Category: | Our Mythical Childhood Survey

Dapo Adeleke

Adamu and His Horse is a Children’s fiction, didactic and with thematic thrusts yarned from oral tradition. Adamu is a young and ambitious young man. His parents migrated to Garinlafiya long time ago from their ancestral village where they were relatively wealthy but had to leave because of famine. His father had a retinue of slaves but trusted one. On the night of their departure from Garinlafiya, he tied together most of his property and money which were too heavy to carry on the back of(...)

african

YEAR: 2004

COUNTRY: Nigeria

TAGS: African Storytelling African Traditions Archetype Odyssey Slavery in Africa

Joseph Ndipowah Teneng

An Orphan Girl and Her Stepmother

Long time agoThere was a manWho was so handsome.He had two wives.The first was very, very beautiful,The second was not so beautiful.The first wife gave birth to a girl child,The man was happy.Because that was part of his wealth.He had a friend who startedBetrothing this little girl at birth,He would always bring him firewood,And roast meat.The man planted a kola nut tree for the daughterThe daughter had everything that one can imagine.Dresses, enough food, bracelets, necklaces, and others.One da(...)

oral

COUNTRY: Cameroon

TAGS: African Mythologies African Storytelling African Traditions Archetype

Cyprian Assam Egbe

Arrah and the Slave Girl

A long time ago, there lived a beautiful young eighteen-year old girl, Arrah, from a royal family. Her grace and charm left no young man indifferent both within and outside the village of Tinto. Her beauty was also complemented by good manners and diligent housekeeping which she learnt from her mother. As a result, a long line of suitors called on her every day to ask for her hand, but she and her parents found none worthy enough of her. Eventually, despite the fact that in those days people did(...)

oral

COUNTRY: Cameroon

TAGS: African Mythologies African Storytelling African Traditions Archetype Slavery in Africa

Ndi-deng

How Jealousy Originated in Polygamous Homes

A long time ago,There lived a man,Who had a soft hide on his bed.When he was about to travel,He called his wives,Showed them the hide,And said,“LOOK,THIS HIDE IS VERYEXPENSIVE AND IS PART OF MY LIFE.TAKE CARELET NOBODY CLIMB ON IT.I AM SAYING SOBECAUSE THIS HIDEWAS GIVEN TO ME BY A WATER GOD.IF IT IS DIRTY,WE CAN ONLY WASH IT ATMINYENGE* RIVER.”(The audience is astonished)When the man gave his instructions, he leftAs he left,The first wife’s son climbed on the hide,And mistaken(...)

oral

COUNTRY: Cameroon

TAGS: African Mythologies African Storytelling African Traditions Archetype

Amos Tutuola

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

Just like his first novel, The Palm-wine Drinkard, Amos Tutuola’s second novel, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts has its roots in the folkloric oral tradition of the Yoruba tribe of the Southwest of Nigeria. The author uses the first person narrative technique to tell his story set in the jungle inhabited by goblins and other weird and fantastic monsters acting in the spiritual realm. As common in folklores, the basic themes of the novel are focussed around didactic instructions to (...)

african

YEAR: 1954

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: African Storytelling African Traditions Archetype Metamorphosis

Robert Ingpen, Maurice Saxby

The Great Deeds of Superheroes

Five hero tales from Greek myth are included in this collection. In addition to being listed first, the size of the Greek section overshadows that of the other cultures, which feature at most two stories (or in the case of the Old English section, three tales). Each of the five heroes from Ancient Greece is endowed with a descriptive title. Perseus is "the Fearless," Heracles "the Strong One," Theseus "the Daring and the Bold," Jason "the Voyager," and Ody(...)

literary

YEAR: 1989

COUNTRY: Australia

TAGS: Archetype Heracles Hercules Jason Perseus Theseus