I've found some info on Nigerian folktales for you. Hope this helps!
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"This is a tale of the Hausa, the largest ethnic group of northern
Nigeria. Mostly Muslim, they have lived mainly in towns and villages
on the savannah... Once there was a man who was strong. When he
gathered firewood, he hauled twice as much as anyone else in the
village. When he hunted, he carried home two antelopes at once.
This man?s name was Shadusa, and his wife was named Shettu."
Master Man: A Tall Tale of Nigeria
http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/021.html
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"Effiong Edem was a native of Cobham Town. He had a very fine
daughter, whose name was Afiong. All the young men in the country
wanted to marry her on account of her beauty; but she refused all
offers of marriage in spite of repeated entreaties from her parents,
as she was very vain, and said she would only marry the best-looking
man in the country, who would have to be young and strong, and capable
of loving her properly.
Most of the men her parents wanted her to marry, although they were
rich, were old men and ugly, so the girl continued to disobey her
parents, at which they were very much grieved.
The Skull who lived in the spirit land heard of the beauty of this
Calabar virgin, and thought he would like to possess her; so he went
about amongst his friends and borrowed different parts of the body
from them, all of the best. From one he got a good head, another lent
him a body, a third gave him strong arms, and a fourth lent him a fine
pair of legs. At last he was complete, and was a very perfect specimen
of manhood."
The Disobedient Daughter Who Married a Skull
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/skull.html
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"Many years ago the hippopotamus, whose name was Isantim, was one of
the biggest kings on the land; he was second only to the elephant. The
hippo had seven large fat wives, of whom he was very fond. Now and
then he used to give a big feast to the people, but a curious thing
was that, although everyone knew the hippo, no one, except his seven
wives, knew his name.
At one of the feasts, just as the people were about to sit down, the
hippo said, 'You have come to feed at my table, but none of you know
my name. If you cannot tell my name, you shall all of you go away
without your dinner.'
As they could not guess his name, they had to go away and leave all
the good food and tombo [palm wine] behind them. But before they left,
the tortoise stood up and asked the hippopotamus what he would do if
he told him his name at the next feast. So the hippo replied that he
would be so ashamed of himself, that he and his whole family would
leave the land, and for the future would dwell in the water."
The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/hippo.html
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"Very many years ago, before the oldest man alive at the present time
can remember, the towns of Ikom, Okuni, Abijon, Insofan, Obokum, and
all the other Injor towns were situated round and near the Insofan
Mountain, and the head chief of the whole country was called Agbor.
Abragba and Enfitop also lived there, and were also under King
Agbor...
The whole country was taken up with yam farms, and was divided
amongst the various towns, each town having its own bush. At the end
of each year, when it was time to dig the yams, there was a big play
held, which was called the New Yam feast. At this festival there was
always a big human sacrifice, fifty slaves being killed in one day.
These slaves were tied up to trees in a row, and many drums were
beaten; then a strong man, armed with a sharp machete, went from one
slave to another and cut their heads off.
This was done to cool the new yams, so that they would not hurt the
stomachs of the people. Until this sacrifice was made no one in the
country would eat a new yam, as they knew, if they did so, they would
suffer great pain in their insides."
How the Cannibals Drove the People from Insofan Mountain to the Cross River (Ikom)
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/sacrifice.html#cannibals
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"A handsome stranger once came into a certain village and strolled
about among the people in mysterious silence. All the maidens admired
him and wished that he would choose one of them for his bride. But he
said nothing, and at last walked away into the forest and disappeared
from sight.
A month later the stranger came again, and this time one of the
maidens fell so much in love with him that she resolved to follow him
into the forest, as she could not bear to be separated from him...
They went far into the depths of the forest, and at length reached a
tree at the foot of which there lay a leopard skin. Standing under the
tree, the stranger began to sing a melancholy song, in which he told
her that though he was allowed once a month to wander about in
villages and towns like a man, he was in reality a savage leopard and
would rend her in pieces as soon as he regained his natural form."
The Leopard Man
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/leopard.html
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"A certain Yoruba king, Ajaka, had a favorite wife of whom he was very
fond. But alas for his hopes! She gave birth to twins.
At that time it was the universal custom to destroy twins immediately
at birth, and the mother with them. But the king had not the heart to
put this cruel law into execution, and he secretly charged one of his
nobles to conduct the royal mother and her babes to a remote place
where they might live in safety.
Here the twin brothers grew to manhood, and loved one another greatly.
They were inseparable, and neither of them had any pleasure except in
the company of the other. When one brother began to speak, the other
completed his phrase, so harmonious were their thoughts and
inclinations.
Their mother, before she died, informed them of their royal birth, and
from this moment they spent the time vainly regretting their exile,
and wishing that the law of the country had made it possible for them
to reign."
The Twin Brothers
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0780.html#nigeria
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"Ansa was King of Calabar for fifty years. He had a very faithful cat
as a housekeeper, and a rat was his house-boy. The king was an
obstinate, headstrong man, but was very fond of the cat, who had been
in his store for many years.
The rat, who was very poor, fell in love with one of the king's
servant girls, but was unable to give her any presents, as he had no
money.
At last he thought of the king's store, so in the nighttime, being
quite small, he had little difficulty, having made a hole in the roof,
in getting into the store. He then stole corn and native pears, and
presented them to his sweetheart.
At the end of the month, when the cat had to render her account of the
things in the store to the king, it was found that a lot of corn and
native pears were missing. The king was very angry at this, and asked
the cat for an explanation. But the cat could not account for the
loss, until one of her friends told her that the rat had been stealing
the corn and giving it to the girl."
Why the Cat Kills Rats
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/cat.html#nigeria
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There's a wealth of information here:
"I am focusing on 'short' stories and plays that a child would enjoy.
The following are stories that either originated in Nigeria, were
popular in Nigeria AND have an 'African' background."
Motherland Nigeria: Stories
http://www.motherlandnigeria.com/stories.html
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This book is a collection of Nigerian folktales:
Hausaland Tales from the Nigerian Marketplace
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0208025235
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My Google Search Strategy:
Google Web Search: nigeria OR nigerian folktales
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=nigeria+OR+nigerian+folktales
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As always, please don't hesitate to request clarification if anything
is unclear or incomplete.
Best regards,
pinkfreud |
