A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF MOROA FOLKTALES

The research tittled, “AFunctional Analysis of Moroa Folktales”provides insights into the status and nature of African traditional oral art as a literary form for aesthetic and educational purposes. The study revolves around the collection, analysis and the functional analysis of folktales among the Moroa in Kaduna state.Attention is paid to language, culture, literature and their importance as markers of Moroa identity and self-perpetuation.Using the functionalist paradigm, the work focuses on the nature, form and functions of Moroa folktales, emphasizing their relationship with the society. For the appreciation of the values of folktales among the Moroa, the work also analyse the thematic dimensions of the stories. As an aspect of contemporary cultural studies and in the light of contemporary academic interest in orality and literacy, the work also examines the relationship between folktales in Moroa and the intricate matrix of modernization. The dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter one serves as the introduction and it concludes discussions in the general and conceptual background to the work, the theoretical framework adopted and a review of related literature. Chapter two provides a description of the form and function of Moroa folktales. Chapter three considers the Perfomer and audiences, time and setting, and how modernization has affected folktelling among the Moroa. . Chapter five is the conclusion which summaries the work.

Over time, human beings have used different medium in educating, entertaining and communicating with space and time. This they have done through wood and stone, parchment and paper, fire and smoke, folktales and songs, riddles and dance. As new media was created, the old ones have become relegated to the background, even though not completely abandon.Folklore still remains an important medium in the society. Although it is not given much attention, it has contributed in the shaping and instilling of morals. Folklore consists of a variety of forms. The forms include folk theatre, puppetry, folktales, dance, riddles and songs. They have served as vehicles of education and entertainment. “Encyclopedia of Social Sciences” (2004) defines folklore as a metacultural category”… and as a body of expressive culture including tales, music, dance, legend, oral history, proverbs and superstitions, common to a particular population that comprise the tradition of that culture, subculture or group….” Ranganath (1975) asserts that folklore are “living expressions of the lifestyle and culture of a people, evolved through the years… reiterate the origin and nurturing of the folk channels in, and by the richness of the indigenous culture”.