Zulu Oral Systems explores the sophisticated methods precolonial Zulu societies used to preserve their history and govern without written records.
It delves into how structured verbal forms, like praise poems (izibongo), and ritualistic performances, such as the annual First Fruits celebrations (umkhosi), encoded and transmitted crucial knowledge.
The book challenges conventional understandings of pre-literate societies by revealing the depth and complexity of Zulu intellectual traditions, emphasizing that these oral systems were integral to governance and historical preservation.
The study examines specific verbal structures and the ritualistic contexts in which knowledge was enacted.
It argues that these verbal art forms were not mere cultural expressions but vital tools for legitimizing power and maintaining social cohesion.
Zulu Oral Systems progresses by first introducing core concepts, then analyzing verbal forms and ritualistic contexts, and finally integrating these findings to demonstrate the holistic function of oral governance.
This approach provides a unique perspective on how oral traditions functioned within the broader social and political context of precolonial Zulu society.
