage time from
the duration of the experience enacted on stage
(qtd in Okoh Preface 146).

From this scholar’s point of view our traditional festivals make up our

drama in Africa. He receives support from Emmanuel Obiechina who

wonders why the Greek notion of drama should be used as a standard for

drama in the first place. He writes:

Is there any particular reason, except that of meeting the

specifically practical pressures of the present age, why an
enactment should last only two or three hours instead of six
xxxii
 months?...is a broad communal canvas not more suitable for
painting more inclusive social and emotional action than the
mere mouse-tongue called the modern stage? (qtd in Okoh
Preface 146).

Again, for this scholar, our traditional festivals and rituals make up drama

in Africa in general and Nigeria in particular. Therefore they should be

accepted as such because, they “provide a rich and varied context for

dramatic and theatrical performance.…Songs, dance, movement, mime,

masks, poetry and spectacle are the key ingredients of African festival

drama as the case in most rural or traditional societies in all parts of the

world” (Akporobaro 436). African festivals therefore are forms of African

drama.

The dramatic genre in Urhobo is known as eha or lgbe and consists

of dance, festival and masquerade displays. There are different types of

dance in Urhobo oral literature. These dance performances are carried out

mainly at festivals, feasts and rituals by masquerade dancers. Thus a

festival is incomplete when there are no masquerade displays. Although

dialogue is usually absent, drums and songs make up for this absence and

the dramatization is understood. The songs are usually repeated and

accompanied by clappers. These are flat, long wooden instruments with

handles specially constructed for the purpose of clapping by musical

xxxiii
groups. When hit against each other, they sound like hand claps. They

provide rhythm and add beauty to the performance.

On specific occasions, songs are exclusively composed to suit

specific dramatic performances. Such especially composed songs are

memorized in the event of the performance at festivals. The

choreographic movements of the masquerades and all who are part of the

composition are rehearsed and memorized for uniformity. The song texts

and costumes are synchronized to suit a public performance. This is

usually conducted in the manner of an opera where opposed sides do all

they can to “out-dance” the other. The objective is mainly entertainment.

Of all such dances, the Udje is one that still thrives in contemporary

times, among the Urhobo.

Udje is a festival dance song performed in the form of an opera. It

has participating communities and groups ranged in permanent rivalry

pairs of opposition, a phenomenon known as omesuo, where each group

is expected “to sing its rival to a fall” on the “battle ground,” by attaining

a level of theatrical intensity capable of keeping the audience enthralled.

To achieve this, verbal (the song) and non-verbal elements such as osevbe

(ostentatious costume), owota-ona (dexterity of footwork), and a masterly

management of the entire performance are combined (Darah 505).

To quote Okoh,

xxxiv
 Drama includes masquerade, festival, ritual
performances, even several other kinds of
ceremonies and occasions in which we witness
enormous dramatic manifestations, whether actors
and imitators, plot, mime, masks, costume, music
and dance. Thus a ritual, festival or masquerade
occasion in Africa yields not just elements of
drama, but features drama in its very essence
(Preface 148).

To conclude, it is note - worthy that the poetic genre does not exist

as an entity separate from song. Greenway points this out in the following

words:

“Poetry does not exist as an entity separate from

song and in rhythmically oriented societies like most

Africa singing, drumming, dancing, clapping and

instrument playing are combined into one

homogenous art form. (Literature Among 37)

Again, Okoh supports this claim by asserting that poetry is sung.

In the same vein, the dramatic genre can not be seen as an entity

divorced from the poetic. This is because; festivals and masquerade

displays are dramatized. A phenomenon made possible because of the

accompaniment of music, song and/or instrument playing- three

characteristics that propel dance.

xxxv
1.9 The Place of Odovan in Urhobo Oral Literature

In an attempt to find a suitable place for odovan in Urhobo oral

literature, drawing inference from Okoh’s demonstration of name–

coining, a newly illustrated form of oral literature in Enuani, is necessary.

Neither name– coining nor odovan appears in the previous categorization

of Enuani or Urhobo oral literature forms. In other words, the forms of

oral literature that exist in various cultures are inexhaustible.

In the performance of name–coining a speaker identified as the

interlocutor and an addressor are involved in the discourse. The speaker,

that is the interlocutor begins a statement and is interrupted , by the

‘addressor’, who coins a name or description that is – couched in a

carefully crafted word - an adjective, a noun turned adjective, or any

other form of descriptive phrase” (“Naming” 468). What makes the

exchange interesting is the ability of the addressor to exploit the meaning

and sound of an existing word or descriptive tag, not in coining a new

one. This makes the comment of the addressor embellish the

interlocutor’s remark with imagery and therefore makes for some

aesthetic value.

Name–coining is not a known form of verbal exchange among the

Urhobo. Making reference to it in this work therefore is simply to make a

xxxvi
statement that as new forms are discovered daily in various cultures, so

also has odovan here been seen to qualify as a form of oral literature

because of its literary qualities. We shall therefore locate its position in

the taxonomy of Urhobo oral literature.

Before locating the place of odovan in Urhobo oral literature a

somewhat scholarly definition of the term is necessary. In an article “The

Urhobo Worldview” by Bruce Onobrakpeya odovan is defined as “a self

given name of the Urhobo adult, particularly for the male, used mainly

during social gatherings” (387). These edovan are chosen due to the

bearer’s perception of life or as a result of certain circumstances he may

have been through.

Having looked at the background of odovan, the question still

remains: where can it be possibly situated? Like name–coining, odovan

has an addressor and an addressee. But unlike name–coining the method

of performance is different. In odovan the bearer tells the philosophical

meaning of the name when called. From this point of view, they resemble

the proverb because the language is figurative, and they have deeper

meanings other than their surface meanings. Thus they are derived from

proverbs. As Nwachukwu-Agbada states, “proverbs are the common

property of a community. Every full-fledged member of a society has

xxxvii
access to them and they are preserved by their being passed from one

generation to another” (87).

More often than not, any proverb can fit into the odovan format

and vice versa. But to serve the function of an odovan, the proverb must

be “thought-provoking, uncommon, expandable, and replete with layers

of meaning. Such a proverb must command auditory attention and have a

call-response structure that both caller and answerer can recognize”

(Nwachukwu-Agbada 87). From the above premise, we can therefore

conclude that since edovan are proverbial in nature, and are derived from

proverbs, it can be established that like proverbs, they belong to the prose

genre of Urhobo oral literature.

xxxviii
 CHAPTER TWO

2.1 Content of Odovan

By content, we mean the intrinsic make–up of the oral literary form

known as odovan. Odovan employs such literary devices as simile,

metaphor, irony, humour, repetition, and sound devices such as

assonance, consonance and alliteration in an attempt to convey the

message inherent in it.

Other social issues that make the content of odovan thus making it

relevant include respect for elders, truthfulness, greed, wickedness, pride,

cheating, cooperation and unity. These constitute social ideas, which are

given literary interpretation. Nwoga states that “… ideas are the product

of social practice, usually reflecting the struggles to resolve the internal

contradictions of society” (79).

