Xhosa and Russian Folktales – A Structural Comparison
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Stellenbosch
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The purpose of this publication is to indicate that Xhosa iintsomi (folktales) are structured in such a way that many links or commonalities emerge when a comparison between tales is made. Orally transmitted literary forms had to endure much prejudice and were often not considered worthy of study. However, in many different cultures all over the world, the concept of oral literature and its functioning still exists. There are various forms of oral literature, but one of the best known is the folktale. Folklorist and formalist, Vladimir Propp (1895–1970), aimed to describe the story structure of Russian folktales according to a linear sequence of the acts of the characters. Using one hundred folktales, he illustrated how the storylines of these tales are remarkably similar – identical actions are often performed, only by different characters. The somewhat surprising and obvious links between Propp’s material and Xhosa iintsomi prompted the choice of Propp’s model as the departure point for this comparative study. Forty‑five Xhosa folktales were chosen because of their literary quality and suitability to Propp’s methodology as a tool to organise the Xhosa data on the grounds of structural features that characterise this genre.
