摘要：Yoruba folklore has been widely acknowledged as diverse and dynamic. As the indubitable anchor of indigenous epistemology, Yoruba folklore has a vibrant capacity as the storehouse of the religion, culture, knowledge, philosophy and worldview of the people. This paper explores Yoruba folklore and establishes that indigenous law and justice system, though unconventional and unwritten, reside in the folklore of Yoruba people. From a textual corpus composed of forty Yoruba witty expressions, proverbs and wise sayings, this discourse proves that the Yoruba legal system is driven by the oral tradition passed over generations. Specifically, the paper identifies eewo , (taboo), among the Yoruba as a preliterate pre-cursor of modern written laws. Subtle comparison is made between traditional and modern legal notions on marriage and inheritance. The paper affirms folklore, as exemplified in Yoruba culture, as a storehouse of indigenous thought and advocates its continued further exploration in order to fully appropriate its intricate resources for social and economic development.
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