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Libra Esoterica

Zanzibar Tales: Told by Natives of the East Coast of Africa

by George W Bateman (Translator) & Walter Bobbett (Illustrator)

  • First published: Date unknown
  • Language: English

"Zanzibar Tales: Told by Natives of the East Coast of Africa" by George W. Bateman is a collection of traditional tales written in the early 20th century. The book captures a vibrant tapestry of folklore narrated by the native people of Zanzibar, reflecting their culture, beliefs, and values through a selection of engaging stories. The tales feature various anthropomorphic characters, including animals like monkeys, sharks, lions, and hares, who navigate moral dilemmas and often deliver witty insights. The opening portion introduces the reader to the premise of the collection, where Bateman recalls how he gathered stories from local tribesmen who shared their ancestral knowledge. In the initial stories, such as "The Monkey, the Shark, and the Washerman's Donkey," readers are introduced to Keema, a clever monkey who uses wit to outsmart his friend, the shark, under the pretense of seeking his heart. This storytelling is laced with humor, commentary on human nature, and deep-rooted cultural references, establishing a whimsical and instructive tone that suggests the depth of the native traditions waiting to be explored in this compilation. The narrative style engages the audience, inviting them into a world of enchantment and moral lessons. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Provenance

Why this book is in the catalog

Included because retained bibliographic metadata links this work to Mythology, folklore, and sacred legends.

  • Controlled discovery queries from project-gutenberg matched “folklore”, “mythology”, and “tales”. Retained metadata contains “Tales” in the title, “Folklore” in the description, “Tales” in the description, and 3 additional metadata match(es).

    • folklore· via Project Gutenberg
    • mythology· via Project Gutenberg
    • tales· via Project Gutenberg
    • Tales· in title
    • Folklore· in description
    • Tales· in description

Membership records how this book met the catalog’s discovery criteria — relevance to a tradition, not a judgment of the book’s claims.

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Editions

One edition cataloged here.

Project Gutenberg electronic edition

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2011-09-18Project GutenbergEnglishPublic domain (USA)

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Cataloging notes

  • Original print publication date and source edition are absent from Project Gutenberg metadata.
Catalog id
project-gutenberg:37472
Edition coverage
Project gutenberg electronic edition
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