West African FolkloreYoruba Tales

Why the Sky is Far Away

A Yoruba tale of how human wastefulness turned a life of ease into a life of labor.

1 min read

3 characters

Illustration for Why the Sky is Far Away - a yoruba tales West African Folklore story with moral lessons

1 min3

Story Summary

Discover Why the Sky is Far Away, a classic Yoruba folktale. Learn how human greed and the waste of natural resources forced the bountiful sky to move out of reach.

In the beginning, the sky was so close to the earth that anyone could reach up and take a piece to eat. It was a time of abundance where no one had to labor for food, for the sky provided everything from the taste of pineapples to roasted corn. The sky had only one rule: never take more than you can eat. For a long time, the people were mindful, but during a great festival, a woman named Adese grew greedy. She tore off a massive chunk of the sky, far more than she could consume. When she could not finish it, she tried to hide the remains in a rubbish heap. The sky, sensing the waste, grew dark and angry. 'I have given you everything,' the sky thundered, 'yet you waste my gifts.' Despite the warning, the waste continued. Fed up with human ingratitude, the sky sailed high into the heavens, far beyond the reach of man. From that day on, humans had to plow the fields and work the soil to survive.

The Moral

Greed and wastefulness lead to the loss of nature's abundance; we must respect and preserve what we are given.

“If you do not cherish what you have, you do not deserve its bounty.”

Fun Fact

This story is an etiological myth, which is a traditional tale intended to explain the origins of natural phenomena or specific customs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the moral of Why the Sky is Far Away?

The moral is to avoid greed and respect the environment. It teaches that when we waste natural resources, we eventually lose the easy abundance nature provides.

Who is the main character in Why the Sky is Far Away?

The main human character is Adese, a woman whose greed leads her to take more from the sky than she can eat. The Sky itself acts as a sentient, divine character.

What did the sky taste like in the story?

The sky was said to taste like whatever the person desired most. It could taste like sweet berries, savory meats, or honeyed bread depending on the individual's wish.

Why did the sky move away from the earth?

The sky moved away because the people became wasteful and ignored its warnings. After Adese and others threw away leftovers they could not finish, the sky retreated to the heavens.

Which culture originated the story Why the Sky is Far Away?

This story originates from the Yoruba people of West Africa, primarily located in modern-day Nigeria. It is a staple of their rich oral storytelling tradition.

How did life change for humans after the sky moved?

Before the sky moved, humans lived in ease without needing to work for food. Afterward, they were forced to learn agriculture, hunting, and hard labor to sustain themselves.