This document summarizes Wole Soyinka's play "The Swamp Dwellers" and discusses how it relates to Yoruba mythology. The play is about a poor family awaiting the return of their younger son Igwezu like their elder son Awuchike who disappeared 10 years ago after going to the city. Igwezu is connected to the Yoruba gods Ogun, Sango, and Obatala through his blade, loss of hope, and connection with the blind beggar in the forest who represents Obatala. The play uses these mythological connections to explore themes of loss, fate, and the relationship between humanity and the gods.

1. Mehta Kavita Dineshbhai.
Paper No: 14 the African literature
Semester:4
Roll No: 10
S.B. Gardi Department of English
Maharaja Krishnkumarsihji Bhavnagar
University.

2.  Wole Soyinka was born
on July 13, 1934.
 Nigerian playwright,
poet , essayist.
 He was awarded the
1986 Nobel prize in
literature.
 He was first African to
be honored in that
category.

3.  The play is comparatively short of all the Soyinka‘s
plays. It relates a story of a poor family residing in
Niger delta region. When the play opens we find
Makuri and Alu awaiting for their younger son
Igwezu. They fear that their younger son Igwezu
should not go missing like their elder son
Awuchike, who had gone to the city some ten year
ago. Both the brothers had left the village to seek
their fortune in the city.

5.  Myth is a traditional story, especially one
concerning the early history of a people or
explaining a natural or social phenomenon,
and typically involving supernatural being or
events.

6.  Myth of Yoruba
 Myth of Ogun
 Myth of Sango
 Myth of obatala

8.  Myth of twin brothers.
one died.
 Mother of the twins
considered as earthly
Goddess Eden.
 Alu has also twins
“Igwezu”, “Awuchike”
 Awuchike went to city.
 Ambiguity about his
death.

9.  Ogun, God of iron.
 Always has a blade in his
hand as Igwezu has.
 God with humanity.
 At the end he started to kill
his own people and in
drunken state creating
chaos and lost him
completely.
 Igwezu is the represented
of the God Ogun, as he is
the only Igwezu has blade
in his hand in the play.

10.  Sango was a powerful king
and God of lightning and
thunder.
 He had two axe.
 he dethroned by his
brother
 Igwezu as Sango .
 Losses hope.
 With the Begger Swamp
become connected with
forest, that Sango was
living alone.

11.  God of creation.
 He got a permission of
creation of world from
swamp.
 Begger as Obatala.
 Obatala and Begger both
wearing white cloths.
 And begger is Blind
connected with this .