JOURNALS

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the notion of witchcraft controversy in ancient and modern societies to gauge the range of gender relations and also assess the existence or non-existence of patriarchy repository in the evolution of witchery as a devised leverage against women’s aspirations. This endeavour, thus elicits pertinent questions among which include: how did pre-literate societies especially Yoruba conceptualised witchcraft? In what way does this concept reflect gender relations, especially the level of patriarchy in these societies? How has this concept evolved through the ages into the modern world? How has this concept been denoted in their culture especially in their literature and drama? Interviews and literary works are used to compliment plays such as Ahmed Yerima’s Mojagbe and Wale Ogunyemi’s Kiriji in the analysis of the status of witches and witchcraft. The paper argues that just like the concept of ‘tibitire’ (good and bad; positive and negative) exists in Ifa, the witches and wizards represent both the positive and the negative in the world and the witches with their crafts have proved their mettle in both. It further maintains that Africans have been overzealous in their condemnation of witches just as they do with other aspects of their culture due to Eurocentric acceptance and religious intoxication without interrogating the positive contributions these supernatural women could exert on the sociopolitical realms of development. The paper’s contribution lies in its modest exploration of this controversial topic to pave way for more profound research by scholars in anthropology and other multidisciplinary fields. It thus recommends that witchcraft practice among the Africans, Yoruba in particular should be seen as a phenomenon that has both positive and negative supernatural activities deployed and practiced by the female gender, as a way of asserting their essence and deconstructing patriarchal hegemony in male dominated societies.