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Drottning Pokou- Concerto för ett offer
Enligt legenden kastade drottning Pokou sin ende son i floden för att befria sitt folk. Tack vare hennes offer kunde kungariket Baule grundas och hon själv utropas till drottning.
I Drottning Pokou omtolkar Véronique Tadjo denna betydelsefulla myt. Vem var Pokou egentligen? Var hon en amazon och frihetshjälte? Eller var hon en maktgalen härskare som gjorde vad som helst för att få regera över sitt folk?
I fem olika berättelser, med fem olika slut, ställer Tadjo frågor om kvinnors relation till makt och våld. I en version låter hon Pokou följa sin son ner i vattnet där hon förvandlas till en havsgudinna. I en annan offrar hon inte bara sin son utan också sin man för att erövra makten.
Men myten om drottning Pokou anknyter också till våra dagars Elfenbenskusten med allt vad det innebär av etniska konflikter och politiskt kaos.
Véronique Tadjo är född 1955 och kommer från Elfenbenskusten. För närvarande är hon bosatt i Sydafrika. Hon har skrivit ett flertal romaner och är också verksam som barnboksförfattare och konstnär.
I Drottning Pokou omtolkar Véronique Tadjo denna betydelsefulla myt. Vem var Pokou egentligen? Var hon en amazon och frihetshjälte? Eller var hon en maktgalen härskare som gjorde vad som helst för att få regera över sitt folk?
I fem olika berättelser, med fem olika slut, ställer Tadjo frågor om kvinnors relation till makt och våld. I en version låter hon Pokou följa sin son ner i vattnet där hon förvandlas till en havsgudinna. I en annan offrar hon inte bara sin son utan också sin man för att erövra makten.
Men myten om drottning Pokou anknyter också till våra dagars Elfenbenskusten med allt vad det innebär av etniska konflikter och politiskt kaos.
Véronique Tadjo är född 1955 och kommer från Elfenbenskusten. För närvarande är hon bosatt i Sydafrika. Hon har skrivit ett flertal romaner och är också verksam som barnboksförfattare och konstnär.
92 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
4 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Véronique Tadjo
78 books60 followersVéronique Tadjo (born 1955) is a writer, poet, novelist, and artist from Côte d'Ivoire. Having lived and worked in many countries within the African continent and diaspora, she feels herself to be pan-African, in a way that is reflected in the subject matter, imagery and allusions of her work.
Born in Paris, Véronique Tadjo was the daughter of an Ivorian civil servant and a French painter and sculptor. Brought up in Abidjan, she travelled widely with her family.
Tadjo completed her BA degree at the University of Abidjan and her doctorate at the Sorbonne in African-American Literature and Civilization. In 1983, she went to Howard University in Washington, D.C., on a Fulbright research scholarship.
In 1979, Tadjo chose to teach English at the Lycée Moderne de Korhogo (secondary school) in the North of Côte d'Ivoire. She subsequently became a lecturer at the English department of the University of Abidjan until 1993.
In the past few years, she has facilitated workshops in writing and illustrating children's books in Mali, Benin, Chad, Haiti, Mauritius, French Guyana, Burundi, Rwanda and South Africa.
She has lived in Paris, Lagos, Mexico City, Nairobi and London. Tadjo is currently based in Johannesburg, where since 2007 she has been head of French Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Tadjo received the Literary Prize of L'Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique in 1983 and the UNICEF Prize in 1993 for Mamy Wata and the Monster, which was also chosen as one of Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century, one of only four children's books selected. In 2005, Tadjo won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire.
(from Wikipedia)
Born in Paris, Véronique Tadjo was the daughter of an Ivorian civil servant and a French painter and sculptor. Brought up in Abidjan, she travelled widely with her family.
Tadjo completed her BA degree at the University of Abidjan and her doctorate at the Sorbonne in African-American Literature and Civilization. In 1983, she went to Howard University in Washington, D.C., on a Fulbright research scholarship.
In 1979, Tadjo chose to teach English at the Lycée Moderne de Korhogo (secondary school) in the North of Côte d'Ivoire. She subsequently became a lecturer at the English department of the University of Abidjan until 1993.
