Interpreting Kezilahabi’s <i>Nagona</i> and <i>Mzingile</i> through the Religious Thought of Mircea Eliade

The first experimental novels in Kiswahili literature were Nagona and Mzingile by Euphrase Kezilahabi, published in the early 1990s. Although both are considered revolutionary, their esoteric nature has allowed for diverse interpretations from scholars over the years. This study is another attempt to present the hidden meanings of these two enigmatic novels, employing the classic methodology of comparative literature, particularly by exploring intertextual connections. The analysis begins by identifying the factors contributing to their elusiveness. They are revealed to be two: the circular structure that results in the lack of a moral conclusion and the literary devices of increasing uncertainty. This study then attempts to interpret these factors with reference to the thoughts of the 20th-century religious scholar Mircea Eliade. Connections between Eliade and Kezilahabi are evident: Eliade‘s terminology appears in Mzingile, and Kezilahabi references Eliade‘s work multiple times in his doctoral dissertation. This study suggests the possibility that Eliade‘s thought influenced Kezilahabi at the level of conception of Nagona and Mzingile. Furthermore, it proposes a new reading of the two by drawing on Eliade‘s engagement with Indian philosophy.