The document summarizes Wole Soyinka's play "A Dance of the Forest" and the myths featured within it. The play is set during a festival meant to reconcile ethnic groups in a fictional African country. It explores themes of identity and colonialism through characters and rituals drawing from Yoruba mythology. Specifically, the forest spirit represents primal wisdom connected to nature, while ancestral traditions and symbols rooted in Yoruba culture are prominently featured. The document provides context on Soyinka and analyzes how myths from Yoruba creation stories and other folklore are woven into the rich symbolic world of the play.

1. S. B. Gardi, Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar
University
Myth in Wole Soyinka’s “A Dance of the Forest”

2. Present by: Divya Parmar
Email: divyaparmar07012@gmail.com
Roll no: 5
Sem: 4
Paper no: 206 The African Literature
Topic : Myth in Wole Soyinka’s “A Dance of the Forest”

3. Table of content
● Introduction
● About the work
● About the author
● What is Myth
● Myths in “A Dance of the Forest”
● Conclusion
● Citation

4. Introduction :
Wole Soyinka's play "A Dance of the Forests" is a complex exploration of myth,
tradition, and the struggle for power in the aftermath of colonialism. The play is set
in a fictional African country where different ethnic groups are summoned to
participate in a festival of renewal and reconciliation, which is meant to restore
harmony and unity after a long period of conflict and domination. However, the
festival becomes a site of contestation and subversion, as the participants bring
their own myths, rituals, and aspirations to the stage, and clash with each other in a
fierce battle of narratives and identities.
So this presentation is about the the myths which presented in the A Dance of the
Forest.

5. A Dance of the Forest
"A Dance of the Forests" is a play by the Nigerian playwright and Nobel laureate, Wole
Soyinka. It was first performed in 1960, on the eve of Nigeria's independence from
British colonial rule, and has since become a seminal work in the canon of African
postcolonial drama. The play is a complex and multi-layered exploration of identity,
history, politics, and culture, that draws on a range of African and Western theatrical
traditions and incorporates elements of dance, music, and ritual.
The play is set in a fictional African country, where different ethnic groups are
summoned by a wise old man to participate in a festival of renewal and reconciliation,
which is meant to heal the wounds of the past and forge a new collective identity.
However, the festival becomes a site of contestation and conflict, as the different
groups bring their own traditions, myths, and agendas to the stage, and clash with
each other in a fierce battle for power and recognition.

6. The play is structured as a series of interlocking episodes, each of which
features a different group or character, and explores a different theme or
issue. The characters include the cunning Trickster, the belligerent Soldier,
the passionate Lover, the wise Elder, and the mysterious Forest Spirit,
among others. Through their interactions and confrontations, the play
exposes the deep-rooted tensions and contradictions of postcolonial Africa,
and offers a powerful critique of imperialism, nationalism, and
authoritarianism.
In short, "A Dance of the Forests" is a rich and challenging work that
combines the poetic and the political, the mythic and the modern, and invites
us to reflect on the complex legacies of colonialism and the enduring
struggles for freedom, justice, and identity in Africa and beyond.

7. Wole Soyinka:
Wole Soyinka was born on 13 July
1934 at Abeokuta, near Ibadan in
western Nigeria. After preparatory
university studies in 1954 at
Government College in Ibadan, he
continued at the University of
Leeds, where, later, in 1973, he
took his doctorate.

8. During the six years spent in England, he was a dramaturgist at the Royal Court
Theatre in London 1958-1959. In 1960, he was awarded a Rockefeller bursary
and returned to Nigeria to study African drama. At the same time, he taught
drama and literature at various universities in Ibadan, Lagos, and Ife, where,
since 1975, he has been professor of comparative literature. In 1960, he
founded the theatre group, “The 1960 Masks” and in 1964, the “Orisun Theatre
Company”, in which he has produced his own plays and taken part as actor. He
has periodically been visiting professor at the universities of Cambridge,
Sheffield, and Yale.
During the civil war in Nigeria, Soyinka appealed in an article for cease-fire. For
this he was arrested in 1967, accused of conspiring with the Biafra rebels, and
was held as a political prisoner for 22 months until 1969. Soyinka has published
about 20 works: drama, novels and poetry. He writes in English and his literary
language is marked by great scope and richness of words.

