Week 7 Story Planing - How the Hyena Got His Laugh

Source: Pixabay 

This week I read tons of Nigerian Folk Tales. Most of these stories came from Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria by Elphinstone Dayrell. I found these stories to be very engaging, for most of them provided and explanation of why something is the way it is today, like thunder and lighting for example. I would like to write my own folk tale to explain something, using the models of several Nigerian folk tales.

To learn more about African folk tales, I did some research and found a page called Gateway Africa. African folk tales usually have a moral point to them or are used to educate, entertain, or explain an animal behavior. Culture and religion is very intertwined in African culture. Stories reflect a cultural identity and storytelling is used to restore pride in a community. Different ethnic groups have different ceremonies for storytelling, which creates a filling of belonging. Folktales have been a way to help explain the environment to children. In animal tales, a certain animal would always have the same character tole in each story as to limit confusion. For example, the Hare is always the trickster, while the Hyena was always being tricked by the Hare.

Hippopotamuses appear in many folk tales, so I plan on using them in my story. I learned that most animals play the same role in each store, I plan on characterizing my hippos as royal beings.

The animal behavior that I am going to write about it "How the Hyena Got His Laugh". I am still brainstorming my exact story, but I know that it will involve hyenas trying to deceive the hippos, thinking they have accomplished it, then being cursed with their distinctive laugh.