2.2 Context of Odovan

Odovan, unlike other prose narratives such as the tale, myth and

legend, which are known for specific contexts of performance, has no

specific context where of performance. It can be performed or enacted

anywhere depending on the performers involved.

In Urhobo, odovan is performed in the market place, on the street,

at home and any other context that may demand its performance. It is also

performed at more serious formal gatherings such as traditional marriage

xxxix
 ceremonies and traditional burial ceremonies. Occasionally they are used

at wedding receptions.

The context of performance of odovan usually has nothing to do

with the type of odovan enacted. The odovan that is used by its bearer on

the street is the same one used by the same bearer at a traditional

marriage ceremony or anywhere else.

2.3 The Performer /Performance of Odovan

Odovan can be performed by anybody, depending on the context.

At more formal gatherings, for instance, a traditional marriage ceremony,

a spokesman known as Otota is usually appointed to do the

performance. The person appointed could be a family member or a

professional otota hired for a specific purpose at the marriage ceremony.

Most times it is restricted to the male folk. The performer calls out the

odovan and its bearer responds. Audience reaction depends solely on the

ingenuity of the performer, and the particular odovan that is cited. If the

odovan that is cited is funny, the audience is bound to react differently

from when it is not.

At less formal or informal gatherings however the performance of

odovan is left for, and to those involved. Two friends who meet along the

street could “hail” each other in their respective odovan and exchange

pleasantries before going their separate ways. The performance of

xl
 odovan therefore is tied to the addressor, the addressee and the context. In

other words, the addressor can become the addressee and vice versa.

Performance is therefore in a call and response format.

2.4 Occasion of use of Odovan

Unlike other free – phrase forms of oral literature, odovan has no

particular occasion of performance. It is enacted spontaneously,

depending on the context. In this regard, the occasion of use depends on

the social circumstance.

As stated above, odovan is performed at both formal and informal

social gatherings. In their culture and tradition, the Urhobo people always

have the presentation and acceptance of kola-nuts and drinks especially at

formal gatherings. Before addressing a gathering therefore, an appointed

spokesman is mandated to call the odovan of every adult present. On

hearing the name, the bearer makes a brief remark as an explanation to

the deeper or philosophical meaning behind the name.

As mentioned earlier, odovan is an alias. Therefore it can be used

at any occasion. From a simple gathering of friends who meet on the

street or anywhere else, to more serious gatherings such as marriage or

funeral ceremonies. The aliases are mainly self–given or coined when a

man or an adult comes of age. Most times, the odovan taken by an

individual tells something about the individual’s perception of life. Some

xli
others are taken, owing to certain circumstances the bearer may have

been through in life.

xlii
 CHAPTER THREE

3.1 Functions and Uses of odovan:

Among the Urhobo, odovan plays a very important role in every

social gathering. As such it is relevant in the Urhobo society and performs

certain functions. These all important roles that is, the social relevance

and the functions odovan performs among the Urhobo shall be discussed

in this chapter.

3.2 Odovan: Its Social Relevance

In discussing the social relevance of odovan let us begin by

pointing out that African orature is important “for the important reason

that it is the incontestable reservoir of the values, sensibilities, aesthetics

and achievements of traditional African thought and imagination outside

the plastic arts” (Chinweizu et al 2).

The above statement receives support from Chukwuma when in her Igbo

Oral Literature she writes

Oral literature is a record keeping device and a

means of preserving useful relevant information.
Emphasis here is on the theme, the matter of oral
literature, viewed in relation to the overall function
of art in an oral society”. (52)

xliii
She adds:

What is commemorated in oral literature must be

of significance and relevance to the society for it is
only by relating to the audience that the verse
stands a chance of survival through regular recital
(53).

With respect to odovan the above assertions in one way or the other

ring true. Odovan as a form of oral literature is a record keeping device as

well as a useful pointer for preserving information. Not only that, they

also are relevant to the Urhobo and their world view.

Odovan, as earlier stated, is an alias picked up by an individual

after proper contemplation. Most of them are taken up by individuals as a

result of what the individual who takes it may have seen in life or the

various circumstances he may have gone through and still survived. For

instance an odovan like:

Urhobo: Addressor: Omophran re vwerhe idjede

Addressee: o nyo ota ro’oto.

English: Addressor: bird that sleeps on the road

Addressee: hears the talk of the ground.

Certain circumstances in which the bearer believes he has enemies may

warrant the assumption of such an odovan. Therefore, he has to be very

careful. Again the odovan:

xliv
 Urhobo: Addressor: Ebe erue omo,

Addressee: o choro omo aroo

English: Addressor: what you do to a child

Addressee: is never forgotten by the

child

could be taken if the bearer feels that people he may have relied on in the

past to grant him help denied him such and turned their backs on him

when he most needed them.

In certain cases, the odovan that an individual bears tells something about

the character, beliefs or perceptions of the individual in the Urhobo

society. The bearer of the odovan:

Urhobo: Addressor: Oko ve’ emu

Addressee: ememerha o bie

English: Addressor: Canoe carrying goods

Addressee: It moves slowly

is most likely to be taken by one who assumes gentility as his watch

word. Therefore from his disposition, we know without being told that he

is a gentle person.

From the above illustrations, it proves beyond doubt, that the

significance and relevance of odovan is seen in the fact that it provides

information of great value on the perception and philosophy of life of the

Urhobo people. The assumption of an odovan identifies the male folk

xlv
who have come of age. Secondly, it re-enacts the superiority of the male

folk. What this means is that the use of odovan is mostly a male activity.

It is associated with the men–folk. That is not to say that women do not

have or take up odovan. They do. But most times, they are identified

either by the odovan of their fathers or that of their husbands. In a general

gathering or any social event however, women are referred to simply as

‘Elizabeth’ pronounced as Enizabeti. Occasionally, women who have

these aliases are given opportunities to use their odovan. But when in the

presence of their husbands, they automatically are addressed by the

odovan of their men.

A third relevance of odovan is that it breaks barriers between and

among strangers, and encourages familiarity between friends. In addition

to the above mentioned significant roles of odovan, its enactment

provides creative avenues for adults because edovan act as teaching and

learning devices. They sometimes create fun and enjoyment as well as

provide oral evidence for reconstructing Urhobo history. Odovan and its

performance are relevant in the Urhobo society because through them

information, feelings and life experiences are transmitted. This happens

in the sense that they play various functions in the Urhobo society.

3.3 Functions of odovan

Odovan can function as a tool for caution. An example is:

xlvi
 Urhobo: Addressor: Abore Isibo

Addressee: Iyovwivwe opharoo

English: Addressor: the hand with pepper

Addressee: is not good for the face

Definitely, if a hand that has pepper touches the face, it is bound to cause

discomfort. The moral learned here is that people should be careful.

Secondly, it drives home a message that anyone who seeks justice should

himself be free of guilt.

In her study of “Social functions of Ngwa tales”, Ukaegbu

identifies social functions in the following words:

Verbal jokes are social-culturally bound …

designed to stress prudence, honesty, justice, hard-
work, endurance, kindness, valour etc to teach
some moral lessons and correct certain ills of the
society. They could also be to entertain as well as
educate the society on the cultural and other
aspects of human life… also one of the avenues of
attacking and criticizing the society. (267)

Without doubt we agree with Ukaegbu and maintain that odovan boasts

all the social functions mentioned above. For instance an odovan such as

the one below functions as a tool for honesty:

Urhobo: Addressor: ono r’ue emuna

xlvii
 Addressee: mevwe’

English: Addressor: who did this deed?

