Civil religious dynamics in José Craveirinha's aesthetisised nationalism

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Civil religious dynamics in José Craveirinha's aesthetisised nationalism
Author:	Ngale, Samuel J.
Year:	2014
Periodical:	Journal for the Study of Religion (ISSN 1011-7601)
Volume:	27
Issue:	2
Pages:	25-42
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Mozambique
Subjects:	poetry myths images Nguni identity
About person:	José Craveirinha
Abstract:	This paper is about the way in which Craveirinha's aesthetic representations in 'Karingana-Ua-Karingana', 'Xigubo' and 'Cela I' created a platform for the emergence of a Mozambican civil religion, known as Moçambicanidade. Poet and writer of short stories Jose Craveirinha dreamed of and projected an image of a just and modern southeast African nation at the end of twentieth century. In key poems of 'Karingana-Ua-Karingana', 'Xigubo' and 'Cela I' he evoked old Nguni warriors and larger-than-life figures, such as Maguiguana and Mahazul; and Bantu deities and spirits, such as Jambul, and Ngungunhane the Nguni emperor. He summoned the powers of mother Africa, brother Zambezi; he also painted images of young men melting in the sounds of Xipalapala and bear-chested young negroes raising their arms to the light of sister moon and dancing the war dance of ancient tribes of the river. There are plenty of drumbeats, war songs dances in circles around the fire. He uses teleological and eschatological imagery and symbolism to construct an ideal identity of a group of which he wants to be part, naming it Moçambique. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract]