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. |
From inside the book
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... fellow raised his arm , the frog said , " No ! I'm not a frog , I'm not a frog to be beaten ! But I am a frog . I'm pregnant , I'm pregnant with Mvulazana , Her mother and father's daughter . " This fellow began to cry when he heard the ...
... fellow said , " No , really , why is it that they seem to come after each other in birth ? Why does it seem as if they were borne by this woman ? " The man said , " No , they were not both borne by this woman . It's be- cause they look ...
... fellow ate his roots , eight of them . Again , his wife said , " Ee , Sobani ! Why is it that your roots don't ... fellow took his cattle out to the veld , leaving his family behind , hungry . They had to resort to drinking milk . This ...
Contents
The Art of the Storyteller | 7 |
Masithathu Zenani on Storytelling | 19 |
Tales | 27 |
Copyright | |
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