Divining the Self : : A Study in Yoruba Myth and Human Consciousness / / Velma E. Love.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Penn State University Press Complete eBook-Package Pre-2014
• VerfasserIn: Love, Velma E.,
• Place / Publishing House: University Park, PA : : Penn State University Press, , [2021]; ©2012
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Series: Signifying (on) Scriptures ; 1
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (160 p.) :; 3 illustrations

Divining the Self weaves elements of personal narrative, myth, history, and interpretive analysis into a vibrant tapestry that reflects the textured, embodied, and performative nature of scripture and scripturalizing practices. Velma Love examines the Odu-the Yoruba sacred scriptures-along with the accompanying mythology, philosophy, and ritual technologies engaged by African Americans. Drawing from the personal narratives of African American Ifa practitioners along with additional ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Oyotunji African Village, South Carolina, and New York City, Love's work explores the ways in which an ancient worldview survives in modern times. Divining the Self also takes up the challenge of determining what it means for the scholar of religion to study scripture as both text and performance. This work provides an excellent case study of the sociocultural phenomenon of scripturalizing practices.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface and Acknowledgments -- A Note on the Text -- Introduction -- 1 Mythic Origins and Cultural Practices -- 2 Orisha Archetypes, Cultural Memory, and the Odu -- 3 Divining the Self -- 4 Symbols and Signposts for the Journey -- 5 Powers of the Mothers -- 6 Oshun, Yemonja, and Oya -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index