In the past few years, she has facilitated workshops in writing and illustrating children's books in Mali, Benin, Chad, Haiti, Mauritius, French Guyana, Burundi, Rwanda and South Africa.
She has lived in Paris, Lagos, Mexico City, Nairobi and London. Tadjo is currently based in Johannesburg, where since 2007 she has been head of French Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Tadjo received the Literary Prize of L'Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique in 1983 and the UNICEF Prize in 1993 for Mamy Wata and the Monster, which was also chosen as one of Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century, one of only four children's books selected. In 2005, Tadjo won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 24, 2020
I read Queen Pokou - Concerto for a Sacrifice by Véronique Tadjo translated from French by Amy Baram Reid as part of #bookssansborders hosted by Surabhi and Pooja focusing on West Africa this month. With it being #womenintranslation month the pick was perfect . Consisting of multiple retellings of the legend of Abraha Pokou, this slim book narrates how the Baoule came to settle in present-day Côte d’Ivoire .
A relatively simple story of the exodus of the rebels from Ashanti kingdom led by Princess Pokou mirrors the story of Moses and the river splitting on paving way for people to move to the promised land. In the said story , Comoé river splits / forms a bridge paving way for people after the ultimate sacrifice. The multiple retellings in the book look at Pokou in different aspects - in one she abides by the oracle , in another she defies them and yet in other she is power hungry. It was certainly interesting to see diverse shades of Pokou and how yet again a woman is judged on her ability to conceive. Personally , I enjoy oral folktales and legends , so I enjoyed all of the retellings. The poetic bits added were a fine touch and read very well.
Reid has also added a context of the political situation Côte d’Ivoire in her note thereby educating the readers. Quoting the translator, Reid- "In the very powerful conclusion of “The Words of the Poet,” she insists upon the value of open-ended stories— myths, legends, oral traditions, testimonies and fictions—that bring us face-to-face with our flawed humanity. My hope is that this translation will make it possible for more readers to follow the paths Tadjo traces, to re-examine the borders of our humanity and the stories—both personal and shared—that shape our understandings of self and other."
Rating: 4.5/5
In the end, our individual and collective lives are defined by the stories we choose or are taught to tell to ourselves about ourselves and about other people with whom we share the world, our world. And it is not just what the stories say or are intended to imply, but what we choose to make of them. Stories do not tell just one thing to all people or even to the same people every time they are told. What the stories mean to us depends to a large extent on our human capacity to embrace values or the truth encoded in them, however unpleasant. And there is never just one story, either. Nor only one truth. No matter how useful we find a particular story at a particular time in our lives, we must acknowledge the possible existence of other stories, each with its own implied truth, some of which may compete with our favourite story, and the truth as we conceive it. We must acknowledge that each story, each truth, including our favourite one, has the potential to make or unmake our world.
A relatively simple story of the exodus of the rebels from Ashanti kingdom led by Princess Pokou mirrors the story of Moses and the river splitting on paving way for people to move to the promised land. In the said story , Comoé river splits / forms a bridge paving way for people after the ultimate sacrifice. The multiple retellings in the book look at Pokou in different aspects - in one she abides by the oracle , in another she defies them and yet in other she is power hungry. It was certainly interesting to see diverse shades of Pokou and how yet again a woman is judged on her ability to conceive. Personally , I enjoy oral folktales and legends , so I enjoyed all of the retellings. The poetic bits added were a fine touch and read very well.
Reid has also added a context of the political situation Côte d’Ivoire in her note thereby educating the readers. Quoting the translator, Reid- "In the very powerful conclusion of “The Words of the Poet,” she insists upon the value of open-ended stories— myths, legends, oral traditions, testimonies and fictions—that bring us face-to-face with our flawed humanity. My hope is that this translation will make it possible for more readers to follow the paths Tadjo traces, to re-examine the borders of our humanity and the stories—both personal and shared—that shape our understandings of self and other."
