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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... knobkerries of the boys have been left behind here in the house , the girls sometimes take these weapons and pound each other with them . The knobkerries are sticks of wood which have been handsomely crafted , so that there is a portion ...
... knobkerries as blows fall on heads , the ribs being hit by varieties of offensive weapons . The home owner comes out then and goes to other men , neighbors of his , telling them of the " Boys over there at home ! They're involved in an ...
... knobkerries , the defen- sive sticks . They take from the girls some small blankets for cushioning . Then they depart . It is clear where they are to meet . They appear in a certain order : " The wing should be held by someone who's ...
Contents
The Art of the Storyteller | 7 |
Masithathu Zenani on Storytelling | 19 |
Tales | 27 |
Copyright | |
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