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Wonderlik en Uniek: Sigrid Schmidt se Versameling van Vergete Afrikaanse Verhale

Sigrid Schmidt, gebore in Berlyn, Duitsland, het sowel Engelse asook Duitse taalwetenskap en letterkunde aan die Vrye Universiteit van Berlyn en in die VSA studeer. In 2014, het Kuiseb Uitgewer 'n besondere en unieke boek gedruk, versamel, geskryf en geredigeer deur Sigrid Schmidt naamlik Die Vere van die Duiwel: Vergete Ou Afrikaanse Sprokies opgediep in Namibie.

Die stories in hierdie boek het 'n unieke geskiedenis. Oor baie generasies heen is hulle getrou deur Nama en Damara-gesinne in Namibie oorvertel. As 'n internasionaal-gerekende navorser van volksverhale en die mondelinge vertelkuns, het Sigrid Schmidt uit haar eie honderde sprokies van die Nama en Damara tussen 1960 en 1997 op band opgeneem. Na indringende navorsing het sy bevind dat hierdie stories verbasend uit Europa kom maar nie uit boeke plaaslik oorgeneem is nie. Baie van die sprokie-motiewe kom ooreen met die in Franse sprokies. Waarskynlik het hulle in die agtiende eeu mondelings na die Kaap verhuis, saam met Hugenoot-gesinne, waar hulle dan aangepas was by die Afrika-omgewing en die eiendom van verskeie plaaslike bevolkingsgroepe geword het. In die negentiende eeu het die Oorlam-Nama hulle na SWA/Namibie gebring.

In Suid-Afrika is hierdie verhale lankal reeds vergeet maar die Nama en Damara van Namibie het hulle bewaar in Khoekhoegowab. Van die vroue en mans wat hulle aan Sigrid Schmidt vertel het, leef byna niemand meer nie, en hul kinders ken die stories nie meer nie. Hierdie versameling verhale word dus beskou as 'n belangrike bydrae tot die erfenis van sowel die afstammelinge van Europeers wie na Afrika verhuis het, asook Nama en Damara storie-vertellers.

In die inleiding tot die boek, vertel sy: '...James Alexander, die Skotse weermag beampte wie in 1837 begin het om die onbekende wereld noord van die Oranjerivier te verken waar min wit mense gegaan het, het geskryf dat 'n groep Namas 'n paar dae later aan die ander kant van die rivier by hom aangesluit het en sy verkenning van die omgewing verlewendig het met verhale wat die Nama in die aand om die vuur vertel het. Hierdie verhale is die heel eerste optekening van Nama verhale. Die heel eerste verhaal is egter die bekende storie van Jakkals en Wolf wat doodspeel voor 'n vervoerwa. Dit is die welbekende en gewilde Reynard-verhaal oorspronklik vanuit wes, sentraal en oos Europa, en hier in die Nama weergawe vervoer die wa (in die droog, warm klimaat van die suide van Namibie) selfs vis soos in baie Europese weergawes van die verhaal! Hoe kon ek hierdie raaisel verklaar?...'  

Die Vere van die Duiwel: Vergete Ou Afrikaanse Sprokies opgediep in Namibie saamgestel deur Sigrid Schmidt is beskikbaar by Book Buddy Namibia +264 61 302 711 / bookbuddynamibia@gmail.com vir slegs N$ 140.00.

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