The Pedagogic Structure of Igbo Folktale: Lejja Tortoise Tales a Case Study

Abstract

Lejja is a town in Nsukka Local Government of Enugu State (south-eastern part of Nigeria). It is often categorized among the northern Igbo tribes of Nigeria. Although its dialect differs from the general Igbo, its cultural beliefs are almost the same as those of other Igbo speaking tribes of Nigeria. An analysis of Lejja tales reveals that Tortoise, the symbolic trickster character, represents wisdom in two ways; firstly, as a character who excels as a result of his innate wits, then secondly, as a character who falls victim to his own ploys. Structurally, the weaving of the latter stories is done in such a way that the excesses of Tortoise in the former category are checked, in other words his feeling of invincibility among the other characters are controlled. This paper vividly portrays the nature of the checks technically woven into the tales and tries to elucidate further the lessons of the trickster stories: extreme wisdom is needed by man to solve the society’s intricate problems, but its use against one’s neighbor or for selfish reasons is an unacceptable societal value.