9. Famous works of him:
● The Interpreters (1965)
● Season of Anomy (1973)
● The Man Died: Prison Notes (1972)
● A Shuttle in the Crypt (1972)
● Ogun Abibiman (1976)

10. What is the Myth ?
According to Cambridge Dictionary: Myth means ‘an ancient story or
set of stories, especially explaining the early history of a group of people
or about natural events and facts’
Merriam webster defines Myth as ” a usually traditional story of
ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of
a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon”
According to collins Dictionary “A myth is a well-known story which was
made up in the past to explain natural events or to justify religious
beliefs or social customs.”

11. According to Britannica myth, a symbolic narrative, usually of
unknown origin and at least partly traditional, that ostensibly
relates actual events and that is especially associated with
religious belief. It is distinguished from symbolic behaviour (cult,
ritual) and symbolic places or objects (temples, icons). Myths are
specific accounts of gods or superhuman beings involved in
extraordinary events or circumstances in a time that is unspecified
but which is understood as existing apart from ordinary human
experience. The term mythology denotes both the study of myth
and the body of myths belonging to a particular religious tradition.

12. Myth in A Dance of the Forest :
In "The Dance of the Forests," Wole Soyinka uses elements of traditional African
mythology and folklore to create a richly symbolic and allegorical play.
The play draws on a range of African myths and stories, including the Yoruba myth
of creation, the story of the trickster figure Eshu, and the story of the legendary king
Oduduwa. These myths are woven together to create a complex tapestry of
symbolism and meaning.
For example, the forest in the play represents a space of freedom and possibility, in
contrast to the oppressive and corrupt world outside. The spirits who inhabit the
forest represent a kind of primal power and wisdom that is connected to the land
and the natural world. By contrast, the mortals who enter the forest are portrayed as
ignorant and corrupt, driven by greed and a desire for power.

13. What is Yoruba myth?
(from gateway of africa)
The Yoruba tribe of West Africa has a myth about how they where created: In the
beginning, there was only the sky above, water and marshland below. The chief
god Olorun ruled the sky, and the goddess Olokun ruled what was below.
Obatala, another god, reflected upon this situation, then went to Olorun for
permission to create dry land for all kinds of living creatures to inhabit. He was
given permission, so he sought advice from Orunmila, oldest son of Olorun and
the god of prophecy. He was told he would need a gold chain long enough to
reach below, a snail's shell filled with sand, a white hen, a black cat, and a palm
nut, all of which he was to carry in a bag. All the gods contributed what gold they
had, and Orunmila supplied the articles for the bag. When all was ready, Obatala
hung the chain from a corner of the sky, placed the bag over his shoulder, and
started the downward climb. When he reached the end of the chain he saw he
still had some distance to go.

14. From above, he heard Orunmila instruct him to pour the sand from the snail's
shell, and also immediately release the white hen. He did as he was told,
whereupon the hen landing on the sand began scratching and scattering it
about. Wherever the sand landed it formed dry land, the bigger piles becoming
hills and the smaller piles valleys. Obatala jumped to a hill and named the place
Ife.The dry land now extended as far as he could see. He dug a hole, planted
the palm nut, and saw it grow to maturity in a flash. The mature palm tree
dropped more palm nuts on the ground, each of which grew immediately to
maturity and repeated the process. Obatala settled down with the cat for
company. Many months passed, and he grew bored with his routine. He decided
to create beings like himself to keep him company. He dug into the sand and
soon found clay with which to mould figures like himself and started on his task,
but he soon grew tired and decided to take a break. He made wine from a
nearby palm tree, and drank bowl after bowl. Not realizing he was drunk,
Obatala returned to his task of fashioning the new beings; because of his
condition he fashioned many imperfect figures.

