The Images of Women in Yoruba Folktales
OLARINMOYE, Adeyinka Wulemat

Abstract
Because much of the anthropological literature appears to tell us that men are everywhere superior and dominant and women everywhere play subordinate roles, we must then ask what the evidences are and what it means. Therefore one tradition of folklore has been chosen for the purpose of this research in order to see if there is any evidence within it which adequately illustrates the inferiority or superiority of the Yoruba woman. Thus this work examines the images of woman in Yoruba culture as observed in their folktales. The ethnographic collection and expository of published Yoruba folktales form the data and basis for explaining certain salient issues concerning women. The interpretation of the symbolic undertone of these folktales provides a basis for understanding the limited types of female power that contradict the inferior status accorded to Yoruba women in most literatures.

Full Text: PDF