Oriire’s June Roundup
Hello friends,
This month on Oriire, we explored the spaces where folklore, myth, and memory meet the screen, along with the ways African communities have always made sense of life, death, and the universe itself. From the ancestral griots of Senegal to the cosmic egg of the Dogon, these new articles trace the movement of age-old stories into modern media and reflect on how traditions endure, shift, and sometimes clash with contemporary interpretations.
Here’s what’s new on Oriire:
The Griot's Voice in Senegalese Cinema: Djibril Diop Mambéty's Adaptation of Oral Poetics
By Inumidun Seyiolapade
How do you capture the voice of a griot on film? This article explores how Senegalese filmmaker Djibril Diop Mambéty channeled the spirit of oral storytelling into cinema, preserving tradition while transforming it for new audiences.
👉🏾 Read it here
Comparing Madam Koi-Koi's Film Portrayal to Traditional Nigerian School Folklore
By Inumidun Seyiolapade
Netflix gave us a shiny new Madam Koi-Koi in 2023, but is she still the ghost who haunted school dormitories in whispered tales? This piece compares the original folklore to its film adaptation, asking what’s lost and what survives when folklore meets the screen.
👉🏾 Check it out
Cinematic Liberties vs. Mami Wata Lore in C.J Obasi's Film
By Jemima Oluwaseun
C.J Obasi’s Mami Wata wowed global audiences — but how does its vision of the iconic water spirit measure up to traditional beliefs? This article examines where the film stays faithful and where it reimagines the lore.
Praise Poetry Cinematized: Visualizing Oríkì in Yòrùbá Films
By Jemima Oluwaseun
Yoruba-language films aren’t just for entertainment — they’re archives of praise poetry, known as Oríkì. This piece unpacks how cinema has become a new stage for these spoken-word traditions.
👉🏾 Explore here
Unpacking the Igbo Concept of Time
By Nneoma Sally
Before wristwatches and calendars, the Igbo people measured time through natural signs and ancestral wisdom. This article delves into how time was perceived and tracked in traditional Igbo society.
👉🏾 Read it here
The Cosmic Egg in Dogon Creation Myth
By Jemima Oluwaseun
The Dogon people of Mali believed the universe began inside a cosmic egg. This article unpacks the story, exploring how mythology and human observation overlap in one of Africa’s most fascinating origin myths.
👉🏾 Learn more
Yorùbá Ìsìnkú Practices and Taboos
By Inumidun Seyiolapade
In Yorùbá culture, death is a passage — and funeral rites are key to ensuring a smooth journey for the departed. This article explores traditional Ìsìnkú (funeral) practices, rituals, and taboos.
Note to Our Valued Writers: Content Guideline Updates
We’ve made some updates to our content guidelines! Writers submitting to Oriire should take a moment to review the changes on our submission page — especially before submitting for July’s prompts.
👉🏾 View the updated guidelines
Thanks for reading and sharing these stories with us. See you next month!
💛 Sesi from Oriire