The poem is about women in history who have been spoken for and spoken about … The stories of their lives are usually written in foreign languages, not in their mother tongues and dialects …  This makes their stories removed from their realities …  This [poem] is an active intervention in letting a woman tell her story through her tongue and bring light to this historical wrong (Xaba, 2009). 

In the vast expanse of African feminist literature, where diverse voices converge to tell the rich and intricate experiences of the continent and its women, Makhosazana Xaba's poem, 'Tongues of their Mothers,' stands as a luminary beacon. Within the nuanced verses of this compelling piece, Xaba beckons readers into a realm where African women's narratives and autobiographical experiences unfold with a rare and captivating potency. This essay explores, delving into the depths of ‘Tongues of their Mothers’ to uncover its intricate layers and discern how it emerges not merely as a poem but as a profound embodiment of African 'herstory.' Herstory is a feminist concept that emerged to describe women's history and create a permanent presence of the female voice within a patriarchal system. “Herstory appears as the name of the feminist and research sub-discipline, which aims at “discovering and writing a history of women that have not existed before.” (Kuźma-Markowska, 2014:35, cited in Ciesek-Ślizowska, 2019:350). The rhythmic cadence of the verses ‘Tongues of their Mothers’ mimics African oral traditions and emerges as a living narrative defying traditional thought of what autobiography means, transcending traditional patriarchal constraints and extending an invitation to readers to bear witness to African women's conjuring, their enduring ‘her’osim, their voices and their herstory. 

At the heart of 'Tongues of their Mothers' lies the embodiment of African oral traditions, a cultural reservoir from which women's voices resonate. The poem's title speaks directly to this telling of  African herstory. The first word of the poem title, ‘Tongues’, refers to the muscle vital to producing words. The tongue is essential for speaking and produces the sounds of human language (InformedHealth.org, 2006). Each tongue of the women spoken of and alluded to in ‘Tongues of their Mothers’ is speaking and serves as a vessel, carrying the echoes of the stories passed down through generations, transcending temporal boundaries. “Prior to the advent of colonialism, whether consciously admitted or denied, the oral tradition and its multifaceted aspects remain an essential constituent of the rich African cosmology and way of life” (Iheanacho, 2021:2). The poem's thematic deliverance offers short, precise and vivid descriptions of the women it speaks of. Using simple language to construct and transfer the memory of each woman intentionally. Therefore “allowing us to reconstruct a discursive image of the past world” (Ciesek-Ślizowska 2019:356)

The poem employs short, vivid, and precise descriptions of the women it speaks of, using simple language to construct and transfer each woman's memory and experience intentionally. Doing so allows the readers to reconstruct a discursive image of the past world and the realities of African women that are often left out of mainstream narratives. As Ciesek-Ślizowska (2019) notes, this intentional construction of memory is a powerful tool that speaks to the richness of African culture and challenges the erasure of African women's voices in the written historical narrative dominated by male perspectives. The oral traditions, depicted through Xaba's poetic language, become a conduit for transmitting African women's herstory, effectively challenging the written historical narrative dominated by male perspectives. The poem's embodiment of African oral traditions creates a juxtaposition between the canonical definition of telling someone else's story, for example, an autobiography, which, according to the poststructuralist view, “is simply another mode of self-referential discourse with its underpinning conventions of meaning and codes of signification” (Ngwenya, 1996:7).  ‘Tongues of their Mothers’, communicates these herstories in a non-autobiographical way and “rewrites the traditional male, bourgeois genre of autobiography” (Hitchcott, 1997:17).  Furthermore, the poem employs a lyrical and rhythmic style that echoes the cadence of oral storytelling.  At the beginning of each stanza, a new introduction is made:

…

I wish to write an epic poem about Sarah Baartman, 1

… 

I wish to write an epic poem about uMnkabayi kaJama Zulu, 10

…

I wish to write an epic poem about Daisy Makiwane, 19

…

I wish to write an epic poem about Princess Magogo Constance Zulu, 28

…

I wish to write an epic poem about Victoria Mxenge, 37

…

I wish to write an epic poem about Nomvula Glenrose Mbatha, 48

(Xaba, 2008)

After each introduction, a new, unique, different herstory follows, and the stanza becomes the living entity. ‘Tongues of their Mothers' also observes the individual agency of African women, offering a poetic space where their narratives take centre stage and the previously dominating histories are silenced. For Sarah Baartman, the poem speaks: 

I wish to write an epic poem about Sarah Baartman, 

one that will be silent on her capturers, torturers and demolishers.  2

…

It will contain rhymes about the games she played as a child, 6

stanzas will have names of her friends, her family, her community. 

It will borrow from every single poem ever written about her,

conjuring up her wholeness: her voice, dreams, emotions and thoughts. 

(Xaba, 2008)

For uMnkabayi kaJama Zulu, the poem speaks: 

I wish to write an epic poem about uMnkabayi kaJama Zulu, 10
one that will be silent on her nephew, Shaka, and her brother, Senzangakhona.

… 

It will focus on her relationship 12
with her sisters Mawa and Mmama, her choice not to marry,

her preference not to have children and her power as a ruler. 

        It will speak of her assortment of battle strategies and her charisma as a leader.

