Animals in East African Mythology

from thomsonsafaris.com

Every child who has ever read Aesop’s fables knows that the crow is smart but arrogant, the fox is sly but easily flattered, and the hare seriously needs to work on his time management. In many cultures, animals in folklore stand in for common human types, and certain animals reliably play a certain role: the clever trickster, the foolish oaf, or the cruel tyrant.

East African folklore is no different; African folktales are intended to teach people, particularly the young people, about life lessons and ways they should conduct themselves in order to succeed in life and love. Animals played a prominent role in African myths due to African people having lived in close proximity to the wild animals that shared their land. In Tanzanian mythology, the following animals tend to get typecast:

The Hare = The Trickster

Trickster figures are a staple of folklore traditions all over the world; there’s something both instructive and viscerally satisfying about seeing a smaller, weaker, but cleverer creature defeat a strong (but gullible) opponent.

The Crocodile = Vicious and Violent

Symbols of destruction and cruelty, crocodiles are defined most by their selfishness. They may act nicely towards another animal in a story, but never without a self-serving motive.

The Hyena = Greedy & Shortsighted

Though they’re often seen as clever, their greediness will get in the way, and their attempts at instant gratification often backfire spectacularly.

The Lion = The Oppressor

They call him the king of the beasts, and like kings in fairy tales, the lion is often imperious, demanding that other animals pay him tributes, terrorizing villages, or otherwise throwing his (royal) weight around.

The Elephant = An Easy Dupe

In reality, elephants’ intelligence is truly astounding; their capacity for reason, empathy, and long-term memory have all been well documented.


In East African folklore, however, their massive size and lumbering gait get them cast in the role of resident oaf. Hare often tricks simple, passive Elephant, even though Elephant has rarely done anything to deserve it.