Open AccessOf Barrenness and Witchcraft: The Songs of the Legi Women’s Association
Author(s) -
Imomotimi Armstrong
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of ethnology and folkloristics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.12
H-Index - 2
eISSN - 2228-0987
pISSN - 1736-6518
DOI - 10.2478/jef-2021-0004
Subject(s) - solidarity , niger delta , association (psychology) , ancient history , history , medicine , gender studies , demography , psychology , sociology , political science , delta , law , engineering , politics , aerospace engineering , psychotherapist
Witchcraft and barrenness are two critical issues that African women have had to grapple with since precolonial times. Therefore, the focus of attention in this paper is the songs of the Legi voluntary association among the Ịjọ of Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region. The Legi women’s group is made up of adult women who are barren and/or have been tagged witches by their community. The women of the association compose songs about their experiences in society and sing them at burials. For the women of the Legi Association, art is a means of showing support for or solidarity with a member of the group whose father or mother has died. Moreover, the members of the association perform their songs at burials that are unconnected with them to celebrate with those who invite them.