Kehinde Fajobi
Nobel laureate and playwright Professor Wole Soyinka has shared why he prefers traditional Orisa worship to Christianity and Islam.
In an interview with CNN’s Larry Madowo, Soyinka said that Orisa, a traditional African religion, resonated with him far more than the two major faiths.
“I was fortunate to be born in two worlds – the Christian world and traditional Orisa worshippers. My grandfather, until he – poor man – also got converted – he was an Orisa person and a chief, and his (grandfather’s) side (of Orisa) fascinated me a lot more,” he explained.
Soyinka highlighted the creative and mysterious nature of Orisa worship, saying it stood out compared to Christianity and Islam.
“For me, it (Orisa worshiping) was more artistic, creative, and also more mysterious. I don’t find much of the mysterious in Christianity and even less in Islam and that is for a simple reason that I didn’t grow up in a Muslim environment,” he said.
He also emphasised Orisa’s peaceful nature.
“Orisa is open, and very ecumenical and that is why these foreign religions were able to penetrate it and even distort the truth. Because of the generosity of this spirit (Orisa), it is not violent. It is one of those African religions which eschew violence,” Soyinka added.
When asked about his belief in God, Soyinka clarified, “I don’t believe in the Islamic or Christian God and for the adherents of these religions if that makes me an atheist, so I say, I am an atheist. I insisted that all human beings have a certain spiritual core in their being, I believe myself to be a more spirit-sensitive person.”
The celebrated writer also shared his discomfort with works adapted from his life, saying, “Turning anything in my life into what other people can watch pains me. It makes me extremely uncomfortable… It takes me a while to bring myself to watch me.”