A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

A chief summons his three sons before the assembled councillors to discover which is most skilled. A huge baobab stands near the entrance to his house. He tells them to mount their horses and demonstrate their abilities at the tree. They ride away to begin their approaches, each using a different feat rather than racing to a single finish.

The eldest gallops at the baobab and thrusts his spear through it. He follows through the spear’s opening with his horse. The second lifts his horse on the bit and jumps the tree. The youngest gallops up, pulls the entire baobab out with its roots and waves it aloft toward his father while the place rings with applause. The narrator then asks which brother excelled. No individual names, separate magical horse identities or final ranking are supplied.

Three chief’s sonsMounted skill contestRides through spear openingHorse leaps huge treeUproots entire baobabAudience comparison
01

Origins & earliest records

Malam Shaihu supplied written Hausa material, sometimes translated from Arabic manuscripts; Rattray transliterated and translated it into English. The author note dates the manuscript collection to 1907–1911.

02

Records & interpretation

Shaihu/Rattray, Hausa Folk-Lore, Customs, Proverbs, etc., Volume I (1913), tale 16, complete pp. 256–258; compiler methodology p. xii.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Hausa Folk-Lore, Customs, Proverbs, etc., Volume I

    Malam Shaihu, manuscript contributor; R. Sutherland Rattray, transliterator and translator · 1913

    Shaihu/Rattray, Hausa Folk-Lore, Customs, Proverbs, etc., Volume I (1913), tale 16, complete pp. 256–258; compiler methodology p. xii.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Bilingual manuscript tale; digitized primary OCRShaihu/Rattray — Three Princes of Shaihu’s Baobab ContestResearch access: 2026-10-05
  2. Compiler methodologyAuthor’s NoteResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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