3 Yoruba Tales of Creative Deception
All of the elements attributed to classical drama are present in traditional Yoruba folktales: setting, mood, a colorful cast of characters, some intervening dilemma or an ethical contrast between good and …
Category: Folktales
Folktales are like the mirrors of a culture, reflecting back a light-hearted, colorful vision of the human condition of which it is part. As a culture changes, so too does its stories, especially in West Africa where they are transmitted orally, only to be realigned with each new generation that tells them. So while versions may vary, their cultural importance remains.
The Squirrel and the Peanuts: A Kapsiki Tale
Every West African group has its favorite animal trickster, the most famous of which is no doubt the spider Anansi. For the Kapsiki of north-eastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon, no …
3 Tales from the Ivory Coast
Like most tales indigenous to West Africa, the allegories and traditional narratives passed down through generations of Ivorians enthrall and edify, startle and steer, recreate and reinforce the social values …
Kwaku Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom
The traditional web of legend and lore that allegorizes human nature — particularly its propensity for wisdom, ingenuity, resourcefulness, yet also for the shrewdness and duplicity that often goes hand-in-hand …