Addressee: it is I / me.

This odovan preaches truthfulness and honesty. It is a question asked to

know who is responsible for a particular deed and the reply mevwe owns

up to the deed being talked about.

The bulk of the social functions of odovan lies in the correction of

misdeeds and in advising people in the society. To this end the age being

displayed has a great deal to do with the ills that are being corrected. As

Maduka asserts; “a good work of art reflects (or refracts, as some critics

prefer to say) the spirit of the age in which it is produced. Literary value

is more or less determined by degree of correspondence between the

world of illusion depicted in the text and that of social reality. Realism is

therefore perceived as an indispensable attribute of the text (187).

In this regard, we want to believe that the reflection of the society

through the medium of odovan can draw from the knowledge of the past

so as to correct the present and therefore prepare a future for the society.

Age here refers to the historical attributes of the society, and as Wellek

and Warren comment,

The artist conveys truth and, necessarily historical

and social truths. Works of art furnish ‘documents’
because they are monuments’. A harmony between

xlviii
 genius and age is postulated. ‘Representativeness’,
‘social truth’ is by definition both a result and
cause of artistic value…Literature is really not a
reflection of the social process, but the essence, the
abridgement and summary of all history. (95)

What Wellek and Warren are concerned with here is ‘social truth’

and ‘representativeness’. Odovan reflects these social truths in various

ways. For instance if someone has been dealt deadly blows by friends and

is always unlucky when it has to do with friends, the one may take up the

odovan

Urhobo: Addressor: Idavwarhan

Addressee: Ogba Igho Oke rue orhavan

English: Addressor: Mosquito larvae

Addressee: does not pay before being a

member of the shrine.

By this odovan the bearer is advocating that friendship should have no

boundaries. In other words, just like the mosquito larva that does not pay

fees before it belongs anywhere, friendship should be something that

should not require certain criteria such as say wealth or affluence before

you can be friends with anyone. In other words friendship should not be

selective. Another odovan with the same theme is

Urhobo: Addressor: Ugbohian re nune ovo

xlix
 Addressee: ode k’eghinren

English: Addressor: the friendship of just today

Addressee: tomorrow is enmity.

This odovan not only advocates a social truth, it also preaches value for

friendship. That friendship should be something enduring.

One thing abhorred in the Urhobo society as any where else is

disrespect. Therefore, an odovan such as omo r’owhorhe obo fo with the

response Ove edafe gbe rie emu (the child that washes his hand clean /

dines with the rich) is a philosophical truth that hinges on good behaviour

and respect.

To conclude, it would be necessary to echo the duo, Wellek and

Warren who assert that “the relationship between literature and society is

usually discussed with the phrase, derived from De Bonald, that

“literature is an expression of society…” (95). To this end, the mixture of

literary processes with social ones cements the relationship between

odovan and the society. Therefore, the social functions of odovan hinge

on the … “correspondence between…social and literary phenomena”

(Clark 7). Serious issues that are part and parcel of the society have life

and voice breathed into them through odovan and its performance.

l
 CHAPTER FOUR

4.1 Literary Significance of Odovan

As earlier mentioned, odovan belongs to the prose genre of Urhobo

oral literature. They are proverbial in nature, are derived mainly from

proverbs and act like proverbs in terms of their figurative mode of

expression. As an art form therefore, there are many features associated

with odovan that we can now say constitute its literariness, bearing in

mind that literature refers to all compositions that “tell us a story,

represents, mirrors or dramatizes actual life situations, advocates ideas,

and expresses emotions (Okoh Preface 3).

In the composition of odovan, therefore, many literary devices such

as metaphor, simile, irony, humour, allusion and repetition are inherent.

All these combine to give odovan its aesthetic value. They shall be

illustrated below.

4.2 The Use of Metaphor in odovan

This literary device happens to be the most commonly employed in

odovan. Bearing in mind that odovan is an alias or a nickname; most

people who take up these names always compare themselves with, or to

an object, a plant or an animal. In choosing the odovan therefore, the

bearer sends a message across. For instance the odovan:

li
1. Urbobo: Addressor: Ekegban!

Addressee: Ogboro iterhu

English: Addressor: Rust!

Addressee: it destroys iron.

In this context, the bearer of the odovan ‘ekegban’ compares himself to

rust. According to its bearer, this odovan was chosen due to

circumstances of his existence. For the bearer, like ‘rust’, he shall destroy

anyone who tries to destroy him. In other words, “no matter how hard my

enemies try, they can never get me” is the message being passed on to

one’s interlocutors or auditors.

Metaphor thrives on implied comparison. Therefore, the

metaphorical implication in this odovan lies in the analogy that the bearer

makes between himself and rust. There is actually no relationship

between rust and human beings. In this context however, a line of

comparison is being drawn between the destructive nature of rust when it

makes contact with iron, and the bearer’s ability to figuratively destroy

any obstacle in his way. Ekegban connotes strength.

2. Urhobo: Addressor: Erharen!

Addressee: O torhe emu hua Osaa

English: Addressor: fire!

Addressee: It burns and pays no debt.

lii
Again, like the one before this, the bearer of the odovan such as ‘erharen’

compares himself with fire that burns without looking back. The message

here is that any one who tries to get in the way of the bearers progress

should be ready to bear the consequences. Like ‘ekegban’, ‘erharen’ also

connotes strength.

3. Urhobo: Addressor: Iwhiri

Addressee: Ebieche Gbee

English: Addressor: Smoke!

Addressee: you cannot shut a door against it.

This odovan and its response is not only a statement of fact, it also is a

philosophical truth. Smoke is a phenomenon that cannot be trapped in a

container or behind a door. Thus, the bearer of this odovan calls himself

‘smoke’. Just as smoke cannot be prevented from seeping through, he

cannot be stopped from his destiny. The philosophical meaning of this

odovan therefore is the claim by the bearer that no matter how hard the

world tries, he cannot be stopped from being what or who he is destined

to be.

In the odovan:

4. Urhobo: Addressor: Ughwerin,

Addressee: olerhe emu vwerha

English: Addressor: Ughwerin

liii
 Addressee: makes soup tasty

The bearer sees himself as the one who makes difficult situations

more acceptable and easy to manage. Just as Ughwerin makes soup tasty

and delicious, so also does he make difficult situations “sweet”. Therefore

he sees himself as a mediator. Ughwerin in other words connotes a

negotiator in this odovan. To better appreciate this odovan it is worth

mentioning that Ughwerin is a type of salt used by the Urhobo in the

preparation of their traditional delicacy known as Oghwoevwrior any

other meal that requires it. The preparation of Oghwoevwri” without

Ughwerin is like fetching sand with a basket. Without ughwerin,

Oghwoevwri is incomplete.

Another odovan that functions like the one above is illustrated as follows:

5. Urhobo: Addressor: Uwon re erin

Addressee: o maran usin

English: Addressor: the flesh of fish

Addressee: makes starch fall.

