Why Soungoula Is Seychelles' Great Trickster

Introduction

Soungoula is the most famous character in Seychellois folklore and one of the clearest examples of how stories carried across the Indian Ocean were transformed into something distinctly Creole. At first glance he is a familiar trickster: clever, greedy, funny, and often morally dubious. Yet Soungoula is more than a mischievous folk hero. In many readings of Seychellois oral tradition, he represents the ability of ordinary people to survive in unequal societies through wit rather than strength. His stories preserve memories of adaptation, resistance, and social criticism within a plantation colony shaped by slavery and colonial rule.[seychellesresearchjournal.com]seychellesresearchjournal.comSeychelles Research JournalMonsters, Mythical Creatures, and Island Hopping in…July 3, 2023 — by TP Choppy — In this paper, the follow…Published: July 3, 2023

Unlike heroic figures who win through courage or virtue, Soungoula usually succeeds by deception. He tricks stronger opponents, manipulates authority figures, escapes punishment, and exposes the weaknesses of those who hold power. That combination made him a lasting figure in Creole storytelling and helped his tales remain popular long after the social conditions that first produced them had changed.[Seychelles Research Journal]seychellesresearchjournal.comSeychelles Research JournalMonsters, Mythical Creatures, and Island Hopping in…July 3, 2023 — by TP Choppy — In this paper, the follow…Published: July 3, 2023

From hare tales to Creole storytelling

Soungoula did not originate in Seychelles. Researchers have traced the character to East African trickster traditions associated with the hare. His name is linked to forms of the word for “hare” found in East African languages, including the Swahili-related term sungura. As stories travelled through slavery, migration, trade routes, and cultural exchange across the western Indian Ocean, the character reached the Seychelles archipelago and was reshaped within a new Creole society.[Seychelles Research Journal]seychellesresearchjournal.comSeychelles Research JournalMonsters, Mythical Creatures, and Island Hopping in…July 3, 2023 — by TP Choppy — In this paper, the follow…Published: July 3, 2023

What happened in Seychelles is especially significant. The original animal identity gradually became less important than the character’s role. Soungoula could be imagined as animal-like, human-like, or something in between. The trickster survived because storytellers adapted him to local concerns rather than preserving a fixed East African form.[Seychelles Research Journal]seychellesresearchjournal.comSeychelles Research JournalMonsters, Mythical Creatures, and Island Hopping in…July 3, 2023 — by TP Choppy — In this paper, the follow…Published: July 3, 2023

Folklore scholars studying Seychellois narratives note that there are broadly two kinds of Soungoula stories:

• Tales closely related to older African trickster traditions.
• Tales created or heavily adapted in Seychelles, where Soungoula interacts with recognisably local social groups, occupations, and institutions.[Bham ETheses]etheses.bham.ac.ukBham EThesesAttitudes to slavery and race in Seychellois Creole oral…by PT CHOPPY · 2017 · Cited by 9 — Similarly, the stories of the…

This second category is particularly revealing. In these stories, Soungoula becomes a genuinely Seychellois figure whose adventures reflect life in Creole communities rather than simply preserving inherited African material.[Bham ETheses]etheses.bham.ac.ukBham EThesesAttitudes to slavery and race in Seychellois Creole oral…by PT CHOPPY · 2017 · Cited by 9 — Similarly, the stories of the…

Tricks, fear and social power

Readers often encounter Soungoula as a comic character, but the tales are rarely simple children’s stories. He is frequently cruel, selfish, and dangerous. He steals, lies, manipulates friends, and sometimes causes death. His appeal comes not from moral perfection but from his ability to outsmart stronger forces.[Seychelles Research Journal]seychellesresearchjournal.comSeychelles Research JournalMonsters, Mythical Creatures, and Island Hopping in…July 3, 2023 — by TP Choppy — In this paper, the follow…Published: July 3, 2023

This pattern reflects a classic feature of trickster traditions around the world. The trickster lives at the edge of society’s rules. He can challenge authority because he does not fully respect it. In plantation and colonial societies, that quality gave such stories particular force. People who lacked political power could enjoy narratives in which intelligence defeated wealth, physical strength, or social status.[Academia]academia.eduAcademia(DOC) Postcolonial SeychellesSubversive characters, like Soungoula or the Rat, express the everyday resistance of the majority, w…

