Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa.

Strong, Intelligent African Woman Folktale

There are many African folktales that feature strong, intelligent, and resourceful African women as central characters.


The Dancing Palm Tree folktale from Nigeria

As the Elders say, in a small village in Nigeria, there lived a young girl named Adetutu. 

Adetutu's family owned a beautiful palm tree that was known throughout the village for its delicious palm wine. 

One day, a group of greedy men came to Adetutu's village and demanded that her family give them all of the palm wine from their tree. 

Adetutu's father refused, but the men threatened to harm him and his family if they did not comply.


The Dancing Palm Tree folktale from Nigeria
The Dancing Palm Tree folktale from Nigeria

Adetutu was a clever girl, and she knew that the only way to defeat the greedy men was to outsmart them. 

She challenged them to a dancing contest, with the palm tree as the judge. 

If the men could dance better than the palm tree, they would get all the palm wine they wanted, but if the palm tree danced better than the men, they would have to leave the village empty-handed.

The men agreed to the contest, thinking it would be an easy win. 

But when they began to dance, the palm tree remained still, unimpressed by their efforts. 

Then Adetutu stepped forward and began to dance. 

She danced so beautifully that the palm tree began to sway along with her, and soon the entire village was watching in amazement.


The Dancing Palm Tree folktale from Nigeria
The Dancing Palm Tree folktale from Nigeria

In the end, the palm tree declared Adetutu the winner, and the greedy men left the village in shame. 

From then on, Adetutu's family was able to keep their palm wine, and the young girl was celebrated throughout the village for her intelligence and bravery.

And that's the African folklore story of The Dancing Palm Tree folktale from Nigeria, which teaches the reader that sometimes the best way to defeat our enemies is to outsmart them with our intelligence and cunning.


African folktales feature strong, intelligent, and resourceful African women
African folktales feature strong, intelligent, and resourceful African women

What is folklore?

Folklore is a collection of traditional stories, beliefs, customs, and practices that have been passed down from generation to generation within a particular culture or community. 

These stories and practices are typically not written down, but are transmitted orally or through other non-written mediums such as music, dance, or visual arts.

Folklore can take many forms, such as folktales, myths, legends, proverbs, riddles, songs, dances, and festivals. 

These forms often serve as a way for people to understand and interpret their cultural and natural surroundings, as well as to transmit moral and ethical values, social norms, and beliefs.

Folklore can also be used as a means of resistance and empowerment, allowing marginalized or oppressed communities to express their identity and agency through storytelling and other creative practices. 

Additionally, folklore can be adapted and reinterpreted over time to reflect changing social and cultural contexts, making it a dynamic and evolving aspect of human culture.


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Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

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Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

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