"The Lost Art of Name Giving: Celebrating Wole Soyinka at 90 and Yoruba Wisdom at the Africa Centre"
Attending the "Wole Soyinka at 90" celebration at the Africa Centre was an enriching experience that beautifully showcased the enduring legacy of this remarkable institution. For over 50 years, the Africa Centre has stood as a pillar of African pride, intellect, and community, creating an atmosphere that feels almost familial. This is further enriched by its world-class restaurant, which offers a diverse range of superb dishes representing the continent
During a meeting with Olu Alake, the CEO of the Africa Centre…
we explored how Melanated Minds can support the Centre in establishing a wider digital footprint. Our goal is to connect a younger, larger audience with the wise, educational, and revolutionary spirit of the Africa Centre. The first event following our meeting was Wole Soyinka's visit and the screening of his recently completed feature film "The Man Died." This film reflects on his time in solitary confinement in Lagos after his failed attempt to convince the coup leaders of the federal state of Lagos to cease fire against Biafra.
Our main aim was to capture the wisdom and essence of the day through meaningful interviews, serving as a reminder that the cultural wisdom of our elders remains relevant. Through naturally evolving conversations, we collected three elders' favorite Yoruba proverbs before the film screening at the London School of Economics
Among these proverbs, two stood out
One about success and wealth requiring hard work, and another emphasizing that God created us with different talents, so we should come together like a puzzle to form a bigger picture. However, one proverb particularly resonated with us, highlighting a lost art: "Idile lanwo ki a to so omo ni oruko" - The Yoruba people believe that people live out the meanings of their names. They put considerable effort into naming a baby, considering the tradition and history of a child's relatives. This philosophy is conveyed in the adage, "Ilé ni àń wò, kí á tó somo l'órúko," meaning "one pays attention to the family before naming a child."
In Yoruba culture, some families have long-standing traditions of naming their children
For example, a family of hunters might name their baby Ògúnbùnmi, meaning "Ògún (god of iron) gifted me this," showing their respect to the divinity. Similarly, a family venerating Ifá might name their child Fálolá, meaning "Ifá (divine oracle) has honor."
Since it is generally believed that names are like spirits that live out their meanings, parents conduct a thorough search before naming their babies. Naming ceremonies are performed with meticulous care, often by the oldest family member. These ceremonies symbolize the hopes, expectations, and prayers of the parents for the new baby.
Source: A Forestanding Culture in Africa: A Deep Insight of Yoruba Naming Traditional Rite
Purposeful and intentional name-giving is a deeply ingrained aspect of Yoruba culture
Emphasizing the spiritual significance of a child's name and its role in carrying both the legacy and future of the family. This practice, however, seems to be a lost art that hasn't fully transitioned from African culture to Black culture. Nowadays, names are often chosen to sound good on a resume or to be uniquely creative, which, while quirky, might overlook the profound tradition behind naming.
I would like to end this article by inspiring a thought. When you reflect on your family history and gather a few generational gems and strengths your bloodline boasts of, those parts that make you proud and that you certainly want future generations to carry on, what would be the name of that child?
