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From the beating heart of Central Africa comes a collection to join East African, West African and Southern African FolktalesFeaturing stories such as The Prince Who Insisted on Possessing the Moon, How the Squirrel outwitted the Elephant, and The Water-Fairies save a Child, tales from Central Africa share many aspects of the same themes across the continent because ancient ethnic groups expanded and migrated over many centuries bringing the oral traditions with them. Tales in the Bantu and Banda languages abound, the Sara and Gbaya too, each bringing their unique inflections to the stories of Anansi-style spiders or other tricksters, where in the Congo, the clever water antelope or gazelle is pitched against the brutish or pompous lions, leopards or elephants. A lively and powerful read.
FLAME TREE 451. The bestselling paperback series on myths, legends, warriors, leaders and epic literature. Although Norse, Greek and Celtic mythology dominate the popular imagination in Western countries, there are so many other tradition around the world that contribute to the rich exploration of our collective past and create new perspectives on events of the past, and the lessons of the future.
About the author
Enongene Mirabeau Sone is Professor of African Literature and Folklore Studies at Walter Sisulu University in South Africa. He has taught in many universities in Africa, has published extensively on various aspects of African oral literature and folklore in reputable academic journals across the globe, and has collaborated with leading folklorists.Jake Jackson has written, edited and contributed to over 20 books on mythology and folklore. Related works include studies of Babylonian creation myths, the philosophy of time and William Blake's use of mythology in his visionary literature.
Summary
Joining the lively collections of folktales from East, West and Southern Africa are selected tales here from Central Africa. Modern national boundaries complicate the origins of the stories still told in the DRC, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and more but many can be traced back to the Sao civilization of the 6th Century BCE.