15. Without realizing this, he called out to Olorun to breathe life into his creatures. The
next day he realized what he had done, and swore never to drink again, and to take
care of those who were deformed, thus becoming Protector of the Deformed. The
new people built huts as Obatala had done, and soon Ife prospered and became a
city. All the other gods were happy with what Obatala had done, and visited the land
often, except for Olokun, the ruler of all below the sky. She had not been consulted
by Obatala, and grew angry that he had usurped so much of her kingdom. When
Obatala returned to his home in the sky for a visit, Olokun summoned the great
waves of her vast oceans and sent them surging across the land Wave after wave
she unleashed, until much of the land was underwater and many of the people were
drowned.Those that had fled to the highest land beseeched the god Eshu who had
been visiting, to return to the sky and report what was happening to them. Eshu
demanded sacrifice be made to Obatala and himself before he would deliver the
message.The people sacrificed some goats, and Eshu returned to the sky. When
Orunmila heard the news he climbed down the golden chain to the earth, and cast
many spells which caused the flood waters to retreat and the dry African land
reappear. So ended the great flood.

16. Yoruba Myth in Dance of the Forest :
According to Simran and DR. Ramandeep, Soyinka's main source of
inspiration is Yoruba cultural tradition, that he mixes with other African
practises and beliefs. Yoruba mythological figures, stories, rituals, and
festivals play an important role in Soyinka's plays. The theatrical
philosophy of Wole Soyinka is founded on Ogun mythology. In Yoruba
ritual or the "Mysteries of Ogun," he described the origins of Yoruba
tragedy.
The Forest Spirit: The Forest Spirit is a central mythic figure in the play,
and is portrayed as a powerful and mysterious entity that embodies the
forces of nature and the spiritual realm. The Forest Spirit is often
associated with the Yoruba deity Osun, who is also associated with the
forest and rivers.

17. The Ancestors: Ancestral traditions and beliefs are an important part of
Yoruba culture, and they play a significant role in the play. The characters
often invoke the spirits of their ancestors for guidance and protection, and
perform rituals that are meant to honor and connect with their ancestors.
Language and symbolism: The play is written in a style that incorporates
Yoruba language and symbolism, which gives it a distinctive flavor and
adds to its cultural richness. The characters often speak in proverbs and
metaphors that are rooted in Yoruba tradition, and the use of masks and
other symbols in the play draws on Yoruba artistic and ritual traditions.
Conclusion : thus to conclude the presentation some points are proved as
use of myths in “A Dance of the Forest by Wole Soyinka. Which is deeply
connected with the african mythology.

18. Citation:
“Myth definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary.” Collins Dictionary,
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/myth. Accessed 9 March 2023.
“Myth | Definition, History, Examples, & Facts | Britannica.” Encyclopedia Britannica,
https://www.britannica.com/topic/myth. Accessed 9 March 2023.
“Myth Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, 7 March 2023, https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/myth. Accessed 9 March 2023.
“MYTH | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary.” Cambridge Dictionary,
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/myth. Accessed 9 March 2023.
Simran, and DR. Ramandeep Mahal. “A Study of Yoruba Culture in Wole Soyinka's A
Dance of the Forest.” IJNRD, 4 April 2022,
https://www.ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRD2204052.pdf. Accessed 9 March 2023.

19. Soyinka, Wole. A Dance of the Forests. Oxford University Press, 1971.
“Wole Soyinka – Biographical - NobelPrize.org.” Nobel Prize,
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1986/soyinka/biographical/. Accessed 9 March
2023.
“Yoruba Creation Myth | African Stories and Myths.” Gateway Africa, https://www.gateway-
africa.com/stories/Yoruba_Creation_Myth.html. Accessed 9 March 2023.