Al-Sirah al-Hilaliyyah: the epic of the Bani Hilal
Egypt’s great sung epic of the Bani Hilal migration, performed by poets with the rabab since the 14th century.
-
-
The oral heritage of Gelede
Masks, dances and chants in Yoruba that honour mothers, from the Yoruba-Nago of Benin, Nigeria and Togo.
-
The storytellers of Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakesh
Storytellers, poets and musicians who have made a Marrakesh square a living stage for centuries.
-
Kwa nini Viboko Hawana Nywele (Why hippos have no hair), in Kiswahili
Why the hippo has no hair and never strays far from water: an animal tale read aloud in Kiswahili.
-
uNozibele kanye nezinwele ezintathu (Nozibele and the three hairs), in isiZulu
A girl lost at night outwits a dog with three hairs from her head, read aloud in isiZulu.
-
USikhukhukazi noKhozi (Hen and Eagle), in isiXhosa
Why the hen scratches the ground and the eagle swoops on her chicks: an animal tale in isiXhosa.
-
Adìyẹ àti Ọ̀ọ̀kùn (Chicken and Millipede), in Yoruba
Two rivals, a football match and the start of an old enmity, told in Yoruba.
-
The Benin Bronzes
The ‘Benin Bronzes’ are plaques, commemorative heads, figures and regalia made from at least the 1500s by a specialist guild working for the Oba (king) of Benin in Benin City. Benin City, the capital of the historic Kingdom of Benin, is today in Edo State, Nigeria; it is not in the present-day Republic of Benin. Many pieces were looted during the British expedition to Benin City in 1897. Their ownership and return are contested; the British Museum alone holds over 900 objects from the kingdom.