Daniel O. Fagunwa

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Chief

Daniel Olorunfẹmi Fágúnwà

M.B.E.
Oke-Igbo, Nigeria
Occupationteacher, author
LanguageYorùbá
Period1930–1963
Notable works in 1949
  • Ìrìnkèrindò Nínú Igbó Elégbèje (1954)
  • Àdììtú Olódùmaré (1961)
  • SpouseChief Elizabeth Adebanke Fágúnwà (1932–2018)

    Chief Daniel Olorunfẹmi Fágúnwà MBE (1903 – 7 December 1963), popularly known as D. O. Fágúnwà, was a Nigerian author of Yorùbá heritage who pioneered the Yorùbá language novel.[1]

    Early life

    Daniel Oròwọlé Fágúnwà was born in

    Òkè-Igbó, Ondo State in 1903, to Joshua Akíntúndé Fágúnwà and Rachel Òṣunyọmí Fágúnwà.[2] He had three sisters, Mary Adéyẹmí, Ojúọlápé and Ọmọ́túndé.[3] Prior to his family's conversion to Christianity, his name was Oròwọlé Jàáníìni. The name Oròwọlé, refers to the Yorùbá bullroarer
    deity, Orò.

    Fágúnwà's parents were originally adherents of the traditional Yorùbá religion until they converted to Christianity in the late 1910s to early 1920s. Upon conversion, he changed his name to Ọlọ́runfẹ́mi (God loves me).[4]

    He attended St. Luke's School,

    Òkè-Igbó from 1916 to 1924. After completing his primary education there, he taught as a student teacher in the same school in 1925.[5]

    From 1926 to 1929, he attended St. Andrew's College, Ọ̀yọ́ in order to train as a teacher.[5] He met his wife in Mọdákẹ́kẹ́ in 1931 while on vacation from St.Andrew's. The courted for six years and married in 1937.[5]

    Family history

    Fágúnwà's paternal great-grandfather was Faniyi Arojo, a warrior. His son, Fagunwa's paternal grandfather was Egunsola Asungaga Bèyíokú, an Ifa priest from the town of Origbo near

    Òkè-Igbó. Asungaga had four surviving children, Ifatosa, Akintunde Fagunwa (who later took the name Joshua), Ifabunmi (later married and took the last name Ajibise), and Philip Odugbemi.[citation needed
    ]

    Career

    Teaching career

    From 1930 to 1939 Fágúnwà served as head teacher of the nursery section at St.Andrew's Practicing School, Ọ̀yọ́. In 1940, he was transferred to St.Patrick's School, Ọ̀wọ́, where he taught until 1942. In 1943, he moved to the CMS Grammar School, Lagos and in 1944, moved again to the Girls' School in Benin. Between 1945 and 1946, he taught at Igbobi College, which was temporarily located at Ibadan due to the Second World War, but which relocated back to Lagos in 1946.[6]

    Between 1946 and 1948, Fágúnwà was based in Britain on a British Council scholarship. On his return, he taught at the Government Teacher Training Centre in Ibadan for two years. In 1950, Fágúnwà returned to Britain, hoping to pursue a degree, but he returned to Nigeria in 1955 to take up a position of Education Officer with the Publications Branch of the Ministry of Education in Western Nigeria. He held this position until 1959.[6]

    Literary career

    In 1938, entering a literary contest of the Nigerian education ministry, Fagunwa wrote his

    Igbó Olódùmarè (The Forest of God, 1949), Ìrèké Oníbùdó (1949), Ìrìnkèrindó nínú Igbó Elégbèje (Expedition to the Mount of Thought, 1954), and Àdììtú Olódùmarè (1961).[8]

    Ògbójú Ọdẹ Nínú Igbó Irúnmọlẹ̀

    Fagunwa's novels draw heavily on

    Igbo Olodumare
    , where the character Baba-onirugbon-yeuke tells a story similar to Romeo and Juliet.

    D. O. Fagunwa was the first Nigerian writer to employ folk philosophy in telling his stories.

    Fagunwa was awarded the

    Margaret Wrong Prize in 1955 and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
    in 1959.

