FolktalesAfrica.com

Browse Tag

African storytelling

Adet dances in the moonlight while Tortoise watches and Prince Ekpenyon spies, Nigerian folktale scene.

The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter

by Elizabeth Fabowale

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, in a kingdom where men and beasts lived under the same rule, there was a king whose power stretched across the forests, rivers, and farmlands. His authority was unquestioned, and even the wild animals acknowledged him as their ruler. Yet among all creatures, one stood out for his cleverness, Tortoise. He was known not for strength or size,

A young Wolof girl kneels beside the Senegal River at sunset, listening to a glowing spiral shell as the water shimmers around her

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

The Shell That Carried the Voice of Ancestors

Long ago, when the tides still obeyed the songs of the ancestors, there was a small Wolof village by the edge of the Senegal River. The people there lived by the rhythm of water fishing, trading, and offering thanks to the spirits who guarded the flow between land and sea.

Parchment-style illustration of Ohia accusing the deer before King Tiger and animals, Akan folktale from Ghana.

The Tale of the Confused Akim-Man and the Mysterious Mr. Minū – Akan Folktale

It once happened that a poor Akim-man set out from his quiet

Mantis steals glowing moonlight in the Kalahari Desert, watched by jackal and ostrich under a starry sky.

How the Mantis Stole the Moonlight

Listen, children of the desert wind, listen well to this tale

a Serer boy beside a shimmering lake under two glowing moons reflecting in the water, symbolising purity and selflessness

The Moon’s Forgotten Twin

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

In the quiet times of the world, when the sky still spoke to the earth and every river knew its own song, there lived a boy named Ndeye. His

a Wolof weaver by the river weaving a glowing dream-filled cloth at sunrise while children watch

The Weaver Who Wove Dreams

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

In a quiet village near the banks of the Senegal River lived a humble weaver named Lamine. His fingers were quick, his eyes gentle, and his loom sang from

a majestic eagle flying above a hidden savannah filled with peaceful animals, flowing rivers, and trees glowing under a golden sunset

The Eagle and the Secret Savannah

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, when the skies were young and the grasslands of Senegal stretched as far as the eye could see, there lived an eagle named Samba. His wings were

a young girl gazing at a glowing magical market in the savannah beneath a golden sky, with luminous traders and stalls

The Market That Appeared Only Once a Century

African Folktales·Senegalese Folktales·West African Folktales

In the time of the ancestors, when people still listened to the language of the wind and the spirits of trade walked among the living, there was a tale

a humble Seychellois diver discovering a glowing magical pearl underwater, as new tropical islands rise from the sea

The Diver and the Weeping Pearl

African Folktales·East African Folktales·Seychellois Folktales

In the early days when the world was still quiet and the ocean whispered secrets to those who dared to listen, there lived a humble diver named Malavo. He

Illustration of a Sudanese boy riding an ostrich across vast plains, symbolizing freedom and wild nature.

The Boy Who Rode the Ostrich: An Angolan Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Freedom and Respect for Nature

African Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

Long ago, in the wide and sunlit plains of the Sudan, a restless boy dreamed of journeys beyond the reach of his village. Each day, as he watched the horizon

Why the Hyena Howls at Night – South Sudanese Folktale Illustration

Why the Hyena Howls at Night

African Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

Long ago, when animals still spoke to one another and lived close to humans, there was a hyena whose greed knew no limits. Unlike other creatures who were content

Bemba folktale from Zambia showing a woman in a tree weaving baskets while men are cast down by magic.

A Match for Any Man: A Zambian Folktale

African Folktales·Southern African Folktales·Zambian Folktales

There was once a remarkable woman who proved herself a match for any man. Orphaned at six, she grew up in a village where all the children were boys.

a leopard slipping on spilled palm oil while a thief escapes with a gourd, as forest animals laugh

The Leopard and the Palm Oil Thief

African Folktales·Liberian Folktales·West African Folktales

In the deep forests of Liberia, where the tall palms swayed in the wind and the drums of villages echoed at night, there lived a powerful leopard. He was

a sacred drum glowing under the moonlight at midnight with a Liberian village

The Drum That Spoke at Midnight

African Folktales·Liberian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago in the land of the Grebo people, nestled in the thick forests of Liberia where rivers shone silver under the moonlight, there stood a village known for

Go toTop