Additional information
by Clive Gilson (Editor)
Tales From The World's Firesides is a grand project. I've collected thousands of traditional texts as part of other projects, and while many of the original texts are available through channels like Project Gutenberg, some of the narratives can be hard to read for modern audiences, and so the Fireside project was born. Put simply, I collect, collate and adapt traditional tales from around the world and publish them as a modern archive.
This is the third book in Part 3 - Africa, following on from the titles in Parts 1 and 2 covering a host of nations and regions across Europe and North America.
Southern African Folklore is firmly rooted in an oral, historical tradition. It is tied to the region's landscape and fauna, with fantastic creatures playing an important role in these stories. Music and song is often used to tell the story and the tales' values are usually firmly African, with community and sharing being key.
The stories can, of course, be brutal and often contain death and disaster. In this, too, they reflect a certain African reality, although collectors and regular readers of folklore and fairy tales will recognise that brutality as a common theme in cautionary tales the world over.
As always, it is a delight to collect and adapt these stories, to discover new ways of thinking and to immerse yourself in the lore of such a fabulous land.
