num_pages: 241
description: This small volume the fruit of cooperation between an anthropologist and a student of literature reflects a belief that oral narrative might be examined more profitably from the perspective of two disciplines rather than one. Anbd since anthropology and literary studies share a bsic interest in man it seemed that their separate approaches and strategies might be usefully combined to illuminate a common concedrn effectively. The texts studies here have all been collected in the Republic of Malawi and in particular from the Sena Chewa Yao Lomwe Mang'anja and Tumbuka people all members of the Bantu-speaking group who live in fairly close proximity to one another though in some cases as their map shows (pg. i8) beyond Malawi's modern borders in neighbouring countries such as Zambia and Mozambique. Contents include : 1. The Beginnings of Life and the Causes of Eternal Death. 2. Religious and Kinship Institutions. 3. Chieftaincy. 4. Celestial Bodies and Water Symbols. 5. The Origin of Diseases. 6. Witchcraft and Sorcery. 7. Suitors. 8. Husbands and Wives. 9. Parents and Children. 10. Brothers and Sisters. 11. Man and Beast. Dr. Matthew Schoffeleers came to Malawi as a missionary in 1955. After having served in a number of rural parishes he went for further studies to Kinshasa and then to Oxford where he obtained a doctorate in Social Anthropology. He taught at the University of Malawi from 1971 to 1975 and then the Free University in Amsterdam. He has published widely on Malawian history and culture. Professor Adrian Roscoe worked and studied in Britain Nigera Canada Kenya the U.S. and Malawi and has published widely on African literature.
language: English
title: Land of Fire: Oral Literature from Malawi
publisher: Popular Publications