Traditions, Tales and Proverbs of the Bali-Nyonga

Der vorliegende Band enthält eine Sammlung oraler Traditionen: Geschichten, Sprichwörter sowie Beschreibungen von Sitten und religiösen Bräuchen einerseits, aber auch von den kleineren Ereignissen und Dingen, die mit dem traditionellen Alltag der Bali-Nyonga verknüpft sind. Von dem Wunsch getragen, einige der für diese Ethnie typischen kulturellen Merkmale zu bewahren, trug der Autor alle auffindbaren Informationen über ihre Traditionen zusammen. Seine sorgfältigen Darstellung der Informationen und Kenntnisse, die er von den Ältesten erhalten hatte, verleiht dieser Sammlung einen überwiegend dokumentarischen Charakter. So werden beispielsweise alle Informanten am Ende jeder Sektion namentlich erwähnt.

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Author's Preface:
"It was a most interesting task to inquire into the tribal life, the customs and rites and the social structure of the Bali-Nyonga. In fact, I got into contact with people of an entirely different culture. The philosophy, the culture and religion of the Bali- Nyonga opened to me a new world with different conceptions which showed me how they have mastered their lives and how they have tried to build up the whole community on a sound basis. [...]

The tales reveal a special philosophy of life. Some of them indicate that the foundation of a home or a family is closely related to generally accepted customs and rites which keep the social structure from deterioration and from disturbing the communal peace and welfare."

Editor's Preface:
“This volume presents a collection of oral traditions in the real sense of the term: stories, proverbs and descriptions of customs and religious beliefs, but also of the smaller events and things associated with the traditional daily life of the Bali-Nyonga. Inspired by a strong desire to preserve at least some of the cultural features specific to these people before it was too late, Rev. Johannes Stöckle collected and carefully wrote down whatever he was able to discover about their traditions. His painstaking and meticulous description of the informations and knowledge gathered from the Elders lends this collection a highly documentary character. This impression is corroborated by the fact that all the contributors are named at the end of each section and the descriptions of customs and traditions were all approved during long sessions by a special council summoned for this occasion by His Royal Highness, the Fon of Bali-Nyonga.

It is not only in this respect that this book differs from others of similar content. The author is neither a learned anthropologist nor a linguist, but a retired missionary whose thoughts returned again and again to the Mungaka language which he had learnt during his stay at Bali before the Second World War and to the people who spoke it. So, after his retirement realizing a long fostered plan – he went back to the country and, as far as possible, devoted himself and his intimate knowledge of the Mungaka language.”

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