Welcome to this literary exploration of one of the distinct voices in early twentieth-century West African poetry: Gladys May Casely Hayford. Writing also under her pen name, Aquah Laluah, Casely Hayford was born in 1904 in Axim, located in what was then the Gold Coast, modern-day Ghana. She was raised in a prominent intellectual family. Her father, J.E. Casely Hayford, was a leading Pan-Africanist lawyer and author, while her mother, Adelaide Smith Casely Hayford, was a pioneer Sierra Leonean educator and advocate for women's rights.
Educated in Wales and having traveled across Europe, Gladys May Casely Hayford eventually returned to West Africa to teach literature and folklore in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Her poetry gained recognition across the Atlantic, catching the attention of prominent figures in the Harlem Renaissance. In 1927, her poem "Nativity" was included in Countee Cullen's landmark anthology, Caroling Dusk: An Anthology of Verse by Negro Poets.
"Nativity" offers a complete reimagining of the birth of Jesus Christ, transplanting the sacred biblical narrative from ancient Judea directly into a West African setting. By replacing European religious iconography with local textiles, indigenous flora, and ancestral spirits, Casely Hayford created a work that asserts cultural dignity and universal human connection.
Here is the verbatim text of "Nativity" by Gladys May Casely Hayford.
Within a native hut, ere stirred the dawn,
Unto the Pure One was an Infant born.
Wrapped in blue lappah that his mother dyed,
Laid on his father's home-tanned deer-skin hide,
The babe still slept by all things glorified.Spirits of black bards burst their bonds and sang,
"Peace upon earth" until the heavens rang.
All the black babies who from earth had fled,
Peeped through the clouds, then gathered round His head,
Telling of things a baby needs to do,
When first he opens his eyes on wonders new;
Telling Him that to sleep was sweeter rest,
All comfort came from His black mother's breast.Their gifts were of Love caught from the springing sod,
Whilst tears and laughter were the gifts of God.
Then all the wise men of the past stood forth,
Filling the air East, West, and South and North;
And told him of the joys that wisdom brings
To mortals in their earthly wanderings.The children of the past shook down each bough,
Wreathed Frangepani blossoms for His brow;
They put pink lilies in His mother's hand,
And heaped for both the first fruits of the land.
His father cut some palm fronds that the air
Be coaxed to zephyrs while He rested there.Birds trilled their hallelujahs; and the dew
Trembled with laughter till the babe laughed too.
All the black women brought their love so wise,
And kissed their motherhood into his mother's eyes.
"Nativity" transforms a familiar sacred story by grounding it in West African material culture and community life. From the opening lines, Casely Hayford establishes a setting that is tender and localized. Rather than a stable in Bethlehem, the birth occurs inside a "native hut" before dawn.
The conventional swaddling clothes and manger are replaced by items tied to local craft and family care. The child is wrapped in a "blue lappah that his mother dyed" and laid upon his father's "home-tanned deer-skin hide." The lappah, a traditional West African dyed wrap garment, highlights maternal labor and artistry, while the tanned hide reflects fatherly protection and craft.
As the poem progresses, the heavenly host takes on a distinct ancestral character. Instead of European-style angelic choirs, the poet introduces the "Spirits of black bards"—the traditional storytellers and historians—who break their bonds to sing peace upon the earth. Departed Black infants act as gentle spirit guardians surrounding the newborn, offering practical advice about being a infant and reassuring Him that primary comfort rests in His mother's care.
The gifts brought to the infant also diverge from biblical gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Instead, wise men of the past offer guidance for life's journey, while the children present offerings from the tropical landscape: frangipani blossoms, pink lilies, and the first fruits of the earth. The father takes a direct, practical role in nurturing the space, cutting palm fronds to fan the air into gentle breezes.
In the final lines, nature joins in the celebration through bird song and laughing dew. The poem concludes with a focused tribute to female solidarity: "All the black women brought their love so wise, / And kissed their motherhood into his mother's eyes." Motherhood is presented here not as an isolated experience, but as a shared communal bond.
Technically, Casely Hayford uses rhyming couplets and triplets with a simple, regular meter reminiscent of a lullaby. The diction is accessible, allowing the sensory details—the blue cloth, fragrant blossoms, and palm leaves—to take priority.
Written during a period when colonial European art dominated religious representation in West Africa, "Nativity" carried significant cultural weight. By placing Black figures and West African landscapes at the center of a sacred narrative, Gladys May Casely Hayford offered a clear affirmation of local identity and artistic independence.
Backgrounder Notes
Here are backgrounders and definitions for key historical, cultural, and literary concepts mentioned in the text:
J. E. Casely Hayford A prominent Ghanaian journalist, lawyer, and politician, he was a pivotal figure in early 20th-century Pan-Africanism and West African nationalism. His 1911 work Ethiopia Unbound is widely recognized as one of the earliest African novels published in English.
Adelaide Smith Casely Hayford A Sierra Leonean Creole educator, writer, and feminist pioneer, she dedicated her life to advancing African women's education and cultural pride. In 1923, she founded the Vocational School for Girls in Freetown to empower young women through technical skills and indigenous arts.
The Gold Coast A British crown colony established along the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, which existed from 1821 until achieving independence in 1957. Upon gaining sovereignty, the nation renamed itself Ghana, becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to break from European colonial rule.
Harlem Renaissance An intellectual, social, and artistic movement centered in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s that celebrated Black creative expression and identity. It cultivated vital transatlantic literary connections, bridging African American writers with contemporaries across Africa and the Caribbean.
Caroling Dusk: An Anthology of Verse by Negro Poets (1927) Edited by prominent poet Countee Cullen, this landmark poetry anthology was compiled to showcase the technical skill and thematic breadth of Black writers. Its inclusion of international voices helped introduce West African writers like Casely Hayford to an international audience.
Lappah A traditional, versatile wrap garment worn primarily across West Africa, typically fashioned from vibrant, hand-dyed, or patterned fabric. Beyond its practical use, the cloth carries cultural significance, reflecting local craft traditions, social identity, and maternal artistry.
Black Bards (Griots) A reference to West Africa’s traditional oral historians, storytellers, and praise singers—commonly known as griots—who preserve community genealogies and cultural memory through song and narrative. In the context of the poem, these figures represent the elevation of Indigenous African oral tradition to a sacred status.
