A survey of Zulu riddles

Abstract

There are many words for the riddle in Zulu. It is commonly called isiphicophicwano or isiphicwaphicwano, imfumbe, impicabadala, umgandeliso and inggayinggayi. The riddle is described as an indoor game engaged in at night and intended as a social pastime. Riddles are found all over the world. They are common amongst all the Bantu peoples living in the Republic of South Africa and even outside the Republic of South Africa. They have been collected all over Africa, Europe, Asia and America. This is an attempt to study Zulu riddles somewhat more than has been done . Attention is paid to the statement of the riddle called by Harries (1976, p.41) the precedent. He calls the answer , the sequent. A collection of Zulu riddles has been made which has been divided into two sections. Riddles were collected from Radio programmes, books, periodicals and from people interviewed. The scientific approach to the riddles follows different methods i.e. functional, structural and activist method which concentrates on the action involved in riddling. Then the introductory formulae of riddles are explained. The importance of performance and drama during the riddling is elucidated. The place and time of riddling is indicated in order to show the value of riddles to society . An analysis of riddles is made. Firstly, the grammatical analysis is made, and secondly, a structural analysis is undertaken. Under this section it is found that the riddle has descriptive elements which are also regarded as content elements. It is also found that riddles are non-oppositional and oppositional. Under non-oppositional riddles there are literal and metaphorical riddles. Oppositional riddles are characterised by the occurrence of an opposition between at least one pair of descriptive elements. Then in antithetical oppositional riddles one of the elements opposes the other by word or action . In privational oppositional riddles one descriptive element is a denial of logical or natural attribute of the first . In casual oppositional riddles the second element explicitly denies the expected consequence. Stylistically, the riddles show~ the use of ideophones which are an idea-in-sound to express vividness and the repetition of words . The technique of riddling i s explained whereby an animal is replaced by an object , a plant by a human being and vice versa and so on. And finally, the metaphor in riddles is analysed and it is shown that riddles have versions and that there are different riddles for the same referent. The riddles are then classified according to contents, structural analysis and their types. Riddles are then regarded as a form of living tradition and old and new types are shown .Riddles are then regarded as a form of living tradition and old and new types are shown. And in the conclusion the main findings from the study of riddles are given. At the end there is an appendix, a list of Zulu riddles with their translations.