Folklore are traditional beliefs, and every tribe in Nigeria has its own. Folklore is not the same as culture, rather it is a set of beliefs drawn from legends called folktales. Folktales are traditional stories told from generation to generation.
Here is a popular Yoruba folktale which is central to Yoruba folklore:
The story of creation:
Every culture has its own creation story, which is its belief of how the world and everything came to be.
For the Yorubas, in the beginning, the gods originally lived in the sky and the only thing below them was water. The Sky God, Olorun, gave the God of Whiteness, Orisala, a chain, a bit of earth in a snail shell, and a five-toed chicken. He then instructed Orisala to go down and create the earth.
On Orisala’s way to create the earth, he approached the gate of heaven and witnessed some divinities having a party so he stopped to greet them. The divinities offered him palm wine which he accepted; he drank too much and fell asleep. His younger brother, Odua spotted him sleeping so he took the materials and went to the edge of heaven. Odua was accompanied by Chameleon (Oga). Odua let down the chain he had taken from Orishala and descended on it with the Chameleon (Oga). Odua then tossed the piece of earth on the water and placed the five-toed chicken on it. The chicken began to scratch the earth, dispersing it in all directions. Then, Chameleon tested the firmness of the earth; when it was firm enough, Odua stepped down. And the earth was therefore formed.
The story of Oluronbi is one of the Yoruba folktales that have been passed down from generations and it never gets old:
The story of Oluronbi
A long time ago, there was a village where majority of the women were barren; these women wanted children desperately. In the village, there was a big Iroko tree with a powerful spirit living in it. The women gathered together and decided to ask the Iroko tree spirit for assistance.
One after the other, they visited the Iroko tree and asked for help. The Iroko tree said he’d help out if the women gave something in return for the child. Each woman promised the Iroko tree spirit different things like goats, yams, chickens, cloths and whatever they could afford.
A woman named Oluronbi also asked the Iroko tree for help. When the Iroko tree spirit asked her what she would give in return for a child, out of desperation, she offered her first child.
After nine months, many of the women who approached the spirit began to bear children so they returned to the Iroko tree to fulfill their promises. But when it was time for Oluronbi to fulfill her promise, she realized she couldn’t give away her first born. So she went to the Iroko tree to plead her case. She told the Iroko tree spirit she was ready to offer anything and everything but not her child. However, the tree spirit refused to be implored by her pleas and took Oluronbi’s child.
This saddened Oluronbi greatly and the villagers sang a song as a reminder of the event.
The song goes thus:
Oníkálukú jèjé ewúré
Others offered sheep
Oníkálukú jèjé àgùtàn, àgùtàn bòlòjò
Others offered goats
Olúrónbí jèjé omo re
Oluronbi offered her child
Omo re a pón bí epo
Her beautiful child
Olúrónbí ò jo jo
Ìrókò jo jo.
Moral Lesson: Think carefully before you make a promise to anyone. Make sure you can and will fulfill your promise when the need arises. Do you have any special folktales unique to your tribe’s folklore? Please share with us in the comment section.
About the Writer: Seyi Oluyole is a freelance writer and screenwriter. She is an avid reader, loves to dance and works with children.
