Author: Céline Clémence Magnéché Ndé
When the sun says goodbye and the night falls in the African continent, children, parents, all the members of the clan, gather around the fire to listen the words of the elderly, who ask: did this really happen?, “Yesssss”, the audience replies in a chorus, and then, at that moment the atmosphere was magical. The author has translated and selected the most beautiful narrations of the Bonsoa Clan (Cameroon). Of ancient origin, these stories have survived in the collective imagination, generation after generation, in order to entertain the evening's gathering, instructing the smallest and entertaining all those who want to imagine and hear what once "really happened" in Africa.
I have enjoyed reading these tales a lot, because the author also picks up on how they're told and the listeners' reactions. It is interesting to see how the tales teach us a lot about other people. For example, in these tales one can see that nature and the belief in spirits have a lot of influence on the African people. It is curious to see that the panther is feared, while the snake helps the weak Death is a quite common punishment for the wicked, and polygamy is almost always the source of many conflicts. Like tales from all cultures, the ones here try to warn us against greed, selfishness, wickedness and other vices. It is said that, in Africa, the stars shine more brightly than in any other place. It must be incredible to hear a tale being told around a bonfire under a starry sky (Por: a30s)
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