TITLE: The Watkins Book of African Folklore
AUTHOR: Helen Nde
PUBLISHER: Watkins Publishing
ISBN: 978-1786788962
PODCAST EPISODE: None
REVIEWER: Tracy Nicholas
What are the origins and meanings behind the themes, tropes, superstitions and motifs of some of the better known folklore that comes out of Africa? In Helen Nde’s latest book, The Watkins Book of African Folklore, she explores these questions through a careful analysis of many popular stories.
Helen Nde is a Cameroonian-born folklorist, researcher, author and artist currently based in the United States. She curates Mythological Africans, an online space for exploring mythology, folklore, spirituality, and culture from the African continent. Her current book is a departure from her previous writing in that she is not retelling stories in her voice, but rather sharing stories that have been previously recorded and published and examining them through various lenses to provide the reader insight into what drives the various folklore and how the tales connect to other folklore not only across the continent, but around the world. The book is divided into three main sections: creation myths and histories, human relationships and institutions and animal stories. The structure of the sections begins with a new tale (or grouping of tales when they are very similar) followed by an analysis. The reader is given the origin of the story they just read including where and when it was published originally and by whom. In some cases, she will include the etymology of different African words, such as in her very deep dive into the specific, varied language of spears. She also dives into the symbolism of various story elements, like her exploration of different meanings of fire in various contexts. Throughout the book, Nde rigorously cross references her analysis providing connections for the reader between vastly different tales. She also reveals connections to stories not in the book including Anansi stories, Aesop’s Fables and Grimm Fairy Tales. Though the author explores these connections and concepts in a far reaching and scholarly manner, her writing style is efficient, so the reader never gets bogged down in excessive detail.
The folklore within this book is meticulously researched and academically presented, and along with the author’s open and accessible style, it is the perfect read for not only those interested in researching the topic, but also casual readers with a general interest. Considering the fact that this topic is not examined as thoroughly as folklore from other parts of the world, this book adds great value to the discussion of folklore and is a must read for scholars and folklore enthusiasts alike.
AUTHOR: Helen Nde
PUBLISHER: Watkins Publishing
ISBN: 978-1786788962
PODCAST EPISODE: None
REVIEWER: Tracy Nicholas
What are the origins and meanings behind the themes, tropes, superstitions and motifs of some of the better known folklore that comes out of Africa? In Helen Nde’s latest book, The Watkins Book of African Folklore, she explores these questions through a careful analysis of many popular stories.
Helen Nde is a Cameroonian-born folklorist, researcher, author and artist currently based in the United States. She curates Mythological Africans, an online space for exploring mythology, folklore, spirituality, and culture from the African continent. Her current book is a departure from her previous writing in that she is not retelling stories in her voice, but rather sharing stories that have been previously recorded and published and examining them through various lenses to provide the reader insight into what drives the various folklore and how the tales connect to other folklore not only across the continent, but around the world. The book is divided into three main sections: creation myths and histories, human relationships and institutions and animal stories. The structure of the sections begins with a new tale (or grouping of tales when they are very similar) followed by an analysis. The reader is given the origin of the story they just read including where and when it was published originally and by whom. In some cases, she will include the etymology of different African words, such as in her very deep dive into the specific, varied language of spears. She also dives into the symbolism of various story elements, like her exploration of different meanings of fire in various contexts. Throughout the book, Nde rigorously cross references her analysis providing connections for the reader between vastly different tales. She also reveals connections to stories not in the book including Anansi stories, Aesop’s Fables and Grimm Fairy Tales. Though the author explores these connections and concepts in a far reaching and scholarly manner, her writing style is efficient, so the reader never gets bogged down in excessive detail.
The folklore within this book is meticulously researched and academically presented, and along with the author’s open and accessible style, it is the perfect read for not only those interested in researching the topic, but also casual readers with a general interest. Considering the fact that this topic is not examined as thoroughly as folklore from other parts of the world, this book adds great value to the discussion of folklore and is a must read for scholars and folklore enthusiasts alike.