Myths and Legends of the Bantu

by Alice Werner

IN the 19th C. BANTU was the generally accepted name for those natives of South Africa (the great majority) who are neither Hottentots nor Bushmen-that is to say, mainly, the Zulus, Xosas, Basuto, and Bechuana -to whom may be added the Thongas (Shangaans) of the Delagoa Bay region and the people of (then Southern Rhodesia, now) Zimbabwe. Southern Africa consists of 13 sovereign states and covers an area of approximately 9,276 million kilometres². By comparison the USA is 9,826 million kilometres². Abantu is the Zulu word for 'the people' (in Sesuto batho, and in Herero ovandu) which was adopted by Bleek, at the suggestion of Sir George Grey, as the name for the great family of languages now known to cover practically the whole southern half of Africa. But to speak of a 'Bantu race' is misleading. The Bantu-speaking peoples vary greatly in physical some of them hardly differ from some of the 'Sudanic'-speaking Negroes of West Africa, while others show a type which has been accounted for by a probable 'Hamitic' invasion from the north. It is needless to say that they come with a plethora of myths and legends. Some adapted and modified from others and some entirely home-grown. Within these 438 pages you will find 20 chapters filled with almost 200 stories selected from across Southern Africa - of prophets, doctors, witches, chameleons, the legend of Ngeketo, baboons, the Zulu Tokoloshe, Sikulokobuzuka, the road and the climb to heaven, the daughter of the Sun and the Moon, half-men, avengers of blood, the African Brer rabbit, frogs, war and death, lightning birds, cannibals, jackals, ogres, how the leopard got his spots, were-wolves, tortoises and lions and the practical jokes they played on each other; and many, many more to keep a young audience captivated for hours. While this volume contains the, sometimes, quaint, unusual and certainly entertaining myths and legends of the native peoples of Southern Africa, it also contains sufficient sources, referential material and explanatory notes to satisfy serious students and academics alike. 33% of the net profit from the sale of this book will be donated to the Westville Boys High Scholarship fund for gifted but underprivileged South Africans.

Genres: Mythology, Africa, Religion

440 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 1968

About the author

Alice Werner was a writer, poet and teacher of the Bantu languages.

Reviews

[André Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid stories but awful formatting.

[Becky Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outdated language aside, this is a great collection of myths and fairy tales from the African continent. I do wish the author had refrained from attempting to rationalise certain actions taken by the characters. In myths, not everything needs an explanation. I would love to see a more modern rendering of this but as a collection à la Aesop, Grimm, Mother Goose, et al. The stories themselves are brilliant even with piglet the anthropological notes.

[Edward Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is from the 1930s, so obviously it's full of racist and colonialist nonsense. But the myths are recounted in pretty straightforward fashion, and their sources reasonably well documented, so it's not that bad as a first source, so long as one follows it up with more recent scholarship. The Kindle edition isn't pretty, completely devoid of formatting, but someone at least put the footnotes into brackets to distinguish them from the rest of the text.

[Chronics · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not particularly informative of east and southern African stories with today's knowledge but helpful in understanding the European mindset of the time towards Africa, its people, history and traditions.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an Africana classic and fascinating collection of stories and tales from throughout Africa. I am now the proud owner of a first edition.