MYTHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ỌJAADỊLỊ AND AKỤ FECHAA

Myth is a sub-genre of Igbo oral literature. Myths are traditional stories of sacred nature which embody mysteries like death, creation, gods, etc. Igbo cultural values, symbols, norms and beliefs are embodied in Igbo myths. As a means of preserving this oral tradition of the Igbo, some pioneer creative writers of Igbo extraction employed it in their creative works. But presently, it has been observed that these traditional stories are fast declining and on the verge of extinction as a result of apathetic attitude of the Igbo towards their language, literature and culture. Many Igbo people prefer to read and study literary works in foreign languages to those written in Igbo. Consequently, some of the Igbo cultural values presented in these works are not exploited by some readers. Therefore, this paper examines the Igbo myths in selected Igbo plays- Ọjaadịlị and Akụ Fechaa. To get about this, the study adopted mythological literary theory in analyzing the selected works. Related literature is extensively reviewed. From the analyses, it is observed that Igbo myths are represented in the works. While Ọjaadịlị presents the myth of creation and myth of hero, Akụ Fechaa presents myth of the gods. It is hoped that the study will help to reveal some Igbo cultural values embodied in the myths employed in the selected works