A literary appreciation of some kusaa clan appellations

Abstract

Studies on Kusaal literary works reveal that there is insufficient scholarly works on Kusaal oral literature. This research centers on a literary appreciation of fixed Kusaa clan appellations. Fixed Kusaa clan appellations are considered as oral forms of expression which have been handed from generation to generation and underscore the beginnings, philosophies and oral histories of such clans. Each Kusaa clan has only one fixed appellation that points to their forebears. The study examines the scheme/form, literary devices and common themes found in these appellations with a view to stirring interest in the study of appellations as well as documenting them as indispensable cultural assets for posterity. Using the social constructionist and the structuralist theories, the researcher collected 24 fixed Kusaa clan appellations from presentations on radio programmes, interview schedules, participant and non-participant observations. Of the 24 appellations collected, the forms of five of these are analyzed in detail while themes and literary devices common to all of them are also examined. The study finds that Kusaa appellations are expressions used to elevate persons or things as well as provide details about shared ancestry and lineages. Equally noteworthy is the fact that fixed Kusaa clan appellations assume a scheme of having an opening, continuation or body and end parts. Overall, a rich tapestry of literary devices such as parallelism, repetition, metaphor, metonymy, pun, anaphora, paradox, irony, among others are embedded in the appellations. Fascinating themes about bravery, hospitality, contentment, self-respect, courage and gender roles that are worthy of shaping the lives of the people, are also found in fixed Kusaa clan appellations