Tiyo Soga (1829 – 12 August 1871) was a Xhosa journalist,
minister,
translator
Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...
,
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
evangelist, and composer of
hymns
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
. Soga was the first black South African to be ordained and worked to translate the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
and
John Bunyan
John Bunyan (; baptised 30 November 162831 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress,'' which also became an influential literary model. In addition ...
's classic work ''
Pilgrim's Progress
''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of ...
'' into his native
Xhosa language
Xhosa (, ) also isiXhosa as an endonym, is a Nguni language and one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Xhosa is spoken as a first language by approximately 8.2 million people and by another 11 million as a second ...
.
Background
Soga was Xhosa. When his mother Nosuthu became a Christian she sought and received release from her marriage to Jotello, a head advisor of Chief
Ngqika
The Ngqika people are a Xhosa people, Xhosa monarchy who lived west of the Great Kei River in what is today the Eastern Cape of South Africa. They were first ruled by Rharhabe, Rarabe kaPhalo who died with his son Mlawu, who was destined for chieft ...
, on the grounds that she wanted her son to be raised a Christian and receive formal education. Nosuthu's request was granted and she took Soga to the Thyume Mission. As a child in Thyume, Soga attended the school of the Revd John A. Chalmers.
In 1844 at the age of 15 Soga received a scholarship to
Lovedale Missionary Institution located from Thyume. Soga's education was interrupted by the "
War of the Axe
The Xhosa Wars (also known as the Cape Frontier Wars or the Kaffir Wars) were a series of nine wars (from 1779 to 1879) between the Xhosa Kingdom and the British Empire as well as Trekboers in what is now the Eastern Cape in South Africa. T ...
" in 1846 and he and his mother were forced to take refuge in nearby Fort Armstrong.
The principal of Lovedale, the Revd William Govan, decided to return home to Scotland and offered to pay the way for Soga to come with him and seek higher education. Nosuthu agreed to let her son go. Not knowing if she would ever see him again, she said: "my son belongs to God; wherever he goes God is with him…he is as much in God's care in Scotland as he is here with me".
Soga attended the Normal School in Glasgow, Scotland and was "adopted" by the John Street United Presbyterian Church. During his stay in Scotland Soga made a formal profession of Christian faith and was baptized in May 1848.
During his time in Scotland Soga developed a sympathetic perspective for both the white and black races and his unique racial perspective remained with him for the rest of his life.
After two years in Scotland, Soga returned to the Eastern Cape to work as an evangelist and teacher in Thyume. Soga was asked by the Rev. Robert Niven to help establish a new mission station in the
Amatole Mountains and he faithfully planted the Uniondale Mission in
Keiskammahoek
Keiskammahoek (also spelled Keiskamahoek) is a town in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. From 1981 until the end of apartheid, the town was part of the Ciskei bantustan.
Geography
Keiskammahoek is a small rural town that is situated some f ...
. Because of its identification with the colonial authorities Uniondale mission was burnt to the ground by those at war with the colonial powers. Soga was almost killed in the incident and refused to side with the chief leading the war or to accept the position of translator offered him by the colonial government.
Soga decided to pursue further theological education and accompanied Rev. Niven back to Scotland where he enrolled at the Theological Hall, Glasgow so that he might "learn better how to preach Christ as my known Saviour to my countrymen who know Him not".
On 10 December 1856 Tiyo Soga became the first black South African to be ordained in the
United Presbyterian Church.
Two months after his ordination Soga married
Janet Burnside
Janet may refer to:
Names
* Janet (given name)
* Janet (French singer) (1939–2011)
Surname
* Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table
* Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psych ...
, a Scotswoman who was "a most honourable, thrifty, frugal, and devoted woman who marched heroically and faithfully by her husband's side through all the chequered scenes of his short life". Throughout his life Soga faced racism as a "
Kaffir" and was treated as a second-class citizen by many whites in Africa. Soga also faced opposition from black Africans, some of whom thought of him as trying to become a "black Englishman".
In 1857 Soga returned to the Eastern Cape with his wife where they eventually founded the Emgwali Mission where Soga worked among his native Ngqika people. During their years in Emgwali the Soga's had eight children, one of whom was stillborn. Two of their sons – William Anderson Soga and John Henderson Soga – followed their father and were ordained as ministers and missionaries, and two of their daughters – Isabella McFarlane Soga and Francis Maria Anna Soga – were employed as teachers in mission. Kirkland Allan Soga, studied law at University of Glasgow and became the first black
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
in South Africa, and a
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
involved in the founding of the
African National Congress
The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...
