| dc.description.abstract | This study examines the meaning and significance for girl children of images of
women which are used in the marriage oral poetry of the Abakhayo. The study is
predicated on the premise that the primary aim of marriage oral poetry in a patriarchal
society is to entice girl children to look forward to marriage, wife-hood and
motherhood, and that this is done by applying images that extol the institution of
marriage. The study has four objectives: to describe Abakhayo people's philosophy
on the marriage institution as espoused through images in bweya oral poetry; to
examine the content, context, symbols, images and performance of the poetry as a
basis for arriving at the meaning of the marriage function to the participating girl
children; to highlight the paradox inherent in bweya oral poetry as a tool for
socializing women into their expected subservient position vis a vis their husbands in
a marriage relationship; and to find out if African traditional oral poetry is still
relevant. This is done by taking a critical analysis of a number of poems performed
over the entire Abakhayo nuptial process.
The study is guided by three related but different hypotheses. One is that oral poetry
and other literary genres used to socialize children into society aim to train girl
children into subordinate and subservient positions, while, at the same time, making
them believe that men are socially superior to women. It (study) also proposes that .
nuptial oral poetry is aimed at creating the impression to girl children that marriage is
the epitome of success for a woman. Besides, the study investigates the proposition
that the images found in nuptial oral poetry are simple euphemisms used to disguise
the real intention of the society, which is to entice girl children into marriage.
The method of collecting data took an intra-community interaction and dialogue
approach. This method allowed for the researcher to take an active part in live
performances as the main source of data With the guidance of pre-set questions, the
researcher carried out extensive one to one interviews with known poets, performance
groups, children performers, and other informed members of the Abakhayo
community. The exercise yielded a size-able repertoire of poems which have been
given a free translation and analyzed by fitting each poem into a specially designed
analytical framework that elicits information on various aspects of the individual
poems. This way, the analysis avoids an aggregative and general analysis of the
poems. The information from the poems was carefully collated with the data from
interviews in order to come up with the research findings.
Owing to the multi-faceted nature of oral literature, the study adopted an eclectic
approach thereby employing three different theoretical approaches. The sociological
literary theory serves as a guide to explaining the relationship between literature and
society thereby facilitating the interpretation of the meaning of the poems. However,
since meaning is also embedded in the type of methodology applied, ethnopoetics
approach has been applied. Further justification of ethnopoetics approach arises from
the fact that the study also takes interest in the aesthetic components and poetic
structuring of the poems as another alternative to interpreting meaning. Besides, these
two feminist literary criticism has also been used since the study focuses on the girl
child, particularly how she is regarded in a patriarchal society.
From the findings of the study, it can be confirmed that bweya oral poetry
communicates powerful messages on marriage through language coated in imagery.
The messages which are mostly communicated in a collective "we" voice are strongly
compelling on girl children, whom most of the poems target. Majority of the poems
present marriage as a beautiful thing that cords social status to those involved, and
for girl children in particular, marriage is considered to be a high mark of success.
Through marriage, girl children and by extension women are considered to gain a
sense of belonging, though this study views this sense of belonging with cynicism. It
is also a great honour if they bear their husbands children, for, through the children (if
they are lucky to have sons) they can by extension inherit or own property, which
otherwise society denies them.
The study also observes that society cherishes the institution of marriage, but argues
that it (society) maintains the institution at the expense of women upon whom the
responsibility of sustaining the marriage appears to be placed. The said responsibility
is perpetrated and perpetuated through marriage oral poetry whose messages are
largely directed towards women. Since the poetry does not prescribe any serious
responsibilities for the man in a marriage relationship, the latter remains "off the
hook" when a marriage collapses, as the blame goes to the woman. It is the view of
this study that marriage is a mutual contract between two parties, who should equally
bear the responsibility of sustaining it. The study further argues that the tools of
socializing people into an important institution such as marriage, which include oral
poetry, should be reformed and redefined to serve a more equitable role.
In the final analysis, this study recognizes the synthesis that is taking place between
bweya oral poetry and that of other cultures such as Christianity. The study views this
synthesis as reshaping and strengthening the marriage institution of the Abakhayo and
its oral poetry; this way making it more resilient, adaptable and relevant. | en |
