Karanga Mythology

Book excerpt: Newly reissued, this remains a rare work on the systems of interpretation and meaning, mythological traditions and realities of the Karanga people in Zimbabwe. The author considers the Karanga's cosmology, as a system of psychological and biological expressions, and in relation to mythological feeling and thinking. Topics covered include: creation myths; mythologies of the symbols of life and death; incest and marriage problems; forbidden sexual intercourse; pregnancy and birth; mythology as experienced reality; the mythology of an image of god; and the mythology of the night. Further cultural sources drawn on are Shona proverbs, which are to some extent included in the work. Throughout the study, the author aims to apply appropriate African, rather than narrowly Western, systems of interpretation and analysis to his material.