Legends of the Yoruba gathers together a treasury of folktales from the Yoruba people of Southern Nigeria—stories shaped by centuries of oral tradition, ancestral memory, and a deep, intimate relationship with the natural and spiritual worlds. These tales, preserved and retold by M. I. Ogumefu, reveal the adventures of humans, animals, and spirits alike, offering imaginative explanations for the mysteries of nature: why women have long hair, how the leopard gained its spots, why certain creatures behave as they do, and many more wonders observed in the world around us.

These stories do not claim scientific authority, nor were they meant to. Instead, they carry the distilled wisdom, humor, and worldview of a people whose cosmology saw no boundary between the physical and the metaphysical. Many of the tales once included ancient songs—echoes of ceremonies, praise poetry, and communal storytelling—but only traces can be preserved here.

What gives these legends their enduring power is not literal truth, but cultural truth. They reveal how the Yoruba perceived the forces of nature, the character of animals, the moral lessons woven into daily life, and the unseen spiritual currents embodied by the Orisha. Through these narratives, we glimpse a collective imagination rich with symbolism, empathy, and meaning—a reflection not of one author, but of an entire culture speaking through generations.

We listen to these folk-tales not to verify facts, but to experience their charm, humor, and insight; to witness how a people understood their world; and to appreciate the beauty of stories that have shaped Yoruba identity for centuries. In this book, the voices of ancestors live on, offering delight, instruction, and a window into one of Africa’s great storytelling traditions.