African Folktales

Folktales 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 was traditionally called 'Tales by Moonlight'. Usually, the stories are meant to prepare young people for life, and so each story taught a lesson or moral.

In the African folktales, 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 the land form and climate within that region of Africa. References are often made to different seasons such as the 'dry' or 'rainy' season and their various effects on the surrounding vegetation and animal life.

Below are more of our favorite African folktales that offer a unique outlook on and depiction of the African way of living…