Doctor of literature and philosophy in the subject african languages at the. Thank you for your interest in oral literature in africa. Stories, songs, proverbs, riddles and jokes in oral literature use colorful words and vivid images to describe human beings, their feelings and their behavior towards one another. Characteristics of oral tradition in world literature. The book is available as a free pdf and ebook download thanks to the generous support of interested readers and organisations, who made donations using the crowdfunding website unglue. An analysis of the readability characteristics of oral. Oral literature, in creative writing, transcription and translation, oral literature and contemporary reality, and research methodology in oral literature. In literate societies it is used especially in the transmission of genres of traditions and folklore.
Oral literature in africa is part of the world oral literature series published in conjunction with the world oral literature project. Oral literature would also include those artistic and. All cultures that now use writing have an oral tradition that came before writing, and many cultures around the world. Written literature works in the domain of written words and the sphere of spoken word is known as oral literature. The are encouraged to add this information to their notes using any type of shorthand that they are comfortable with.
Songsoral narrativesoral poetryriddlestongue twisters 3. Oral literature is an aspect of literature preserved not in written form but in oral form. Oral literature, then, consists of the songs and stories, and other sayings, that. This revised edition makes finnegans groundbreaking research available to the next generation of scholars. In her study of oral literature, stephanie newell gives the example of a system of. Characteristics of prose in literature means different types of literature such as dramas, novels, stories.
Oral literature can be defined as the sphere of spoken words to literature. Even though some of these characteristics can be found in written literature, you will discover that in oral literature they are unique. At the end of our discussion, i share the slide with the characteristics of oral literature. Pdf on sep 29, 2018, g i n emezue and others published essential stylistic features of oral literature find, read and cite. The difference between oral culture and written culture is that oral literature forms more fundamental component of. The storyteller can maintain eye contact and adapt the telling of the story. The study of orality is closely allied to the study of oral tradition the term orality has been used in a variety of ways, often to describe, in a generalised fashion, the structures of consciousness found in cultures that do. In order to study the oromo oral narrative as field of scholarship, each literary form. In an attempt to preserve this oral literature, several individual authors have collected tales, proverbs, riddles and published them in books. Trends and characteristics of oral and maxillofacial.
Ong argue that it is a contradiction in terms since the conservative view is that literature should. Unlike written literary genres, oral literature is conveyed or passed down to future generations by word of mouth, typically through memorization and recitation. Oral literature is basically the art of verbal storytelling. Genre characteristics 2 genre definition frequently found elements picture book examples journals and diaries a log written by an author at regular intervals. The perception of african oral literature 29 nineteenthcentury approaches and collections. Examples of traditional literature are divination text, drum language, poem, appellation, tales, songs. To some people, oral literature is only but a mirage. Written literature and oral literature share similar characteristics, including the need to use heightened language and literary techniques such as alliteration, flashbacks, foreshadowing, narrative hooks and plot twists. Oral that aptly mirrors ones society and tell the story to a literature, therefore. Yet, despite the existence of these books on oral literature, the young generation in africa that has grown under the western school system somehow feels estranged with respect to this oral literature. Oral literature, then, consists of the songs and stories, and other sayings, that people have heard and listened to, sung and told, without any intervention of writing. Interactions and intersections edited by daniela merolla leiden university, the netherlands introduction the studies of oral literature are countless, and the educational function of storytelling is certainly one of recurring topics. In other words, oral literature does not operate in a vacuum. It forms part of africas rich cultures that are expressed in diverse ways.
Oral literature britannica encyclopedia britannica. The editor has eliminated the element that is characteristic of oral traditional. Origin and history, characteristics and examples the oral literature is the standard form or genre of literature in those societies that do not have written language. In this section, we are going to look at some of the outstanding characteristics of oral literature. How does oral literature affect written literature. 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. In considering the essential or fundamental stylistic characteristics of oral literature, there is the need to have some understanding of what constitutes style and consequently, stylistics. What are the characteristics of oral literature answers. 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. Epics have often been passed on orally and may have anonymous authors. Another example of oral literature would be that of native americans. What are the differences between oral and written literature.
