Oriire’s January Roundup

Diaspora ties, mythological mysteries and more

Hello!

We hope 2023 has been good to you so far. It’s hard to believe we’re already one month in.

It’s the end of the month and as promised we’re here with our monthly roundup. Here’s what you missed:

Have you ever wondered how currencies evolved in West Africa? Trade by barter was the primary exchange format, then Cowrie shells and beads were once the standard currency. These days, we use paper money backed by banks. Stephen Olubayo takes us on a reflective journey with his article on the Evolution of Currencies in West Africa.

Speaking of West Africa, have you ever visited the Ivory Coast? I’m told (reliably) that Abidjan is one of the most beautiful cities in Africa and that the cuisine is impeccable. Discover Ivorian cuisines by reading this descriptive article on Ivorian food. It’s titled ‘Noël Abidjaniaise: Exploring the Ivorian Festive Cuisine’

While we’re on the topic of food, I want to recommend an article by Imisioluwa Ogunsunlade where he explores diaspora ties between Nigeria and Brazil through the lens of food: Àkàrà-Acaraje: Unravelling Nigerian-Brazilian Culinary Ties.

Akara is a popular Nigerian snack made with blended and fried beans. Well…. it’s debatable if it’s a snack or a meal. I guess it depends on what you eat it with.

You can listen to an episode of the Oriire podcast where we talk about the numerous ways the Yorubas eat beans.

Now let’s discuss mythology

“A man cannot live without myths” – Paulin Houndtonji.

Have you ever wondered if mermaids are real? Many cultures have different names for them and many people who claim to have seen them. This isn’t limited to African cultures as well. We hear stories of mermaids from Europe, Asia, North America and even Antarctica!

I recently came across a documentary by 37th State that talks about Mami Wata (The Nigerian term for mermaids) and I found it extremely fascinating. Give it a watch.

Often, I find myself contemplating the relationships Africans have with mythology. If you’re like me, you’ll enjoy reading Ifeoluwa Egbetade’s in-depth article on the topic. It’s titled A Journey into African Myths: Our Thought Systems and Relevance to Science.

We also explored common threads connecting the mythology of different African cultures when we discussed The story of Kintu on the Oriire podcast.

As always, Oriire is eager for your contributions. We would love to have you as a guest on the podcast or to publish your content related to African mythology, history or food. It’s very easy to submit content, just visit our submissions page. If you’d like to be on the podcast, simply contact us on info@oriire.com

I’ll leave you with a few lines from Imole Olusanya’s beautiful poem titled ‘Our Land’.

Sages and fools fly to and fro,

the swift arms of time swing on.

Ours is a land of no mean mind

with a reasonable tale for our ears.

It’s a wrap!

See you in February.

With 💛,

Sesi from Oriire