Editor's picks
Ten Rivers in Nigerian Folklore
Some of Nigeria's most enduring stories are tied to its rivers. Here are ten waterways that feature prominently in folklore and oral tradition.
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Eight Ways a Dead Twin Becomes a Bird in Ga Ritual
When a Ga twin dies, the story does not end with burial.
By Benjamin neil Ibrahim· 5 min read
Coming Home Through Gborodigondi
A viral TikTok clip of a twenty-year-old Nsukka music video pulls a childhood memory back into focus
By Nneoma Sally· 7 min read
The Literal Voice of the Oja
A flute I dismissed as too archaic to notice stopped me mid-stride on an NYSC parade ground
By Nneoma Sally· 6 min read
Tales of An Ashanti Father
A British Chancellor's granddaughter marries into Ashanti aristocracy, and spends fifty years in Kumasi writing down spider stories for children
By Inumidun Seyiolapade· 12 min read
Trade, Totems and the Invention of Isi-Agu
How the Igbo transformed a Victorian trade commodity into the Isi-Agu
By Somtochukwu Udeozo· 6 min read
Asase Yaa and the Living Earth: The Akan Earth Goddess and the Ethics of the Ground
On Thursdays in traditional Akan communities, farmers do not work the soil. The day belongs to Asase Yaa and on her day the ground rests, protected from the hoe by the same principle that leads the Akan to set aside time for acknowledging the sacred in what sustains life.
By Isreal Jeremiah· 6 min read
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From the Oriire Codex
Open the codex →From the podcast
All episodes →Nigerian Boarding School Tales
Horror myths have always been a thing in Nigerian boarding schools. Renny and Muminah join this episode to talk through the scary stories they remember.
African Folktales, Folklore and More
Many African folktales repeat across the continent with small changes, and a surprising number of them turn up reshaped in modern films, books and cartoons. Imisi joins this episode to put a few side by side.
The Spice Route of Africa: A Journey Through the Flavors of the Continent
African spices don't show up evenly across the continent. This episode goes country by country, naming the ones each region cooks with most, and the dishes they end up in.
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