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The purpose of this book is to show that the possession cult of Vimbuza presents itself as an oral genre which is part and parcel of African Oral Literature. The ethno-linguistic study which we undertake will permit us to catch a glimpse of its whole complexity. The analysis has a bearing on four principal aspects. Historical developments: a certain number of facts concerning the birth of possession among the Tumbuka; possession: the study attempts to show how the cult articulates itself with its beliefs and the use of divination; the social role: analysis of social functions; the style: an analysis of the linguistic procedures which are characteristic of Vimbuza songs. The presence of rhetorical figures would confirm that we are talking about an oral literary genre.

Healing --- Traditional medicine --- Cults --- Spirit possession --- Curing (Medicine) --- Therapeutics --- Possession, Spirit --- Experience (Religion) --- Ethnic medicine --- Ethnomedicine --- Folk medicine --- Home cures --- Home medicine --- Home remedies --- Indigenous medicine --- Medical folklore --- Medicine, Primitive --- Primitive medicine --- Surgery, Primitive --- Alternative medicine --- Folklore --- Medical anthropology --- Ethnopharmacology --- Ethnology --- Tumbuka (African people) --- Social life and customs. --- Batumbuka (African people) --- Nyasa (African people) --- Siska (African people) --- Sisya (African people) --- Tambuka (African people) --- Timbuka (African people) --- Tombucas (African people) --- Tonga (Malawi people) --- Tumbuka (African tribe) --- Watumbuka (African people) --- Bantu-speaking peoples --- Nyasa (Malawian people)