The purpose of this book is to show that the possession cult of Vimbuza
presents itself as an oral genre which is part and parcel of African
Oral Literature. The ethno-linguistic study which we undertake will
permit us to catch a glimpse of its whole complexity. The analysis has a
bearing on four principal aspects. Historical developments: a certain
number of facts concerning the birth of possession among the Tumbuka;
possession: the study attempts to show how the cult articulates itself
with its beliefs and the use of divination; the social role: analysis of
social functions; the style: an analysis of the linguistic procedures
which are characteristic of Vimbuza songs. The presence of rhetorical
figures would confirm that we are talking about an oral literary genre.