African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

African folklore 1018
tend to have two parts: the first part of an animal proverb usually names the creature; the
second makes a statement about the animal or draws a moral, as in “A dead crab can no
longer get into its hole,” meaning “There can be no going back” or “The tilapia said:
‘Until my bones are dumped on the rubbish heap, do not weep for me,’” meaning, “Do
not accept defeat until every possible avenue of escape has been explored.” Others draw
on experience, for example: “A fish trapper does not set his trap once” reminds people
that someone who wants something must persevere (Alagoa 1986).
The Ijo love to sing and have many types of songs, including paddling songs.
Performances usually include multiple repetitions of both lyrics and songs. Some songs
evoke the lapping of waves on the riverbanks or the rhythmic splash of paddles, like a
song Central Ijo women sing while commuting to and from their farms by canoe:
Paddle, paddle
Oh! Paddle
The carp was paddling
A canoe underwater
But the paddle
Broke in his hand
Paddle, paddle
Oh! Paddle
(Anderson and Peek 2002, 133)
Songs, like tales and proverbs, often refer to the environment or the spirits who live in the
water and bush. A song for a water spirit reflects beliefs that spirits from this realm bring
good fortune, such as this unpublished song collected by the author in Azuzama from the
Bussan clan in 1979:
A spirit-stick was floating in the water
The rich man didn’t see it
The poor man picked it up
Adumu has come to the poor man’s house
In contrast, bush spirits offer support in war, hunting, and wrestling, as reflected in their
songs and images. Most shrines feature a central male figure holding weapons and
wearing bullet-proofing medicines. Feathers and body paint signify that he holds a title
granted by the clan war god to proven warriors. He may be larger than life-size and have
multiple heads, in keeping with the prevailing image of bush spirits as gargantuan,
grotesque, and dangerous beings who roam the forest and command superhuman powers.
Although the song sung for Benaaghe, a bush spirit from Azama in Apoi clan, is a war
song, it, too, refers to the watery environment: