The purpose of this study is to trace and describe the form, origin and history of the praise poem ‘Ba Masemola’. This praise poem was included in the volume Seriti sa Thabantsho (1956). In that period, E. M. Ramaila collected and transcribed traditional praise poems of different groups, such as the Bapedi, the Batau, the Mapulana, and others. During his collection, Ramaila urged these groups not to forget their descent and history, and pointed out that these particulars were all brought together in their praise poems. Of the clans that are represented by their praise poems in this volume, only the Batau are discussed in this study. The Batau is a large group that is in its turn divided into five smaller groups, namely the Mphanama, Masemola, Nchabeleng, Makobe and Bakgaditsi groups. From among these smaller units the ‘Ba Masemola’ are selected for closer examination. Among the praise poems about the ‘Ba Masemola’ different kings are praised, for instance Mokwene, Tseke, Mabowe, and others. Not all these poems will be scrutinised, though occasional reference will be made to them. The most important concepts that are discussed in this study are the following: the praise poem, the narrative poem (poem with epic characteristics) and the epic. These genres share certain characteristics, yet also differ from each other. With regards to the content of the poem, several important characters are praised. The foremost figures that are mentioned here are the praise poet, the praised one and the ‘audience’. Their conduct differentiate them from characters found in (other) narratives works. The actions that are described can be divided into two groups, namely those that operate autonomously from other actions, and those that link with other actions. Nevertheless, all these happenings belong to the past. The milieu in this praise poem largely corresponds to that found in the narrative works, mainly because in the traditional settings, the praise poem is a declamatory piece that has several characteristics in common with the stage performance. In the description of the structural composition of this praise poem, a distinction will be made between the poem as literary work and the poem as verse. In the first case the theme, title and structure of the poem will be examined. The description of the structure of ‘Ba Masemola’ entails the different techniques Ramaila employs to carry across his ‘message’ and elucidates his point of view. In the examination of the verse composition, the first emphasis is on metrical principles that govern form, i.e correspondence and co-ordination, and the way in which Ramaila used them is then illuminated. In the stylistic finish of the poem there is a noticeable emotional charge. This can be mentioned as an important quality of the poem, and brings to the fore the bravery and fearlessness of the clan of GaMasemola. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / African Languages / unrestricted

Eiselen (1932: 1) commented that the Black population of South Africa attached a particular religious value to the dolos art. He consequently collected some of the dolos sayings, but did not delve deeper into them. 1932 can hence be considered to be an important year with regard to this genre in the traditional literature of the Bapedi. The aim of this mini-dissertation is to investigate and discuss the design of the traditional dolos sayings in particular, because this research area in Sepedi literature has been neglected. In addition to a discussion of the dolos art, an attempt will be made to also find out what this form of art means to the people concerned. An adapted narratological model will be used for the interpretation of the various sayings; i.e. the content, the compilation and the meaning of the dolos sayings will be discussed. In an investigation of this kind, it is inevitable that attention will also be paid to the praise poem as a commendation. In this case, a distinction between the traditional and the modern forms of this genre is made of necessity. This distinction is based mainly on the fact that the modern praise poem sings the praise of present-day subjects, while kings, heroes, counsellor, animals, different kinds of objects and last but not least, dolosses are extolled in the traditional praise poem. A set of dolosses consists of 42 pieces, four of which are not only important but also indispensable in such a set. They are Moremogolo (male), Selomi (male), Mmakgadi (female) and Selomi (female). When the dolosses are thrown, they land in a specific way. This is called the landing of the dolosses, which is then interpreted and explained by the dolos master. Dolos sayings resort under the traditional praise poem as a separate genre. They are mainly short sayings and are not divided into stanzas. The verse form of the dolos saying by its nature differs from that of the European verse. The form of the dolos saying is, amongst other things, determined by the fact that these sayings never came into being in a written form; they were recitations. For the rest, those verse form principles that characterise them as verses, namely coordination and correspondence, are indeed applied by the reciter. The principle of coordination determines in this case that the caesura divides the dolos saying into 2 or 3 mutually dependent metrical units. The correspondence principle reconciles the various mutually dependent metrical units with one another through an equal number of syllable and length peaks plus the repetition of word stems or words. In the investigation, special attention was paid to the structuring of the dependent metrical units. When long measure repetition is investigated in the stanza of the traditional poem, it is indicated how this form of repetition in the metrical units brings about a solid unit through the repetition of a single word. This means that the lines of poetry inside the stanza are also bound together by this repetition. The important functions of repetition are emphasis and the reinforcement of the core information of the line being repeated. When dependent metrical units are repeated in the dolos saying, it is particularly the last line or a section thereof that is involved in this. At the same time it is a very important characteristic (resp.metre) of the dolos saying. Finally, linking is also looked at in so far as it brings about the second or subsequent line within the stanza. / Dissertation (MA (Sepedi))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / African Languages / unrestricted

