Lore is seen in societies with vigorous oral conveyance practices to be a general term inclusive of both oral literature and any written literature, including sophisticated writings, as well, potentially, as visual and performance arts which may interact with these forms, extend their expression, or offer additional expressive media. At the end of our discussion, i share the slide with the characteristics of oral literature. Oral interpretation focuses on literature in performance. The oral tradition journal, established in 1986, publishes articles on oral traditions and oral literature as well as related research. Throughout africa, oral literature is flourishing, though it is perceived by some as anachronistic to the modern world. The role of oral tradition in constructing african history is enormous as africans transferred their natural and cultural heritage orally curtin et al. Before humans developed writing, we passed down stories in the form of oral literature.
One example of this would be american sign language, or asl. Oral literature in africa is part of the world oral literature series published in conjunction with the world oral literature project. May 27, 2019 the primary element of oral literature is speech. Such figures of speech, however, are not the property of written literature alone, nor did they originate in written literature. Historical and theoretical perspectives of literature. One aspect is the beliefs on the spirits of dead ancestors found in. Differentiating oral literature by reference to a social context of a particular kind, then, does not look as promising as at first sight. The article below elaborates on the different elements of literature. The central questions addressed are why oral literature should be taught, what should be included, and how it should be taught. Ong argue that it is a contradiction in terms since the conservative view is that literature should. Albert bates lord, the singer resumes the tale foreword preface 1.
There is no standard definition as folklorists have varying descriptions for oral literature or folk literature but a broad conceptualization refers to it as literature characterized by. Oral literature theories makerere university courses. The study analyzes how oral literature relates to media, music, technology, text, gender, religion, power, politics. A writer appeals to our feelings and emotions through various elements of literature, such as the plot, character, theme, etc. A collaborative workshop to map endangered oral cultures was held on 2930 june. Find kenyatta university theory and methods in oral literature previous year question paper. Krappe stated that i conceive of folktales and folksongs as purely literary manifesta. For instance, the experience of listening to oral performances can, and continues to, inform scholarship. Simon ortiz, an acoma pueblo poet stated in a 1990 interview that for him and those that have grown up in it, the oral tradition. Jan 01, 2000 amongst the topics covered are translation problems, understanding proverbs, oral narrative as discourse, the use of audio visual aids in teaching, general and the politics of control, images of women in african oral literature, the relationship with material culture, and oral literature as part of oral traditions. Hussein faculty of education, alemaya university abstract every african society south of the sahara has a long history of transmitting knowledge and human experience through the medium of oral tradition.
The perception of african oral literature 29 nineteenthcentury approaches and collections. Oral literature has no transcription due to the language not being a written language. Tall tales are often lighthearted or humorous, and contain exaggerated, unrealistic elements. Brief stories, often with animal characters, told to express a moral. He directs the world oral literature project and the digital himalaya. A collaborative workshop to map endangered oral cultures was held on 2930 june on 01 june 2012, professor rukmini bhaya nair gave a lecture on the material culture of oral narratives in india. How does oral literature affect written literature. The perception of african oral literature nineteenthcentury approaches and collections. An explanation of the key elements of literature penlighten. The definition of oral literature would be literature or story telling that uses the spoken work or word of mouth. Media in category oral literature the following 2 files are in this category, out of 2 total. Indeed, popular assumptions about the normal context for oral literature would seem to result in positively misleading conclusions about the main body of oral literature which is actually available for study. Oral literature in english the canadian encyclopedia.
This paper grapples with the question of choice of theory in the study of african oral literature. Oral literature is a form of literature that is not written but instead is passed verbally from person to person. Elements of the oral tradition by steve van wyk on prezi. Oral literature or folk literature corresponds in the sphere of the spoken oral word to literature as literature operates in the domain of the written word. With the invention of writing, people began to record. More than 500 published articles are available on the oral tradition journal website and are available for download in pdf format. The anaphora in lines 46 of the passage can be matched in written literature, of course. Ruth finnegans oral literature in africa was first published in 1970, and since then has been widely praised as one of the most important books in its field.
The transition of oral culture to oral literature oral culture is derived from traditional societies and contains norms such as traditional belief systems of certain things handed down from successive generations. While written literature at the instant of composition and publishing is immediately fossilised in rigidity, oral literature, as this article demonstrates, is in a constant state of change. Feel free to use the past paper as you prepare for your upcoming examinations. Types of oral literature literary types with hacker at.
Others use oral literature or verbal art gingell and roy 67. Book launch for ruth finnegans oral literature in africa was held at heffers bookshop, cambridge on 15 oct 2012. The are encouraged to add this information to their notes using any type of shorthand that they are comfortable with. Ect 315 topic 4 teaching oral literature page 1 of 3 topic 4 teaching of oral literature topic objectives by the end of this topic you should be able to. They were used in oral literature long before writing was invented. This work refutes this idea in its entirety by presenting 22 chapters, which firmly place the study of oral literature within contemporary african existence. The term oral literature is also used to describe the tradition in written civilizations in which certain genres are transmitted by word of mouth or are confined to the socalled folk i. Based on years of fieldwork, the study traces the history of storytelling across the continent of africa.
