African Genesis: Folk Tales and Myths of Africa

An eminent German explorer, ethnologist, and authority on prehistoric art, Leo Frobenius (1873-1938) startled the world of anthropology with his concept of “continuity of cultures” — proposing, for instance, a link between Egyptian religious symbols and preexisting African mythology. In the course of his anthropological fieldwork, Frobenius and other members of his expeditions collected an abundance of authentic African folklore. This volume presents a rich selection of these fascinating tales, fables, and legends. Stories range from the Kabyl legends of the early Berbers and ballads of the Fulbe bards of Sahel in the southern Sahara to the comically exaggerated Improbable Tales of the Mande in Sudan and the captivating creation myths of the Wahungwe of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The thematic variations in the tales correspond with their narrators’ diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds. Recounted with engaging simplicity and directness, these frequently amusing, sometimes bizarre stories are illustrated with adaptations of prehistoric rock paintings and portraits of twentieth-century Africans. Of immense value to students of African culture, this book will also appeal to the many devoted readers of folklore and mythology.