Author(s)

P. S. O. Aremu, N. Umoru-Oke , E. Tolulope Ijisakin & B. Banjo

Abstract

The religion of the traditionalists in this area of the country gave birth to the art of shrine painting. They make use of concrete elements such as images, colours, patterns and symbols in the religious beautification of the shrines meant to house the spirits, deities and the ancestors. Custodians and knowledgeable people as well as the adherents of various traditional religions were interviewed to compare their submissions regarding paintings used to meet the feelings of confidence and assurance of the deities. The shrine paintings in Yoruba speaking areas conform to certain universal pattern elements in the act of honouring, soothing and cooling the gods and likewise influence their decisions to favour man in his incessant struggle on earth. It is worthy of note to add that both the painters and their clients (worshippers) have to spiritually contribute to the iconographic and aesthetic features of the painting. These eventually reflect in worship value, which draws the worshippers closer to their deities that are deemed to have their comfort in the decorated shrines. For this reason, there is an urgent need to document this aspect of Yoruba conceptual association with the universe. Lastly, the goal of this paper is to highlight and to bring to the fore the salient, cultural values embedded in Yoruba shrine painting. In a like vein, this paper intends to serve an aspect of the most radiant cultural atmosphere in human religious history, thereby proclaiming it as a veritable source for tourism in the study areas. Keywords: shrine, painting, cultural, worshippers, religion, deities, iconography.

Keywords

shrine, painting, cultural, worshippers, religion, deities, iconography.