    Death

    On 7 December 1963, Fágúnwà was in Bida on his way home to Ibadan after a business trip to Northern Nigeria on behalf of Heinemann Books, where he was employed at the time. He arrived early at the River Wuya with his driver and they entered the queue for the pontoon, which would ferry people and cars across the river. While he was waiting for the pontoon service to open, he went for a walk along the riverside and slipped when a bit of earth broke under his foot. When he fell, a nearby canoe turned over onto him and pinned him under the water, drowning him.[9]

    His body was recovered two days after the accident and was brought to

    Òkè-Igbó. Burial services were held for him in St.Luke's Anglican Church and he is buried in the cemetery there.[9]

    Legacy

    Chief Fagunwa was created an

    Oloye of the Yorùbá people prior to his demise in 1963.[citation needed
    ]

    Fagunwa Memorial High School and Fagunwa Grammar School in

    Ile Oluji/Okeigbo. Fagunwa day (formerly known as Fagunwa night) is an annual event aimed at reading and promoting his five books. Fagunwa day was initiated in his honour by the Society of Young Nigerian Writers in conjunction with Fagunwa Literary Society and Egbe Odo Onkowe Ede Yorùbá.[citation needed
    ]

    Works

    Novels

    Other publications

    • Ìrìnàjò, Apa Kiní & Apa Kejí (London: Oxford University Press, 1949) | Fágúnwà's account of his travels in Britain
    • Táiwò ati Kẹ́hìndé, co-authored with L.J Lewis (London: Oxford University Press, 1949) | Primary School Readers
    • Àlàyé fún olùkọ́ nípa lílò Ìwé "Táiwò ati Kẹ́hìndé", co-authored with L.J Lewis (London: Oxford University Press, 1949) | Teachers' Manual
    • Ìtàn Olóyin (London: Oxford University Press, 1954) | An edited collection of folktales.
    • Òjó Aṣọ̀tán, co-authored with G.L. Lasebikan, published posthumously (London: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd., 1964) | Short story

    Articles

    • "Writing a Novel", Teachers' Monthly, vol.6, no.9, October 1960, p. 12
    • "Going Overseas", Teachers' Monthly, vol.7, no.4, April 1961, p. 14

    Translations of Fágúnwà's Work

    Ògbójú Ọdẹ nínú Igbó Irúnmọlẹ̀

    • The Forest of a Thousand Daemons by Wole Soyinka (London: Nelson, 1968) | English
    • La Foresta Dei Mille Demoni by Mario Biondi (Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1985) | Italian
    • La Forêt aux Mille Démons by Louis Camara (NENA, 2015) | French
    • 400 İlah Ormanı by Bir Avcının Öyküsü (Altıkırkbeş Yayınları, 2016) | Turkish

    Igbó Olódùmarè

    • The Forest of God by Gabriel A. Àjàdí (Ibadan: Agbo Areo Publishers, 1994 {1984}) | English
    • In the Forest of Olodumare by Wole Soyinka (London: Nelson, Ibadan: Evans Brothers Ltd., 2010) | English

    Ìrèké Oníbùdó

    • Ìrèké Oníbùdó by Alóńgẹ̀ Isaac Olúṣọlá (Ibadan, Nelson Publishers Ltd., 2019) | English

    Ìrìnkèrindó nínú Igbó Elégbèje

    • Expedition to the Mountain of Thought: The Third Saga by Dapo Adeniyi (Ile-Ife, Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo University Press Ltd., 1994),
      LCCN 94-225991
      | English

    Àdììtú Olódùmarè

    • The Mysteries of God by Olu Obafemi (Ibadan: Nelson Publishers Ltd., 2012) | English

    Selected academic works on Fágúnwà

    References

    1. ^ "Fagunwa wrote his first novel in the bush". Vanguard News. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
    2. ^ "The Novel of D.O Fagunwa – A commentary by Ayo Bamgbose". sunshinenigeria.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
    3. .
    4. ^ "D.O. Fagunwa | Nigerian author". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
    5. ^ .
    6. ^ .
    7. ^ "Fagunwa wrote his first novel in the bush". Vanguard News. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
    8. ^ "D. O. Fagunwa". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
    9. ^ .
    10. .
    11. .

    External links