Bantu Spiritualism in “O cesto de adivinhação” by Ana Paula Tavares

Abstract

This article analyses some of the linguistic and literary strategies used by Ana Paula Tavares2 to describe the spiritual discourse of Bantu derivation in the chronicle (crônica) “O cesto de adivinhação”, taken from the book A cabeça de Salomé (2004)3. I will argue that, in this text, Tavares expresses the importance of spiritualism through the use of culture-bound terms, as well as the deployment of stylistic strategies, in order to redefine the Angola identity. The result of such literary creativity, matched with a deep historical and ethnographic investigation of the Bantu populations represented in her fictional work, supports the recreation of the Angolan identity that puts a great emphasis on aspects such as rituals, ancestral characters, and key figures that represent the culture of the native societies of the country. The aim is to discuss the ideological tensions and contradictions existing in Angola, as well as to inform and inspire a different perspective towards its multicultural society, through the words of the above author. --- Original in English.

Keywords

• Ana Paula Tavares
• Angolan Literature
• Bantu Spiritualism.