Rating: 4.5/5
In the end, our individual and collective lives are defined by the stories we choose or are taught to tell to ourselves about ourselves and about other people with whom we share the world, our world. And it is not just what the stories say or are intended to imply, but what we choose to make of them. Stories do not tell just one thing to all people or even to the same people every time they are told. What the stories mean to us depends to a large extent on our human capacity to embrace values or the truth encoded in them, however unpleasant. And there is never just one story, either. Nor only one truth. No matter how useful we find a particular story at a particular time in our lives, we must acknowledge the possible existence of other stories, each with its own implied truth, some of which may compete with our favourite story, and the truth as we conceive it. We must acknowledge that each story, each truth, including our favourite one, has the potential to make or unmake our world.
August 26, 2011
Its a book that recounts the legend of a West African Queen who sacrificed her son to save her people, the Baoule people. It retells the story over and over in different ways. What her action meant to her, what if he didnt sacrifice her son etc. The Story is woven into the framework of eighteenth century West Africa.
It was a beautifully written story that had dream like atmosphere in the legendary times the story it was set in. It was written like a mix of a fable and the great ancient Greek dramas where the supernatural, mythology plays a big role. It was also trying to understand the legendary Queen like she was a real, normal women.
Im impressed by the author and hope her other works are longer, written with the same quality.
It was a beautifully written story that had dream like atmosphere in the legendary times the story it was set in. It was written like a mix of a fable and the great ancient Greek dramas where the supernatural, mythology plays a big role. It was also trying to understand the legendary Queen like she was a real, normal women.
Im impressed by the author and hope her other works are longer, written with the same quality.
July 20, 2020
Partant de la legende de la Reine Pokou, mythe fondateur des Baoule en Cote d'Ivoire , Veronique Tadjo reimagine plusieurs versions de cette histoire afin d'apprehender comment une mere en vient a sacrifier son enfant unique. Elle relie egalement ces histoires a la violence politique recente en Cote d'Ivoire et la question de l'ivoirite. Un petit livre a savourer tant pour son ecriture poetique que pour la reflexion qu'elle propose sur la violence at l'identite.
March 28, 2022
Det här är en riktig legend om en drottning som grundade Baoluéfolket, berättad i åtminstone fem, kanske flera, versioner. Detaljerna ändras men beståndsdelarna är desamma: en drottning och hennes flyende folk når randen av en flod, och måste göra det största av offer för att kunna passera. Det största offret: drottningens eget barn. Moderns reaktioner styr sedan de olika historierna - vad händer om hon vägrar offra sitt barn? Vad händer om hon villigt slänger sin son i floden? Och så vidare.
För att vara en så kort historia lämnade den starkt intryck på mig. Det var fascinerande att se hur författarens språk skiftade mellan de olika versionerna: från en avskalad beskrivning av händelseförloppet till en mycket mer målande bild av en sörjande mor. Ytterst känner jag att den handlar om att försöka förstå en mytisk person, varför hon handlade som hon gjorde i den kontext hon befann sig, och om hur samma berättelse kan tolkas på så många olika sätt. Läsvärd!
För att vara en så kort historia lämnade den starkt intryck på mig. Det var fascinerande att se hur författarens språk skiftade mellan de olika versionerna: från en avskalad beskrivning av händelseförloppet till en mycket mer målande bild av en sörjande mor. Ytterst känner jag att den handlar om att försöka förstå en mytisk person, varför hon handlade som hon gjorde i den kontext hon befann sig, och om hur samma berättelse kan tolkas på så många olika sätt. Läsvärd!
July 30, 2014
The story so far:
In the early 18th century - this must be far back enough to at least semi-qualify as "myth" in official Western history, since wikipedia says that the history of Cote d'Ivoire is "virtually unknown" before 1893 - the country was torn apart by civil war after a dispute over the throne. After having her entire family murdered, Queen Pokuaa or Pokou led her people to a new country, in the process sacrificing her newborn son to the gods so that they might cross a river and escape the soldiers chasing them down. She threw the child in the river, the river parted before them, and the new kingdom was named Baoulé after her cry: "The child is dead!"
And if that story wasn't already familiar-sounding enough, Tadjo transliterates her first name as Abraha.
