The Boy Who Outsmarted a Tyrant: A West African Folktale

In a West African village, a tyrannical chief sought to usurp the traditional naming rituals, declaring that he alone would name the children. But from this decree arose an unlikely hero: Yagangnaa, the boy who named himself. This is the tale of his clever defiance and the ensuing battle of wits.

The Chief's Decree and a Boy's Rebellion

Word of the chief's shocking decree spread like wildfire through the Dagara village. Disregarding the time-honored customs, the chief's decision was met with dismay. However, a newborn infant would soon challenge this authority. As his mother prepared to take him to the chief, the baby, from his crib, declared his name to be Yagangnaa, meaning "wiser than the chief." And so, they turned back home.

A Name Heard and a Challenge Issued

Years later, the chief overheard someone calling the boy by his self-proclaimed name. Enraged that a child dared to possess a name without his consent, the chief vowed to prove his superiority and punish Yagangnaa's family. Thus began a series of challenges, each designed to humiliate and subdue the boy.

The Impossible Task of the Millet and Pebbles

The chief presented Yagangnaa with a basket filled with millet and pebbles, demanding that his mother brew millet beer, known as "pito," by day's end. This was an impossible task, as separating the millet from the pebbles was arduous, and brewing pito was a weeks-long process involving soaking, drying, grinding, boiling, and fermenting the millet.

Retaliation: The Gourd Seeds

Yagangnaa responded with his own impossible task. He sent the chief gourd seeds, requesting calabash cups to hold the pito. This would require the chief to germinate the seeds, grow the plants, harvest, carve, and dry the gourds—a task spanning an entire farming season, all in a single day. The chief, realizing he'd been outsmarted, ordered Yagangnaa to return the millet.

The Bull and the Baby

Next, the chief instructed Yagangnaa to care for his bull until it produced enough cattle to fill his kraal and pay his sons' bridewealths. Yagangnaa agreed, but the following day, he began cutting wood near the chief's house. When questioned, Yagangnaa explained that he needed wood to warm his house because his father had just delivered a baby. The chief scoffed at the impossibility, to which Yagangnaa retorted, asking why it was any more impossible than a bull producing cattle.

Escalation and Deceit

Outwitted again, the chief resorted to more sinister tactics.

The Deadly Errand

The chief sent Yagangnaa on an errand with his son, providing Yagangnaa with a beautiful horse and expensive clothes while his own son wore rags and rode a weak horse. Sensing danger, Yagangnaa traded places with the chief's son. A poisoned arrow, meant for Yagangnaa, struck and killed the chief's son instead.

The Pit of Pito

Still determined to eliminate Yagangnaa, the chief invited him for a pito-drinking spree. He dug a well, covered it with a cowskin to create a deceptive seat, and waited for Yagangnaa to fall in. However, Yagangnaa, aware of the chief's treachery, had dug a tunnel connecting his house to the well. When he fell into the pit, he escaped through the tunnel, leaving the chief's wives to pour hot pito into the empty hole.

The Chief's Defeat and a Return to Tradition

Believing he had finally succeeded, the chief was shocked to receive a message from Yagangnaa, inviting him for pito. Realizing he had been outsmarted once again, the chief finally conceded. He abolished his decree, returning the power of naming to the people, where it rightfully belonged. Yagangnaa's cleverness and courage had saved his village from tyranny, restoring balance and tradition.