Nigerian Folktales Presented By Stuart Hurd and Logan

Nigerian Folktales Presented By Stuart Hurd and Logan Hester

Interesting Facts The longest and largest river in west Africa is the river Niger from where Nigeria derives her name. Has more than 250 ethnic groups. The three dominant tribes : the Ibo (Igbo), Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba which make up 18%, 29% and 21% respectively. One of the Oldest Locations of Human Existence. Evidence from Archaeological discoveries show that there was a history of human existence that dates back to 9000 B. C.

Folktales We Read The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter The Story of the Leopard, the Tortoise, and the Bush rat Why a Hawk kills Chickens Why the Cat kills Mice

Summaries Why a Hawk Kills Chickens The Hawk found a Chicken to his liking and asked her to marry him. She said yes, but only if he pays a dowry to her parents. After the Hawk paid a Dowry, the Chicken cheated on him. The Hawk got mad and asked for his Dowry back. The parents would not give it back because they were pour. When the Hawk told the King, he gave permission for Hawks to kill chickens in repay for his dowry.

Summaries (Con. ) The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter The King made a law that anyone who was prettier then his son’s wives would be killed along with her family. Later, the prince fell in love with the Tortoise's daughter and married her. Disobeying his father, the King held a trial for his son and Adet (The Tortoise's Daughter) where he planned to stone both of them to death. However, when he saw her, he was so amazed at her beauty, he cancelled the execution and the law altogether. Moral of the story is to always have a pretty daughter that can marry into power and wealth.

Interesting? Commonalities They almost all include a King and animals that symbolize some type of trait. They are all animals that are found in Nigeria, shows a sense of nationalism. The folktales give figurative reasons for why things in nature happen. (Ex. Why Hawks kill Chickens)

Research Articles Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria Questions the morality of the folktales and how it impacts society in Nigeria. It references “The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter”, when the King makes a law that any girl prettier than the prince’s fifty wives shall be put to death. African Folktales: Collection and Analysis In the African cosmology, folktales serve as a means of handing down traditions and customs from one generation to the next.

Bibliography Dayrell, Eplhenstone. "Folk Tales From Southern Nigeria. " Sacred-Texts. N. p. , n. d. Web. 8 Nov. 2015. P, Ninan N. "African Folktales: Collection and Analysis. " Computing and Intelligent Systems Research Group. Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, n. d. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.

Original Folktale Why the Tortoise Lives so Long. One day, the King could not sleep and asked the Tortoise to interpret his dream. The King explained that the he saw a Serpent stealing food from a garden and he had been dreaming this for quite some time. The Tortoise then explained that there was going to be a famine and that the country needed to stockpile food for the coming years. The King went on with the Tortoise's advice and his country survived through the famine. The King also put a decree that all snakes limbs be chopped off for they could not carry away food. Now, to this day, the Tortoise has been blessed with a long lifetime and many beautiful wives as a reward for his dedication to the kingship.