Oriire
Home
CodexPodcastChallengesAboutContact
Log inJoin
Oriire

Mythology, folklore and cultural memory from Nigeria and across Africa.

Join Oriire

Socials

YoutubeInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedInTikTokThreads

Main Pages

HomeAbout UsContact UsSubmissionsArticlesCodexPodcastChallenges

More

DonateMedia KitEventsFolklore PrizeColophonWork with UsPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseCommunity GuidelinesConsent to Publish

Copyright © 2026 Oriire Heritage Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Built by Mowa

Articles

Articles, essays and retellings on mythology, folklore and cultural memory from Nigeria and across Africa.

246 articles
And they tricked ever after…
Mythology· Heritage Review

And they tricked ever after…

Sometimes the only way for a powerless person to fight back is to be clever

By Shalom Kasim· 5 min

Ten Nigerian Traditions Quietly Slipping Away
Tradition· Long-Form Article

Ten Nigerian Traditions Quietly Slipping Away

A look at ten Nigerian traditions that are still around, but not quite the way they used to be

By Star Gurl· 5 min

Beyond Currency: The Enduring Lives of the Cowrie Shell in Igbo Cosmology
Tradition· Essay

Beyond Currency: The Enduring Lives of the Cowrie Shell in Igbo Cosmology

A shell once carried from hand to hand as currency, became a vessel through which history, spirituality, and identity continue to speak

By Akunna Danugwu· 6 min

Eight Ways a Dead Twin Becomes a Bird in Ga Ritual
Tradition· Long-Form Article

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

Coming Home Through Gborodigondi
Memory· Long-Form Article

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

The Literal Voice of the Oja
Memory· Encounter

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

Tales of An Ashanti Father
Mythology· Essay

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

Trade, Totems and the Invention of Isi-Agu
Tradition· Essay

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

Asase Yaa and the Living Earth: The Akan Earth Goddess and the Ethics of the Ground
Mythology· Long-Form Article

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

The Mada People of Nasarawa State
Tradition· Long-Form Article

The Mada People of Nasarawa State

How a small ethnic community in Nigeria's Middle Belt has carried its history and land-based spirituality across centuries of change.

By Benjamin neil Ibrahim· 5 min

Queen Njinga's Subversion of Pre-colonial Gender Structures
Memory· Essay

Queen Njinga's Subversion of Pre-colonial Gender Structures

Discover the story of Queen Njinga, the fearless ruler who used diplomacy, warfare, and political strategy to resist Portuguese expansion and defend her kingdom.

By Nneoma Sally· 10 min

The Nigerian Cat: Domestic or Demonic?
Mythology· Long-Form Article

The Nigerian Cat: Domestic or Demonic?

Is the Nigerian cat a pet, a pest controller, or a paranormal operative?

By Somtochukwu Udeozo· 6 min

Pageof 21

Join the Oriire Community

Oriire is independent and community-supported. We do not use intrusive ads. If you value the preservation of these stories, consider joining as a patron.

Join