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
Results 1-3 of 73
... marriage establishes a pillar for a woman , whose nature is to lean on a man . That is why you must marry . Now , as for Vel'ekhaya , we want him to be the master of ceremonies at the wedding . He'll know everything that occurs when you ...
... marriage arrange- ment , to marry her properly , formally and truly . When she returned to her home of birth , many things were done . The father had told his wife , " Prepare the marriage things for our daughter . ' So that appropriate ...
... marriage ceremony included all those things , all the cattle . But in spite of what had already been done , the actual marriage was not yet complete . " Now the gelding of a goat must be taken , so that the real marriage can take place ...
Contents
The Art of the Storyteller | 7 |
Masithathu Zenani on Storytelling | 19 |
Tales | 27 |
Copyright | |
16 other sections not shown