Patriarchal orientations and womanist protests in pre-colonial Urhobo women’s songs

Résumé

The subject of conflict between men and women constitutes much of cultural productions. Existing studies on gender experiences in African literature have paid attention to written literature, with scant evaluation of oral arts. Pre-colonial Urhobo women deployed songs to interrogate the vexatious issue of male chauvinism and to express its oppressive outcomes in songs known as ile ekan (satirical songs). In this study, we examine Urhobo women’s protest against patriarchal orientations in pre-colonial songs, showing how the women’s protest songs reflect experiences of relationships between men and women. We purposively selected five songs that explore this theme and recorded, transcribed, translated, and subjected them to qualitative, textual analysis. The songs are: “Okoro”, “Ohwọghwia” (Adulterous man), “Orharhe Oshare” (Useless man), “Emuojẹ” (Abomination), and “Uvi Aje” (A precious wife). The selected songs are mainly performed during traditional festivals, burials, and marriage ceremonies. We deploy womanism, an African-oriented gender theory that emphasises accommodationist relationships between genders. Our analysis reveals that pre-colonial Urhobo women expressed their dissatisfaction with men’s patriarchal and self-serving interests. Contrary to the popular view that African women were comfortable with patriarchal manifestations, we argue that, right from pre-colonial times, some Urhobo women composed songs to express their disenchantment over some of the experiences of patriarchy, including the practice of polygamy and the act of adultery. This further underlines the fact that human existence is sparked by emotions, and spousal jealousy is not limited to any cultural or historical space.

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