Oyebode Ayoola

Parchment-style artwork of a golden mango tree beside a peasant and king, Sri Lankan folktale scene.

The Golden Mango: Sri Lankan Folktale of Purity and Humility

October 13, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

In the heart of ancient Sri Lanka, where green fields rippled like waves beneath the sun, there lived a humble peasant. Each morning, he rose before dawn, working the soil with patience and reverence. His fields were small, his hut simple, yet he carried a calm joy born of honest labour and gratitude. One summer day, while wandering along the

Parchment-style artwork of a fisherman facing the makana sea spirit, Maldivian folktale scene.

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

The Obstinate Makana: A Maldivian Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Courage and Respect for Nature

In the calm waters of the southern Maldivian atolls, life followed the rhythm of the tides. The people lived by the sea’s mercy, fishing, mending nets, and whispering prayers before each voyage. Yet beneath those tranquil blue waves lived a mischievous sea spirit, the makana, half-fish, half-spirit, whose joy was

Parchment-style artwork of a woodcutter freeing a silver bird under a tamarind tree, Sri Lankan folktale scene.

The Woodcutter’s Daughter: Sri Lankan Folktale

In the misty valleys of old Sri Lanka, where thick tamarind trees

Parchment-style artwork of a hungry jackal lunging toward palace food beside the royal dog, Sri Lankan folktale scene.

The Jackal and the King’s Dog: A Sri Lankan Folktale of Envy and Wisdom

In a quiet village that nestled near the royal palace of an

Parchment-style artwork of Samruk atop the World Tree guarding the golden egg, Kazakhstan folktale.

Samruk (The Sacred Bird of the World Tree): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Trust, Courage, and Cosmic Balance

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

High above the endless Kazakh steppe, where the horizon melts into sky, the World Tree, or Bayterek, rises as a bridge between worlds. Its branches stretch into the heavens, its roots delve into the underworld, and at its summit nests Samruk, the colossal sacred bird who guards a golden egg

Parchment-style artwork of Edige Batyr on the Kazakh steppe, Kazakhstan folktale.

Edige Batyr (Power Tempered by Wisdom): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Leadership, Responsibility, and Moral Restraint

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the vast Kazakh steppe, where the land demanded strength yet rewarded wisdom, the story of Edige Batyr took shape. It is an epic not only of physical power, but of judgment, of a man destined for greatness who must learn that true authority is measured by restraint. From his

Parchment-style artwork of Kyz-Zhibek on the Kazakh steppe, Kazakhstan folktale scene.

Kyz-Zhibek (Beauty, Honor, and Betrayal on the Steppe): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Loyalty, Honor, and the Cost of Betrayal

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Beneath the boundless skies of the Kazakh steppe, where songs of fate travel farther than footsteps, the story of Kyz-Zhibek was born. It is a tale shaped by honor and tested by betrayal, centered on a young nobleman named Tolegen, whose search for a worthy bride was guided not by

Parchment-style artwork of Kozy and Bayan on the Kazakh steppe, Kazakhstan folktale scene.

Kozy Korpesh and Bayan Sulu (The Tragic Epic of Eternal Love): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Loyalty, Honor, and the Cost of Jealousy

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Long ago, beneath the vast skies of the Kazakh steppe, there lived two men bound by deep friendship and mutual trust. They shared meals, journeys, and dreams, and their bond was so strong that they made a solemn vow: if one were blessed with a son and the other with

Parchment-style artwork of Yer Sain riding the Kazakh steppe, Kazakhstan folktale.

Yer Sain, The Wandering Batyr of Justice: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Justice, Integrity, and Moral Courage

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the endless steppes of ancient Kazakhstan, where the horizon dissolved into sky and the wind carried the memory of countless journeys, there arose the story of Yer Sain, a batyr whose life was shaped not by settlement or comfort, but by wandering in pursuit of justice. His name became

Parchment-style artwork of Kambar Batyr on the Kazakh steppe, Kazakhstan folktale scene.

