Tale
Contes de jadis, récits de naguère
Not translated into English
Étienne Sawadogo · 1982
Synopsis
A collection in three parts, four legends, ten tales and eight narratives, closed by a glossary. The title separates what comes from the ancients, the tales of long ago, from what is nearer, the narratives of recent times. The tables of contents give the titles, from Premier roi to Chasseur et le génie de la brousse, from Lutte aux Crapauds en deuil; the content of the texts themselves is not known.
Context
The collection was published in Dakar by Nouvelles Éditions africaines, in 1982 according to most catalogue entries, in 1983 according to others, in one volume of one hundred and seventy pages. It belongs among the collections of tales that the Senegalese publisher issued for francophone West Africa, with a glossary of local words. It was at least the second book by its author, and the first devoted to oral tradition.
Who it is for
Short texts in French, which can be read separately, with a glossary at the end of the volume for the local words.
Prizes and reception
No known award; the book appears in the library collections of French-language African tales.