The phrases oral literature and folklore are not at all new in the language of linguists, comparative literary scholars, and anthropologists. It strives for comparative and interdisciplinary consideration of the emergence, passing on and interpretation of all forms of expression in the oral tradition. After speech, important elements include storytelling, plot, protagonists, antagonists, culture, moralslessons, preservation of history andor lore, legitimization and praise of rulers, rhetoric, etc. Theory and methods in oral literature question papers 2155. Next, i share the slide with the different literary genres derived from oral literature. Only when it is clear how the text stands to the performance and the other to the tradition can an analysis of the contents of the message begin, vansina, 1985. In general terms we can also ask ourselves whether oral literature has any purpose for.
It therefore makes the case that the scope of translation studies in african oral literature be widened to achieve what has been referred to as conceptual recuperation whereby certain. To remedy the bias against orality, scholars use the term orature to refer to speeches, oral tales, and other narratives as an analogous word for literature gingell and roy 5. While written literature at the instant of composition and publishing is immediately fossilised in rigidity, oral literature, as this. Pdf and ebook editions, but also offering a free online edition that can be. Topics include role and functions of oral literature, genre studies. The term folklore generally refers to certain of the spoken or nonwritten activities of complex literate cultures where only a minority can read and write and where the rest are illiterate, a frequent situation of the peasantry in the postbronze age cultures of europe and asia especially.
The oral nature of african unwritten literature the significance of performance in actualization, transmission, and composition. Seventh grade lesson introduction to oral literature. Oral literature in english the term oral literature is sometimes used interchangeably with folklore, but it usually has a broader focus. Oral literature, in creative writing, transcription and translation, oral literature and contemporary reality, and research methodology in oral literature.
The importance of oral literature many of you know that i have developed a special place in my heart for the oral literature tradition since i started working with sidiky last spring. The oral artists agenda joseph muleka 87 p a g e the oral text naturally text is a crucial component in communicating messages. This revised edition makes finnegans groundbreaking research available to the next generation of scholars. On 01 june 2012, professor rukmini bhaya nair gave a lecture on the material culture of oral narratives in india. This literature through narrative, poetry, song, dance, myths and fables, and texts for religious rituals provides a portrait of the meaning of life as experienced by the society at its. Oral literature is a performed art which in most cases uses words as a medium of communication. Songs oral narratives oral poetryriddlestongue twisters 3. Oral traditional poetics, a mythic episode, and arming scenes in the iliad 4.
After speech, important elements include storytelling, plot, protagonists, antagonists, culture, moralslessons, preservation of history andor lore, legitimization and praise of rulers, rhetoric. Songsoral narrativesoral poetryriddlestongue twisters 3. The social, linguistic, and literary background 51. Recent trends in african studies and the revival of interest in oral literature. Oral interpretation, or the study of literature through its performance, can be defined as a demonstration of analysis, performance and communication skills. Another example of oral literature would be that of native americans. It means spoken literature, or literature by word of mouth, which makes it a controversial term. Oral literature is a broad term which may include ritual texts, curative chants, epic poems, musical genres, folk tales, creation tales, songs, myths, spells, legends, proverbs, riddles, tonguetwisters, word games, recitations, life histories or historical narratives. Oral literature, the standard forms or genres of literature found in societies without writing. Orality, oral literature, nanaoture and neneiture3, oral writing, fiuriture and french.
Historical and theoretical perspectives of literature anders pettersson department of scandinavian languages and comparative literature, umea university, sweden keywords. Simply put, the term oral tradition refers to a process by which any information about a culture, such as literature, history, medicine, etc. Contents online resources illustrations forward by mark turin prefaces acknowledgements abbreviations note on sources. The paper argues that while it is easy and desirable to choose a facilitative theory in the analysis of a written work of literature, such a process poses challenges when it comes to the oral type of african literature. There is no standard definition as folklorists have varying descriptions for oral literature or folk literature but a broad conceptualization refers to it as literature characterized by oral transmission and the absence of any fixed form. This literature through narrative, poetry, song, dance, myths and fables, and texts for religious rituals provides a portrait of the meaning of life as experienced by the society at its particular time and place with its unique existential challenges.
Oral literature in africa pdf open book publishers. Sidiky grew up learning an unwritten language, and therefore the transmission of folk tales and other stories by an oral means was very important in his culture. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Grand in length and scope, an epic provides a portrait of legends, beliefs, valves, laws, arts, and ways of life of a people.
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