Basotho clan praises (diboko) and oral tradition

Abstract

The Basotho clan praises form part of the oral tradition and have characteristics common to other oral art forms. The composition of these poetic praises is the collective responsibility of the clan or tribe, and authorship is therefore unknown. The oral features of these art forms are characterized by the instability of the text, which takes various forms, such as extensions, additions, omissions, displacements, truncations and improvisations. Causes for the instability of the texts may be memory failure, distractions that take place during the process of recitation, and instances in which the poet intentionally deviates from the common memorized recitation of the clan members. Such variants of the text that are subsequently produced, make it difficult, if not impossible, to know the original, authentic version.