Central African Folktales

From the beating heart of Central Africa comes a collection to join East African, West African and Southern African Folktales. Featuring stories such as The Prince Who Insisted on Possessing the Moon, The Dog Came to Live with Man, The Legend of the Cunning Terrapin and the Crane, tales from Central Africa share many aspects of the themes across the continent because ancient ethnic groups expanded and migrated over many centuries bringing the oral traditions with them. Tales in the Bantu and Banda languages abound, the Sara and Gbaya too, each bringing their unique inflections to the stories of Anansi or the trickster where in the Congo, the clever water antelope is pitched against the brutish or pompous lions or elephants. A lively and powerful read. AUTHOR: Jake Jackson has written, edited and contributed to over 20 books on mythology and folklore. Related works include studies of Babylonian creation myths, the philosophy of time and William Blake's use of mythology in his visionary literature. 10 b/w line drawings