Hausa Dodo Tradition

Record summary

Dodo is a Hausa folkloric being appearing in tales and oral traditions as a dangerous, often giant or monstrous figure. Some versions give Dodo changing forms or shifting between animal-like and human-like appearances, while other versions present a more stable ogre or spirit. The lead is valuable for comparing West African narrative conventions concerning deceptive transformation, child danger and the boundary between human society and wilderness. Because Dodo stories vary by storyteller and locality, a researcher should establish which text or collection is being used before treating shapeshifting as a consistent feature.