African Folk Tales

African Short Stories 

The African Storytelling Tradition 

Story telling in African Communities had always been done orally until the art of writing was introduced with the advent of multiple conquests on the Afro continent. Traditionally, African short stories were and are still done orally during different occasions and under different circumstances. There are as such formal and informal Storytelling Sessions.

The story teller is almost always an older person narrating the story to younger people and these stories usually serve as a source of entertainment or as a means of passing on information to younger people so as to maintain the continuity of certain values in society.

The information that is usually passed on to younger people could include a variety of issues which among other things usually include traditional approaches on issues of importance to the community such as Marriage, Morality, Hard work, Importance of Family, Relationships with the Creator God Almighty, Ancestral Beliefs, Living Together amongst many other things.

Short stories usually told orally therefore serve as the main medium through which the traditional values of the people are transmitted from one generation to the next. History of the clan, Exploits of legends, Peak moments in the history of the clan, the History and Significance of Sacred Places and natural features such as Rivers and Forests that shouldn’t be infringed upon among many other things, constitute the themes in many short stories.

Some African Scholars like Professor Talla Kashim of the Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences at the University of Yaounde in Cameroon in an effort to factor in the African Short Story and the peculiar circumstances that usually surround a Story Telling Event coined something called ORATURE, short form for Oral Literature.

Another custodian of Afro Culture, His Royal Highness Senator Lekunze Andreas Nembo II of the First Class Fondom of Bamumbu in Cameroon describes the peculiarity of a story telling event in the following words:

“Stories are told at different times and under different circumstances but for most of the time, story telling events are usually under very informal and unplanned circumstances. It can take place among the men in the morning while they are walking to the farm to begin the day’s work. Under more formal circumstances, it can take place in the warmth of the kitchen with the children seated around the traditional African three-stone-fire-side listening to their father as he recounts a story. It can equally take place in a casual setting with men sharing a keg of palm wine after a hard day’s labour in the farm. A story telling session doesn’t have a clearly defined structure as it can spring out of an unplanned event.”

Briefly put, a Story Telling Session is a very informal affair and could take place anywhere, anytime and during very different occasions. Some of these occasions could possibly include marriage ceremonies, family gatherings in the evening in a the kitchen, funerals, cultural festivals amongst others.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. To delve into the world of African Folktales and enjoy some of the greatest short stories from across the African continent visit the Center For Afro News and Culture.

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afroculturalhub.com/african-issues