The Values of Democracy in TIV Folktales

Abstract

The folktale among the Tiv, in Central Nigeria is known by the name kwagh-hir or magical thing, kwagh- alom or hare-thing, kwagh-hoo, a colloquial variant for kwagh-hir, kikya or riddles; because riddles are often renderedat various intervals as interludes. Kwagh-hir (puppet theatre) and kwagh alom (the fable or fairy-tales told by folklorists) are often interchanged by most Tiv to mean one and the same, though, thehare is the hero of most Tiv tales, so it is not surprising that the category of folktales bears its name. On the other hand, the performance of the puppet theatre is considered magical in Tivland, thus calling it a thing of magic is understandable. The significance of kwagh alom among the Tiv,like other forms of literature,can be seen as a mirror of society; it also has a function to educate the people indirectly, validate aspects of culture like tolerance, justice, equality, among others. This paper attests to the fact that folktales are media through which these values can be inculcated into the citizenry through their moral lessons despite the influence of foreign cultures on Tiv tradition and other traditions in Africa. Representative democracy is adoptedas a theory for this paper. This theory as propounded by John Locke (16890advocates that public opinion assumes in  determining not just the personnel who occupies the key offices of government, but also in determining the actual direction of public policy through the participation of the citizens in popular elections where candidates are voted to fill government legislative, executive and judicial offices. The paper analyzed Tiv folktales in order to determine the democratic values found in these folktales. The paper concludes that, the most important principles of good governance which can be drawn from the fundamental values of democracy are participation, efficiency and sense of responsibility, transparency and the rule of law. The paper recommends therefore, that with the current technological gadgets available for use in collection, documentation, dissemination and promotion of folktales, the citizens in democratic cultures have abundant opportunity to access this oral genre.