Tswanavolksverhaal

Abstract

Daar is verskeie wetenskaplike benaderingswyses tot die studie van volksverhale. Die benaderingswyses wat spesifiek op die inherente kenmerke van die volksverhaal betrekking het, is: (ii die strukturele; (ii) mondeling-formalistiese; en (iii) literere benaderingswyses. In hierdie studie is die Tswanavolksverhaal vanuit 'n kombinasie van bogenoemde benaderingswyses bestudeer, maar met die klem op die literere benaderingswyse. Die Rolongsprekende stamme is relatief verafgelee en het derhalwe minder kulturele beinvloeding ondergaan. Hierdie feit is onderliggend die rede vir die keuse van Serolong, een van die sentrale dialekte, as die dialek waarop die teoretiese raamwerke toegepas is. Die belangrikste onderskeidende kenmerk van die volksverhaal, is die mondelinge aard daarvan. Dit word naamlik rnondeling van die een geslag na die volgende oorgedra. In hierdie proses speel die voordraer 'n belangrike rol. Hy maak veral van sy taal en liggaam gebruik om gestalte aan die verhaal te gee. Sekere woordkategoriee, sinstrukture asook stemmodulasie is die vernaamste taalkundige elemente wat in die voordrag van 'n verhaal voorkom. Daar is tot op hede nog geen wetenskaplik-verantwoorde studie oor die volksverhaal gedoen nie. So 'n studie kan 'n bydrae lewer tot die taal-, letterkundige en kulturele opvoeding van die betrokke volk. In hierdie studie word die volksverhaal bestudeer as 'n onderafdeling van prosa en word derhalwe geevalueer aan die hand van die algemene norme wat vir die epiek in die algemeen geld. Die boustene waaruit 'n volksverhaal saamgestel is, word verdeel in twee groepe, naarnlik kwantitatiwe en kwalitatiewe bonstene. Die kwantitatiewe boustene is woorde, refeine, openings- en slotformules en sinne. Refreine en openings- en slotformules is twee boustene wat tiperend is van die volksverhaal. Die kwalitatiewe boustene is tyd, ruimte, perspektief, karakters en gebeure. Die mees uilstaande kenmerk van bogenoemde is die gebeurestruktuur van die volksverhaal. Die Tswanavolksverhaal word bestudeer volgens die riglyne deur Propp neergele in sy stukturele benadering van volksverhale. Hiervolgens word 'n verhaal opgebou uit 'n hele aantal kleiner boustene wat as "handelinge" getipeer word. Hierdie handelinge, handelingsformules en handelingsopeenvolgings vorm 'n beweging en een of meer bewegings vorm 'n verhaal.

There are several scientific approaches to the study of folk-tale. The approaches that deal specifically with the inherent features of the folk-tale are: (j_) the structural; (ii) oral-formalistic; and (iii) literary. This thesis deals with the Tswana folk-tale from a combined viewpoint of the abovementioned approaches, with the main stress on the literary approach. Serolong, one of the central dialects of Setswana, is chosen for the application of the theoretical framework. The choice was mainly affected by the fact that the Rolongspeaking tribes are a reasonable distance away from other cultures and have therefore been less influenced by them. The major distinctive characteristic of the folktale is that it is produced orally by the performer. He or she plays a major part in the performance of the folk-tale. The performer uses mainly his language and body to comununicate the folk-tale. Certain word categories (ideophones, interjections), sentence structures and the modulation of the voice are the main linguistic elements that a performer applies in performing a folk-tale. Certain parts of the body are also used to assist the performer with his performance. Up to the present nobody has completed a scientific study of the Tswana folk-tale. The language, literature and the culture of the Tswana tribe can only benefit from such a study. The Tswana folk-tales are studied as prose and are analysed according to those criteria. The elements which form a folk-tale are therefore divided into two groups namely the quantitative and qualitative elements. Quantitative elements are words, refrains, opening and closing formulae and sentences. Refrains and the opening and closing formulae are two of the quantitative elements that are characteristic of the folk-tale. The qualitative elements are time, space, character, plot and viewpoint:. The most outstanding feature of them all is the plot-structure of the folk-tale. It is ana]ysed according to the structural viewpoint laid down by Vladimir Propp. This model of Propp serves as a valid system for the analysis of the Tswana folk-tale. According to this model the plot structure is composed of small units called functions. Functions, function-formulae and function sequences constitute a movement and one or more of these form a folk-tale.