Starch is a popular delicacy of the Urhobo people eaten with particular

types of soup. Therefore, when good fish is used to prepare soup, one

tends to eat more. In this regard, the man who calls himself ‘uwon

re’erin’ sees himself as that integral part of a particular situation. He is

the missing piece of the puzzle. By this odovan the bearer says that with
liv
him as part of, say, an organization, things are done at their appointed

time and in their right manner.

6. Urhobo: Addressor: Omo re eni’

Addressee: Obre udu re oroo

English: Addressor: child of an elephant

Addressee: is not afraid of growing big.

The bearer of this odovan compares himself to a baby elephant that

cannot be stopped from growing. Just as the elephant is not afraid of

growing big, so also is he unafraid of attaining great heights. The

message being conveyed here is that those who are born great are not

afraid of achieving greatness. This odovan tells some thing about the

character of the bearer. He believes himself to be unstoppable.

7. Urhobo: Addressor: Ogoro boban

Addressee: O brenu r’udii

English: Addressor: The young palm tree

Addressee: does not complain that it

does not produce drink.

As stated above, the choice of an odovan usually revolves around

circumstances that the bearer may have found himself at a point in his
lv
 life. An odovan such as this one is proverbial in nature. In it, the

addressee likens himself to a young palm tree that is just sprouting. The

message here is like the popular phrase que sera sera. In other words,

what ever will be will be, as no one can really tell the future.

8. Urhobo: Addressor: Erakon ro dje eni

Addressee: Oma royen o laha

English: Addressor: the dog that pursues an elephant

Addressee: wastes his time

The bearer of the odovan likens himself to the elephant being pursued by

a dog. Note that the use of “elephant” and “dog” in the odovan connote

the rich and the poor respectively. Therefore the poor man (eranko) who

decides to rub shoulders with the wealthy man (eni) who has all the

affluence only wastes his time.

4.3 The Use of Simile in Odovan

Simile is a direct comparison between two unrelated things indicating a

likeness or similarity between some attribute found in both things. The

comparison in this case is usually made using “as” or ‘like’ as an

indication of the similarity. Various forms of Urhobo oral literature have

simile inherent in them as is common with oral literature of other

cultures. Edovan with simile inherent in them shall be illustrated below:

lvi
1. Urhobo: Addressor: Aje kere urhedi

Addressee: Avwo chobiee

English: Addressor: A woman is like a bunch of

Palm nut

Addressee: it cannot be wrapped in the

loin-cloth.

Here an analogy is drawn between a woman and the thorny or spiky

nature of a bunch of palm nut. What is inferred from this is that a woman,

like the palm nut bunch, should not be put close to the body. Thus a

woman is not to be trusted because she will prick your body like the

bunch of palm, if drawn close to the body. In other words, she cannot

keep a secret.

2. Urhobo: Addressor: Akpo kere eki

Addressee: oro cho phrun ko kpo

English: Addressor: life is like a market

Addressee: he who has finished selling

goes home

In this odovan, life is compared to a market place where people from

different backgrounds come to. While some are there to sell goods, others

are there to buy and at the end of the day everyone goes home. This
lvii
odovan is a philosophical fact of life because the market here connotes

life or the world where we all shall leave some day, after our time on

earth expires. Going home after the day’s sales connotes death. This

odovan and the next one share certain features in common.

3. Urhobo: Addressor: Akpo kere iboro

Addressee: Ebete ovo orhen ebete ovo

ubi

English: Addressor: life is like a ball

Addressee: One side is the native chalk,

the other side, charcoal.

In this odovan orhen (native white chalk) and ubi (charcoal) are

connotatively used to represent white and black as they apply to live

situations. In other words life is full of ups and downs, good and bad,

darkness and light. The analogy drawn here is between the “roundness”

of the ball as compared with the roundness of the earth. Just as one side

of the ball is black and the other white, so also is the world full of good

and evil, ups as well as downs.

4. Urhobo: Addressor: Odafe kere olalo

Addressee: Oke yerhie kalo

English: Addressor: A wealthy man is like stone,

lviii
 Addressee: when day breaks he is

ground.

In actual life, the demands made on a rich man by family and friends are

numerous and unending. This is what the bearer of this odovan conveys

by this odovan. The bearer compares himself to the grinding platform that

the grinding stone grinds on. Thus he is ground connotatively, by the

demands made on him by relations who are associated with him.

5. Urhobo: Addressor: Akpo kere ologhramen

Addressee: okpoto kp’ehiophin

English: Addressor: Life is like a wave

Addressee: it goes up and down

Life, like the wave of the sea is never stable. As the waves of the sea go

up and down, so also is life full of ups and downs.

6. Urhobo: Addressor: Efe kere ekri

Addressee: Amre oba royee

English: Addressor: wealth is like a bottomless pit

Addressee: its end is not seen.

This odovan compares wealth to a bottomless pit. Just as one cannot see

the end of a bottomless pit, so also can the end of wealth not be seen.

lix
7. Urhobo: Addressor: Aje kere urhie

Addressee: Arien evun royee

English: Addressor: A woman is like a river

Addressee: you cannot know her stomach

(mind).

In this odovan, a woman’s belly that is, her mind, is compared to a river.

As the depth of the river and what it holds cannot be told from outside or

by merely looking at it, so also can a woman’s thoughts not be known

unless she voices them. An analogy is therefore drawn between the depth

of a river and the mind of a woman.

8. Urhobo: Addressor: Oke kere okere

Addressee: O herhe ohwoo

English: Addressor: Time is like a tide

Addressee: It waits for no one

Again in this odovan the bearer compares himself to time which like a

tide waits for no one.

9. Urhobo: Addressor: Ota obrabra kere uterhu

Addressee: Ogboroo

English: Addressor: a bad word is like steel

lx
 Addressee: it does not get spoilt.

This odovan tells a great deal about its bearer. It is obvious that its bearer

is a down-to-earth person, who says things the way they are, without

mincing his words. Thus, when he says something bad about a situation,

his bad word can be compared to steel that does not get destroyed. From

another point of view this odovan can be seen as something terrible said

about a person, which will never be forgotten.

10. Urhobo: Addressor: Ughwu kere eshane

Addressee: Oye ete ovuovo Oye gboo

English: Addressor: Death is like a perfume

Addressee: It smells everywhere.

What this odovan brings immediately to mind is the fact that the bearer

probably has had his share of bereavements. As such, he compares the

phenomenon called death with a perfume. Just as death visits everyone,

so also the fragrance of a perfume when sprayed is perceived by everyone

who is around. The perfume’s fragrance smells not only in one place as

death visits not only a particular family, but everyone.

A point worthy of note in the illustrated examples using simile is

that the odovan texts used to illustrate the use of simile do not have one

word names as is the case with metaphors illustrated above. Most of the

lxi
 examples with simile inherent in them are expressed in short phrases

unlike ekegban, iwhiri and erharen when we dealt with metaphorical

odovan texts. This is because as stated above simile compares two things

that are unrelated using “as” or “like” as its mode of comparison thus,

indicating a likeness or similarity between some attribute found in both

things.

