<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>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.</p>
</abstract>

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.

Of Barrenness and Witchcraft: The Songs of the Legi Women’s Association

Department of English and Literary Studies, Faculty of Arts

Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Of Barrenness and Witchcraft: The Songs of the Legi Women\u2019s Association"}

Witchcraft and barrenness are two critical issues that African women have had to grapple with since precolonial times. Therefore, the focus of attention in...

Of Barrenness and Witchcraft: The Songs of the Legi Women’s Association

Published Online: Jun 12, 2021

Page range: 50 - 64

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jef-2021-0004

Keywords
barrenness, witchcraft, Legi Association, Ịjọland, suffering, voluntary associations

© 2021 Imomotimi Armstrong, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Of Barrenness and Witchcraft: The Songs of the Legi Women’s Association

Published Online: Jun 12, 2021

Page range: 50 - 64

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jef-2021-0004

Keywordsbarrenness, witchcraft, Legi Association, Ịjọland, suffering, voluntary associations

© 2021 Imomotimi Armstrong, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
barrenness, witchcraft, Legi Association, Ịjọland, suffering, voluntary associations