Several scholars have interpreted characters such as Soungoula as expressions of everyday resistance within Creole society. Rather than openly confronting authority, the trickster survives through cunning. He reveals that the powerful can be fooled and that official status does not guarantee wisdom. In this sense, the stories act as a form of social commentary disguised as entertainment.[Academia]academia.eduAcademia(DOC) Postcolonial SeychellesSubversive characters, like Soungoula or the Rat, express the everyday resistance of the majority, w…

The trickster’s ambiguity is important. Soungoula is not a revolutionary hero. He often cheats innocent people as well as powerful ones. The tales do not present a simple political message. Instead, they reflect a world in which survival often depends on flexibility, improvisation, and scepticism towards authority.[Seychelles Research Journal]seychellesresearchjournal.comSeychelles Research JournalMonsters, Mythical Creatures, and Island Hopping in…July 3, 2023 — by TP Choppy — In this paper, the follow…Published: July 3, 2023

Soungoula and Lion as a key tale

One of the best-known Seychellois trickster stories is Soungoula and Lion. The tale survives in the University of Seychelles folklore collection and was recorded in earlier printed collections of Seychellois folktales.[Folklore]folklore.unisey.ac.scsoungoula ek lyonSOUNGOULA EK LYON19 Nov 2021 — Soungoula pretends to teach Lion's children, but eats them instead. When Lion finds out, he chases…

The story begins with Soungoula pretending to be a teacher for Lion’s children. Instead of educating them, he eats them. When Lion discovers the deception, he pursues the trickster. A contest of cunning follows in which Lion attempts to trap Soungoula by pretending to be dead. Soungoula recognises the trick and forces Lion to reveal that he is still alive. Eventually Lion manages to ambush the trickster in his own hiding place.[Folklore]folklore.unisey.ac.scsoungoula ek lyonSOUNGOULA EK LYON19 Nov 2021 — Soungoula pretends to teach Lion's children, but eats them instead. When Lion finds out, he chases…

Several features make the tale memorable:

The story also illustrates how African animal-trickster traditions were preserved within a Creole setting. Lion remains the dominant predator, while Soungoula retains the role of the smaller but more inventive challenger.[Folklore]folklore.unisey.ac.scsoungoula ek lyonSOUNGOULA EK LYON19 Nov 2021 — Soungoula pretends to teach Lion's children, but eats them instead. When Lion finds out, he chases…

A folklore of resistance rather than rebellion

Modern discussions sometimes describe Soungoula as a symbol of Creole resistance. This does not mean the tales contain direct calls for rebellion. Instead, they express a subtler form of resistance rooted in everyday experience. In societies marked by slavery, racial hierarchy, and colonial authority, open defiance could be dangerous. Folktales offered a safer space in which listeners could imagine the weak outwitting the strong.[Bham ETheses]etheses.bham.ac.ukBham EThesesAttitudes to slavery and race in Seychellois Creole oral…by PT CHOPPY · 2017 · Cited by 9 — Similarly, the stories of the…

Stories collected in Seychelles show Soungoula confronting not only animals but also figures drawn from local society. In one tale he tricks an Indian shopkeeper; in others he moves through recognisable island settings rather than an abstract folktale landscape. These adaptations reveal how storytellers continually updated the character to comment on changing social relationships.[bham.ac.uk]etheses.bham.ac.ukBham EThesesAttitudes to slavery and race in Seychellois Creole oral…by PT CHOPPY · 2017 · Cited by 9 — Similarly, the stories of the…

The result is a folklore that records cultural creativity as much as cultural memory. Soungoula did not survive because people preserved an ancient character unchanged. He survived because successive generations found new uses for him.[L-Università ta' Malta]um.edu.mtL-Università ta' MaltaCreativity, creolization and identity in Seychelles creole…by TP Choppy · 2022 · Cited by 8 — This study aims to…

Why Soungoula still matters

Today, Soungoula remains one of the central figures in the documented folklore of Seychelles. Collections of folktales, academic research, heritage projects, and the University of Seychelles folklore archive all continue to treat him as a key character for understanding Seychellois oral tradition.[unisey.ac.sc]folklore.unisey.ac.scFolklore - University Of SeychellesCome delve into the rich pool of Seychellois Creole stories, which represents the Seychellois…

His enduring importance comes from the way he embodies several layers of Seychellois history at once. He carries traces of East African storytelling, evidence of cultural exchange across the Indian Ocean, memories of plantation-era social realities, and the creative adaptations that produced a distinctive Creole culture.[seychellesresearchjournal.com]seychellesresearchjournal.comSeychelles Research JournalMonsters, Mythical Creatures, and Island Hopping in…July 3, 2023 — by TP Choppy — In this paper, the follow…Published: July 3, 2023