4.4 The Use of Humour in Odovan

Humour is a literary quality in art which amuses and thus provokes

laughter. It is a literary device, common with odovan. This is portrayed in

the following examples.

1. Urhobo: Addressor: Esi no bru ghava

Addressee: Ugheroye vwerh’ohwo

English: Addressor: The pig that is dancing

Addressee: The sight must be interesting to

watch.

The humour in this odovan lies in the fact that ugava ebruo in Urhobo

has to do with the rigorous ups and downs, forward and back-ward

movements of the shoulders and the chest cavity as well as the waist area.

In fact the whole torso is at work in a tedious dance style. If we picture in

our minds’ eye, a pig on all fours, trying to imitate this dance which is
lxii
strictly a human affair, indeed it will be a sight to behold. Again the reply

ughe roye ovwe rhe ‘ohwo meaning “the sight must be interesting to

watch” provokes laughter.

2. Urhobo: Addressor: Oghwa ikebe

Addressee: O ben ovworoo /e se ohwo hoo

English: Addressor: The load of the buttocks

Addressee: Is not tiring for the owner/no one is

called to carry it.

This odovan evokes laughter when an addressor calls out to the

addressee. Most times, it draws attention to the bearer when heard,

because the idea of the buttocks being heavy or otherwise for the bearer,

especially a man, sounds funny.

3. Urhobo: Addressor: Nene whe evwere

Addressee: amre ohwo dje oma kuoo.

English: Addressor: Mother broke an evwere

Addressee: No one dared scold her.

The humour in this odovan lies in the fact that the mother who would

usually scold or punish a child who breaks an evwere, is the one who has

broken the evwere and no one dares scold her.

lxiii
 4. Urhobo: Addressor: oghi o chi baiboro

Addressee: o che ku rhierie

English: Addressor: A thief that steals a bible

Addressee: shall repent.

This odovan provokes laughter when heard because the mere thought of a

thief stealing a bible beats the imagination. And if per chance he does

steal one and takes a look at the content he just might repent.

5. Urhobo: Addressor: Edo r’ ikribekpe

Addressee: dje ohwo eranvwe evaa.

English: Addressor: The noise of flies

Addressee: does not prevent the

slaughtering of a cow

The humour in this odovan is appreciated when we picture an abattoir

and see in our minds eye, the activities of flies swarming around the

meat. In spite of the activities and noise of the flies around the meat, a

butcher does not desist from butchering the animal.

4.5 The Use of Repetition in Odovan

Repetition is traditionally known as the act of repeating words or

sentences in a work of art. It derives from orality and is applied

consciously or unconsciously in literature. In odovan, repetition largely

constitutes performance.
lxiv
 Odovan makes use of repetition when it employs metaphor as its

tool of operation. For instance the odovan:

1. Urhobo: Addressor: jovwo jovwo

Addressee: oria oshoo

English: Addressor: stop stop

Addressee: does not mean I am lazy.

The repetition of jovwo is used for emphasis.

In the Odovan:

2. Urhobo: Addressor: Hun hun hun,

Addressee: ota wen ven re

English: Addressor: hun hun hun

Addressee: your words have been

exposed.

hun; hun, hun again is repeated to lay emphasis on the intention of the

bearer. It is used here as a descriptive device as regards actions of

gossips.

3. Urhobo: Addressor: out gbidi gbidi

Addressee: ubodje ovuovo ria esirii

English: Addressor: crowd ‘gbidi’ ‘gbidi’

Addressee: raffia is not found alone

lxv
 ‘Gbidi’ ‘gbidi’ in this odovan is repeated. It is used by the bearer to

represent a crowd and the need for people to stand together. In other

words unity is strength.

4. Urhobo: Addressor: kesu kesu kesu,

Addressee: e sio o vwree

English: Addressor: kesu kesu kesu

Addressee: they pull/drag it does not cut

According to the bearer of this odovan, kesu kesu kesu represents the

action of pulling a “rope” which is here used figuratively. For the bearer,

no matter how long or hard they pull, the rope will neither be cut nor will

its end be seen. In other words people of the world will never succeed in

putting him down. The use of kesu kesu kesu is an example of repetition

and a sound device.

4.6 The Use of Sound Devices in Odovan.

Sound devices largely constitute odovan texts. They usually

embellish the performance of odovan, and are used connotatively.

Examples are given below.

In the odovan:

lxvi
1. Urhobo: Addressor: otu gbidi gbidi

Addressee: Ubodje ovuovo ria esirii

English: Addressor: crowd ‘gbidi’ ‘gbidi’

Addressee: raffia is not found alone

gbidi gbidi is not only repeated, it also represents a heavy sound. It is

used in this odovan to represent a crowd or a multitude. This is an

example of alliteration. This odovan has a social function because it

concerns the need for cooperation. It preaches the need for people to be

united.

In another odovan such as

2. Urhobo: Addressor: Okrika,

Addressee: ohiare mre ohiare djee

English: Addressor: okrika

Addressee: a man does not see his fellow man

and then take to his heels.

Okrika here is sound device connoting strength. It has no equivalent in

English, but an understanding of the second part of the odovan ohiare

mre ohiare djee sends a message across. Okrika here is an example of

consonance.

lxvii
A third example is

3. Urhobo: Addressor: Okpoghitu

Addressee: emu che she phron rhe.

Okpoghitu in this odovan means or stands for trouble makers, hence the

translation:

English: Addressor: Troublemakers

Addressee be ready to bear the consequences

of your actions.

The cluster of vowels and consonants in this example sounds heavy. Its

representation of trouble makers is therefore apt.

The odovan:

4. Urhobo: Addressor: Atamukara

Addressee: ohwe omo hwe oraa

English: Addressor: Atamukara

Addressee: does not beat a child as well

as his wounds.

Atamukara here represents tobacco, (a healing agent among

traditional Urhobo), that stings when used and thus inflicts pain when

applied on an open wound. With the use of atamukara, a feeling of pain

appears before our eyes. Thus it connotes pain, and is an example of

consonance.

lxviii
5. Urhobo: Addressor: Kpua,

Addressee: o va phia

English: Addressor: kpua

Addressee: it has no effect

kpua in this odovan is used to represent an explosive sound. What the

odovan means therefore is that no matter how hard people try to put the

bearer down, their explosives will never have effect on him. Again this is

an example of consonance.

Ominiomini is another used in the odovan:

6. Urhobo: Addressor: Ominiomini

Addressee: emu ri bun miovwen ree.

English: Addressor: No matter how bad

Addressee: there must be a good thing

in every bad situation.

Omunomini here represents the phrase ‘no matter how bad’. In its

pronunciation, ominiomini has a meandering feel to it that aptly

represents bad or terrible situations. In addition it is an example of

assonance.

lxix
4.7 The Use of Irony in Odovan

Irony is one of the tools which odovan uses to communicate ideas.

In the following examples irony as a literary device is inherent.

1. Urhobo: Addressor: Esi no bru ghava

Addressee: Ugheroye vwerh’ohwo

English: Addressor: The pig that is dancing

Addressee: The sight must be interesting to

watch.

In the above example, a pig cannot dance. So expecting to see a beautiful

dance performance carried out by a pig is ironic.

