Unearthing motherhood myths and stereotypes: Gender roles in Madi folktales

Abstract

abstract This focus analyses folktales of the Madi of Uganda, the underlying gender roles and their valuation in their community. The Madi are a Sudanic people, situated in the northern part of Uganda. The community is patrilineal and identity follows the father's lineage. This not withstanding, anthropological information shows that Madi women enjoy reasonable social space for self-expression, especially in the choices they make for marriage partners. In traditional gatherings, where serious community issues are discussed, women's voices are included and an eloquent woman can command the same quality of attention as a man. The storytelling tradition, though minimised in contemporary times, remains alive among the Madi as an occasion to teach and transmit values. This paper examines traditional gender relations in the family context as seen in motherhood, fatherhood and childhood roles and evaluates how these gender roles are either perpetuated or challenged in six selected Madi tales performed in a contemporary context. The analysis maps recurrent gender images and the community's expectations of parenthood and childhood. The narrators/performers of these tales are principally women because of their close link with children (Egara, 2005). Particular attention is given to the recurrent patterns in the themes, images and characterisations of the tales.