Is this a serious
academic work, or just something that should adorn a coffee table? (Review by
Keith Millar)
At the outset it must
be said that Voices from the Forest: Celebrating
Nature and Culture in Xhosaland by Tony Dold & Michelle Cocks is a very
handsome book. With its very elegant appearance, and a magnificent panorama of
the Great Fish River valley on the front cover, it would be the pride of any
coffee table.
However, the question
is - what is the purpose of a coffee table book? If it is merely for
decoration, then this book is spot on. If it is a serious academic
dissertation, then this book is a winner. However, if it is intended for
enjoyment by the layman and for general consumption, then I am afraid this book
falls short of the mark.
The problem is that
you not so much read the book as wade your way through a mountain of
information and facts.
The book documents the
role that nature plays in the cultural and spiritual lives of the Xhosa people
of the Eastern Cape.
It goes beyond
underprivileged people’s reliance on natural resources to provide food, fuel
and building material and delves into the traditional and cultural uses of the
bounty of the forests. Chapters deal the use of plants in traditional medicine,
magic and charms, rituals and rites, the rite of passage, traditional food and
drink, ceremonial crafts, and Xhosa cosmetics. Also included are a few recipes
for traditional meals and a section on Xhosa idioms and proverbs which are also
closely linked to nature. The importance of finding ways to sustain cultural
heritage and conserve biodiversity in South Africa is also discussed.
The content of the
book has been expertly and skillfully researched over a ten year period by the
co-authors. Tony Dold is a plant taxonomist and ethno-botanist. He is the curator
of the Selmar Schonland Herbarium at the Albany Museum in Grahamstown. His wife,
Michelle Cocks, is a research officer for the Institute for Social and Economic
Research at Rhodes University. Both grew up in rural Transkei and their love
and understanding of the people of Xhosaland shines through their creation of
this book.
The book abounds with
exquisite colour photographs most of which are attributed to Dold and Cocks.
Unfortunately, they are nearly all specific to the subject under discussion.
There are very few landscape panoramas which I feel would have given the reader
a better sense of the home of the Xhosa people.
The actual location of
the area called Xhosaland remains a little unclear to me. Does it include all
of the old Transkei and Ciskei or is it restricted to the Great Fish River
Valley and the Albany Thicket? The use of a few maps may have made this much
clearer.
I also wondered if a
little more anecdotal material on the history of the area would not have given
the reader a better feel for Xhosaland.
There is no doubt that
this brilliantly researched and presented book is a valuable social record of
the Xhosa people of South Africa and their relationship with the environment.
The question that remains is it a serious academic work, or just something that
should adorn a coffee table.
Royalties from this
book will go towards providing suitable storage facilities for the informal
medicinal plant traders of King Williams Town.
Voices from the Forest: Celebrating Nature and
Culture in Xhosaland is
published by Jacana Media – ISBN 978-1-4314-0299-1. Suggested retail price is
R265. – Keith Millar