Wole Soyinka’s Death and the Kings Horseman
Prior to the European invasion in Africa, Africans had varied ways of life under their cultural setting. Some communities had formalised types of governments which were being ruled by kings while other communities had no centralised government. They practiced their own religion and had their own economic structures which comprised of skilled artists who could make masks sculptures, statutes of wood, bronze and gold, hunters and gatherers and also farmers. However, during colonisation, the African people’s way of life was subjected to numerous external changes that left traces in how we nowadays think and act. The imposition of western values to the culture of the African people largely characterizes the many pre and post-independence conflicts amongst Africans. In this paper, I will seek to expound on the major differences that occurred between the colonial and post-colonial period as explained by the renowned Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka in his play Death and the Kings Horsemen.
In this play, Soyinka explores the cultural conflicts that occurred between the Yoruba traditions and the western colonialism. One of the major difference that occurs with regard to the impact of the western colonisation is the aspect of rituals and religion. The Yoruban community was very certain that everything that happens in the world is the backdrop or respect and awareness of the gods. They believed in the power of black magic, rainmakers and many rituals that were being carried out to appease the gods and the king. However, after the Europeans came to the Yoruba land, Christianity became the only civilized and acceptable religion. This differences becomes evident when Elesin, the King’s Horseman, has to kill himself the night before the king’s burial so that he may be able to accompany the king into death (Soyinka, 32). This was practice that was being exercised by the Yorubans for ages before the Europeans came. However, due to the adoption of the western notions that were being practised by the Europeans, the African District officer in Oyoo tried to prevent this ritual from taking place. This is one of the examples that shows how Africans were transformed by the issue of colonisation and were slowly being alienated from their culture.
The difference and conflicts between the Yoruba people before and after colonialism can also be explained with regard to the hierarchical relationships between the Yoruban and the colonialists. The general power dynamics that the colonialists exercised on the natives such as with regard to law enforcement, house helps etc. clearly shows the imbalance that existed between the colonialist and the native people of Yoruba. Soyinka further explains the differences that occur in terms of the effects of imposition of western civilisation into the Yoruban way of life through the use of Simon and Jane, the District officer and his wife and also through Olunde, Elesin’s son. Since Jane and Simon had undertaken up western education, they also push for Olunde to also undertake it so as to become a doctor. This move largely strains both Elesin and Olunde whom are perceived to be more connected to their traditions. This created a rift between what the ‘converts’ and the natives believed in. For natives like Elesin, the colonialist’s acts appeared to him as much of an insult that a form of help to enable him to perceive life differently and probably abandon his culture.
Elesin is angered by the fact that the colonialists were determined in sending his son to England to be imparted with western civilisation. In fact, Elesin perceived it to be an insult to him and all the Yoruban cultural traditions for indoctrinating his son Olunde with their western values with the notion of making him abandon his traditions and culture. However, despite spending so many years of study in Europe studying to be a doctor, Olunde still kills himself after his father was arrested by the District Sergeant in the quest of preventing him from performing the ritual of killing himself after the king died since it was the Yoruban tradition for the king’s horseman to kill himself so as to accompany the king in his death journey. This creates a large impact on the efforts of the colonialist since it became evident that there are some natives who had deep rooted beliefs in their culture. The aspect of Olunde killing himself troubled the colonialist since they did not comprehend why western education did not affect or change his way of life. Nonetheless, as Olunde eluded into his life in Europe and how he was generally being treated by the Europeans back there, he was made aware of the great rift of power imbalance between his culture and the western culture (Soyinka, 54).
Another difference that occurs due to colonisation is portrayed when Elesin sees the body of his son, Olunde. Elesin is greatly affected by the act of his son killing himself for the sake of him and Yoruban community, he resorts also resorts to killing himself. Soyinka expresses his feelings by differentiating between the colonial and post-colonial effect through this issue. The move by Elesin to kill himself would have been treated with great respect and honour according to the Yoruban traditions, however, a ceremony that would been a centre of joy for these natives was not ritualised according to their traditions due to the great surveillance and restrictions that the colonisers had planted in the Yoruban community and were being implemented by some of the Yoruba converts such as the District officer and his sergeant. The death of Elesin was turned into a form of a tragedy instead of being celebrated in accordance with the native’s traditions. The issue of change becomes apparent since the western culture had greatly influenced some individuals in the society whom due to their collaboration with the colonisers, had assumed administrative duties in this communities and were therefore being used to prevent further exercise of traditional beliefs.
In addition, Soyinka manages to portray the rift that existed among the people who had been influenced by colonisation and the natives who were holding strong onto their Yoruban culture and traditions through the use of the traits of the District sergeant, Amusa. In this interesting segment, the Amusa goes to the compound of Elesin to confirm that indeed there is no rituals taking place there. On his way, he is confronted by the market ladies who mock him for being a collaborator with the colonisers. In this scene, the differences that are caused by the effect of adoption of western cultures becomes very evident. Amusa tries to speak with a noted accent that he had adopted from the Europeans while the market ladies spoke with their traditional Yoruban accent. Therefore, Soyinka uses this scene to show how the western culture had badly influenced their culture making them assume a totally foreign language and ultimately making them forget their own native language. During this period, numerous forms of conflict occurs when the colonialists devise methods aimed at making members of different clans clash with each so as to interfere with the unity that existed between clans prior to the advent of colonisation.
At the end of this play, Death and the Kings Horsemen¸ Soyinka opts not present other pairs of crossing views as he did all along the play by largely making comparisons of the Yoruba traditions to the western civilisation, instead he chooses to give his audience a taste of uncertainty. His audience does not really know whether the detrimental effects of colonisation on the Yoruban culture and traditions will be repaired, or if the colonisers will ultimately realize the importance of these traditions especial the rituals, to the people of Yoruba (Soyinka, 70). Generally suicide is used as a significant sign of redemptive tactics by the natives, by all standards, Olunde was to be the most enlightened native and was the one to be used by the British colonisers in helping the Yorubans understand the logic and intentions of the colonisers however, he decided to commit suicide instead of running away. According to Soyinka’s explanation in the middle of the play, the Yorubans believed that if a man killed himself for the sake of saving others, he is considered to be a great hero. This explains why both Elesin and his son sought for suicide. Therefore, through the situations that happened to both Elesin, the King’s Horseman, his son and the district commissioner among other collaborators, clearly defines Soyinka’s intention in portraying the major differences that occurred between the colonial and post-colonial periods and their relative effect to the Yoruban way of life.
References
Soyinka, Wole. Death and the King's Horseman. New York: W.W. Norton, 2002. Print.
