The Form and Meaning of Otjiherero Praises

Author: Jekura Uaurika Kavari. Series edited by: Wilhelm J.G. Möhlig †.

Series: WK Verbal Art and Documentary Literature in African Languages Volume 14

Otjiherero (Guthrie G.31) is a South Western Bantu language , spoken mainly in Namibia and bordering parts of Botswana and Angola. The present study investigates the form, content and socio-cultural context of Otjiherero praise literature, a hitherto rather neglected genre of oral poetry. Praise poetry is usually embedded in the performance of other genres, like dances, songs, dirges, ceremonies, addresses to ancestors, speeches, folktales, modern literature and modern music.

Almost anything can be the focus of praising, from living persons and revered ancestors, wild animals, livestock, landscape features up to inanimate objects and institutions like the Otjiherero radio service. Praises are a ubiquitous genre that is highly regarded and deeply cherished by the community.

The analysis centers on how information is distributed in praise texts and how the information status shapes the structure and meaning of the praise, exploring how experience, facts and imagination are transformed and linguistically organised by the poet.

The first part of the book consists of an overview which defines the genre of praise poetry, explains its use in the community and outlines the sources of praises. The second part contains analyses and interpretations of praise texts, followed by a conclusion. The appendix contains an extensive textual documentation, consisting of transcripts of the Otjiherero praise performances and their English translations.

Under these links you will find further studies of language, culture and the history of the Hereros and of other Namibian ethnic groups:

Accompanying material:

• “We Thought we would be Free ...” (ISBN 978-3-89645-057-9)
• A Grammatical Sketch of Herero (Otjiherero) (ISBN 978-3-89645-044-9)
• Bridging the Language Gap (ISBN 978-3-89645-890-2)
• People, Cattle and Land (ISBN 978-3-89645-363-1)
• Reference Grammar of Herero (Otjiherero) (ISBN 978-3-89645-602-1)

Cross-reference:

• „Derjenige, der sich selbst erschaffen hat …“ (ISBN 978-3-89645-283-2)
• A Dictionary of the Rumanyo Language (ISBN 978-3-89645-601-4)
• Catalogue of the Khoisan Folktales of Southern Africa (ISBN 978-3-89645-870-4)
• Die südafrikanische Militärverwaltung (1915–1920) und die frühe Mandatszeit (1920–1936) in der Kavango-Region / Namibia (ISBN 978-3-89645-360-0)
• Frühe Kolonialgeschichte Namibias, 1880–1930 (ISBN 978-3-89645-058-6)
• Konzeptualisierung von Landschaft im Mbukushu (K.333/K.43) Bantusprache in Nord-Namibia) (ISBN 978-3-89645-600-7)
• Narrations of the Kavango (ISBN 978-3-89645-279-5)
• San and the State (ISBN 978-3-89645-357-0)
• The Kavango Peoples in the Past (ISBN 978-3-89645-353-2)
• The Mbukushu in Angola (ISBN 978-3-89645-350-1)

© 2024 by Rüdiger Köppe Verlag – www.koeppe.de

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