Capturing the soul : encounters between Berlin missionaries and Tshivenda-speakers in the late nineteenth century

Kirkaldy, A

Capturing the soul : encounters between Berlin missionaries and Tshivenda-speakers in the late nineteenth century

Thesis / Dissertation

2002

Abstract

During the 1990s, missionaries and their interaction with local societies began to assume a central role in historiographical debates in, and about, South Africa. This new focus built on pioneering work produced during the preceding two decades. My study foregrounds the value of the archives and library of the Berlin Mission Society as a source of new insights into the history of V endaJand (today part of the Northern Province of South Africa). In contrast to previous worlcs, which have "gutted" them for "facts", I have used them to engage with the view into the past provided by the missionaries. The main body of the work is prefaced by a background discussion of some of the persistent myths about the inhabitants of Venda.land. This leads into an overview of the nineteenth century history of its indigenous African and settler inhabitants, followed by a short outline of the beginnings of mission activity in the area. The thesis proper (Chaplm 2 to 8) begins with an ~on of the hcginninp of Christianity in the area prior to the arrival of the Berlin Missionaries. I then go on to look at the changed situa1ion, and the differing paths followed by these converts, after the amval of missionaries. Having grounded the study in Africa, I move to Germany in an attempt to understand the making of the missionaries who would record what occurred in V endaland I then return to this area with the missionaries. I explore the ways that they experienced, came to terms with and inscribed themselves on the environment. This leads to discussions of the ways that the missionaries portrayed the landscape and its inhabitants textually and iconograpically for themselves, their superiors at home and the wider circle of friends of the mission. In order to make converts, the missionaries bad to draw the local people out of the environment and understand them. In their terms, only by first understanding local ways could they hope to transform them. Examining their attempts to do this, I look at missionary writings on local beliefs in the supernatural, and their impressions and analysis of the metaphysical and physical bases of the power of local rulers, the ancestors and medico-religious practitioners. I then go on to look at missionary discourse about the power of local rulers and society over, and the inscription of power on, the African body. I conclude the thesis with an extended case study of the interaction between the rulers of the Mpbaphuli people and the Berlin Missionaries. This engages, and draws together, the major themes raised in the preceding chapters. As with the first chapter, it also again draws out the African voice which is present as a subtext to the missionary discourse.

Keywords

Historical Studies

Reference:

Collections

PhD / Doctoral

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