Efik literature () is literature spoken or written in the Efik language, particularly by Efik people or speakers of the Efik language. Traditional Efik literature can be classified as follows; Ase (), Uto (), Mbụk (consisting of myths, legends and historical stories), N̄ke (consisting of riddles, proverbs and tongue twisters) and Ikwọ (consisting of songs of various purposes such as religious purposes and mockery purposes).Aye, Old Calabar, p.32 Other aspects of Efik literature include prose and drama (Mbre).
Before the arrival of the missionaries in 1846, much of what consisted of Efik literature was oral literature.Aye, Old Calabar, p.188 By the late 1840s, Efik literature gradually transitioned into written form. The missionaries were instrumental in this transition. These Christian missionaries aided in the setting up of schools across Old Calabar.Mcfarlan, p.28 At these schools, the Efik were shown how to write in the Efik language using the latin alphabets.Mcfarlan, p.34 The earliest forms of Efik written literature were mainly of biblical genre and were developed by the early missionaries of the Church of Scotland mission.Aye, The Efik language and its future, p.4 By the 1920s, Efik literature gradually transitioned into other written and non-biblical genres such as prose, drama and poetry. The period between the 1920s and 1970s saw an immense amount of growth in Efik literature.
At present, Efik literature is an important aspect of Efik language learning in schools within the lower Cross River region and is an integral part of the Efik written exams within the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) orbit. Students are recommended to study a range of Efik literary works to aid them in passing the exams. Among these literary works include Edikot N̄wed Mbuk series, Mutanda oyom Namondo, Ansa Udọ Enan̄, Sidibe and several others.
Pre-missionary era Prior to the arrival of the missionaries, what constituted Efik literature was mainly verbal forms of art. These verbal forms of art consisted of songs, litany of praises and story-telling dances. Efik songs had multiple purposes such as for worship, narrating of past events and mockery of crimes committed in the society. Songs were also associated with games, plays or secret societies.Simmons, p.167 Societies such as Ekpri Akata would narrate ballads at Night that described the deeds of law-breakers in the society.Akoda, p.134 By dawn, the community would arrest the law-breakers and punish them according to the severity of their crime. Efik dances such as Ekombi are also regarded as theatrical in performance as they reveal a tale of the deities, particularly, Ekpenyong and Ekanem. Epic poetry also known as Uto was an indigenous Efik art which was used for two major purposes such as the preservation of historical records and for the purposes of instruction or reenacting customary functions.Aye, The Efik people, p.172
Early era (1849-1929)
The pioneers of early Efik written literature were the missionaries. The earliest missionaries departed from Liverpool on 6 January 1846 and set sail for Old Calabar.Mcfarlan, p.12 Among the first Christian missionaries to arrive Old Calabar were Rev. Hope M. Waddell; Mr. Samuel Edgereley, printer and catechist of the Jamaica mission; Mrs. Edgerley, wife of Samuel Edgerley; Andrew Chisholm, carpenter; Edward Miller, teacher; and an ex-slave boy George who later became a reverend. At their arrival on the 10th of April 1846, they made several attempts to understand the Efik language and transform it into writing. Two schools were set up, one at Creek Town and the other at Duke Town.Mcfarlan, p.17 Books for students were an urgent matter and this was resolved by Samuel Edgerley who introduced the first lithographic press.Mcfarlan, p.31 The first Christian mission was joined by several other missionaries amongst whom were Rev. Hugh Goldie who arrived in March 1847. The first Efik dictionary titled, A vocabulary of the Efik or old Calabar language: with prayers and lessons was written by Rev. Edgerley in 1849.Adams, English-Efik Dictionary, introduction A majority of other works that followed were mainly of Biblical genre. A few fictional stories were also introduced to students at Old Calabar and translated into the Efik language. Although religious books were quite popular in this era, a small number of quasi-literatures equally existed. Historical literature was often written in the Efik language by the Efik-speaking people. For example, the diarist Daniel Obiom Amaku records the founding of Okpo in Eniong Abatim in the Efik language.Akoda, p.265 Letters of different sorts written in the Efik language were exchanged by the Efik in this early period.
