An examination of moral and value motifs in Igbo folktales and its influence on character formation of children

Abstract

The art of child upbringing has been in existence from the inception of the world. The secrets required in turning out balanced and well behaved individuals have been passed down through the ages (from generation to generation) through various agencies and individuals responsible. As the society evolves through stages of change, the family which is a microcosm of the society also changes. Institutions and artifacts are shaken and re-examined, discarded or if fortunate retained and most times placed at the lower rung of the ladder in the scheme of things. This has been the fate of Igbo folktales which has been thrown out of the schedule of families especially the “modern” families. This paper therefore is of the view that folktales contain values and morals which can be a handy and useful tool for protecting the mind of the young from the negative influences that abound in the society today and inculcating the right values and morals in them. The paper established that folktales are concerned with maintaining positive relationship, tolerance and peaceful co-existence, wisdom for survival, hard work, respect, etc. The data for the study is based on a sample of Igbo folktale. The paper concludes that modern parents/families should blend/build in the age old and trusted asset of folktale into their modern technique of child upbringing in order to achieve a better result and by implication a better society.