Kambar Batyr, The Loyal Defender of Honor: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Loyalty, Restraint, and True Heroism

December 17, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the vast open steppes of ancient Kazakhstan, where survival depended as much on character as on strength, the name Kambar Batyr became a measure of true honor. He was not celebrated for riches or loud triumphs, but for the discipline with which he lived and the responsibility he carried

Parchment-style artwork of elder teaching lineage tradition, Kazakh folktale scene.

Jety Atan of Kazakhstan: Kazakh Tale That Teaches Lessons on Ancestry, Responsibility, and Ethical Living

December 16, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the wide Kazakh steppe, where the land stretches farther than memory and the wind carries voices of the past, elders say that a person does not walk alone. Every step is accompanied by the unseen presence of ancestors, whose lives shape the path of those who follow. From this

Parchment-style artwork of Koblandy Batyr on horseback, Kazakh epic scene.

Koblandy Batyr: Kazakh Tale That Teaches Lessons on Courage, Loyalty, and Duty

December 16, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the vast Kazakh steppe, where grasslands roll endlessly beneath a sky as wide as destiny itself, the name Koblandy Batyr has long been spoken with reverence. He was born into a noble nomadic family whose life followed the rhythms of wind, herd, and horizon. From his earliest days, it

Parchment-style artwork of Swan Maiden transforming beside a lake, Kazakh folktale scene.

The Swan Maiden of the Kazakh Steppe: Kazakh Tale That Teaches Lessons on Love, Freedom, and Letting Go

December 16, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the wide Kazakh steppe, where the land stretches endlessly beneath a vast and watchful sky, there lived a young hunter whose days were shaped by silence, patience, and the rhythm of the wild. He knew the movement of animals, the whisper of grass in the wind, and the way

Parchment-style artwork of Er Töstik riding a wise camel into the underworld, Kazakh epic scene.

Er Töstik (The Hero Born of the Earth Kazakhstan): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Courage, Loyalty, and Perseverance

December 9, 2025

Asian Folktales·South & Central Asian Folktales

Across the boundless Kazakh steppe, where the wind carries whispers of ancient stories and the earth stretches toward every horizon, lived an elderly couple whose greatest longing was a child. For years they prayed, offering humble pleas to the spirits of sky and soil. Seasons turned, and still they waited.

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Oyebode Ayoola

The Golden Mango: Sri Lankan Folktale of Purity and Humility

The Obstinate Makana: A Maldivian Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Courage and Respect for Nature

The Woodcutter’s Daughter: Sri Lankan Folktale

The Jackal and the King’s Dog: A Sri Lankan Folktale of Envy and Wisdom

Samruk (The Sacred Bird of the World Tree): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Trust, Courage, and Cosmic Balance

Edige Batyr (Power Tempered by Wisdom): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Leadership, Responsibility, and Moral Restraint

Kyz-Zhibek (Beauty, Honor, and Betrayal on the Steppe): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Loyalty, Honor, and the Cost of Betrayal

Kozy Korpesh and Bayan Sulu (The Tragic Epic of Eternal Love): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Loyalty, Honor, and the Cost of Jealousy

Yer Sain, The Wandering Batyr of Justice: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Justice, Integrity, and Moral Courage

Kambar Batyr, The Loyal Defender of Honor: A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Loyalty, Restraint, and True Heroism

Jety Atan of Kazakhstan: Kazakh Tale That Teaches Lessons on Ancestry, Responsibility, and Ethical Living

Koblandy Batyr: Kazakh Tale That Teaches Lessons on Courage, Loyalty, and Duty

The Swan Maiden of the Kazakh Steppe: Kazakh Tale That Teaches Lessons on Love, Freedom, and Letting Go

Er Töstik (The Hero Born of the Earth Kazakhstan): A Kazakh Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Courage, Loyalty, and Perseverance

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The Golden Mango: Sri Lankan Folktale of Purity and Humility