Biblical Genre
Christian religious denominations were instrumental in shaping the written literary foundation of the Efik language. The primary aim of the missionaries was to spread the Christian faith across Old Calabar and its surrounding communities. One of the first steps they took was to promote the literacy rate in Old Calabar. On the installation of the printing press at Old Calabar, a series of bible lessons were printed and made available for scholars and those who had learnt to read in English. Among the earliest Efik-written works published by the United church of scotland missionaries were Paul's epistle to the Hebrews (1860) - William Anderson Tiene Jesus (1860) - Alexander Robb The Proverbs of Solomon (1866) - William Anderson Nwed Mbume (1866) Psalms (1866) - Hugh Goldie The blind beggard by the wayside (1867) - William Anderson Mbuk Nkpo Emi Ekewetde Ke Obufa Testament (1852) History of Elijah History of Joseph Summary of Old Testament historyQuaritch, p.185Nair, p.438Goldie, p.xvii Among the denominations which paved the way for Efik literary development was the United Church of Scotland and the Catholic church. The Catholic church arrived old Calabar in 1903 on the invitation of Chief Essien Etim Offiong III.Aye, The Efik people, p.268 Among the earliest catholic texts written in the Efik language include:- Nwed mbume eke me Katolik (1908) - L. Lena Nwed ikwö eke Ufök Abasi me Katolik (1921) - J. KrafftOmenka, p.135 The early era of written Efik literature later produced a number of indigenous church hymn writers, notably among them was William Inyang Ndang who was sent to Scotland to be trained in religious music. Ndang organised and trained a number of choirs in churches at Calabar and produced a hymn book in this era, Iquo Itoro Edidem Zion ().Aye, The Efik people, pp.170-171
Non-Biblical Although a lot of emphasis was placed on Biblical-related works in the early era of Efik literature, some non-Biblical genre still appeared in this era. The earliest known example of a written non-biblical piece can be traced to Rev Hugh Goldie's 1857 book, Principles of Efik Grammar. In this work, Goldie provides a written account of the creation of man and the world from the Efik perspective.Goldie, p.87 It is believed that Non-biblical stories were also narrated in the Efik language to students by missionaries as Goldie. Among these stories include an Efik-version of Cinderella, Pied Pier and Alibaba.Simmons, p.475 In this version, the fairy God-mother is replaced by Cinderella's stepmother whose ghost creates the items necessary for Cinderella to go to the ball. By the 1880s, a monthly paper in Efik, Unwana () was published by the mission press.Aye, The Efik people, p.170 The paper was liked by the literate public. A number of bards were also active during this era despite the fast spread of Christianity which was gradually having an adverse effect on saecular literature. Among notable bards of this era were Adiaha Etim Anwa, Uta Etim Asibong of Idua Asang, Atim Etayong, Okpok Ndem Ndem, Nne Eke Mkpananie and Etimanwan Etim Nsa.Aye, Old Calabar, p.191
Second era (1929-1975) The period between 1929 and 1975 was a golden age in Efik literary history. Although a number of written Efik works were released prior to 1929, Gerard points out that the government became instrumental in the literary growth of the Efik. In 1929, at the conference of the International institute of African Languages and Culture chaired by Professor William Welmers, it was agreed that the Efik language should be adopted as the only official and written indigenous language in the entire South-eastern region.Mensah, p.124 In the same year, a meeting focused on the expansion of the Efik vocabulary was held at Old Calabar under the chairmanship of the Mr. E.M.Falk, the senior resident.Aye, A learner's dictionary, p.xiii Several recommendations were made with the intention of ensuring the standardization of the Efik orthography and development of new literature. Following the recommendation of the International institute of African Languages in union with the board of Education, Lagos, a new orthography was introduced.Gaskin, p.68 Progress was also being made by the catholic mission through Father Biechy who produced an Efik version of the Igbo catechism in 1929.Omenka, p.131 Mr E. A. L. Gaskin, the inspector of schools in Nigeria was sponsored by the Nigerian government to undertake a course in phonetics at the University of London.Adams, p.120 On his return to Nigeria in 1930, he assembled a team of voluntary helpers consisting of Europeans, Efik and Ibibio people to begin work on the recommendations made by the 1929 conference on the Efik language. Gaskin aided in the establishment of the Efik Translation Bureau and was assisted by Revs J.K. Macgregor, E.E. Pritchard, Okon Efiong, J. Ballantyne, Father Meehan, Dr. Henshaw, Mr. J.W. Westgarth and several others. Gaskin also produced the work Twelve proverbs and one Folk-story from the Efik country and later resigned as the inspector of schools in 1932.Simmons, p.9 Gaskin's position was taken by Robert Frederick G. Adams (R.F.G. Adams) in 1932. Members of the Efik translation bureau were instrumental in the publication of several Efik texts for schools. In 1933, the Bureau held a competition for best Efik literary work which was won by E.E. Nkana whose Mutanda Oyom Namondo came first prize. R.F.G. Adams joined the Efik translation bureau with the Igbo translation bureau on his assumption of office. Igbo and Efik were regarded as among the fastest-growing languages in southern Nigeria. The Nigerian Government was financially responsible for the publication of literary works particularly Nkana's Mutanda Oyom Namondo. The work of the Efik-Ibo translation bureau came to an abrupt end, but a dictionary was still being compiled by members of the defunct board and its first edition would later be published in 1939. The second era of Efik literature is particularly notable for the global recognition Efik literature attained.Aye, The Efik people, p.173 Many Efik writers were versatile in several literary genres but usually dominated particular genres or are remembered mainly for specific genres. For example, while E.N. Amaku is most popularly known for his contribution to Prose, he equally excelled in the area of poetry.
Prose The tradition of narrating stories known as Nke is an age-old tradition among the Efik. Prior to the second era, the most common types of literary devices where short stories or fables. By the second half of the 1920s, the art of prose was gradually making an entrance into the Efik literary scene. Efik prose stood out from literature in the early era, it drew from cultural practices and traditional beliefs of the Efik people. Writers such as E. E. Nkana, E. N. Amaku and E. A. Edyang paved the way in this aspect of Efik literature.
Esien E. Nkana