Oral Poetry from Africa
Two war songs relating to King Mphande, Zulu king (1840–72), (see Praises of King Mphande). Half-brother to both Shaka (1816–28) and Dingane (1828–40), Mphande was regarded as too weak to be a threat when Dingane assassinated Shaka in 1828 and seized the throne.
He was rejected by Ndhlela
He was rejected…
Another set of izibongo praises for King Mphande (Zulu king from 1840–1872 and half-brother to both Shaka and Dingane, see also Praises of King Mphande Zulu), recorded by E.W. Grant in the mid-1920s.
Here are the praises of Mpande of Noziqubo,
Umamiude who appeared by the head-crest…
Mphande kaSenzangakhona, Zulu king (1840–72), was half-brother to both Shaka (1816–28) and Dingane (1828–40). When Dingane assassinated Shaka in 1828, and seized the throne, Mphande survived the general massacre of Senzangakona’s descendants, a sign of Dingane’s contempt. But after Dingane’s catastrophic defeat by the Boers in 1838, Mphande took his revenge.
Mdayi make reply to the land across:
Who is he that can dare to summon Mdayi?…
One variety of praise poetry common across Africa are praises for one’s own clan. The Shumba Murambwi praise poem celebrates the ancestors and lineage of a Shona clan from Zimbabwe. Whilst recorded by Hodza in 1985, many of the allusions to events, personages and places within this poem are provided by Alec Pongweni from his fascinating book The Oral Traditions of the Shona People of Zimbabwe.
Thank you, The Rejected One
Thank you, the Lion…
The Basotho have been selling their labour to South Africa first on the railways, then in the diamond mines of Kimberley and the gold mines of Johannesburg since the days when Moshoeshoe successfully repulsed attempts to absorb his mountain kingdom.
We came to the railway magistrate;
We came and asked him where our deserters’ train was…
Lithoko are praise poems from Lesotho, which is today a landlocked country surrounded by South Africa. These may be sung to praise chiefs such as Moshoeshoe the founder of the Sotho kingdom, there are also, lithoko tsa makoloane, praises performed at initiation rites and lithoko tsa bafo, the praises of male commoners.
Be quiet and listen to celebration,
Mixed with cries of weeping…
