Analyses texts drawn from the Bleek and Lloyd Archive, arguably one of
the most important collections for the understanding of South African
cultural heritage and in particular the traditions of the /Xam, South
Africas first people.
Initially appearing in a now rare 1986 edition and here re-issued for
the first time, the doctoral thesis on which the book is based became
the catalyst for much scholarly research. The book offers an analysis of
the entire corpus of /Xam narratives found in the Bleek and Lloyd
collection, focusing particularly on the cycle of narratives concerning
the trickster /Kaggen (Mantis). These are examined on three levels from
the 'deep structures' with resonances in other areas of /Xam culture and
supernatural belief, through the recurring patterns of narrative
composition apparent across the cycle and finally touching on the
observable differences in the performances by the various /Xam
collaborators.
Hewitt's text remains the only comprehensive and detailed study of /Xam
narrative, and it has become itself the object of study by researchers
and PhD candidates in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada and
elsewhere. This new edition at last makes Hewitt's important work more
widely available. It will be a welcome addition to the recently
burgeoning literature on the place of the /Xam hunter-gatherers in the
complex history of South African culture and society.
