The World and the Word: Tales and Observations from the Xhosa Oral TraditionA master storyteller of the Xhosa people of South Africa, Nongenile Masithathu Zenani gives us an unprecedented view of an oral society from within. Twenty-four of her complex and beautiful tales about birth, puberty, marriage, and work, as told to the renowned collector of African oral tradition, Harold Scheub, are gathered here. Accompanying the stories are Zenani’s detailed commentaries and analyses and Scheub’s striking photographs of her in performance. The combination of these historical and cultural observations with a richly symbolic collection of tales from a single traditional storyteller make The World and the Word a remarkable document. |
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... Vel'ekhaya , who was older now , had something he wanted to say about this matter of the young woman's suitors . He said , " My sister [ that is , his mother ] cannot marry , because I am here ! My sister must remain here at home ...
... Vel'ekhaya . But now you're arguing that your sister cannot marry , and that argument I cannot accept , Child of my daughter . ' Then Vel'ekhaya said , " No , Grandfather , I didn't know that you would ever agree that my sister should ...
... Vel ́ekhaya must be the master of ceremonies , so that he might know how to keep the rules . Vel'ekhaya agreed to this . He became the master of ceremonies . He went to negotiate on behalf of his mother . Because he was the negotiator ...
Contents
The Art of the Storyteller | 7 |
Masithathu Zenani on Storytelling | 19 |
Tales | 27 |
Copyright | |
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