INTRODUCTION
Aristotle;
in the opening sentence of his Metaphysics observed that “all men by nature
desire to know”. This indication “To Know” is the driving force behind some
fundamental and difficult questions human beings ask: who and what am I, where
did I come from, why am I here, how should I live, what is the right thing to
do, what is the universe, how did it all began? In attempt to answer these
questions, man employs different means; one of which is Myth. Myth however, is
a story that strives to answer questions
about reality as a whole and its Ultimate origin and support. Thus, this paper
aims at answering some fundamental questions by narrating a myth on the origin
of the world and a myth of first knowledge or discovery and discussing their respective
philosophical relevancies.
YORUBA MYTH
ON THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD
In the
beginning 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-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 that he
still had some distance to go. From above he heard Orunmila instruct him to
pour the sand from the snail's shell, and to 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 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
matured 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 mold 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 copiously. Not realizing he was
drunk, Obatala returned to his task of fashioning the new beings; because of
his condition he fashioned many imperfect figures. 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.
THE
PHILOSOPHICAL RELEVANCE OF THE ABOVE MYTH
In the
above myth, the idea of Olorun-the chief god and other gods and goddess seems
to affirm the African notion of the Ultimate origin and support of all reality
and the idea of Ancestors as well. Also, the indication of Orumila, from above
instructing Obatala on what to do with the items can be likened with the
African’s idea that Ancestors are more or less concrete imperishable models who
serve as guide to the people. On another note, the above myth tries to
emphasize on Virtue Ethics by narrating the effects of too much alcohol which
can be said to be a vice; Gluttony. However, in attempt to avoid this vice,
Aristotle opines “The Doctrine of the Golden Mean” which is expressed in the
dictum“virtue lies in the middle”. This by implication holds that we should try
to avoid extreme modes in our actions. In the same idea, by asserting the
effects of excessive alcohol, this myth is more or less an eye opener for the
people to develop critical minds towards the emphasis on the life of pleasure
by the Hedonists and Cyrenaic.
In
another vein, this myth calls attention to the necessity of living with people.
It affirms African community living, I-We existence or collective existence. It
ascertains the importance of communalism; “I exist because I co-exist”. This
idea of communalism stands in opposition to the life pattern of the Cynics, who
live ascetic life.
MYTH ON THE
FIRST DISCOVERY OF FIRE
In
this story a hunter noticed a light in the woods which he has never seen
before. He goes to discover what it is and finds a fire which spoke to him that
he may stay but the hunter must feed it limbs and branches from trees nearby.
After feeding the fire the man is helped to catch a hare and then fire told him
how to roast his dinner. The man was impressed and vowed never to eat raw meat
again. He also decided that he wants to take the fire home with him. The fire
refused and told the hunter that it cannot travel, that it must stay there. When
the hunter returned home, he told his wife what happened. She asked him for
more of the meat and so the hunter made frequent trips back to the fire. Later
on, the wife told another man about the fire and he went to watch the hunter
and sees how he feeds the fire. The man grabbed a burning branch that is on
fire and determined to take it with him. As he runs, the fire scorched his hand
and he dropped the branch. There ensued a large fire that destroyed great part
of the village. The people escaped across the river. When they returned they
discovered some roasted meats, and that their clay pots have hardened from
being in the fire. The hunter after hearing what happened went back to the
original fire. The Fire told him that fire can be useful if used properly and
that it will help people by cooking their foods, hardening their pots and meltingtheir
irons so as to make weapons.
PHILOSOPHICAL
RELEVANCE OF THE ABOVE MYTH
Thomas
Aquinas is credited with introducing the principle of double effects in his
discussion of the permissibility of self-defense in the Summa Theologica. In
the same idea, this myth also tries to underlie the double effects of fire, in
that it can be creative and destructive. Though, fire may seem destructive but
on the other hand it is useful to man. Based on the idea of Utilitarianism- a
philosophical school of thought; the goodness of a thing depends on its
utility. On this note, the usefulness of fire can be said to be greater than
its destructive aspect.
EVALUATION
AND CONCLUSION
Myth
is a story of our search through the ages for truth, meaning and significance.
Myth has significance to a culture and it represents cultural heritage. It
serves as a source through which laws and customs are handed down from
generation to another.It strives to answer metaphysical questions, explain
natural forces and cultural beliefs. In a nutshell, through myths the community
teaches the people how to be an ancestor. In other words, myths aidindividuals
to attain full self-actualization.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ABANUKA, B., Myth
and the African universe. Enugu: Snaap Press, 1999.
HORNBY,
A. S. & Co., Oxford Advance leaner’s Dictionary; 7th
Edition. Oxford:
Oxford
University Press, 2006.
RAY, C. B., African
Religion. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. 1976.
UGWU, C. O. T., Man and
his Religion in contemporary society.Nsukka: Chuka
Educational Publishers, 2000.
