Title: Gods and Heroes: Itan—Legends of the Golden Age Book One
Author: Oladele Olusanya
Publisher: Xlibris
ISBN: 978-1984542656
Pages: 504
Genre: Mythology/Fantasy/African/Historical-Fiction
Reviewed by: Susan Milam
Pacific Book Review
Gods and Heroes retells the mythology of Yorubaland, a country that was located between Egypt and Sudan before its people migrated to lands now found in present day Nigeria. Author Dr. Oladele Olusanya reimagines tales passed down through the African storyteller (griot) tradition, and he refers to his book as a historical novel. Over time, he hopes that the myths of the Yoruba people will find their places alongside the legends of Homer’s Iliad and Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur.
Olusanya’s epic saga opens with an explanation of the gifts given to the Old Woman, who for years is the central Yoruban griot. A short history of the origins of Yoruba follows, and the saga hits its stride with the tale of Moremi. After settling in Ile-Ife, the Yoruban people come under attack from the forest people (the igbo). During this time, Moremi becomes the second wife of a lesser tribal chief. Over the course of a dozen years, Moremi is devastated by the loss of several children during their infancies.
Learning that the deceased children are spirit babies (abiku), Moremi visits the goddess Osirimi. She follows the dictates given to her by the goddess and is rewarded with a healthy baby boy. Later, Moremi returns to the goddess in search of a way to defeat the forest people. Again, she follows the goddess’s instructions and the Yoruba overcome the forest people. However, the victory comes at a terrible personal cost to Moremi.
Oladele Olusanya skillfully navigates the path between a fully modern telling of the Yoruba myths and a narrative that faithfully follows the traditional voice of the griot. While maintaining the mythic tone of the narrative, the author’s reimagining of the stories and characters creates a relatable storyline. The tale of the nation’s struggles is rendered in a style that feels authentic to its source while still being updated for a modern audience. Dr. Olusanya is adept as well at portraying strong female characters who make significant contributions to their country. In addition, he paints a vivid, sharp portrait of the “the great golden age of the Yorubas.” Dr. Olusanya’s writing is enhanced by Dipo Alao’s illustrations and David Obatola’s and Ernest Izedonmwen’s translations of Yoruba and Bini poems.
Gods and Heroes may be the first step toward adding the mythology of Yoruba to the list of epics that has shaped the world of legends. It will take many years before it will be known if this bold ambition may be achieved. However, in the meantime, the book can be enjoyed for its value as an entertaining saga that delivers on its own merits. There can be no doubt that Dr. Olusanya has accomplished his goal of bringing to life the many stories and characters found in the Yoruban oral history. In so doing, he has given readers a perspective that many will not have considered previously.
