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The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga
Series: World Literature in Translation
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Check link for latest rating. ( 31 ratings, 5 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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This book is ideal for scholars of African literature, anthropology, folklore, and those interested in oral traditions and cultural studies.
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
The feats of the hero Mwindo are glorified in this epic work, sung and narrated in a Bantu language and acted out by a member of the Nyanga tribe in the remote forest regions of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Beautifully structured and richly poetic, the epic is in prose form, interspersed with song and proverbs in verse. As an example of the classic tradition of oral folk literature, the tale provides profound insights into the social structure, values, and cosmology of this African people.
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Praised as a must-read for students of African literature by Jan Vansina in American Anthropologist, the book is recognised as a work of art appealing to literary critics, Africanists, and general readers alike. Reviews highlight its rich content and diverse literary forms, describing it as a macrocosm of Nyanga culture and a classic of African oral tradition. Research in African Literature and the Canadian Journal of African Studies commend its anthropological and poetic significance.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780520379800
Publisher: University of California Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 19 January 2021
Country: United States
Imprint: University of California Press
Contributors:
- Edited by Daniel Biebuyck
- Edited by Kahombo C. Mateene
Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 18.0mm
Width: 127.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 181g
Pages: 168
About the Author
Daniel BiebuyckΒ was H. Rodney Sharp Professor of Anthropology and the Humanities at the University of Delaware.
Kahombo C. MateeneΒ wasΒ Head of the Division of Language Policy of the Organization of African Unity / Center for Linguistic and Historical Studies by Oral Tradition.
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