The Cow Tail Switch Views
Cow-Tail Switch by Harold Courlander This is a collection of West African stories including one about a great warrior who is lost when three of his sons who were magicians go looking for him. They came upon his broken spear and a pile of bones. The first son assembled the bones into a skeleton; the second son put flesh upon the bones; the third son breathed life into the flesh. But the youngest son received the gift of the switch because he was the one who remembered him. Moral of the story is that a person is not truly dead, until he is forgotten.
This story has its origins in Liberia and is one that would, in its native Afrika, allow for audience participation. Near the end of the tale, the audience would be asked to decide or for vote for which son deserved the cow-tail switch the most. The correct answer might or might not then be given, depending on the teller of the tale. A cow-tail switch is something that is well known in West Afrika and symbolizes authority.
Afterwards he killed a cow for a great feast. He took the cow’s tail and braided it. He decorated it with beads and cowry shells and bits of shiny metal. It was a beautiful thing. Ogaloussa carried it with him to important affairs. When there was a dance or an important ceremony he always had it with him. The people of the village thought it was the most beautiful cow-tail switch they had ever seen.
Ogaloussa carried his cow-tail switch, and everyone admired it. Some of the men grew bold and came forward to Ogaloussa and asked for the cow-tail switch, but Ogaloussa kept it in his hand. Now and then there was a clamor and much confusion as many people asked for it at once. The women and children begged for it too, but Ogaloussa refused them all.
The Cow Tail Switch Images
