West African Folk-Tales

About West African Folk-Tales

"West African Folk-Tales" by W. H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair is a collection of traditional stories gathered from the folk-lore of the Gold Coast peoples, written in the early 20th century. This anthology offers a rich tapestry of tales featuring clever characters like Anansi the spider, who embodies both wisdom and trickery, and presents a view into the cultural traditions and beliefs of West African communities. The opening of the book sets the stage for exploring the themes and characters that populate these folktales. The introduction discusses the influence of European civilization on the Gold Coast and the resulting transformation of local customs and storytelling traditions. This is followed by the first set of stories about Anansi, where the cunning spider engages in various adventures, such as ensuring that all tales become “Anansi tales” and showing how wisdom became the property of humankind through clever manipulation. These early anecdotes highlight Anansi's themes of cleverness and deceit while capturing the essence of West African cultural narratives.

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