Yorùbá Literary Queens: The Cultural Legacy of R.O. Johnston
Published on March 8, 2025 | 8 min read
Uncovering Hidden Literary Treasures in Yorùbá Literature
While conducting research for my PhD in Comparative Literature and Intercultural Studies focusing on women’s voices in Yorùbá literature, I was astonished to discover R.O. Johnston’s “Ìyábọ̀” Parts 1 & 2 (1979, 1985). How had such culturally rich texts remained hidden for so long? Why had I never encountered them before?
Today, on International Women’s Day, I’m launching a new series called Yorùbá Literary Queens to spotlight forgotten women writers who have shaped our Yorùbá literary heritage but remain largely uncelebrated. Johnston’s “Ìyábọ̀” is the earliest work by a Yorùbá woman writer I’ve discovered so far, making it the perfect inaugural feature for this series. These texts represent voices that have been systematically excluded from our literary canon and academic discourse.
A Cultural Time Capsule of Yorùbá Life
What makes “Ìyábọ̀” so extraordinary is its comprehensive documentation of Yorùbá cultural practices, many of which are now fading from everyday life. Johnston created not just a novel but a meticulous cultural archive that preserves:
Rich Cultural Documentation
Throughout the text, Johnston captures detailed descriptions of:
- Traditional childhood games that children no longer play
- Elaborate funeral rites with specific protocols and traditions
- Complex greeting customs for different social situations and relationships
- Child naming ceremonies with their spiritual and familial significance
- Traditional marriage customs from courtship to celebration
- Cultural taboos and their social enforcement
These aren’t mere background details but carefully preserved cultural knowledge that makes “Ìyábọ̀” invaluable for anyone seeking to understand authentic Yorùbá culture. The book serves as both literature and anthropological record.
Beyond Stories: Cultural Preservation Through Literature
What makes Johnston’s work particularly significant is how she weaves together multiple threads of Yorùbá life under colonialism:
- The changing dynamics of gender roles and expectations
- The impact of missionary education on traditional beliefs
- The tensions between tradition and modernity in daily life
- The subtle ways colonialism affected family structures
- The preservation of Yorùbá wisdom through everyday practices
Johnston’s detailed accounts of Yorùbá customs, beliefs, and daily life serve as a form of resistance against colonial erasure. By meticulously recording these cultural practices, she preserved them for future generations.
The Tragedy of Forgotten Texts
As a scholar with a background in Yorùbá and Communication Arts (B.A.) and Yorùbá Literature and Culture (M.A.), I find it troubling that these texts were never once mentioned during my years of formal education. When I’ve asked colleagues about works by Yorùbá women writers of the 19th and 20th centuries, they could hardly name a single one, yet we can readily list their male counterparts. This systematic erasure of women’s contributions is what drives my current research.
Despite its cultural and literary significance, “Ìyábọ̀” is now out of print. My search led me to University Press PLC in 2024, but the publishers claim not to have copies. R.O. Johnston passed away on October 2, 2017, and with her passing, we risk losing access to her invaluable contributions to Yorùbá literature.
This pattern of erasure affects many women writers in our literary tradition, which is why the Yorùbá Literary Queens project is so vital.
The Digitization Project: Preserving Our Literary Heritage
As part of my commitment to preserving these essential texts, I’ve begun developing plans to digitize texts like “Ìyábọ̀” at yorubatexts.com before they disappear entirely. These books aren’t just stories—they’re cultural artifacts that document our history, traditions, and evolution as a society.
Digitization ensures that:
- Future generations can access these important works
- Scholars can study and reference them
- Yorùbá language learners have authentic literary resources
- Our cultural heritage is protected from physical deterioration and loss
Join the Yorùbá Literary Queens Journey
This is just the beginning of our exploration of forgotten women writers who shaped Yorùbá literature. In the coming weeks and months, I’ll be spotlighting other literary queens whose works deserve recognition and celebration.
By following this series, you’ll:
- Discover overlooked gems of Yorùbá literature
- Learn about the women who shaped our literary tradition
- Support the preservation of our Yorùbá literary heritage
About the Author
Ìyá Yorùbá is a leading Yorùbá language specialist and founder of the online Yorùbá institute, Alámọ̀já Yorùbá.She is currently a Ph.D researcher in Comparative Literature and Intercultural studies at the University of Georgia.
Her research focuses on preserving and amplifying women’s voices in Yoruba literature through translations and improving accessibility to African literature through digitization. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Yoruba and Communication Arts, and Yorùbá Literature and Culture, respectively, from Lagos State University.
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