Abstract. – The article discusses the material dimensions of communications in the context of warfare and raiding at the interface of oral and written communication in southwestern Africa during the 19th century. The auditory reality of warfare included not only warcries and battlefield calls but also the “voices” of a new materiality – that of the letter. The letter-writing culture of the Nama/Oorlam had already arisen in pre-colonial times. Letters not only played a key role in the diplomacy of war and peace, but were also a much sought-after type of booty. Finally, the article addresses the vulnerability of messengers, and the medium of the messages they carried.
[pre-colonial Namibia, Nama/ Oorlam, letter-writing culture, oral communication, violence,warfare]