The Historiographical Development of the Concept “mfecane” and ...

during this period, as it took the form of texts that were disseminated in print.
The first textual capture of an idea represented one specific version of events,
which was then disseminated not only in the Cape Colony, but throughout the
English-speaking world. It is evident that most elements of the published
version of the mfecane narrative were transmitted orally from African informants
to European writers. However, the conversion of this oral history into written
texts placed power into the hands of both the first author and those who later
used the texts as sources. As a consequence the original African voice was
largely obscured or even lost. A more detailed discussion of these issues may
be found in the Introduction.
These texts communicate not only the narrative of events that took place, but
also the authors’ world-view. The European “Image of Africa” in the early
nineteenth century is of prime importance in the development of mfecane
historiography. This image was shaped by the individual author’s philosophical
background, whether it be “liberal”, missionary or pro-settler. However,
religious, economic, humanitarian and other motives for publishing existed,
which differed from author to author. Colonists in the wider Port Natal area
lobbied in support of the British annexation of Natal and the recognition of their
land rights in that area. Commercial or missionary travellers to the interior often
reported on what they saw and heard, and interpreted this in the light of their
own pre-existing understanding of Africa (as can be seen from the quote at the
beginning of the chapter). Missionaries, obliged to report on their work to the
metropolitan societies, tended to emphasise what they considered to be the
worst aspects of African society, portraying these as signs of the spiritual
darkness and cultural barbarism from which they sought to save the people. 4
These motives and the intended purpose of the published texts often helped to
determine the size of the text, the intended audience, the medium of publication
and the place of publication (South Africa or Britain). It is clear that mfecane
4 U. Von der Heyden, ‘Das Schrifttum der Deutschen Missionsgesellschaften als Quelle für die
Geschichtsschreibung Südafrikas’, in U. Von der Heyden and H. Liebau (eds),
Missionsgeschichte - Kirchengeschichte – Weltgeschichte (Stuttgart, 1996), 127-28.
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