Have
you ever heard of Great Zimbabwe?
"A LONG TIME AGO,
in a certain place in Africa ....."
So, John
Steptoe ushers in his story:MUFARO'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS, set in mystical
Great Zimbabwe. The ruins of Great Zimbabwe are located in the present day
country of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) in Southern Africa. The ancient
city of Great Zimbabwe, believed to have been built between the 12th and
15th centuries was located on the eastern side of the Kalahari Desert, between
the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. Consisting of a Hill Complex built atop
a granite hill and rising 260 feet above the surrounding countryside of
savannah woodland, a Valley Complex built in the valley below, and the Great
Enclosure, the ruins showcase gracefully curving, towering walls built from
enormous granite stones, skillfully stacked in intricate patterns atop each
other, unbonded by any cement or other bonding substance.
The walls of the Great Enclosure built in a huge oval or ellipse measure
up to 32 feet high, 18 feet thick, and 800 feet in length, with a diameter
of about 293 feet. Crested by turrets and monoliths, and sculptures of birds
carved from soapstone, the ruins pronounce consummate expertise in craftsmanship
and a civilization of elaborate organization and ritual. Narrow, twisting
passages separate smaller enclosures, majestic entrances lead in and out,
and a high tower of yet unknown purpose, perhaps a granary, stands guard
within. The ruins of this archeological site are strewn across about 1800
acres of land and the city is believed to have been occupied by 20,000 to
40,000 inhabitants at the height of its influence during which it dominated
the region politically, economically, and culturally and traded as far as
Arabia and the Indian Ocean. Early Portuguese and European travelers who
encountered this site from the 15th century onwards rejected the idea that
black Africans could possibly have created a civilization of such sophistication,
artistry, and power. They therefore attributed the civilization to non-African
sources including the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Hebrews, and even the Queen
of Sheba! Cecil Rhodes and the racist settlers of former Rhodesia also did
there best to eliminate every trace of evidence, including myriad artifacts,
which clearly showed that this civilization originated from indigenous black
Africans.
These racist, fallacious speculations were finally put to rest by the 1932
excavations of archeologist, Getrude Caton-Spencer, which showed convincingly
that the Great Zimbabwe was built by the ancestors of the Shona, a Bantu-speaking
people of present day Zimbabwe. It is from this rich heritage that a deeply
inspired John Steptoe, an African American, retold and illustrated the Southern
African tale of Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters. This tale introduces us to
a man named Mufaro and his daughters, Manyara - the haughty, selfish one,
and Nyasha - the humble, loving one. When a messenger arrives from the city
to announce that The Great King is looking for a wife and is inviting only
"the most worthy and beautiful daughters of the land" to appear before him
that he might choose a wife, Mufaro and his daughters set off for The Great
King's palace.
Along
the way, both daughters encounter tests that reveal their worthiness or
lack thereof and lead the worthier of the two to the King. This skillfully
told tale as well as the bold colorful illustrations render in breathtaking
detail images of the grandeur and sophistication of The Great Zimbabwe era
and testify to the prodigious talent of John Steptoe.
Indeed the illustrations are so graphic and captivating they almost appear
three-dimensional and imbue one with a potent feeling that if one's mind
were appropriately aligned, one might step into the story, follow the wedding
party along the luxuriant countryside, and witness in person the events
that transpire in the city of The Great King. This is certainly a book that
will make children of African descent proud of their culture. John Steptoe
was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1950. At the age of 19 years, his
first children's book was published to critical acclaim and earned a Gold
Medal from the Society of Illustrators. In his 23-year illustrious career,
he illustrated 16 books, 10 of which he also wrote. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
which is a classic was named a Caldecott Honor Book and received the Coretta
Scott King Award for Illustration. John Steptoe died in 1989 at the age
of 39 years. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters is available through all major
bookstores and Amazon.com. Information on The Great Zimbabwe can be found
in numerous articles on the internet.
o Unobagha, an attorney by profession is a nationally acclaimed writer and author of Off To The Sweet Shores of Africa And Other Talking Drum Rhymes.
