Abstract

This study examines African trado-medical diagnosis and treatments of affliction in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not To Blame. Though different studies have been done previously by scholars on treatments of diseases across the world, the aspect of trado-medical diagnosis and treatments of affliction in dramatic works has not been explored. This literary text is purposively chosen due to its contextual relevance and qualitatively analyzed. The study adopted the Freudian psychoanalytic approach which focuses on characters’ psyche and the motivations responsible for their negative thoughts, emotions and actions as presented in the chosen text. It found that abominable offences attract the wrath of gods, evil spirits and ancestors which cause afflictions in African societies. However, non-scientific methods like divination and in-depth interviews and focus group discussions can be employed to diagnose the cause of the life-threatening disease while forms of treatment such as sacrifices, herbal medicines, counseling and so on are provided.

Keywords: Afflictions, divination, health, herbal, trado-diagnosis