Using Literature as a Tool for Cultural Preservation: Examining Adultery Theme in Ipe Akoko Oral Narratives and Contemporary Literature

The rapid erosion of indigenous oral traditions resulting from globalization, modernization, and declining intergenerational transmission presents significant threats to the preservation of African indigenous knowledge systems. This study investigates the Udi Ebi justice system embedded in the oral literature of Ipe Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria, with particular attention to its historical origins, juridical functions, symbolic structures, and possibilities for computational preservation through Artificial Intelligence (AI). Historically rooted in sixteenth-century wartime experiences, Udi Ebievolved as an indigenous mechanism regulating marital fidelity among women married to Ipe sons through ritual sanctions and restorative processes. The study adopted an interdisciplinary approach integrating ethnographic inquiry with computational linguistic frameworks. Feminist–Structuralist Theory and Phlip’s Afro-contextual Literary Consciousness Theory provided the theoretical foundation for examining the gendered dimensions and contextual meanings embedded in the narratives. Qualitative data derived from oral accounts were conceptually analyzed using thematic procedures. Findings revealed that Udi Ebifunctions beyond a marital taboo and represents a multidimensional institution involving indigenous jurisprudence, communal memory, ritual symbolism, and social regulation. It concludes that culturally sensitive digital frameworks can enhance the preservation of African indigenous knowledge systems while respecting ethical boundaries and community ownership.