Tales by moonlight
I remember vividly the musky sweetness of the husky dusk as it gradually wades across the horizon, the cool waves of the air transcending the land and the soft onset of the glittery skies peeping from the curtained clouds.
Close to sunset and we were trudging home, wearied and totally fagged out. We had worked tirelessly at the farmlands under the full glare of the scorching heat . We moved slowly as if we were on leash along the narrow farm path. It seemed like an endless journey. Hungry and thirsty, I couldn't wait to get home . But beneath all the weariness was profound excitement for an upcoming event that always succeeded in acting as a balm to my weakened body. It was a pastime that stimulated me no end. It was potent enough to put the sparkle back into my dimming eyes ........ And I looked so forward to .......
Tales by moonlight !!!
Tales by moonlight was one of the most entertaining ventures of our time. They were folktales or stories told under the dark starry skies with the moonlight silhouetted against the floating clouds. Tales of wars , battles , heroes, leaders and kings, tales of slaves, gods and goddesses ignorantly worshipped in the early times before the coming of the missionaries to Africa.
These stories , made up mostly of animal characters were also entirely fictional but lessons about life were drawn from them. They formed a basis for moral lessons and, virtues like kindness , humility , compassion ,love etc were extolled to high heavens. On the other hand, vices which are summed up in greed, hatred, pride, deceit etc were outrightly condemned. Tricksters like the tortoise often projected in the stories as cunning, self-centred and greedy, anti-social behaviours against which punishment must be meted out.
Grandma was a reverred and good story-teller . People will gather from everywhere around to hear her speak in wisdom. Dinner is swiftly cooked and served. Fire is lit, mats are spread on the soft Sandy floor, the stage is set ___ the serene night and sitting around the fire set the tone for the evening's folktales.
The audience was always a mixed multitude. And as the lit fire cast shadows across the earth, they come filtering in ____family members, children of the neighborhood and even elders whose presence was to lend credence to the tales orally handed down from generation to generation by the people of the past. We would collect around this central fire as we eagerly await grandma's entrance. We engage in light banters as we switch on to prediction mode, about what the theme of her story would be. Would it be about Mr lion, the king of the jungle, or little Mr hare who is the swiftest or maybe Mr tortoise who is the cunniest. It was always fun to listen to stories revolving around the tortoise for they were my favorite.
As grandma makes her grand entry, silence is maintained that you could hear a pin drop. Then with an unflinching concentration , we would listen to her, skilfully weave words around the characters. In enthrallment , I would chant the response to her choruses, for call and response to songs formed part of the story telling as well.
Far into the night, our voices will ring out in songs, reeled out one after the other . Then nature calls with the once lively audience drooping from heavy eye lids and open drooling mouths. It was time to draw the curtains. The tales would end with questions and answers section. History was always conveyed and life long lessons taught and learned.
These repositories of the past have the responsibility of preserving the principles and core values of the people but I am afraid that civilization may have contributed to this age-old practice's movement towards extinction. Really sad!
The amusement for me then was why the tortoise and his many escapades was at the centre of these folklores and why he was a notable trickster who always outsmarted the other animals. So my question is this : Is the tortoise really as cunning as made out in these African folktales? Let me have your views.
Thanks for stopping by my neighbourhood.
Am having that Nostalgic feeling already. The good old days, When women where girls. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for reading
Thanks for sharing, hav learnt something
Thanks for reading
You had an interesting childhood,wasnt that opportuned
Yes very interesting indeed! Stayed with my grandma in the village. Thanks for reading
It was really fun listen to tales by moonlight. Even if d idea of Story telling has faded away, d lesson's learnt from those stories still guides us..
Yes they will remain evergreen . Thanks for reading
@edith4angelseu you will never stop to amaze me with your write up, always bringing back good memories. Just hope we could bring all that into the modern world of technology. Even if we do, can we still get the values we use to have then?
That's the big question.
Thanks
Unfortunately we can't. We have left that age forever, they now say it's jet age but I feel nostalgic sometimes. Thanks for taking time to read this.
My siblings and I actually experienced the tales by moon light with our grandfather in those days. It made going to the village for holidays really enjoyable and something we all looked forward to. What a beautiful experience!!!
Oh thank you so much. I am happy you like this.
Your grandma must have been a wonderful story teller.
Yes she was. Thank you @positivesteem, I'm happy to see you here.
story story of those days...i love it. Keep on the story telling.
Thank you so much @anjiba.
Upvoted by @toppeople , I would be grateful, if you would UPvote my post