The Kanyok of Zaire: An Institutional and Ideological History to 1895 (African Studies, Series Number 74)

John Yoder chronicles the history of the Kanyok, a people from the southern savanna of Zaire, from before 1500 until their incorporation into the Congo Free State in the 1890s. By analyzing their oral traditions, myths, and legends, the author describes the political and cultural development of a people who, before 1891, had no written records, and whose history has previously been confined to the stale recitation of wars and succession struggles that characterize many existing books on pre-colonial Africa. Yoder sets his work firmly within the larger context of the southern savanna by extending his investigations to the traditions of neighboring peoples, in particular to the Luba and Lunda, whose empires once dominated the region. In this way, he demonstrates how the same stories and ideas circulated over a vast area but were continually adapted to local circumstances. In this study John Yoder chronicles the history of the Kanyok, a people from the southern savanna of Zaire, from before 1500 until their incorporation into the Congo Free State in the 1890s. By analyzing their oral histories, myths and legends, the author describes the political and cultural development of a people who, before 1891, had no written records, and accounts of whose past had previously been confined to the sketchy recitation of wars and succession struggles that characterize many existing books on pre-colonial African states. Yoder sets his work firmly within the larger context of the southern savanna by extending his investigations to the traditions of neighboring peoples, in particular to the Luba and the Lunda, whose empires once dominated the region. In this way he demonstrates how the same stories and ideas circulated over a vast area but were continually adapted to local circumstances. Yoder's history of the Kanyok of Zaire thereby forms the nucleus for a broader and more composite understanding of the entire region.

John Yoder chronicles the history of the Kanyok, a people from the southern savanna of Zaire, from before 1500 until their incorporation into the Congo Free State in the 1890s. By analyzing their oral traditions, myths, and legends, the author describes the political and cultural development of a people who, before 1891, had no written records, and whose history has previously been confined to the stale recitation of wars and succession struggles that characterize many existing books on pre-colonial Africa. Yoder sets his work firmly within the larger context of the southern savanna by extending his investigations to the traditions of neighboring peoples, in particular to the Luba and Lunda, whose empires once dominated the region. In this way, he demonstrates how the same stories and ideas circulated over a vast area but were continually adapted to local circumstances.

In this study John Yoder chronicles the history of the Kanyok, a people from the southern savanna of Zaire, from before 1500 until their incorporation into the Congo Free State in the 1890s. By analysing their oral histories, myths, and legends, he describes the political and cultural development of a people who, before 1891, had no written records. Yoder sets his work firmly within the larger context of the southern savanna by extending his investigations to the traditions of neighbouring peoples, in particular to the Luba and the Lunda, whose empires once dominated the region. In this way he demonstrates how the same stories and ideas circulated over a vast area but were continually adapted to local circumstances. Yoder's history of the Kanyok of Zaire thereby forms the nucleus for a broader and more composite understanding of the entire region Chronology -- Introduction -- 1. Wood And Wine, Gardens And Game -- 2. Stratification, Symbols And Spirits -- 3. New Legends For New Leaders -- 4. Serpents And Lightning -- 5. Dances, Moats And Myths -- 6. Combat, Classes, Titles And Trade -- 7. Schisms And Slaves, Ghosts And Guns -- 8. Assassinations, Alliances And Ambushes -- Appendix: Methodology -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index. John C. Yoder. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. By analysing the oral histories, myths and legends of the Kanyok, John Yoder describes the political and cultural development of a people who, before 1891, had no written records. His history forms the nucleus for a broader and more composite understanding of the entire southern savanna region of Zaire. The Kanyok live in Central Africa where the rim of the Zaire River basin joins the northern edge of the vast southern savanna plateau.