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. The setting in many of the stories exposes the reader to the land form and climate within that region of Africa. Old fairy tales are a combination of folktales and mythical creatures or supernatural events. Folktales are divided into three separate groups: fables, fairy tales, and folktales. ![]() ![]() 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. Origin of Folktales The definition of folktales is that they are stories that are mostly but not completely directed towards children. A number of mosquitoes, upon seeing the fox trapped, settled upon him and enjoyed a good meal, feasting upon the fox’s blood, the fox unable to swish them away with his trapped tail. In the African folktales, the stories reflect the culture where diverse types of animals abound. A fox, after crossing a river, got its tail entangled in a bush, and couldn’t move. Usually, the stories are meant to prepare young people for life, and so each story taught a lesson or moral. Aesops fables The Honest Woodcutter The Mice and the Weasels The Stag and His Reflection The Reckless Man and the Swallow The Oak and the Fern The Swan. ![]() This was traditionally called 'Tales by Moonlight'. Often, after a hard day’s work, the adults would gather the children together by moonlight, around a village fire and tell stories. Folktales and myths serve as a means of handing down traditions and customs from one generation to the next in Africa.įor several generations, stories from Africa have traditionally been passed down by word of mouth.
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