African diviner-healers and oral performance: a perspective on Sepedi divination
Divination is receiving ever more attention in the media. Communities, groups of people and individuals are asking questions, voicing opinions, and making judgements on the function of this important branch of African life and philosophy. This paper investigates African oracle-speech as a typical g...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of the Free State
2004-04-01
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| Series: | Acta Academica |
| Online Access: | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/article/view/819 |
| _version_ | 1797271000639864832 |
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| author | Mogomme Masoga Phillip Nel Mohlomi Moleleki |
| author_facet | Mogomme Masoga Phillip Nel Mohlomi Moleleki |
| author_sort | Mogomme Masoga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Divination is receiving ever more attention in the media. Communities, groups of people and individuals are asking questions, voicing opinions, and making judgements on the function of this important branch of African life and philosophy. This paper investigates African oracle-speech as a typical genre of oral poetry. In short, it argues that the African diviner-healer (ngaka) becomes an oral performer, employing some of his or her clan praises (among other dynamics of orality) during the divinatory process. The data on African divination oracles drawn from interviews with diviners is provided and analysed in terms of theories of orality.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T04:43:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b8d14d3a00074f959dcd80114ddc46cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0587-2405 2415-0479 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T02:13:12Z |
| publishDate | 2004-04-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Academica |
| spelling | doaj.art-b8d14d3a00074f959dcd80114ddc46cc2024-03-07T11:13:46ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Academica0587-24052415-04792004-04-01361African diviner-healers and oral performance: a perspective on Sepedi divinationMogomme Masoga0Phillip Nel1Mohlomi Moleleki2National Research Foundation (NRF)University of the Free StateUniversity of the Free State Divination is receiving ever more attention in the media. Communities, groups of people and individuals are asking questions, voicing opinions, and making judgements on the function of this important branch of African life and philosophy. This paper investigates African oracle-speech as a typical genre of oral poetry. In short, it argues that the African diviner-healer (ngaka) becomes an oral performer, employing some of his or her clan praises (among other dynamics of orality) during the divinatory process. The data on African divination oracles drawn from interviews with diviners is provided and analysed in terms of theories of orality. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/article/view/819 |
| spellingShingle | Mogomme Masoga Phillip Nel Mohlomi Moleleki African diviner-healers and oral performance: a perspective on Sepedi divination Acta Academica |
| title | African diviner-healers and oral performance: a perspective on Sepedi divination |
| title_full | African diviner-healers and oral performance: a perspective on Sepedi divination |
| title_fullStr | African diviner-healers and oral performance: a perspective on Sepedi divination |
| title_full_unstemmed | African diviner-healers and oral performance: a perspective on Sepedi divination |
| title_short | African diviner-healers and oral performance: a perspective on Sepedi divination |
| title_sort | african diviner healers and oral performance a perspective on sepedi divination |
| url | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/article/view/819 |
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