• This collection of Madiba’s favourites is certain to entertain and delight our readers, as well as give insight into the countries from which the tales have been sourced.

Madiba’s favourite folktales

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This Reading Room collection commemorates our beloved Madiba’s Birthday on 18 July.

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), fondly known as Madiba, selected these tales as some of his favourites, with the specific hope that Africa’s oldest stories, as well as a few new ones will be appreciated by children and adults worldwide.

Folktales are timeless and, although they are a product of a particular culture, they have universal relevance because they give insight into the human condition. Before folktales were recorded in books, they were told in order to survive in the memories of people. The storyteller, often a grandmother, chose a story from a bank of traditional tales, adjusting it according to her personality and the needs of the audience. Their participation made storytelling a communal activity.

This collection of Madiba’s favourites is certain to entertain and delight our readers, as well as give insight into the countries from which the tales have been sourced.

Madiba’s favourite folktales collection: King Lion

King Lion

A Khoi narrative in which the first animals receive tails, horns and hides from King Lion.

➜ English version
➜ Afrikaans version

Madiba’s favourite folktales collection: The Enchanting Song of the Magical Bird

The Enchanting Song of the Magical Bird

An East African story about the innocence and power that children possess.

➜ English version
➜ Afrikaans version

Madiba’s favourite folktales collection: The Message

The Message

A Nama variation on the theme of how death came into the world.

➜ English version
➜ Afrikaans version

Madiba’s favourite folktales collection: The Ring of the King

The Ring of the King

This tale carries with it echoes of mythical African kingdoms.

➜ English version
➜ Afrikaans version

Madiba’s favourite folktales collection: The Lion, The Hare and The Hyena

The Lion, The Hare and The Hyena

In this story from Kenya, the hare and the hyena try, as they so often do, to outwit each other.

➜ English version
➜ Afrikaans version

Madiba’s favourite folktales collection: The Clever Snake Charmer

The Clever Snake Charmer

This Moroccan story is about a clever snake charmer who knows how to push his luck.

➜ English version
➜ Afrikaans version

Madiba’s favourite folktales collection: The Cloud Princess

The Cloud Princess

In this Swazi tale, the hare is magically transformed into a human being – an unusual event in hare stories.

➜ English version
➜ Afrikaans version

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