The Tiv Poet And Heroism: A Study of Inyamtswam Songs

Abstract

Heroic poetry, particularly that of the inyamtswam extraction, is not just popular but fundamental to the existence of the Tiv people. In this paper, we have attempted to show that aside from providing a channel for the people to express their love for competition, heroic poetry corrects social vices, performs didactic functions, propagates the people’s culture and serves as a veritable means of entertainment. It also facilitates the link with the ancestral world. In this age when advances in Information Communication Technology (ICT) have turned the world into a global village, we believe there is the risk of the values inherent in Tiv heroic poetry being corrupted and even eroded unless such works as this present one are sustained.

Keywords: Tiv, Oral Poetry, Heroism, Heroic Poetry, Prestige