Sabinet | Reclaiming lost ground - the history play in Zulu : research article
n Literator : Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics and Literary Studies - Reclaiming lost ground - the history play in Zulu : research article
Author H.C. Groenewald
Source : Literator : Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics and Literary Studies, Volume 25, Issue 1, Apr 2004, p. 159 - 177
Keyword(s) : Herinnering - retrospektief, Historical drama, Historiese drama, Memory - retrospective, Reconstruction of historical facts, Rekonstruksie van historiese feite, Zoeloe-drama and Zulu drama
Die herwin van verlore waardigheid - die historiese drama in Zoeloe
Hierdie artikel skets kortliks die geskiedenis van Afrikataalletterkundes soos gestimuleer deur sendelinge en gevorm deur Bantoe-onderwys. Teen hierdie agtergrond is die doel van hierdie artikel om te bepaal wat die mikpunt van Zoeloe-dramaturge was in hul aanbieding van historiese feite, foutiewe geskiedenis, sowel as ideologiese sentiment in die skryf van historiese dramas. Is historiese dramas eenvoudig die produkte van skrywers wie se doel dit was om aan &apos;n uitgewer se vereistes te voldoen, naamlik om meer dramas die lig te laat sien? Het skrywers miskien &apos;n opvoedkundige doel gekoester, naamlik om leerders te voorsien van voorgeskrewe stof? Indien die historiese drama egter die rekonstruksie van geskiedenis of herinnering is vir &apos;n spesifieke doel, soos postkoloniale teoretici inderdaad suggereer, is die volgende taak van die artikel om te bepaal wat die aard van sodanige herinnering is en vir watter doel dit daar is. Die historiese dramas sal bespreek word na aanleiding van die volgende temas: UNodumehlezi kaMenzi - Hy wat sittend beroemdheid verwerf, seun van Menzi (Koning Shaka). In hul behandeling van aspekte van Shaka se bewind, word dit duidelik dat skrywers hul leed uitbeeld oor die groot verlies wat die Zoeloe-nasie gely met die verbygaan van die Shaka-era. Die tweede tema wat behandel word, is Izwe lidungekile- Die land is in rep en roer. Die dramas wat hier behandel word, beeld die jammerlike toestand uit waarin die Zoeloes hulself bevind het nadat hulle onderwerp is aan die Britse koninkryk. Hierdie situasie het gelei tot &apos;n onvermydelike keuse, naamlik gewapende opstand. Onder die laaste opskrif, Izwe ngelethu - Die land is ons s&apos;n - sien ons hoe die kwessie van grondbesit behandel word.
This article briefly sketches the history of African-language literatures as initiated by missionaries and formed by Bantu education. Against this background the aim of this article is to establish what the objectives of Zulu dramatists were when they presented historical fact, flawed history, as well as ideological sentiment in their historical plays. Are history plays in Zulu simply the products of writers whose objective was to meet a publisher&apos;s requirements, namely to extend the dramatic genre by writing history plays? Did authors perhaps only have an educational objective, that is, to provide learners with setwork material? If, on the other hand, the history play is the creation of a memory for a specific purpose, as post-colonial theorists suggest, the next objective of this article is to establish what kind of memory Zulu dramatists have created and for what purpose. The history plays will be discussed under the following topics: UNodumehlezi kaMenzi - He who is famous as he sits, son of Menzi (King Shaka). In exploring aspects of Shaka&apos;s rule, it becomes clear that writers express their pain about the great loss the Zulu nation suffered when the Shakan era passed. The second topic treats Izwe lidungekile - The land is in turmoil. The dramas dealt with here vividly depict the pitiful state of the Zulu after their subjugation by the British empire, leading eventually to an inevitable option - armed resistance. The third and last topic, Izwe ngelethu - The land is ours - treats the issue of land.
Persistent Link : http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC61773