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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... looked intently at her ; he looked at this child of his . He looked at her and cried . The child asked , " Father , why are you crying ? " " No , it's nothing , my child . It's 62 Part One : Birth.
... looked and looked . She found a pumpkin , and she picked it . She took it home and worked at it . She worked with this pumpkin ; she worked with it . She cooked it ; she ground it into meal and poured it out . She let it simmer , then ...
... looked carefully , going to the places where the man usually herded the cattle . Then she saw him — and she noted that he was looking around . He was looking around furtively . He ran then and disappeared in a cave . The woman came away ...
Contents
The Art of the Storyteller | 7 |
Masithathu Zenani on Storytelling | 19 |
Tales | 27 |
Copyright | |
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