Contents And Features Of Yoruba Incantatory Poetry

Abstract

The use of incantations to achieve particular results is not peculiar to creed, climate or colour. It is a universal Phenomenon. Since the exponents and practitioners of incantations are often held in contempt. Scholars tend to shy away from investigating it, though it is a rich genre of Yoruba Oral literature. That its exponents are dying out without adequate replacement makes the challenge to investigate, collect and document this genre an urgent
one. This study is one of the pioneer efforts, sets out to examine specimen incantations to highlight the folkthough that underlies the composition of incantations and the validity of the premises on which the constituent
lexical items are based. This is in addition to attempts at defining it and establishing its universality. A literary study of this neglected genre has revealed that most incantations are constructed on the results of observations, experiments and logical reasoning.