| Abstrakt: |
In Africa, riddles have commonly been considered to be a type of art form and have always been included in studies on oral literature. Throughout the African belief systems, riddles have become the repository of artistic expression in a society that has sustained its traditions over time. This is in accordance with works on communication in rhetorical tradition and an attempt to join modern communication and rhetorical theory with it. Riddles offer a portrait of the meaning of life within a society and about its unique existential challenges. They capture the wisdom, traditional knowledge and values of the environment and the nature of a society. This article examines the role of Siswati riddles in enhancing the cognitive development of children, from an African perspective, in ensuring that children rely on their critical evaluation to solve problems relating to their existence. It attempts to provide a response to the inherent African desire to find balance and beauty in riddles as part of the drive towards reviving African traditions in developing children's understanding of the universe within the African context. Riddles have emerged in the African cultural perspective as a distinct type of literary expression which is considered to be a special domain in child development, particularly in problems involving paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