2. Urhobo: Addressor: Oghwa ikebe

Addressee: O ben ovworoo /e se ohwo hoo

English: Addressor: The load of the buttocks

Addressee: Is not tiring for the owner/no one is

called to carry it.

Concerning the above example, neither are the buttocks of an individual

too heavy for him to carry, nor is anyone called upon to assist in carrying

ones buttocks.

3. Urhobo: Addressor: oghi o chi baiboro

Addressee: o che ku rhierie

lxx
 English: Addressor: A thief that steals a bible

Addressee: shall repent.

A thief who goes to steal will definitely avoid a bible when he sees one at

the place where he has gone to rob or steal. As such, a thief is not

expected to steal a bible. This odovan is therefore ironic.

4. Urhobo: Addressor: osevwe re ovwreghre

Addressee: o ja ye jai mie inu

English: Addressor: the outfit/dressing of an

enemy

Addressee: they like it/admire it yet they

frown.

The bearer of this odovan sees himself as one whom people are jealous of

because of his achievements. Now people who see him as an enemy pretend to

scorn him while in actual fact they admire him. The response “o ja ye jai mie

inu” brings out the irony in this odovan. ‘Mie inu’ is the squeezing of the mouth

and face to show disdain or disgust towards someone while ‘o ja ye’ means

‘they like it’ (that is whatever it is the people see). So when we picture in our

minds that facial expression of dislike with the fact that they actually like the

bearers dressing or achievements, the irony becomes clear.

We have seen that odovan is not only a part of the culture and tradition of

the Urhobo people, it is also an art form. Not only does it share features with
lxxi
other forms of literature such as prose, it remains a full - fledged form of oral

literature. As we have shown, odovan makes prominent use of such literary

devices as irony, simile, and metaphor to mention a few.

lxxii
 CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION

This study has focused on odovan, a hitherto unknown form of

Urhobo oral literature. The work started by providing some information

on odovan as well as a brief history of the Urhobo people. It was

concluded that the origin of the Urhobo people is controversial because

the Urhobo are not known to have a valid suggestion as regards their

history. However, they are known to be an Edoid group.

Still in Chapter One, the various forms of Urhobo oral literatures

was discussed. Thus the conclusion that, like the oral literature of various

cultures in Africa, Urhobo oral literature boasts three genres - prose,

poetry and drama, was reached. A careful appraisal was carried out after

which the position of odovan in Urhobo oral literature was discussed.

Odovan we concluded belongs to the prose genre of oral literature

because of its proverbial nature and the form in which it is enacted.

Chapter Two considered the content, context, as well as the

performance of odovan, in addition to its occasions of use. Here, the

intrinsic make - up of odovan as well as certain social issues that make

part of its content were mentioned.

Chapter Three discussed the functions and social relevance of

odovan. It was ascertained that odovan can function as a corrective tool, a

tool for caution, as well as a tool for advocating unity, to mention a few.
lxxiii
In addition, certain uses of odovan were discussed and the conclusion that

it is an important tool for breaking barriers among the Urhobo, drawn.

This discussion gradually led us into Chapter Four where, an elaborate

discussion of the literary significance of odovan and literary devices

inherent in odovan texts was attempted.

In our discussion, we illustrated the presence of such literary

devices as simile, metaphor, repetition, humour, and irony in the collected

odovan texts. Such sound devices as consonance, assonance and

alliteration were also found in odovan texts and were also discussed at

reasonable lengths. These, no doubt, went a long way to show that

odovan is a literary phenomenon.

Odovan is, and will always remain a veritable part of Urhobo oral

literature. Its importance among the Urhobo cannot be over emphasized.

This is because the content of odovan discusses certain social issues

which uncover the past, deal with the present and even predict the future.

In odovan, such social issues as greed, truthfulness, respect, pride,

laziness, justice, assistance and many more are constantly repeated.

Therefore, a further study of this form of oral literature as well as other

forms is encouraged. This can only be made possible if the study of oral

literature is encouraged and not swept under the carpet.

As mentioned earlier in the work, oral literature is and can be used

as a tool for national development. Therefore its study is important. Many

lxxiv
a time, scholars have from various perspectives sounded and re-sounded

their clanging cymbals in their bid to make a case for the necessity of oral

literature in national development. Omotosho, speaking from a

comparative perspective, but in favor of oral literature states that: “the

future of Africa belongs to literature written in African languages” (qtd in

Maduka 200).

Maduka agrees with this statement even though he speaks from

another point of view. According to him, “psycholinguistically, it is very

difficult for any speech community to use a foreign language as the

communicative tool for its search for group cohesiveness” (200). What

these scholars are concerned about is the relationship between indigenous

languages and literature. Therefore as long as literature exists either in

oral or written form, it makes a necessary tool for national development.

Again as Okoh points out, “African writers borrow extensively from their

oral literature, whether in terms of content or technique” (Preface 237).

Among the Urhobo, odovan plays a crucial role in the issue of

development. This it does by the way it brings to the fore, social issues

discussed earlier. From this perspective we could also say that odovan

plays this role at the dais of national development. Therefore without

odovan at the cultural level which is more or less its primary position, it

cannot function at the secondary level that is nationally. Any where the

lxxv
Urhobo man finds himself, the practice of odovan prevails before

anything else.

Odovan therefore is a very useful tool for developing the nation via

the culture because a people without a culture are considered dead. Great

milestones can be achieved through the use and practice of odovan.

Therefore its continuous use and practice should be encouraged since it

can be applied in almost, if not all aspects or contexts of life.

lxxvi
 APPENDIX
A collection of some selected odovan texts.

ODOVAN RESPONSE
1. Igodigo - ehiovwin r’ ame oye wene amwa
Igodigo it is on top of water that it changes its
clothes
2. Omo r’ eni obrudu r’ orhoo
The child of an elephant is not afraid of growth
3. Idjede r’ arupleni agbo urhen rhurhoo
The “road” of an airplane u cannot fall a tree across it
4. Omo ro du’ orho Oyen oma dja
The child who is pompous is the one that
5 Awhare emophran amre okpakoroyee
In a gathering of birds you do not know the eldest
6 Umu kiri re ehweya - ewuo hworoo
The drum of the womenfolk is not sounded without a purpose
7. Ewheya I’ udje - yen obo rayen temu
The dance of the women means they have achieved something
8. Idiovworho - ofovwin chaa
Which community no trouble/ no war
9 Ekegban Ogboro iterhu
Rust destroys iron
10. Adagba (agbada) ekue ewun ofa rhurhoo
Adagba no other clothing can be worn to cover it
11 Omo r’ abo ive o la homaa
A child with two parents does not suffer
12. Ota r’ avwe agboro oye agboro vue ohwo
It is what you tell agboro that agboro tells you.
lxxvii
13. Ora re igho oben esuvwn
A sore that requires money takes time
14 Owha re ikebe - oben orovworoo / ese ohwo vwoo
The load of the buttocks is not heavy for its owner
15. Oyarhe - O je karan odafe
Broomstick could be of lack to the wealthy
16 Ota re ose orovwen - O bra k’eyana
The words of a father-in-law- is not pleasing to women
17. Oko v’ emu - ememerha o bie
A boat conveying food stuffs rows gently
18. Agbadagri - Ohiare gren yin ko kere egbe
Agbadagri if a man is not tall, he should be
stocky
19. Edjo re ovweghren ekpo umen e ki broo
The judgment of an enemy is passed in haste
20. Omo ro vwo ochuko - O rien r’ n’ akpo been
A child that has support does not know how difficult the
life is
21. O ro hwe ewhuvwhe - Eku
He that kills a baby bat - kills it for nothing
22. Akpo n’ ehwe - erivwin ne jovwo
World says kill him - death says leave him
23. O roke kpe epha - O yen ria ophovwan
He who first consults the oracle - is the one with witchcraft
24. Adakaza Omorhien ohiare kparen edjere
akoo
Adakaza it is not a small man that can
remove the teeth of a crocodile

