West African Folk-Tales

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

66923

Title

West African Folk-Tales

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Collected by W. H. Barker and illustrated by Cecilia Sinclair, this volume presents West African folk-tales from the Gold Coast. Set against a twilight village backdrop, the stories explore Anansi the spider, trickster beasts, and the origins of natural phenomena. The text offers a glimpse into the customs, economy, and mythology of the region, capturing the oral tradition's blend of humor, wisdom, and moral instruction.

Summary up to 500 words

Compiled from the folk-lore of the Gold Coast peoples, W. H. Barker's *West African Folk-Tales* offers a window into a society transitioning from traditional life to modern industry. Gathered from native students who remembered traditions before the heavy influence of European civilization and Christianity altered them, these stories reflect a culture shaped by malaria and external forces. The collection is divided into Anansi tales and miscellaneous narratives, rich in imagery depicting evening scenes in native villages where women grind food, men smoke pipes, and children play. Anansi, the spider, serves as the central figure, acting as a trickster who frequently fails due to his own greed or foolishness. In one tale, Anansi attempts to climb a palm tree to steal a pot of wisdom but fails, illustrating how wisdom became the property of the human race. Other stories explain natural phenomena: why the moon and stars receive light from the sun (attributed to Kweku Tsin, Anansi's son, who was made the sun after escaping a dragon), why the sea-turtle beats its breast in ingratitude, and why lizards move their heads. The miscellaneous section includes tales of Ohia and the thieving deer, the hunter and the tortoise, and the ungrateful man. A particularly clever story involves a young man who outwits a riddle-loving chief by tricking him into solving a riddle himself before being beheaded for failing to answer it. Another tale details the origin of mushrooms, explaining how debts were transferred from brothers to a bushfowl, then to a tree, an elephant, a hunter, and finally to white ants, whose linen-like fungus became known as mushrooms. The book concludes with the story of Farmer Mybrow, whose secret field is magically tended by fairies until his wife accidentally reveals its location, causing the crops to be destroyed. The narratives provide an atmospheric introduction to West African thought and customs, capturing the essence of a people adapting to a changing world.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Folklore
• Tales