Songs by Female Diviner Initiates from Zwelibomvu in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: A Response to Patriarchal Abuse in their Society

Indigenous societies that are steeped in patriarchy have various avenues through which they deal with the abuse characteristic of relations in some of these communities. One such route is songs which allow women to voice that which, bound by societal expectations, they would not normally be able to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Folklore (London) Vol. 130; no. 1; pp. 60 - 80
Main Author:	Zondi, Nompumelelo B.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Abingdon Routledge 02-01-2019 Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:	Domestic violence Females Folklore Narratives Native music Native peoples Patriarchy Personal experiences Power Songs Women South Africa KwaZulu-Natal Province South Africa
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Indigenous societies that are steeped in patriarchy have various avenues through which they deal with the abuse characteristic of relations in some of these communities. One such route is songs which allow women to voice that which, bound by societal expectations, they would not normally be able to say. This article presents the cases of several young female diviner initiates in Zwelibomvu, KwaZulu-Natal who have experienced different forms of abuse. These initiates, under the guise of being possessed and through songs that are supported by personal-experience narratives, open up about the ordeals they suffer under patriarchal power in their families.
ISSN:	0015-587X 1469-8315
DOI:	10.1080/0015587X.2018.1513176