This seems to arise from the fact that the stories appeal to children who always want explanations about the puzzling reality around them. Children normally marvel at things their minds find complex and their inquisitive minds long to discover and explain the intriguing reality.
For instance, children are fascinated by the appearances and actions of especially wild animals; why are they of different colours, shapes and sizes? Why do some have horns and others without? Why do some stay in water and others on land? Why do some birds fly and others do not? They are equally amazed by themselves as human beings. Why are others boys males and others girls females? Why do women have breasts and men do not?
In the latter story, it is said that Pig climbed up a tree to fetch some honey. But when the bees began to sting him, he fell headlong and his nose hit the ground and became flat.
He started to chase him and Dog ran telling other animals, cows, sheep, goats, chickens and others, that Lion would come and also kill them. Dog told the animals to follow him. They ran and came to a certain home where Dog pleaded with the people of that home to protect them from Lion.
When Lion came, the men in that home brought out their spears and killed Lion. Afraid to go back into the wild, the animals lived with man for good. The origins of mankind still remains a conundrum to this day like it was through the ages. Nevertheless, throughout history man has endeavoured to explain this puzzle.
In Africa there is a mosaic of such stories owing to the complex ethnicity of the continent. The Shona people of Zimbabwe have several such cosmogonic myths. Mwari God made man whom he called Mwedzi Moon. He then created a woman whom he called Hweva Morning Star and gave her to Mwedzi as wife.
Mwedzi was going to live with her for only two years after which Hweva would return to heaven. She birth to vegetation of all kind. When the two years were up Mwari called Hweva back to heaven. The following morning she gave birth to boys and girls. Mwari came and said the two years were finished and Evening Star had to return to heaven, but Mwedzi slept with her and she gave birth to lions, leopards, snakes, scorpions and other dangerous creatures. Mwedzi became king of a large realm.
It also offers explanations to the movement and nature of such celestial bodies as the moon and the stars. For a Shona child, Mwari is Musikavanhu the Creator of human beings and he lives in the skies, hence he is called Nyadenga Owner of the sky.
According to Bruno Bettelheim such tales help children to cope with their dreams and inner turmoil. They are relevant to children because they contain action, suspense and basic conflicts. Shona mythology also contains many epic heroes of national and cultural significance. Legends like Nehanda, Chaminuka, Kaguvi and Murenga, to mention but a few, embody all the ideal attributes of greatness.
Cognisant of the relevance of the two legendary figures to Zimbabwean history and culture, Margaret M. In their oral form, the Chaminuka and Nehanda legends are long and complex narratives, covering as they do the entire pre-colonial history of the Shona people stretching over one and a half millennium years long. Tredgold has however, simplified the sophisticated narratives to make them accessible and penetrable to juvenile minds but still retaining their characteristic pathos.
Besides, she accompanies the stories with impressive and eye-catching illustrations on every page of her book. The visuals aid children to imagine and appreciate the historical, social and cultural context in which Nehanda and Chaminuka lived and performed their great deeds.
Through these legends Tredgold introduces children to the fascinating rhythm of Shona life characterised by music and dance, drum and percussion, spirit possession, farming and hunting, healing and prophecy, ritual and mysteries. What does Tredgold tell children about Nehanda? However, there are several people who have been called Nehanda during the course of Zimbabwean pre-colonial and colonial history.
This is due to the fact that the spirit of the original Nehanda possessed successive mediums in the history of the Shona people. The Nehanda Tredgold presents to children was a daughter of the founder of the Munhumutapa state, Nyatsimba Mutota. She was given a district of her own to rule called Handa, hence she became known as Nehanda meaning ruler of Handa.
She was a brilliant ruler who ruled well. When her father died, it is said that after his burial she and her followers on their return to Handa did something very strange. Nehanda struck a huge rock with her staff. The rock opened and she entered with all her followers and disappeared. When people belonged to a tribe or lived in a small village, by necessity they needed to be able to get along well under a variety of circumstances and minimize conflict.
Typically, only the chief, a high priest or a Shaman could confront someone over committing an offense. As a result, stories were often shared to intentionally clarify how a transgression had occurred. As folktales were passed down over generations they modeled behaviors and helped reinforce expectations about how to live a meaningful life.
Over time, folktales subtly incorporated character traits like caring, resourcefulness, trust or courage into the fabric of the stories. Folktales also model the elements of effective decision-making.
Characters in folktales invariably encounter conflicts that require them to make difficult decisions and take action to resolve a conflict. As a result, folktales can demonstrate the importance of making difficult decisions under challenging circumstances. Engaging children in discussions about the consequences of making poorly thought-out or rash decisions, helps them see the importance of making effective decisions in their lives.
Folktales by their nature celebrate diversity. Slender Man has since become an internet meme and been referenced in both video games and art. However, his popularity caused a minor moral panic after it was discovered that violent attackers had been inspired by it. Nonetheless, he illustrates how the internet facilitates the rapid transmission and growth of urban legends.
Consistent with urban legends, dissemination via the internet places an emphasis on topic rather than source. From a social perspective, these stories become part of collective reality. Exposure to inaccuracies can have major implications, such as influencing how we remember things as a group. There have been several other prominent death hoaxes recently involving Rowan Atkinson, Eddie Murphy and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the case of major celebrities, quick denials ensure that the truth predominates.
However, in the case of less prominent famous figures, rejections are less widely reported and stories often continue to appear on social media. From a psychological standpoint, false news has been around for much longer. It is an inherent feature of news reporting and precedes social media. We also want to feel like we perceive the world accurately, just as with urban legends. These biases direct people to accept information that is consistent with their worldview, regardless of accuracy.
They also help us to communicate to others what we have learned from those events or encounters. They also provide a context through which students can identify and consider the relevance of key messages to their own life experiences. These stories serve as testimony to the links between indigenous peoples in the South Pacific. Myths and legends from other indigenous cultures can also provide relevant key messages to share with students. Cultures all around the world have their own stories to explain creation and other important life themes.
The best stories are those that motivate, inspire and connect with students — stories that make them feel some emotion and allow them to see themselves in similar situations. Each section has a particular purpose. Storytellers tend to give their own interpretation of the original tale, or a summary, rather than tell it exactly as they heard it. However, the key events, general storyline and the resolution are usually similar. We are closed on all public holidays, including Wellington Anniversary.
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