lxxviii
25. Ubi r’ uloho - O whre ituu
The young of an enhwe tree - survives at all cost
26. Omote na yophirhon - re ho te uwovwin tavwen
The girl is too beautiful - take her home first
27 Era mre uvo na - e yen je h’ era ason
The ones seen at daytime - has among them witches and
wizards
28. Ebo r’ iroro - O ben ekron
Wisdom - cannot be held in a bag
29 Ogbo - me woho
Python - im on the ground
30. Izagede - oye okan vweren
Upstairs, - that is where the sun bird sleeps
31. O ro gb’ agogo - O Io hiaan
He who ties a bell to his waist - cannot hide
32. Oghiyayagha - aje phehunonoho
Scatter, scatter - a woman cannot pee in a bottle
33. Ughwerin - O lerhe emu vwerhan
Ughwerin - makes soup sweet
34. Urhenvihwen - emuogbahaa
A tree that has thorns - you do not hold it carelessly
35. Uken r’ umoko - A fuo mree
Egg of a parrot - is not easily found
36.. Ebe eru omo - O choro Omo aroo
What you do to a child - is not forgotten by the child
Uwovwin re ji iko, / omo - ohwe ikoo / omoo
The errand that one sends a child- does not kill the child
38. Aje o cheria anurhoro - Ota oyen oghwolo
A woman who sits at the door mouth - is looking for trouble
lxxix
39. Omo phran awwo ruemu - Odan kele otoo
A bird of value - does not fly close to the ground
40. Ozighi r’ edoke - Oben egbee
To make trouble for just one day - is not difficult to do
41. Amwa Oka - Godo godo oyen amren
A cloth of value - is easily noticed
42. Urhen egadabor - o she te otoo.
A tree with branches - does not fall to the ground completely
43. Ota ovo cheko - O yen acha ta na
One word is left to be said - that is what we will say now
44. Aje noye kpo vw’uvo - ukpo wen ree
A wife says she is going during the day - going is not her intention
45. Aje vevum - O dja han eban ren orhere
A pregnant woman - does not hide her nakedness from a
midwife
46. Okrugo ro gbale edjo - ose r’edjo je dje
When a snake embraces a deity – the chief priest also runs
47. Ivwrite re egbo - Ori fieghe, ovwree
Testes of ram - dangles, it does not cut
48. Osevwe ovweghre - o jaye jai mie inu
The outfit of an enemy - they like it yet they keep frowning
49. O ro sevwe ohwo - O yen ni be ohwo
He that calls me a person - is whom I will call a person
50. Orhenen ro ghegha - O gha ovwerhee
An ardent of a deity - does no forbid lovemaking
51 Ogo r’ eware - A nyawvon je otan
The bush of eware - you cut it down it sprouts
52. Oko re edi - Ohwo ovuouo sioo
The oil making canoe - is not drawn / pulled by one person
lxxx
53. Omo ro harhen eghweya - Osi oni royen phroon
The child that insults the women folk - does not exempt his mother
54 Ekekehihiovwin - O te ayen rien abo ho
The back of my head - is enough for them to point
at
55. Okrika - Ohiare mren ohiare djee
Okrika - a man does not run from his
fellow man.
56. Oko ro kp’ odjughu - iruimwemwu ruoo
A canoe that is heaven bound - has no place for a sinner
57. Egodo r’ Oghene - ebrenu vwoo
In God’s compound - here are no lamentations
58. Eki r; emo - Eban avwo chow
To shop for children - you use nakedness
59. Egodo r’ogba - osho avow hwan
The compound of a warrior - is passed by in fear
60 Ododo - Uwhe kuoo
Beautiful flower - is always admired
61. Urhen re imoko vwerhen - Oriaria omi kuvwien ije
The tree that houses parrots - erupts in ecstasy once in a
while
62. Ode ro cha - Emuo yonren aboo
Tomorrow – cannot be held in hand
63 Oroshegbo – o yen ria emu royen
He who has laboured – sows the fruit of his labour
64. Erakon ro dje eni - Oma royen o laha
The dog that pursues an elephant - suffers himself

lxxxi
65 Ichihin re eni - O yen izo ya d’ ame
The foot print of an elephant - is source of water for the
antelope
66. O ro hian herhe esi - O se hwe esi
He that lays an ambush for the pig - cannot kill the pig
67. Omo re isikuru - Avwo aje reen
A school child - Is not given a wife
68. Ogo vwe bra rhon - vue omote we
My in-law is too bad - tell your daughter
69. Ivwirhi - Ebi eche gbee
Smoke - cannot be held behind a door
70. Ilehweri r’ igho - O se vre o re ebo
The charm of money - is more potent than the
charm of a native doctor.
71 Omorohworhabofo - O ve edafe gbe riemu
The child that washes his hands clean - dines with the rich
72 Kpua - O va phia
Kpua - no effect
73. Unumiemie - Me harhon wee
Sweet mouth - Im not abusing anyone
74 Uhiovwrn r’ okpeyin - O ja riaa
The head of yam - is not suitable for eating
75. Ivwioni r’ aye rhe - Opharo r’ aje ki wholowholo
The siblings of the wife are here - the wife is happy
76. Tisio - mi sien debolo
Tisio (sneeze) - I reject the devil
77. Ukpe ra gbo eken - Eken whe vwe ukpe yenaa
The year that eken is planted - is not the year that it dies

lxxxii
78. Eravwen ve ughoron - O rua emwaa
An animal with horns - does not enter into a cave
79. Ugboko ologbo - o she te otoo
The back of a cat - does not touch the ground
80 O re ukpe she ke - Oyen ria owhere
He whom the year favours - is the farmer.
81. Ata ko rienvwen - ota we rue orerere
What you told a friend in secret - has gone into town
82. Ato ogban turi - Eje ota ovuovo
Whether thirty words or two hundred words - the fact remains that there
was an exchange of words.
83. Obo hworhe obo - O yen obo vwo fua
One hand washing the other - makes hands clean
84. Sona sona - Evu ghe oro chon ohwoo
This or that - you do not know which one
protects you.
85. A vwe unu vien eki - Amae de rho hwoo
When you send a message to the market place by word of mouth – do not
expect s reply
86. Oro mre ukoko gbeje - Ocha oma re igho egbawoo
He who picks a pipe on the road - should be ready to spend
87. Esi no bru gava - Ughe roye ovwerha ohwo
The pig that is dancing- must make a beautiful sight
to watch
88. Ugbohian re ihwo erha - Ovo uphioh
The friendship of three people - one is always different
89. Abo re isibo - Iyovwe opharoo
Hand with pepper - is not good for the face

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90. O ro vie - Oje mre ore
He that is crying - still sees
91. O ro kre - Oje mre ore
He that is short - still sees
92. kesu kesu kesu - e sio o vwree
Kesu kesu kesu - you pull and it does not cut
93. osevwe re owvreghre - o ja ye jai mie inu
The dressing of an enemy - they like it yet they frown

lxxxiv
 INFORMANTS

Name of informant: Patrick Okoro

Age: 59 years

Town/Village: Egini

Occupation: Businessman

Item of collection: Odovan

Date of collection: Thursday May 25th 2006

Form of collection: Dictation

Occasions of use: Traditional Age group meeting.

