Retributive Justice in Yoruba Beliefs, Culture, Verbal Arts and Literary Works

Abstract

Writers write within self and their culture. Literature hinges its stories mostly on a tripod of love, religion and politics but one idea that has gained universal traction in Literature is retributive justice. Karma as an idea has been the preoccupation of many world writers. The paper explains what retributive justice is, its history and position in religion and how it is reflected in Yoruba beliefs and culture.  It then examines how retributive justice serves as theme and background in Literature. The paper then examines the reflection of contemporary situations that reflect retributive justice at work through Yoruba verbal arts and selected literary works. It concludes by highlighting the fact there is a relationship between the Yoruba worldview and contemporary events when it comes to retributive justice.