Daniel O. Fagunwa
Encyclopedia
Daniel Olorunfẹmi Fagunwa MBE
(1903 — December 9, 1963), popularly known as D.O. Fagunwa, was a Nigeria
n author
who pioneered the Yoruba language
novel. He was born in Oke-Igbo, Ondo State
. An Oloye of the Yoruba people
, Fagunwa studied at St. Luke's School, Oke-Igbo
and St. Andrew's College, Oyo
before becoming a teacher himself.
In 1938, Fagunwa wrote his Ogboju Ode ninu Igbo Irunmale
, after entering a literary contest of the Nigerian education ministry, the novel was widely considered the first novel written in the Yorùbá language
and one of the first to be written in any Africa
n language; Wole Soyinka
translated the book into English
in 1968 as The Forest of A Thousand Demons. Fagunwa's later works include Igbo Olodumare
(The Forest of God, 1949), Ireke Onibudo (1949), Irinkerindo ninu Igbo Elegbeje (Expedition to the Mount of Thought, 1954), and Adiitu Olodumare (1961).
Fagunwa's novels draw heavily on folktale traditions and idioms, including many supernatural
elements. His heroes are usually Yoruba hunters, who interact with kings, sages, and even gods in their quests. Thematically, his novels also explore the divide between the Christian
beliefs of Africa's colonizers
and the continent's traditional religions. Fagunwa remains the most widely-read Yorùbá-language author, and a major influence on such contemporary writers as Amos Tutuola
.
Fagunwa was awarded the Margaret Wong Prize in 1955 and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
in 1959. He died in a motor accident in 1963.
D. O. Fagunwa was the first Nigerian writer to employ folk philosophy in telling his stories with exceedingly powerful imaginations.
Fagunwa was awarded the Margaret Wong Prize in 1955 and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1959. He died in a motor accident in 1963.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1903 — December 9, 1963), popularly known as D.O. Fagunwa, was a Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who pioneered the Yoruba language
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
novel. He was born in Oke-Igbo, Ondo State
Ondo State
Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital.-Government and society:...
. An Oloye of the Yoruba people
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
, Fagunwa studied at St. Luke's School, Oke-Igbo
Ile Oluji/Okeigbo
Ile Oluji/Okeigbo is a Local Government Area in Ondo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Ile Oluji.It has an area of 698 km² and a population of 172,870 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 351.-References:...
and St. Andrew's College, Oyo
Oyo, Nigeria
Oyo is a city in Oyo State, Nigeria, founded as the capital of the Oyo Kingdom in the 1830s and known to its people as 'New Oyo' to distinguish it from the former capital to the north, 'Old Oyo' ) which had been deserted as a result of rumors of war. Its inhabitants are mostly of the Yoruba people...
before becoming a teacher himself.
In 1938, Fagunwa wrote his Ogboju Ode ninu Igbo Irunmale
Ogboju Ode ninu Igbo Irunmale
Ogboju Ode ninu Igbo Irunmale is a 1938 novel by D.O. Fagunwa. It was the first full-length novel in Yoruba, and was one of the first novels to be written in any African language. It contains the picaresque tales of a Yoruba hunter encountering folklore elements, such as magic, monsters, spirits,...
, after entering a literary contest of the Nigerian education ministry, the novel was widely considered the first novel written in the Yorùbá language
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
and one of the first to be written in any Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n language; Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka
Akinwande Oluwole "Wole" Soyinka is a Nigerian writer, poet and playwright. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, where he was recognised as a man "who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence", and became the first African in Africa and...
translated the book into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 1968 as The Forest of A Thousand Demons. Fagunwa's later works include Igbo Olodumare
Ogboju ode ninu igbo olodumare
Ogboju ode ninu igbo Olodumare is a mystery novel written by D.O. Fagunwa. It was published in 1949 and is his second novel. The name translates to "The Forest of God"....
(The Forest of God, 1949), Ireke Onibudo (1949), Irinkerindo ninu Igbo Elegbeje (Expedition to the Mount of Thought, 1954), and Adiitu Olodumare (1961).
Fagunwa's novels draw heavily on folktale traditions and idioms, including many supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
elements. His heroes are usually Yoruba hunters, who interact with kings, sages, and even gods in their quests. Thematically, his novels also explore the divide between the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
beliefs of Africa's colonizers
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
and the continent's traditional religions. Fagunwa remains the most widely-read Yorùbá-language author, and a major influence on such contemporary writers as Amos Tutuola
Amos Tutuola
Amos Tutuola was a Nigerian writer famous for his books based in part on Yoruba folk-tales.- Early history :Tutuola was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1920, where his parents Charles and Esther were Yoruba Christian cocoa farmers. When about 7 years old, he became a servant for F.O...
.
Fagunwa was awarded the Margaret Wong Prize in 1955 and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1959. He died in a motor accident in 1963.
D. O. Fagunwa was the first Nigerian writer to employ folk philosophy in telling his stories with exceedingly powerful imaginations.
Fagunwa was awarded the Margaret Wong Prize in 1955 and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1959. He died in a motor accident in 1963.