Number symbolism (nos.1, 4, 7 and 1,000) in Swahili poetry: the case of Utenzi wa Fatumah

Abstract

This paper¹ seeks to address itself to archetypal symbolism of numbers in Kiswahili poetry with a focus on numbers 1, 4, 7 and 1,000 in Utenzi wa Fatumah (The Epic of Princess Fatuma). The term “archetype” refers to basic, general or universal patterns of one sort or another. It is a universal symbol and if a given pattern in a poem is archetypal, then too it is a universal symbol (Wamutiso, 1996). I also discuss symbolism of these numbers in different cultures.