Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Religion of the ancient Basotho with special reference to "water snake"

Bibliography: pages 93-108.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rakotsoane, Francis Lobiane Clement
Other Authors: Cumpsty, John S
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Religious Studies 2016
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867614065991352320
access_status_str Open Access
author Rakotsoane, Francis Lobiane Clement
author2 Cumpsty, John S
author_browse Cumpsty, John S
Rakotsoane, Francis Lobiane Clement
author_facet Cumpsty, John S
Rakotsoane, Francis Lobiane Clement
author_sort Rakotsoane, Francis Lobiane Clement
collection Thesis
description Bibliography: pages 93-108.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/17493
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:46:07.695Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher Department of Religious Studies
publisherStr Department of Religious Studies
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/17493 Religion of the ancient Basotho with special reference to "water snake" Rakotsoane, Francis Lobiane Clement Cumpsty, John S Religious Studies Sotho (African people) - Religion Bibliography: pages 93-108. It still remains the case that there has been very little attention given to African Traditional Religion in Southern Africa by both Western and African authors. It is not an easy area to research for it no longer exists in its undisturbed coherent form, but only as preserved in fragmented bits of culture. This thesis attempts some reconstruction of Basotho religion just prior to their settlement in Lesotho and the arrival of the Christian traditions. It makes use of whatever sources are available both written and oral including interviews in the field. It also employs Cumpsty's theory of religion to raise some questions about what might be expected given what is known of the pre-history of the people. Through a critical analysis of various Basotho cultural elements, oral prayers, sayings, beliefs, songs, rites of passage and other customs, a picture of early Basotho religion begins to emerge focused around the Supreme Being, Water Snake, and his different manifestations. It seems that we are looking at a group who had never been settled until they came to Lesotho, although they may have remained in particular places for considerable periods of time. On the other hand they were probable not, as some other groups were, consciously migrating, looking for a place of their own. It may well be this situation which is reflected in the constant prioritizing of the high god (Water Snake) in their dealings with the ancestors, and even their direct dealings with Water Snake, while at the same time other aspects of transcendence do not become emphasized. 2016-03-04T16:48:39Z 2016-03-04T16:48:39Z 1996 Master Thesis Masters MSocSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17493 eng application/pdf Department of Religious Studies Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Religious Studies
Sotho (African people) - Religion
Rakotsoane, Francis Lobiane Clement
Religion of the ancient Basotho with special reference to "water snake"
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Religion of the ancient Basotho with special reference to "water snake"
title_full Religion of the ancient Basotho with special reference to "water snake"
title_fullStr Religion of the ancient Basotho with special reference to "water snake"
title_full_unstemmed Religion of the ancient Basotho with special reference to "water snake"
title_short Religion of the ancient Basotho with special reference to "water snake"
title_sort religion of the ancient basotho with special reference to water snake
topic Religious Studies
Sotho (African people) - Religion
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17493
work_keys_str_mv AT rakotsoanefrancislobianeclement religionoftheancientbasothowithspecialreferencetowatersnake