. His fourth son was
Jotello Festiri Soga
Jotello Festiri Soga (1865 – 6 December 1906) was South Africa's first black veterinary surgeon who played a leading role in eradicating rinderpest. The library at the University of Pretoria Faculty of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary ...
, the first black
veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgery is surgery performed on animals by veterinarians, whereby the procedures fall into three broad categories: orthopaedics (bones, joints, muscles), soft tissue surgery (skin, body cavities, cardiovascular system, GI/urogenital/ ...
in South Africa.
The youngest daughter born just a year before Soga died,
Jessie Margaret Soga became a classic
contralto
A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type.
The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically b ...
soloist and teacher studying in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
and a
licenciate
A licentiate (abbreviated Lic.) is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels.
It may be similar to a master's degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities in Europe, Latin A ...
of the Royal College of Music, London and a leading
suffragist
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...
. Janet Soga returned to England for the births of all her children. Tiyo Soga suffered from poor health and it was during one of these bouts of sickness that he used his time to translate ''
Pilgrim's Progress
''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of ...
'' (U-Hambo Iom-Hambi) into his native
Xhosa language
Xhosa (, ) also isiXhosa as an endonym, is a Nguni language and one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Xhosa is spoken as a first language by approximately 8.2 million people and by another 11 million as a second ...
. Soga's translation and adaptation of ''Pilgrim's Progress'' has been called "the most important literary influence in 19th century South Africa after the Bible."
He also worked to translate the
Christian gospels
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
and served on the advisory board to revise the Xhosa Bible.
At the end of his short life Soga was sent to open a new mission station in Tutuka (Somerville) in Kreli's country and the difficult work further deteriorated his health.
It was the desire of Soga that his children be educated in Scotland and before his death instructed his sons, "For your own sakes never appear ashamed that your father was a "
Kaffir" and that you inherit some African blood. It is every whit as good and as pure as that which flows in the veins of my fairer brethren…you will ever cherish the memory of your mother as that of an upright, conscientious, thrifty, Christian Scots woman. You will ever be thankful for your connection by this tie with the white race".
Soga died of tuberculosis in August 1871. He died in the arms of fellow missionary Richard Ross with his mother, Nosuthu, by his side. He is considered by many to be the first major modern African intellectual and was among the first Christian leaders to assert the right of black Africans to have freedom and equality.
Hymns and poetry
One of Soga's hymns exemplifies his Xhosa heritage by setting the words of
Ntsikana's "Great Hymn" to music. Ntsikana, a Xhosa chief, is remembered as the first important African convert to Christianity. Around 1815, Ntsikana started the first African Christian organization and went on to write four poetic hymns. His "Great Hymn" extols God as creator and redeemer, and still appears with Soga's music in modern hymnbooks.
Although Ntisikana died before Soga's birth, Soga was clearly influenced by his predecessor's poetry and example.
Soga's tribute to Ntsikana includes the lines:
What "thing" Ntsikana, was't that prompted thee
To preach to thy dark countrymen beneath yon tree'?
What sacred vision did the mind enthral,
Whil'st thou lay dormant in thy cattle kraal?
Soga's "Bell Hymn", used to call worshippers together, is also based on a Ntisikana poem. African poet and playwright
H. I. E. Dhlomo's play ''The Girl Who Killed to Save: Nongqause the Liberator'' incorporates the music of the Bell Hymn.
The character of Soga himself appears at the end of the play, heralded by other characters singing another of Soga's hymns, "Fulfill Your Promise."
Lizalis' idinga lakho
This hymn was sung long after Soga's death, to open the first meeting of the South African Native National Congress in 1912.
"Fulfill Your Promise" may also have inspired the African National Congress anthem, "God Bless Africa". Soga wrote the hymn in July 1857, when he returned to Africa. The last verse of "Fulfill Your Promise" may be translated as:
O Lord, bless
The teachings of our land;
Please revive us
That we may restore goodness.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soga, Tiyo
1829 births
1871 deaths
19th-century journalists
19th-century male writers
19th-century Presbyterian ministers
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
Male journalists
South African journalists
Xhosa people
Recipients of the Order of Ikhamanga