Reine Pokou: Concerto Pour Un Sacrifice (Queen Pokou: Concerto for a Sacrifice) is a remarkable little 90-page novella. Tadjo starts off by telling the above story in detail over the first 30 pages, giving us the main theme, as it were. Then she picks up her metaphorical tenor sax and starts playing different variations on it; what if, what if, what if? Does it make a difference how everything happened, why it happened, and what happened afterwards? What if the queen went insane from grief? What if the queen said "fuck it" to her people and tried to save her son? What if she refused the sacrifice and stayed to fight? What if they were captured and shipped off to America as slaves? What if they settled in their new home and tried to build a new culture based on the death of an innocent child? Etc etc etc. Change a detail and the entire story takes on a new meaning, from fairytale to all too realistic misery; change every detail and the basic story - a parent sends their only child into death for the sake of an uncertain future - still remains.
The parallels to child soldiers and the wars and political unrest that have torn across Africa are obvious, yet never heavy-handed. In Reine Pokou, Tadjo spins a tale that sketches out both the reasons and the results of the situation, and how interpretations of a foundation myth can make all the difference to who we think we are and should be. And her light touch and poetic language, and the suggestions that things could go differently, only makes it more brutal.
Fact-based fiction as a subjunctive clause.
In the early 18th century - this must be far back enough to at least semi-qualify as "myth" in official Western history, since wikipedia says that the history of Cote d'Ivoire is "virtually unknown" before 1893 - the country was torn apart by civil war after a dispute over the throne. After having her entire family murdered, Queen Pokuaa or Pokou led her people to a new country, in the process sacrificing her newborn son to the gods so that they might cross a river and escape the soldiers chasing them down. She threw the child in the river, the river parted before them, and the new kingdom was named Baoulé after her cry: "The child is dead!"
And if that story wasn't already familiar-sounding enough, Tadjo transliterates her first name as Abraha.
Reine Pokou: Concerto Pour Un Sacrifice (Queen Pokou: Concerto for a Sacrifice) is a remarkable little 90-page novella. Tadjo starts off by telling the above story in detail over the first 30 pages, giving us the main theme, as it were. Then she picks up her metaphorical tenor sax and starts playing different variations on it; what if, what if, what if? Does it make a difference how everything happened, why it happened, and what happened afterwards? What if the queen went insane from grief? What if the queen said "fuck it" to her people and tried to save her son? What if she refused the sacrifice and stayed to fight? What if they were captured and shipped off to America as slaves? What if they settled in their new home and tried to build a new culture based on the death of an innocent child? Etc etc etc. Change a detail and the entire story takes on a new meaning, from fairytale to all too realistic misery; change every detail and the basic story - a parent sends their only child into death for the sake of an uncertain future - still remains.
The parallels to child soldiers and the wars and political unrest that have torn across Africa are obvious, yet never heavy-handed. In Reine Pokou, Tadjo spins a tale that sketches out both the reasons and the results of the situation, and how interpretations of a foundation myth can make all the difference to who we think we are and should be. And her light touch and poetic language, and the suggestions that things could go differently, only makes it more brutal.
Fact-based fiction as a subjunctive clause.
October 27, 2020
This book is based on a famous, ancient Akan myth of a powerful Queen who sacrificed her only child for her realm.
What the author has done is taken this well known lore and breathed a life of its own.
At the core the story remains the same, the mother-child relationship. But when you get to read every possible imaginative scenarios set aflame, the ripple effect is astounding to say the least.
We get the constant retelling of the same story over and over and with each retelling you get a fresh perspective. What if the queen did this? What if she did that? What if she sacrificed herself? Or if she had taken a more selfish route? What if there were other players in the game? What if history was not telling us the truth?
When you read a myth or an ancient lore, you really don't know much about the veracity of the contents, but you are still fascinated by the intricacies woven through the words. Passed on from centuries, building new and old faith, birthing curiosities through them, giving life to unknown people who may or may not have shaped the current reality.
I honestly don't think I have ever read a book like this and I say that in extremely good way. You should totally pick this short book and experience the magic that words can make you feel.
