| Yoruba Trickster Tales Contributor(s): Owomoyela, Oyekan (Author) |
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ISBN: 0803286112 ISBN-13: 9780803286115 Publisher: University of Nebraska Press OUR PRICE: $17.10 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: July 1997 Annotation: "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 Benin), the trickster character is AjApa, 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. AjApa is notable for his strikingly human habits, abilities, weaknesses, moods, and disposition. We discover different aspects of AjApa 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 AjApa will appeal to readers of all ages, learned and not so--even as they introduce us to a vital folk culture. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Folklore & Mythology - History | Africa - General - Fiction | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology |
| Dewey: 398.208 |
| LCCN: 96037321 |
| Physical Information: 0.69" H x 5.95" W x 7.91" (0.79 lbs) 218 pages |
| Themes: - Ethnic Orientation - African American |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: 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 Bénin), the trickster character is Àjàpá, 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. Àjàpá is notable for his strikingly human habits, abilities, weaknesses, moods, and disposition. We discover different aspects of Àjàpá 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 Àjàpá will appeal to readers of all ages, learned and not so-even as they introduce us to a vital folk culture. |