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- Permanent Link:
- http://digital.soas.ac.uk/LSMD000437/00001
Material Information
- Title:
- Swahili Tales-Vol. II (B) (MS 54343b)
- Series Title:
- Taylor Papers : Swahili Tales
- Creator:
- [s.n.]
- Publication Date:
- circa 1880 AD (circa 1297 A.H.)
- Language:
- Swahili
- Materials:
- Paper ( medium )
- Technique:
- Handwritten manuscript : Small bound volume (second one) with green cover, handwritten with black ink
Notes
- Abstract:
- This is part B of MS 54343 that, like the previous part, contains a collection of short stories (hadithi), proverbs and songs. Some of the hadithi contained here can be found in the Hichens collection (MS 193290), in typed version. On the first page there is a list of East African insects. The manuscript provides an Index to the stories with page numbers. The MS has been page numbered by Taylor. The stories were given to Taylor by Hamidi bin Muhammad and Jumaa bin Mbwana and they were transcribed by Taylor’s two main teachers, Mwalimu Sikujua and Bwana Hemedi. Among the literary material, there are also oral historical accounts of Mombasa and Unguja (p.79), that are referred as ‘maneno ya kweli’ (lit. true words i.e. historical facts). For instance, at page 29, there is an account of the town of Manda that it is now in ruins. And at page 50, there is a long account of the Mazrui dynasty. From page 61, the stories, songs, and proverbs are not listed in the initial Index. The list is as follow: - Hadithi ya Bwaratumu p.61 - Hadithi ya Harun Rashid p.63 - Kisa cha Mtu aliyekuwa na Mkewe na Dura wakwe p.69 - Hadithi ya Mwenye Kombo na Hamadi bin Jumaa p.72 - Hadithi ya Juhha aliyeitwa Mahammudu p.75 - Maneno ya kweli. Hadithi ya Mabruk bin Khamis na Mohammad bin Afwa p.78 - Hadithi ya watu wa Unguja p.79 - Hadithi ya Ahmad bin Mohammed (Paukwa na Kawa) p.100 - Nyimbo za watoto wakiteza siku kuu p. 134 - Hadithi ya Masikini p. 135 - Hadithi ya Sultani p. 138 - Nyimbo p. 143 It was not possible to describe all stories therefore the cataloguers have chosen to give details about one entitled ‘Kisa cha Sultani na waziri wakwe’ [wake]. The story is based on the Swahili traditional belief that among two people there is always one who has good intention (nia njema) but considered to be a fool, and another person who has a more clever and tricky mind but who is considered to be with bad intention. The story narrates of a Sultan who is advised by his minister to seize someone’s fruit plantation that has very juicy fruits. But, when the Sultan tries the squeeze the fruits no juice come out, so the Sultan does not want to seize the plantation anymore. Then, the fruits become juicy again, which metaphorically means that when there was the bad intention of seizing the plantation the fruits stopped producing juice, whereas when there was the good intention of leaving the land to its owner, the fruits produced a lot of juice. ( en )
- General Note:
- Date of Composition: circa 1880 AD (circa 1297 A.H.)
- General Note:
- Languages: Swahili (Roman script)
- General Note:
- Dialects: KiMvita
- General Note:
- Extent: 150 leaves
- General Note:
- Purchased from Kegan Paul, 3 March 1948
- General Note:
- Incipit: Written from dictation by W E Taylor. Hadithi ya Bwana Jumaa bin Mbwana. Mombasa, March 25 1882
- General Note:
- See SOAS University of London manuscripts MS 193290 (Hichens collection)
- General Note:
- An index of stories exists
- General Note:
- Africa -- Eastern Africa -- Kenya -- Mombasa County -- Mombasa
- General Note:
- Publication information: Taylor, W. 1932. A Swahili tale in the dialect of Mombasa. Afrika und Ubersee, 24:1-14
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- SOAS University of London
- Holding Location:
- Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- This item is believed to be in the public domain
- Resource Identifier:
- MS 54343 ( SOAS manuscript number )
MS 54343b ( SOAS manuscript number )
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