Collections of Buddhist legends compiled at various dates in several countries; the oldest and most complete has 547 stories. They were collected before AD 400.
They give an account of previous incarnations of the Buddha, and the verse sections of the text form part of the Buddhist canon. The Jataka stories were one of the sources of inspiration for the fables of Aesop.
Green represents fertility. Yellow stands for sunshine. Black recalls the people's African origins. Red symbolizes the struggle for liberty. Effective date: 19 September 1983.