What the author has done is taken this well known lore and breathed a life of its own.
At the core the story remains the same, the mother-child relationship. But when you get to read every possible imaginative scenarios set aflame, the ripple effect is astounding to say the least.
We get the constant retelling of the same story over and over and with each retelling you get a fresh perspective. What if the queen did this? What if she did that? What if she sacrificed herself? Or if she had taken a more selfish route? What if there were other players in the game? What if history was not telling us the truth?
When you read a myth or an ancient lore, you really don't know much about the veracity of the contents, but you are still fascinated by the intricacies woven through the words. Passed on from centuries, building new and old faith, birthing curiosities through them, giving life to unknown people who may or may not have shaped the current reality.
I honestly don't think I have ever read a book like this and I say that in extremely good way. You should totally pick this short book and experience the magic that words can make you feel.
March 30, 2025
“Queen Pokou” by Véronique Tadjo touched me deeply, resonating with my own journey of understanding sacrifice, identity, and strength. Tadjo’s lyrical storytelling vividly brought to life the legendary Queen Pokou, whose courage in the face of impossible choices profoundly moved me.
This beautiful retelling invited me into quiet reflection on the hidden strengths we carry—especially as women—and the subtle ways our decisions shape history and identity. Reading this novel felt personal, almost intimate, as if it whispered gently to the soul, reminding me of my own resilience.
A captivating, poetic meditation on courage, destiny, and the quiet power within each of us.
This beautiful retelling invited me into quiet reflection on the hidden strengths we carry—especially as women—and the subtle ways our decisions shape history and identity. Reading this novel felt personal, almost intimate, as if it whispered gently to the soul, reminding me of my own resilience.
A captivating, poetic meditation on courage, destiny, and the quiet power within each of us.
December 23, 2025
Oh I was surprised by this! I thought it was just going to be another epic/oral folklore written down. And in a way, it is: telling the story of how Reine Pokou sacrificed her only son to ensure safe passage of her tribe across a river. But the book analyses and interprets the story from various angles, through poetry, through transgression. It's a bit fragmented - I think it's easier to think about it as a poem in (mainly) narrative prose form. But it explored the story vividly, how modern political history of the Côte d'Ivoire and an old oral tradition overlap and impact national identity.
May 23, 2020
Fem olika historier - om man ser muikaliskt på det blir det tema med variationer.
Varför stör jag mig på språket? Är det översättningen?
Ämnet är dock mycket intressant.
Inte minst undrar jag över alla kristna myt-referenser...
Varför stör jag mig på språket? Är det översättningen?
Ämnet är dock mycket intressant.
Inte minst undrar jag över alla kristna myt-referenser...
May 14, 2018
SÅ vacker. Kvinna och barn i fokus. Diskuterar moderskap, uppoffring, kärlek, ursprung på ett briljant sätt. Älskar upplägget, idén, språket. Kändes som att den var skriven på svenska.
September 9, 2020
The different retellings of the mythical history of Queen Pokou and the origin of Baoule people is one of its kind. Described by the author as a text so that it surpasses any genres and styles.
March 19, 2010
I read this in French. I'm considering reading it in English too because I'm sure that I missed a lot of important information. The way the book is written is really cool. The author tells the same story about 3 times and changes small details each time, which completely changes the story and the intentions of those involved.
The Enlish version is called Queen Pokou.
The Enlish version is called Queen Pokou.
January 6, 2011
Deceptively short this book, and it isn't really a novel, but rather different stories about the sacrifice of Queen Pokou, the legendary founder of the Baoule state in present day Cote d'Ivoire/Ivory Coast. Basically there are several stories, with different emphases. Quick reads, but deeper than one initially thinks.
January 10, 2021
Veronique Tadjo, in this book, not only re-tells a great legend, but also presents the powerful story in different, but complementing faces.
My thoughts after reading this book? Legend comes alive and takes on many forms.
My thoughts after reading this book? Legend comes alive and takes on many forms.
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April 29, 2013Fiction T1212q 2009
December 15, 2015
This is a beautifully written book, with a fascinating message about how culture can change, grow and improve.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews