By Abdulkareem Ikharo
To a large extent, major aspects of human existence and ways of life have overwhelmingly been agreed to evolve through the process of imitation. This is particularly true when we explore the aspect of communication which invariably forms inevitable practice among human rights creation and from generation to generation. Mankind in the process has learned and mastered several forms of cohabitation through communicating among themselves in these various modes. Along this line came the need for entertainment, education, and information dissemination. To seek and find peace, enjoyment and impact knowledge man has over these years imbibe the culture of storytelling starting with the oral form.
What is today known as drama, prose or prose fiction, poetry, and other genres, trace their origin to this evolution in human existence with the oldest and most popular of these forms are folktales. Commonly referred to as traditional fictional stories, folktales are stories that have survived from generations to generations from one anonymous narrator to the other for hundreds if not spanning into thousands of years. The term folk is attributed to the German word “volk”, which means people and folktales meaning the peoples’ stories. They are easy to understand stories narrated in simple and straightforward language.
Starting in oral forms such narratives were later first put into written form by literate and earlier writers in Rome and Greece. Several among popular forms of folktales include genres like fairytale [wonder tale] the novella, religious tale, the animal tale, the humorous tale and the fable with the last two being the types that attracted earliest compilations. Folktales are generally narrative fictions with no definite origin and unlike myths and legends therefore they are not given too much prominence since they do not make serious claim to the real past or past events unlike myths and legends that are traceable and are transmitted as actual events.
Fairytales are narratives that are associated and characterized with magic and scenarios of wonders. Key features in fairytale is also heroism. Heroic feats that are attained by a protagonist after overcoming several obstacles through positive virtues or attributes. At the level of wonder, the listeners or audience are present with imaginary or world of imaginations where animals talk and live like humans. The use of magic to transform or change destinies and situations. They are also characterized by a world of royalty where kings, queens, princes and princesses are adored and respected and witches and antagonists who are epitome of wickedness and treachery are dreaded and condemned.
A popular example of a fairytale is the Cinderella story written by Charles Perrault. Humorous tale is basically a form comedy that invokes laugher and amusement and comic relief. They are normally characterized by clowns presented in funny outfit and other form of appearances that easily invoke laughter by listeners but sometimes present serious and fundamental issues using satire.
Religious tales are local stories that focus on the existence and relationship between gods and humans. They general portray a world ruled or governed by the deities that control the daily lives of the people to the extent of determining their fate, survival and all other facets of their lives. Their common focal point include good and evil and why the former should be embraced and the latter discouraged. Religious tales could also be “holy scripture” narratives to believers, that stories deployed to substantiate, preach and encourage certain systems, values and ideal of a particularly religion with a view to attract followers and faithful.
Novella though complex is a pragmatic and most times blunt traditional fiction with deceit or deception being a common theme. Animal tale like the name connote, animal tale is narrative characterized by animals with all the features and attributes of human. Also known as Aesopian tale by the Romans and Greeks, Fable is also a traditional stories narrated through the use of metaphor. Like animal tale, fable is majorly characterized by animals even though we still have gods and humans equally playing one role or the other.
Storytelling is one of the most popular way of relaxation in every African society. Such stories whether fictional or factual are narrated orally. The common thematic concerns or features include events, people or animals and places. More so, the traditional narratives include fables, fairy tales, legends, spirit tales, monster tales and myths. As a collection these various forms narrative though differ depending on the culture in Africa are enduring narrative of African origin passed on orally from generation to generation to impact wisdom and knowledge and these form African folktales.
With the general features or characteristics of other traditional narratives with the West or Europe, African folktales are narrated under the moonlight with particularly the children in a gathering to listen. They varies according to the tribes and culture of the people. The stories are deplore using the character of animals and inanimate objects in form of humans to send important messages or lessons for the present and generation unborn. Several of the narratives tend to attributes certain developments in the past to today’s situation. For example such typical folktales include stories with the reasons for example why the lizard nods it head, why the tortoise has disfigured back and several other reasons averred by other culture about certain animals or even human. They are also deployed to teach and understand taboos and sacrileges, vices and virtues depending on each society’s culture and traditional practices.
African folktales are characterized by tricksters majorly animals like the monkey, the tortoise, rabbit while similar roles are played by humans. In the Ibo and Yoruba and largely other communities folktales for example the tortoise play the role of the trickster with a lot of mischiefs and tricks to achieve its selfish interest and plans. In most cases it is portrayed as a lazy and cunning animal who depends on other’s sweats and efforts to get food and achieve its plans. This role in other narratives is played by the monkey and sometimes both animals in the same story.
Across every cultural background in Africa society the relevance of folktales cannot be overemphasized due to the role they play and the position they occupy as far as society building is concerned. Folktales from one generation to the other have served as major mode or channel of passing down of cultural values, ideals and social norms. Under moonlight, these tales have been deployed to enlightened and inculcate good manners and important lessons particularly to the children. The deployment is in simple language and animate or inanimate objects that are peculiar to each society in order to make the purpose easy and impactful.
Similarly, the practice of storytelling to group of children from different family background also fosters unity and bonding among the children and to a large extent the people of each community. The process itself is a major way of preserving and sustaining the people’s historical and cultural heritage and other forms of identity and practices. Storytelling are mostly night activities, they thus create ambience of relaxation, enjoyment, entertainment and engagement of the children after the parents busy day’s activities. In addition, the thematic concerns or expressions of traditional fictions can be referenced and situated in tackling modern or contemporary issues.
The enduring practice of storytelling for purpose of information, education and entertainment have no doubts transformed in response to the inevitable societal and technological transformations that have vis a vis taken place over the past century. In response the hitherto oral practice and rendition have evolved through literary forms into electronic media including radio, television and other electronic devices in conformity with modern technology. This notwithstanding, the rural areas within the African settings still holds on strong to the oral mode due to the clear differences in the level of awareness and technology despite the high level of amusement and excitement the present level of technology and urban migration witnessed on the daily basis in these communities.
Abdulkareem Ikharo is the Chief Curator, NCMM Abuja.