An epic is a long story often told in verse involving heroes and gods. Topics include role and functions of oral literature, genre studies. Orature as a characteristic of the literatures of werewereliking. Before books and writing, cultures passed along their history and heritage through oral storytelling traditions. Grand in length and scope, an epic provides a portrait of legends, beliefs, valves, laws, arts, and ways of life of a people. 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. 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 theories makerere university courses. It was before written literature and consists of the poetperson memorizing the story and re. Legends and myths are prime examples of oral literature, crossing the line between fact and fiction, yet strengthened by constant retelling. In literature, there are four main genres to help the reader focus their expectations for the piece, though these genres can be broken down even further. The creator or transmitter did not write the song or the story but sang or told it. In either case, it is transmitted from mouth to mouth over. Oral literature, the standard forms or genres of literature found in societies. It includes a new introduction, additional images and an updated bibliography, as well as its original chapters on poetry, prose, drum language and drama, and an overview of the social, linguistic and historical background of oral literature in africa. Seventh grade lesson introduction to oral literature. Please consider donating to obp and purchasing our books to support our work. It is highly valued in africa in general and in igbo in particular mainly because of its didactic nature. The social, linguistic, and literary background 51. Orality is thought and verbal expression in societies where the technologies of literacy especially writing and print are unfamiliar to most of the population.
Oral literature is the repository of the critical knowledge, philosophy, and wisdom for nonliterate societies. 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. Some examples of oral literature include, the oral narrative, sometimes referred to as the folktale, myths, explanatory tales, ogre tales, trickster tales, dilemma stories, historical tales, legends, including the epic. Aristotle has defined literature as an imitation of proverbs, riddles, tonguetwisters, word games, life. Oral tradition, the first and still most widespread mode of human communication. Get an answer for how does oral literature affect written literature. The definition of oral literature would be literature or story telling that uses the spoken work or word of mouth.
Recent trends in african studies and the revival of interest in oral literature. Oral literature, the standard forms or genres of literature found in societies without writing. One example of this would be american sign language, or asl. Even though the student has no difficulty in understanding what is meant, it is a poor descriptor. Oral traditional poetics has some special characteristics because of the way in which it was created from the matrix of oral tradition. Oral literature makes us aware of ourselves, other human beings, our environment and our history. Features or characteristics of the oral tradition found in the epic poem include gnomic assertions, sententious maxims put into verse, alliteration, kennings and epithets which all serve as a. It is therefore, possible that one can compose story recitations, life histories or historical narratives. It means spoken literature, or literature by word of mouth, which makes it a controversial term. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The diary of a young girlby opal whiteley, selected and adapted by jane boulton. Next, i share the slide with the different literary genres derived from oral literature. The experience of hearing a story told is more personal and connected to the listener.
The importance of song in africa oral literature aucccom. 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. Methods a computerized literature search using medline was conducted for publications on maxillofacial injuries in nigeria published between 1970 and 2005. Oral literature can include myths, legends, songs and chants, and even speeches. Simply put, the term oral tradition refers to a process by which any information about a culture, such as literature, history, medicine, etc. Literature by definition is written and intended to be read. Oral health education brochures were collected from 11 dental clinics across tasmania and assessed for structure and format, content and readability. So, mixture of genres and oral and written forms and performance are identifying features of works of orature. The first characteristic mentioned by father ong is that oral thought and expression are additive. Oral literature is a spoken word that has been transmitted from generation to generation. This paper grapples with the question of choice of theory in the study of african oral literature. Far more than just talking, oral tradition refers to a dynamic and highly diverse oralaural medium for evolving, storing, and transmitting knowledge, art, and ideas. The nature and kinds of oral literature center for hellenic studies.
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