Yoruba Trickster Tales

By Oyekan Owomoyela

Book Overview

Yoruba Trickster Tales come out of the tradition of evening storytelling, a popular form of entertainment in traditional African societies. A favorite genre among these folktales is the trickster tale, variations of which are found in many cultures around the world. Among the Yoruba of West Africa (mostly in western Nigeria but also in neighboring B nin), the trickster character is j p , the tortoise. The repertory of tales about him is seemingly inexhaustible. In this volume Oyekan Owomoyela offers a representative gathering of twenty-three Yoruba trickster tales. j p is notable for his strikingly human habits, abilities, weaknesses, moods, and disposition. We discover different aspects of j p in these tales, including his vanity and resourcefulness, his appetites and playfulness, and his amusing relations with his friends. As we read through these entertaining stories, we gain a many-sided view of this fascinating character and the spirited world in which he lives. These tales of the trickster j p will appeal to readers of all ages, learned and not so-even as they introduce us to a vital folk culture.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803286112
• ISBN13: 9780803286115
• Release Date: July 1997
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

outstanding

Owomoyela's prose versions of these trickster tales are terrific -- sharp intelligence, respect for the material, and traditional proverbs abound. Very readable and very good. The only potential drawbacks lie in the fact that these are prose versions, and much of the original oral traditional context has been stripped. Still, an impressive updating of some ancient material that works on a high intellectual level.