African Folktales

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Yoruba folktales

Eshu wearing a two colored hat walks between villagers arguing in a Yoruba village setting – Yoruba folktales

How Eshu Tested the Village

by Elizabeth Fabowale

Long ago, before men knew all the ways of the gods, Eshu the divine trickster walked the earth. He loved to test people, for through trials he revealed their true hearts. Among the Orishas, Eshu was known as the one who brought confusion but also wisdom, for his games taught lessons no one could forget. In a certain Yoruba village,

Shimmering river maiden meeting young man Xhosa folklore South Africa

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·Seychellois Folktales·West African Folktales

The River Maiden

In the heart of Yorubaland, where the Oṣun River winds like a silver snake through forests and farms, stood the village of Olódò. The people lived by the river’s gifts. It watered their yam fields, filled their pots with tilapia, and carried canoes laden with palm oil to far-off markets.

tortoise caught with a basket of stolen yams while the dog runs away, from the Nigerian folktale

The Tortoise, the Dog and the Farmer

Long ago, in the land of Kurumi in southwestern Nigeria, a famine

Tortoise sneaks food at a grand feast in a Yoruba palace setting, with villagers watching in a parchment-style aged storybook look – Yoruba folktales

The Trickster Tortoise and the King’s Feast

In the days when the talking drum carried news faster than the

A fisherman kneels before Oshun, the golden river goddess glowing on a tropical riverbank – Yoruba folktales

The Fisherman and the River Goddess Oshun

Once upon a time, when rivers still spoke and spirits walked among men, there lived a fisherman in Osogbo named Adekunle. Every morning, he would take his net and

Mystical Yoruba scene of the Orishas shaping land and sea beneath a glowing sky – Yoruba folktales

The Orishas and the Creation of the World

Once upon a time, when the earth was still soft and the sky was near, there was nothing but water stretching endlessly in all directions. The heavens floated above

Traditional Yoruba folktale illustration of the palm wine tapper and the trickster tortoise story from West Africa

The Palm Wine Tapper and the Trickster Tortoise

Nigerian Folktales·Sierra Leonean Folktales·West African Folktales

Hear this tale, children, for it has been carried in the voices of our fathers and mothers, told by the fireside when the moon shines bright and the night

Yoruba hunter aims at a glowing magical antelope in the forest while villagers watch in awe.

The Hunter and the Magical Antelope

Nigerian Folktales·Sierra Leonean Folktales·West African Folktales

Hear me well, children, gather close to the fire, for this tale has traveled on the lips of our fathers and the drums of our mothers. It comes from

The Yam Farmer and the Spirit of the Forest

The Yam Farmer and the Spirit of the Forest

Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Gather close, children, let the firelight touch your faces and let the night carry my words. This tale is not new; it is as old as the earth under

Amhara elder playing drum as storm clouds form Ethiopian folklore

The Drum of Thunder

African Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·Somali Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago, when the world was still young and the Orisa walked openly among mortals, there lived a humble drum maker named Akinlabi in the town of Oyo. His

Tutsi drummer with magical talking drum Burundi folklore

The Talking Drum

African Folktales·Central African Republic Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

Long ago in the heart of the Yoruba kingdom, there lived a gifted drum maker named Baba Olohun. His hands could carve wood so perfectly that the spirits themselves

River swallowing village while Lunda people watch Angola folklore

The River That Swallowed a Village

African Folktales·Central African Republic Folktales·Nigerian Folktales·West African Folktales

In the time when the world was still young and the rivers listened to the voices of the people, there was a proud village called Ayetoro. It stood on

Young Yoruba drummer plays sacred talking drum in village square, summoning rain goddess Oya to bring life-giving rain during a drought.

The Farmer Who Danced with the Orisha

In the heart of ancient Yorubaland, there lay a village called Ayanfe, known for its endless green fields and the rhythmic beats of its master drummers. Among these musicians

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