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African Literature


1-Identify three characteristics of a trickster figure and provide examples of these traits from two or more folktales. How does each trait contribute to an understanding of the points of these folktales?



Folktales (or folk tales) are stories passed down through generations, mainly by telling, by they can also include tales, music, dance, legends, proverbs, jokes and popular believes. Different kinds of folktales include fairy tales (or fairytales), tall tales, trickster tales, myths, and legends. The word folktales come from the word “folk-lore.” “Folk” is a derivation from the old English, meaning “common” people, people who share particular culture- everything that a human being do that isn’t motivated by human instinct. While “lore” means, knowledge gained through tradition.
Folklore is sometimes considered gossip that goes on and on about someone, animals, places, etc. In some cases, folktales can turn into sagas literally, as each generation feels a need to add their version or simply a spin to it. This is why many folktales have wandered further from the original truth as the years have passed. But the main purpose of folklore is often just to help us understand better the nature of something or someone, which could be how something got started, such as the origin of the name of a place or an animal, or why things are or were done in a certain way.
In our class African Literature, we, the students, have learned that African folklores are usually portrayed by a trickster figure. A trickster figure is a god, goddess, spirit, human, or anthropomorphic animal who plays pranks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and norms of behavior which can also be called a archetype figure; examples of archetype figures are: The Great Mother, Hero, and the Wise Old Man. The importance of tricksters is fundamental for the understanding of folktales due to its impact on the stories. Some...