The International Society for Folk Narrative Research is conducting the online lecture series entitled Voices from Around the Globe, which are open not only to our global network of international folk narrative scholars, but also to the general public. Initiated by the former President of the ISFNR professor Sadhana Naithani, the series was launched on April 15, 2022 and since then, the lectures take place online at 5 pm CET, on the third Wednesday of every alternate month. The series is coordinated by a member of the Executive Committee of the Society. For each lecture, the respective Vice Presidents of the ISFNR in turn invite speakers from Europe, North and South Americas, Asia, and Africa to present their research. The lectures are given in English. After the event, the prerecorded lectures are made available on the ISFNR website.
The ISFNR members and other researchers are cordially invited to join us in this exploration of various cultural phenomena – local and global, old and contemporary, stable and changeable. Folk narrative scholars continue to record, map and communicate how people are navigating their cultural practices and values through turbulent and peaceful times and through the palimpsestic layers of history, which have witnessed the rhizomatic growth of narratives. Indeed, in our own time, it is relevant to ask whether folk narrative still has the means to grasp the truth of a post-truth world.
Detailed information and links to the forthcoming lectures are announced on the ISFNR website and Facebook, and emailed to all members of the ISFNR. For more information, please contact Lina Būgienė (bugiene.lina@gmail.com).
Next lecture
Umma Aliyu Musa
Hausa Folktales and Proverbs on Witchcraft: Cultural Perceptions and Social Reflections
April 16, 2025. at 5 p.m. CET
Speaker’s Biography:
Umma Aliyu Musa is a Hausa lecturer at Universität Hamburg. She has her B.A. and M.A. from Bayero University Kano in Nigeria, and a PhD from Leipzig Universität in Germany. Apart from being a poet, her research interests include African literature, oral literature, popular culture, linguistics, gender studies, emotions, and manuscripts. Her book Emotions in Muslim Hausa Women’s Fiction: More Than Just Romance (2019) talks about emotions in female Hausa fiction narratives.
Abstract:
Like in many cultures, folktales and proverbs are an integral part of Hausa oral tradition, providing a valuable window into beliefs, values, and social norms upon which the society stands. These oral traditions not only entertain but also reflect deeper cultural perceptions. One prominent theme in Hausa oral tradition is the concept of witchcraft (maita), a phenomenon that continues to be viewed with caution and suspicion, despite the influence of religion and modernity.
This presentation will explore Hausa folktales and proverbs centered on the theme of witchcraft, examining the specific features associated with witches and how they reflect broader perceptions of supernatural powers within Hausa society. Through these oral traditions, we see how ideas of witchcraft are intertwined with cultural fears, moral lessons, and social order. Despite the spread of religion and the impact of modern education, traditional beliefs about witchcraft remain resilient, suggesting a complex negotiation between tradition, religion, and modernity.
This study will also raise critical questions: What do these oral traditions reveal about the Hausa people’s perceptions of witchcraft? How have these beliefs evolved—or remained unchanged—under the influence of religious teachings and modern social changes? To what extent does tradition continue to shape these beliefs in comparison to religion and modernity? Furthermore, the presentation will draw on examples from real-life events reported in news media and videos, highlighting instances where beliefs in witchcraft continue to shape social behavior and community responses in contemporary Hausa society.
By analyzing these oral traditions alongside real-world examples, this presentation seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of the persistence of traditional beliefs and their intersection with modern life. It will also explore how oral narratives serve not only as cultural artefacts but as active forces that continue to influence societal attitudes and actions today.