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Illustration of greedy old couple turning into monkeys on a tree, from a Zambian folktale.

How the Monkeys Came to Be: A Zambian Folktale

by Ayomide Adekilekun

African Folktales·Southern African Folktales·Zambian Folktales

Long ago, in the heart of the African wilderness, there lay a quiet glade where a humble tribe had built their huts. The people lived in harmony with nature and with one another, sharing food, laughter, and the struggles of daily life. Among them lived a frail old man and his equally gaunt wife. They were always complaining of hunger

Young Kimbundu hunter finds a talking skull under a baobab tree, Angola folktale in parchment style.

African Folktales·Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Ngunza Kilundu and the Lord of the Dead: An Angolan Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Death, Vanity, and Legacy

Long ago, in the lands of the Kimbundu people of Angola, there lived two brothers, Ngunza Kilundu kia Ngunza and his younger sibling Maka. The bond between them was deep, like the roots of a great baobab tree. But fate intervened when Ngunza traveled to the bustling town of Loanda. There,

Ngana Samba carries her children across a river, escaping the Ma-kishi in a Kimbundu Angolan folktale.

Ngana Samba and the Ma-Kishi: A Kimbundu Folktale of Courage, Motherhood, and Escape.

long ago, during the dry season, the people of a village gathered

Nsenga tale: hare, goat, dog and python at the totem tree, Eastern Zambia.

The Hare Who Slew the Python: A Nsenga Folktale (Zambia)

In a village ringed by bush and shadow, a monstrous python had

Young Lenje boy resting beneath the ancient Talking Baobab near Mumbwa as magical leaves whisper through its branches.

The Talking Baobab of Mumbwa

Southern African Folktales·Zambian Folktales

Across the plains of Central Zambia, towering baobab trees have stood for centuries, silently watching seasons come and go. Among the Lenje people, elders tell of one remarkable tree

Young Bisa hunter following mysterious glowing footprints through the forests of the Muchinga Hills.

The Invisible Hunters of the Muchinga Hills

Southern African Folktales·Zambian Folktales

The forests of the Muchinga Hills have long inspired stories among the Bisa people of northeastern Zambia. Elders say that the hills remember every footprint left upon their paths

Young Lunda girl surrounded by glowing fireflies in a moonlit forest as an elder shares an ancestral legend.

The Fireflies of the Ancestors

Southern African Folktales·Zambian Folktales

Among the Lunda people of northwestern Zambia, elders have long shared stories that remind children they are never truly alone. On warm evenings, when tiny fireflies dance through the

Young Luvale boy standing before the sacred Echoing Cave hidden in the forests of northwestern Zambia.

The Echoing Cave of the Spirits

Southern African Folktales·Zambian Folktales

Deep within the forests of northwestern Zambia, Luvale elders tell of a cave unlike any other. Hidden among towering rocks and ancient trees, it is said to possess a

Young Bisa boy and elder overlooking the giant shaped Muchinga Mountain believed to be a sleeping guardian spirit.

The Sleeping Giant of Muchinga

Southern African Folktales·Zambian Folktales

The Muchinga Mountains stretch across northeastern Zambia, their rocky slopes, forests, and valleys inspiring generations of stories among the Bisa people. Elders say that every mountain has a memory

Imbangala elders conduct a traditional oath ceremony as young initiates pledge loyalty and discipline before their community.

Oath of the Imbangala

Angolan Folktales·Southern African Folktales

Across the grasslands and forests of Central Angola, the Imbangala became known in regional history and oral tradition for their disciplined warrior bands and highly organized way of life.

Dioula merchants arriving at a village marketplace and establishing trade networks that connect distant communities.

The Arrival of the First Gold Traders

Ivorian Folktales·West African Folktales

Centuries ago, long before modern roads and vehicles crossed West Africa, vast networks of footpaths linked distant villages, towns, and trading centers. Along these routes traveled merchants, craftsmen, farmers,

Fang ancestors crossing the Wele River during a historic migration journey in Central Africa.

The Crossing of the Wele Ancestors

Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long before modern borders and mapped territories existed in Central Africa, the ancestors of the Fang people lived in vast stretches of forest and riverland that extended across what

A young leader uniting scattered Bubi highland communities through wisdom, dialogue, and service.

The First King of Moka

Central African Folktales·Equatorial Guinean Folktales

Long before organized kingdoms or centralized authority existed in the highlands of Bioko Island, the Bubi people lived in widely scattered settlements spread across steep mountains, dense forests, and

The Hyena and the Fisherman: A Sudanese Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Honesty and Deceit

African Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

In a quiet village by the banks of a wide river, there lived a fisherman whose life depended on the strength of his nets and the rhythm of the

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