Dagaare Folktales

This collection presents Dagaare folktales gathered from the communities of Sombo, Guree and Kyaang in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Collected through storytelling sessions and complemented by interviews and community discussions, the narratives form part of the S-GEDSI documentation of oral traditions in three Mabia languages of Ghana. They offer insights into Dagaare cultural philosophies, Indigenous knowledge, social relationships, moral values and understandings of communal life. The stories are thematically diverse and frequently convey more than a single meaning or moral lesson. Gender is therefore not a dominant theme across the collection, although gendered meanings and perspectives can be discerned in selected narratives. Other stories illuminate issues relating to family and community relationships, tricksterhood, vulnerability, disability, marginalisation, cooperation, justice, responsibility and the consequences of individual actions. The collection consequently provides a rich resource for understanding the diverse values, norms and social experiences communicated through Dagaare oral tradition.