The African Folktale: Collection Of Tales [Completed]

[Introduction]

What is folktale in Africa?

Folk tales and myths serve as a means of handing down traditions and customs from one generation to the next in Africa.

For several generations, stories from Africa have traditionally been passed down by word of mouth.

Often, after a hard day's work, the adults would gather the children together by moonlight, around a village fire and tell stories.

This is traditionally called Tales by Moonlight. Usually the stories are meant to prepare young people for life, and so taught a lesson or moral.

In the African folk tales, the stories reflect the culture where diverse types of animals abound.

The animals and birds are often accorded human attributes, so it is not uncommon to find animals talking, singing or demonstrating other human characteristics such as greed, jealousy, honesty etc.

The setting in many of the stories exposes the reader to landform and climate in Africa. References are often made to different seasons such as dry or rainy season
and their effect on vegetation.

How different is African folktale from other folktales?

African folktales usually talk about animal tricksters and they often describe how helpless creatures manage to outwit fierce animals.

One of the most important animal tricksters of West African legends is Anansi (spider) who acts on behalf of the sky god, Nyame.

Anansi became the King of All Stories after proving to Nyame that he could trick a jaguar, hornets and a fairy.

Anansi is often depicted as a spider, a human or a combination of both.

Other animal tricksters common in African legends include the tortoise and the hare. There are even stories of animals who help humans.

Folktales are very important aspect of African culture, oral traditions to be precise.