Motifs in Selected Women Folktales of Oku People of Cameroon
This study examines motifs in selected women folktales of Oku people of Cameroon. The main objectives of the study are to find out the different motifs in some selected women tales of Oku people of Cameroon and to see if the identified motifs are related to the motifs of Igbo folktales. The study adopts the theory of narratology as its theoretical framework. The data used for the study of Cameroonian tales were collected from Wonder tales of Oku (Cameroon) and the aesthetics of storytelling by Mbuda Frida Mekan. The data used for the study of the Igbo folktales were gathered from two collections of Igbo folktales Omalinze a book of Igbo folktales collected by C.N Ugochukwu, T. Meniru and P. Oguine and Okamgba by John Iroaganachi. After the analysis, it was observed that Cameroonian tales and that of the Igbo have related motifs. It was also observed that they have related structure for instance in the two stories, one who disobeys, suffers the punishment of such disobedience. The study therefore concludes by supporting Vladmir Propp’s assertion that all African folktales have related structure and adds that they also share related motifs.
Keywords: cameroon, folktales, motifs, oku, people, selected, women