African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

African folklore 182
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MARY ARNOLD TWINING
DIASPORA
See Basketry, African American; Caribbean Verbal Arts; Carnivals and African
American Cultures; Divination: Ifá Divination in Cuba; Housing: African American
Traditions; Indian Ocean Islands; Languages; Music; Religions: Afro-Brazilian
Religions; Santeria in Cuba; Spirit Possession: Comfa of Guyana; Textiles: African
American Quilts Vodou; Yards and Gardens: African American Traditions
DILEMMA TALES
A dilemma tale is defined as a story that leaves audiences “with a choice among
alternatives, such as which of several characters has done the best, deserves a reward, or
should win an argument or a case in court…. The narrator ends his story with the
dilemma,” which the listeners must then debate (Bascom 1975, 1).
The dilemma tale is defined by its mode of performance. It differs from what
Europeans call myth, the narrative that answers questions about how human beings and
their culture have developed. It also differs from legend, the oral history of a well-known
person or place. Myth and legend are answers; they are accepted by the populace as
truthful accounts of what happened in the past. The dilemma tale, however, is a question,
a fictional problem, posed to the populace. In contrast to the etiological marker of myth
or legend, or the closure provided by the formulaic endings common to many folktales,
the dilemma tale encourages controversy and contention, thus deferring closure
indefinitely. Therefore, the dilemma genre forms a performance code of its own; its rules
distinguish it from other genres and determine when and for whom it may be performed.
Especially in West Africa, where palaver is the means towards action and cohesion, the
dilemma tale flourishes. But it is a favored genre all over Africa, hardly found elsewhere
in such profusion.