Folktales from the Kom Kingdom

About the Book

African oral tradition, particularly in the Kom culture, constitutes the main backbone on which African literature is developed and built. African oral tradition is rich in performance. The most important thing about this tradition is that it does not only provide entertainment but also teaches important moral lessons. The stories in African Folktales from Kom Kingdom are original and purely works of fiction. Some of the stories may be inspired by true-life experiences from the past, while others grew from the author’s colorful imagination. These are stories of forbidden love, royalty, forest gods, and more. For this genre of literature to survive the pressure of the current modern age and progress to the next generation, stories must be recorded. Massive and aggressive efforts have been made by experts in African oral tradition to collect, transcribe, translate, and analyze this genre before it completely disappears from the world scene.

About the Author

Ernest Timnge was born and raised at Ikuijua-Ngwah, a typical rural African polygamous society in Kom, Boyo Division in the British Southern Cameroons. His elementary education was at the Presbyterian School Ngwah where he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate. His parents were not financially viable to sponsor him to go to a secondary school. Caregiving, especially baby-sitting, became his most cherished chore.