Hello Friends!
We spent the month of July getting to know some of the folklore associated with Lake Victoria. Normally, we would be moving on to a new topic but there are a couple more lake-related stories and aspects of folklore that I want to touch on before we do. And so in this episode of the Mythological Africans podcast, we will discover the stories of women who come from the lake, and then round things up with some lake-related sayings and proverbs.
A Note on Names…
I fully agree that it is important to challenge and reject colonial nomenclature. Names are powerful. They are a portal to relationship, familiarity given tangible form. This lake has many names and each name speaks to the relationship people have with it as a giver, sustainer and taker of life, as well as a representation of the mysterious infinite against whose backdrop the realities of their lives play out. But names are also practical. The way I see it, the name “Lake Victoria” functions as handles with which I can carry the massive pot that is this lake and all it means to the people, making it easy to pour knowledge out. Do I like it? Not particularly. Am I going to spend any more time than necessary wringing my hands over it? No.
***This episode comes with a content warning. We broach the topic of female sexual pleasure at the end. So if, according to the laws of the land you are listening from, you should not be hearing about these things from people on the internet, I beg of you to skip this episode and come back next week!***
References
Odaga, Asenath. Luo Proverbs and Sayings. Kenya, Lake Publishers & Enterprises, 2005. p67, 91
Kenny, Michael G. “The Stranger from the Lake: a theme in the history of the Lake Victoria shorelands.” Azania: Journal of the British Institute in Eastern Africa 17.1 (1982): 1-26.
Pesce, Fiorenza, et al. "“You shall make Lake Victoria, and become a goddess of love”: a case report about traditional female ejaculation techniques in Kenya." Sexes 5.1 (2024): 1-8.
Roscoe, John. The Baganda: An Account of Their Native Customs and Beliefs. United Kingdom, Macmillan, 1911. p49
Meanwhile…
The Watkins Book of African Folklore (…or The Mythological Africans Book) is out!
The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections:
Creation myths and foundation legends
Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created
Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are about some of the most unlikely animals!)
I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the historical and cultural context out of which the stories, their themes, and protagonists emerge. There is something for everybody!
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