It will render a compilation of all the pieces of advice she gave to men 

(Xaba, 2008)

Each line carries the weight of generations, evoking a sense of continuity and connection of African women's experiences central to the concept of 'herstory.' Additionally,  ‘Tongues of their Mothers’ becomes a cultural artefact encompassing the individual consciousness, style, and experience within the larger socio-cultural-historical context, and the voices of African women echo through the ages. 

One of the notable aspects of the poem is its acknowledgement of women's physical experiences. ‘Tongues of their Mother’ (Xaba, 2008) employs vivid and sensory language to depict the physicality of women: “her baby steps (5), the games she played as a child (6),  her voice, dreams, emotions and thoughts (9), her assortment of battle strategies and her charisma as a leader (15), It will describe the dexterity of her music-making fingers and the rhythm of her body grounded on valleys (32-33)”.  This celebration of the corporeal serves as a form of reclamation, countering historical narratives that often reduced women to passive figures or ignored their embodied experiences. 'Tongues of their Mothers' becomes a poetic assertion of the agency inherent in women's bodies and lives. As Foucault (1980:59) states, power structures produce social bodies and realities that do not emanate from one central source but are rather diffused throughout the social structure. The poem recognises that women's experiences cannot be disentangled from the broader matrix of societal structures and power dynamics.

In countering such historical narratives, the poem becomes a vessel for historical reverberations, carrying the weight of colonisation, apartheid, and the ongoing journey toward liberation. The incorporation of historical elements in the poem aligns with the broader goal of African herstory – the reclamation of historical narratives from a feminist perspective (Hitchcott, 1997:37). Xaba's verses act as a counter-narrative, challenging the dominant historical discourse and offering an alternative lens through which to view the past. The poem repetitively states the silencing of the men. It intersects this silence through generations, therefore undermining the grand narrative of ‘his’story often held, seen and read before the herstory of the women: 

… one that will be silent on her capturers, torturers and demolishers. 3

It will say nothing of the experiments, the laboratories and the displays

or even the diplomatic dabbles that brought her remains home, eventually.

… 

one that will be silent on her son, Gatsha Mangosuthu Buthelezi. 29

… 

one that will be silent on my father, her husband Reuben Benjamin Xaba. 49

(Xaba, 2008)

African herstory, as portrayed in 'Tongues of their Mothers,' is inherently intersectional. 

The intergenerational dialogue in 'Tongues of their Mothers' is a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of past, present, and future women's experiences. This interplay of voices contributes to the richness of African history, creating a poetic space where the echoes of the past shape the unfolding narrative of the present.

In conclusion, Makhosazana Xaba's poem, 'Tongues of their Mothers,' stands out in African feminist literature and stands as an example of African herstory. The rhythmic pulse, deliberate silencing of predominant patriarchal narratives, and celebration of women's physical experiences break free from traditional boundaries, urging readers to witness the lasting herstory of African women. Furthermore, the poem's use of African oral traditions becomes a living narrative, pushing back against the erasure of women's voices in written histories dominated by men. The poem's unique structure, with each introduction followed by a vivid and precise portrayal of a woman's herstory, creates a sense of continuity and connection across generations. This intergenerational dialogue is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of past, present, and future women's experiences, contributing to the richness of African herstory. The incorporation of historical elements in the poem acts as a counter-narrative, challenging the dominant historical discourse and offering an alternative lens through which to view the past. By repetitively stating the silencing of men and intersecting this silence through generations, 'Tongues of their Mothers” undermines the grand narrative of 'his'story, emphasising the inherently intersectional nature of African herstory.

Furthermore, the poem's vivid and sensory language celebrates the corporeal, serving as a reclamation against historical narratives that often reduced women to passive figures. In doing so, 'Tongues of their Mothers' becomes a poetic assertion of the agency inherent in women's bodies and lives, aligning with the broader goal of African herstory – the reclamation of historical narratives from a feminist perspective.

In essence, Makhosazana Xaba's 'Tongues of their Mothers' transcends the boundaries of a traditional poem, emerging as a profound embodiment of African herstory. Through its intricate layers, intentional construction of memory, and celebration of women's experiences, the poem stands as a testament to African women's resilience, strength, and interconnectedness across time and space.

Reference List: 

Ciesek-Ślizowska, B. 2019. ‘Herstories: Digital Social Archives as a Space for Building Memory about Women (Presentation of the Research Area).’ Stylistika 28: 349-361.

Foucault, M., 1972. (1980). Power/knowledge: Selected interviews and other writings. New York: Pantheon.

Hitchcott, N., 1997. African" Herstory": The feminist reader and the African autobiographical voice. Research in African Literatures, 28(2), pp.16-33.

Iheanacho, V.U., 2021. The significance of African oral tradition in the making of African Christianity. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 77(2).

InformedHealth.org. 2006. How does the tongue work? National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279407/ [Accessed: 23 November 2023].

Ngwenya, T.H., 1996. Ideology and form in South African autobiographical writing: a study of the autobiographies of five South African authors. Published PhD in Literature and Philosophy (English). University of South Africa. Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/43175008.pdf [Accessed: 24 November 2023]

Xaba, M., 2008. Tongues of their mothers. Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press.

Xaba, M., 2009. ‘Tongues of their Mothers: Letting women tell their stories’. Interview with Bandile Gumbi, AFTERWORK, December/January 2009, 60-62.