International records / OpenAlex research

Cette eau-là mange les gens – vie et mort sur la berge en pays igbo (Nigeria)

This study, based on a corpus of some eighty folktales collected in Igboland (Nigeria) between 1972 and 1987, considers the role of water – rivers, streams, lakes and the ocean – in the daily life of characters. It reveals the ambiguous role of water, the difference between generous rivers and deadly lakes, and highlights a totally different approach marked by gender characteristics, with male characters using the water and females receiving from it. It also acts as a showcase of popular beliefs and water cults in Southern Nigeria and the Niger delta. Beyond revealing ambiguous representations…