Analysis of symbolism and transience in the oral literature of Abagusii of western Kenya

Abstract

It is frequently argued that the oral artist has no control over his material, and, therefore, no raw material to work on since everything is handed down to him/her. Much as the argument may not be dismissed off-hand, we aim to argue that both the language and the content of oral texts are audience and context specific, thus giving the artist some degree of control over and some room to decide—consciously or otherwise—what to say to and do for their audiences. We are further, disputing charges that either disassociate mainstream linguistic devices from modern oral literature, or, worse still, limit stylistic devices to racial or ethnic specificities instead of treating them as part of universal literary parallels. It is therefore important to call into question the meeting point between symbolism and the contexts of performance. The questions we are asking include: What is the nature and role of symbols in the oral literature of Abagusii? Is the use of symbols static or transient? Does transience identify a thread that runs through earlier representations into the contemporary? What is constant and what are the variables? Furthermore, the study is comparative in nature and employs the tenets of the theories of semiotics, phenomenology, hermeneutics and feminism to show that symbolism is prominently present both in the traditional oral literature of Abagusii, and in the community’s modern oral forms, and that while the indigenous forms reflected the traditional order that was based on the stringent hierarchical order that set out strict gender roles, and which was reinforced by a moral order that distinguished good from evil, the contemporary oral literature is influenced by such contemporary influences as Christianity, urbanisation resulting in popular tendencies and more uninhibited lifestyles. Amid the change, however, the old forms remain in the background as some form of cultural/artistic legacy. The study should then lead to further questions on the effect on globalisation as well as new systems of governance on African oral literature