Name of informant: Mr. Emanuel Bikogha

Age: 40 years

Town/Village: Usieffrun

Occupation: Businessman

Item of collection: Odovan

Date of collection: Saturday May 27th 2006

Form of collection: Tape recording

Name of informant: Paul Onobraekpeyan

Age: 43 years

Town/Village: Otor Udu

Designation: Medical Doctor

lxxxv
Item of collection: Odovan

Date of collection: Tuesday May 30th 2006

Form of collection: Note taking

Name of informant: Traditional Marriage Ceremony

Age: nil

Town/Village: Otor Udu

Designation: nil

Item of collection: Odovan

Date of collection: Saturday June 3rd 2006

Form of collection: Tape recording

Name of informant: Johnson Upaka

Age: 57 years

Town/Village: Otor Edo

Designation: Civil Servant

Item of collection: Odovan

Date of collection: Wednesday, June 7th 2006

Form of collection: note taking

Name of informant: Victor Odogboro

Age: 40
lxxxvi
Town/Village: Ekpan

Item of collection: Odovan

Date of collection: Sunday July 23rd 2006

Form of collection: Dictation

Name of informant: Anthony Okuneh

Age: 36 years

Town/Village: Okpara

Designation: Employee

Item of collection: Odovan

Date of collection: Sunday September 3rd 2006

Form of collection: Note taking

Name of informant: John Leleji

Age: 45 years

Town/Village: Amukpe, Sapele

Designation: Teacher

Item of collection: Odovan

Date of collection: Tuesday July 18th 2006

Form of collection: Note taking

lxxxvii
Name of informant: Pa Thomas Agoreyo

Age: 84

Town/Village: Okpara

Designation:

Item of collection: background information on the origin of odovan /

odovan texts

Date of collection: Sunday, Sept 25 2005

Form of collection: tape recording

Name of informant: Helen Ilelji

Age: 57

Town/Village: Oleri

Designation:

Item of collection: odovan

Date of collection: Saturday, October 1st 2005

Form of collection: note taking

Name of informant: Victoria kpawor

Age: 80

Town/Village: Ujevwu

Designation:

Item of collection: information on odovan origin / odovan texts

lxxxviii
Date of collection: Saturday march 4th 2006

Form of collection: tape recording

Name of informant: traditional burial ceremony

Age:

Town/Village: Abgarha otor

Designation:

Item of collection: odovan

Date of collection: Friday, October 28, 2005

Form of collection: tape recording

Name of informant: in laws greeting

Age:

Town/Village: Ughelli

Item of collection: odovan

Date of collection: Sunday, February, 12th 2006

Form of collection: note taking and tape recording

lxxxix
 WORKS CITED

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Winston, 1981.

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Aweto, Albert Orodena and Jomata Lucky Igben. “Geography Of Urhobo

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Chinweizu, Onwuchekwa Jemie, and Ihechukwu Madubuike. Toward the

Decolonization of African Literature. Enugu: Fourth Dimension
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Chukwuma, Helen. Igbo Oral Literature; Theory And Tradition. Abak; Belpot
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Clark, Priscilla P. “The Comparative Method: Sociology And The Study Of

Literature.” Yearbook of Comparative And General Literature. No.23
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Darah, G.G. “Dramatic Presentation In Udje Dance Presentation of The

Urhobo.” Drama and Theatre In Nigeria: A Critical Source Book. Ed.
Yemi Ogunbiyi. Great Britain: Pitman Press, 1981.

Finnegan, Ruth. Oral Literature In Africa. Oxford: Oxford University

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… Oral Poetry: Its Nature, Significance And Social Context. London:

Cambridge University Press, 1979.

Greenway, John. Literature Among The Primitives. Hatboro Pennsylvania:

Folklore Associates, 1964.
xc
Maduka, Chidi T. “Retrieving the Pearls Of the Past: Towards Sociology Of
the Igbo Novel.” Language and Culture: A Festschrift for Okon Essien.
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Languages, 2004. 187 – 204.

Malinowski, Bronislaw. Myth in Primitive Psychology. New York: Norton

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Nwachukwu-Agbada J.O.J. Aliases Among the Anambra-Igbo: The Proverbial

Dimension Names 39.2 (i991). 81- 94.

Nwosu, Maria C. “Orlu Funeral Songs: A Study Of Imagery and Allusion”.

Thesis. University Of Port Harcourt, 1991.

Okoh, Nkem. Preface To Oral Literature. Port Harcourt: Lamison Publishers,

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… “Oral Literature and National Development: Marrying Theory and Practice.”

Working Papers: Journal of English Studies. 2nd Ed. (2003): 32-65.

… “Name–Coining: A Commenting Technique”. Woman In the Academy: A

Festschrift For Professor Helen Chukwuma. Eds Seiyifa Koroye and
Noel C. Anyadike. Port Harcourt: Pearl Publishers, 2004. 468 – 479.

Okoro, Aghogho A. Tongue Twisters in Urhobo: Form, Function and Uses.

Seminar Paper. University of Port Harcourt, 2004.

Ong, Walter J. Orality and Literacy. London: Methuen and Co.Ltd. 1982.

Onobrakpeya, Bruce. “The Urhobo Worldview”. The Urhobo People. Ed.

Onigu Otite. 2nd Edition, Ibadan: Shaneson Ltd., 2003. 377- 391.

Otite, Onigu. “A Peep Into The History Of The Urhobo”. The Urhobo People.
2nd Edition, Ibadan: Shaneson Ltd., 2003.

xci
Perrine, Laurence. Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. 2nd Ed. New York:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1974.

Udosen, Alice E. “Teaching Literature at the Junior Secondary Schools.”

Kiabara: Journal of Humanities. Ns 9.2 (2003): 197-202.

Ukaegbu, Ngozi. “Social Functions Of Ngwa Igbo Verbal Jokes.” In the

Linguistic Paradise: A Festschrift for Professor E. Nolue Emenanjo. Ed.
Ndimele, Ozo–Mekuri. Aba: National Institute for Nigerian Languages,
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http: www. Waado.org/Urhobo history/addresses lectures

http: www. Urhobo kinsfolk com/conferences

http: www. Waado.org/geography/agriculture

http: www. Waddo.org/biographies.

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