For many readers, Soungoula’s greatest fascination lies in this mixture of humour and seriousness. He is entertaining, often outrageous, and frequently immoral. Yet behind the jokes sits a deeper story about how communities preserve agency and identity through storytelling. In that sense, Soungoula is not merely Seychelles’ favourite trickster. He is one of the clearest folk symbols of the ingenuity, adaptability, and resilience that shaped Creole life in the islands.[bham.ac.uk]etheses.bham.ac.ukBham EThesesAttitudes to slavery and race in Seychellois Creole oral…by PT CHOPPY · 2017 · Cited by 9 — Similarly, the stories of the…

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to Why Soungoula Is Seychelles' Great Trickster. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

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African Folktales

By Roger D. Abrahams

Contains trickster traditions that illuminate Soungoula's origins.

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The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus

By Joel Chandler Harris

Useful comparative reading on folklore trickster archetypes.

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African Myths of Origin

By Stephen Belcher

Places trickster figures within broader folklore patterns.

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A treasury of African folklore

By Harold Courlander

Provides comparative hare and trickster narratives.

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Browse more on Amazon:African FolktalesThe Complete Tales of Uncle RemusAfrican Myths of Origin

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Endnotes

1. Source: seychellesresearchjournal.com
Link:https://seychellesresearchjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/monsters_mythical_creatures_and_island_hopping_in_seychellois_folktales-theresia_penda_choppy-seychelles_research_journal-5-2.pdf

Published: July 3, 2023

2. Source: etheses.bham.ac.uk
Link:https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/8082/7/Choppy18MARes.pdf

3. Source: academia.edu
Link:https://www.academia.edu/41560258/Postcolonial_Seychelles

4. Source: thecreolemeltingpot.com
Title: The Creole Melting Pot
Link:https://www.thecreolemeltingpot.com/introduction-to-the-folktales-of-seychelles-zistwar-seselwa/

Published: May 2025

5. Source: folklore.unisey.ac.sc
Title: Folklore Trickster Archives
Link:https://folklore.unisey.ac.sc/story/category/trickster/page/2/

6. Source: folklore.unisey.ac.sc
Title: soungoula ek lyon
Link:https://folklore.unisey.ac.sc/story/soungoula-ek-lyon/

7. Source: um.edu.mt
Link:https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/111109

8. Source: folklore.unisey.ac.sc
Link:https://folklore.unisey.ac.sc/

9. Source: seychellesresearchjournal.com
Link:https://seychellesresearchjournal.com/archive-5-2/

10. Source: thecreolemeltingpot.com
Title: the main characters of seychellois folktales
Link:https://www.thecreolemeltingpot.com/the-main-characters-of-seychellois-folktales/

11. Source: folklore.unisey.ac.sc
Link:https://folklore.unisey.ac.sc/stories/3/

12. Source: folklore.unisey.ac.sc
Link:https://folklore.unisey.ac.sc/stories/13/

13. Source: era.ed.ac.uk
Link:https://era.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1842/36098/O%27Gorman2019.pdf?sequence=1

Additional References

14. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/insideseychelles/posts/-discover-the-stories-that-have-shaped-seychelles-at-the-heritage-exhibitionfrom/1574578421344968/

15. Source: iupress.org
Link:https://iupress.org/9780253000002/stars-and-keys/

16. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/240452330668920/posts/1604632717584201/?comment_id=787114449336036

17. Source: dokumen.pub
Title: Creole Cultures, Vol
Link:https://dokumen.pub/creole-cultures-vol-1-safeguarding-creole-intangible-cultural-heritage-3031242742-9783031242748.html

18. Source: allafrica.com
Link:https://allafrica.com/stories/202409230311.html

19. Source: youtube.com
Title: Seychelles places hope in children to keep Moutya dance alive
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJlDZHfGUpE

20. Source: youtube.com
Title: Seychelles Dance
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHa7pkX1AC8

21. Source: youtube.com
Title: Bantu Myths: The African Roots of Brer Rabbit
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Akec0BktZA

22. Source: youtube.com
Title: Seychelles: Exploring the vibrant History
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwj63P_N8pQ

23. Source: youtube.com
Title: The myth of Anansi, the trickster spider
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nWba9Ii5Lo