Largely based on material recorded during an internationally sponsored inter-university research tour through the Sesotho speaking area of southern Africa in August 2000, this thesis explores the state of the Basotho oral poetry, the dithoko `praise poems', the difela `mine workers' chants' and the diboko `family odes' at the beginning of the 21st century. Unlike the classical dithoko which were inspired by the wars or the battles in which the Basotho fought as well as cannibalism, those composed at the beginning of the 21st century are inspired by socio-economic and political situations of the poets. Lack of wars has resulted in the poets turning the praising to their chiefs and themselves. Changing socio-economic conditions inspired the difela compositions. The diboko though still a living tradition among the rural Basotho are not adhered to by some who are affected by modernism. Performance of the three oral genres has shifted from the natural settings such as the battlefield, working parties, traditional courts, assemblies, etc., to organized annual festivals such as Morija Arts & Cultural Festival which constitute the Basotho's `popular culture'. The subject-matter and themes of the dithoko have shifted from warfare to traditional chiefs, current heroic deeds of the poets, current political situations and religion. The difela are characterized by inclusion of new subject-matter. The diboko still play an important function as carriers of the names of the ancestors, the tribal idiosyncrasy of the clan and the history associated with the clan's establishment. The three Basotho oral genres demonstrate an emergence of a new phenomenon whereby one genre penetrates another, a phenomenon which may be called `migration of texts'. The last chapter explores the insights emanating from the entire research, and discusses suggestions on what should be done to ensure that the Basotho oral genres are maintained and improved. The video footage of the poets recorded at various places of the Free State and Lesotho have contributed to the success of the research. The thesis serves as a contribution to the Basotho's dynamic oral poetry on which scholars will hopefully do further research in the near future. / African Languages / D. Litt et Phil. (African Languages)

Largely based on material recorded during an internationally sponsored inter-university research tour through the Sesotho speaking area of southern Africa in August 2000, this thesis explores the state of the Basotho oral poetry, the dithoko `praise poems', the difela `mine workers' chants' and the diboko `family odes' at the beginning of the 21st century. Unlike the classical dithoko which were inspired by the wars or the battles in which the Basotho fought as well as cannibalism, those composed at the beginning of the 21st century are inspired by socio-economic and political situations of the poets. Lack of wars has resulted in the poets turning the praising to their chiefs and themselves. Changing socio-economic conditions inspired the difela compositions. The diboko though still a living tradition among the rural Basotho are not adhered to by some who are affected by modernism. Performance of the three oral genres has shifted from the natural settings such as the battlefield, working parties, traditional courts, assemblies, etc., to organized annual festivals such as Morija Arts & Cultural Festival which constitute the Basotho's `popular culture'. The subject-matter and themes of the dithoko have shifted from warfare to traditional chiefs, current heroic deeds of the poets, current political situations and religion. The difela are characterized by inclusion of new subject-matter. The diboko still play an important function as carriers of the names of the ancestors, the tribal idiosyncrasy of the clan and the history associated with the clan's establishment. The three Basotho oral genres demonstrate an emergence of a new phenomenon whereby one genre penetrates another, a phenomenon which may be called `migration of texts'. The last chapter explores the insights emanating from the entire research, and discusses suggestions on what should be done to ensure that the Basotho oral genres are maintained and improved. The video footage of the poets recorded at various places of the Free State and Lesotho have contributed to the success of the research. The thesis serves as a contribution to the Basotho's dynamic oral poetry on which scholars will hopefully do further research in the near future. / African Languages / D. Litt et Phil. (African Languages)