LEGENDARY WOMEN IN ILAJE FOLKLORE OF ONDO STATE, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Gender space is an integral and interesting aspect of folkloric literature and cultural studies. While some cultures enshrine and entrench gender parity, some thrive on the sheer glorification of gender chauvinism or repressive gender politics. Gender equilibrium has been a kernel of many research studies across multidisciplinary dimensions, but the portrayal of women in Ilaje folklore has not been thoroughly engaged. This study undertook a thorough examination of the above research gap with a view to unearthing the portrayal of women or feminine selfhood in Ilaje-morphic folklore. The study employed primary sources such as oral interviews, direct participation, or first-hand knowledge of Ilaje folklore and secondary sources such as textbooks and electronic materials for data collection. The data were transcribed and critically scrutinised through the theoretical lens of the Womanist brand of feminism. The theory was considered suitable largely because of its focus on attributes and the essence of womanhood in Ilaje-centric folklore from an Afrocentric perspective. The study found that although Ilaje society is characteristically phallus-centric and patriarchal in nature, the essence of womanhood and motherhood is enshrined in Ilaje folklore as indispensable partners in historical progress. Besides the primordial and negative stereotypes that conceived "the mothers" only as witches and principalities, women asserted their heroic "self" and patriotic roles towards the rescue of males through feminine energy, which earned them places of historic pride. The study also showcased women who demonstrated courage, creativity, and dexterity in their skills or universal human endeavors, either to edify or challenge patriarchy to become the heroines of their kinsfolk. The study concluded that women in Ilaje folklore are typical of ancient and modern women who demonstrated that women can succeed alongside their male counterparts against all odds if patriarchy enables them. The study recommended the immersion of GenZ girl-children in the study of Ilaje folklore in order for them to draw inspiration from the folkloric heroines.