...INTRODUCTION Oral literature of folk literature refers to the heritage of imaginative verbal creations, stories, folk believes and songs of pre-literate societies have been evolved and passed on through the spoken word from one generation to the other. As a relatively new field of study. The African literature is a produce within an environment in the predominant of mode of communication is oral. African writers have also been falling back on the rich oral tradition of their people. The extent to see a writer uses the oral tradition is always often determined by his closeness to the Africa oral tradition. The influence of African oral tradition on African poetry helps to authenticate or establish the authencity of Africa literary tradition Orality in Modern African poetry manifest itself in a number of ways. It has to do with both the content as well as the form of African poetry. The most obvious prove that contemporary African poets are indebted to the indigenous poetic tradition of their people is in their interest in rehabilitating and excavating traditional poetic forms. For instance Wole Soyinka ‘IDANRE’ is best understood within the Ijala poetic traditions among the Yoruba culture. The poem in a sense is a form of Ijala as it celebrates Ogun- the god of Iron Kofi Awoonor also models his poem on the traditional poems of abuse among the Ewe of Ghana. Niyi Osundare has also admitted at many of his poems are written in form of ‘oriki’. Each of these poets has been...
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...Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Literature * Literature comes from the Latin word meaning letter there for Oral literature is contractual. * People used oral literature long before written literature in the ways of storytelling, poems and song. * We think good story telling is neatly organized and original. Clichés are a make of bad writing. * But per literature societies tend to love stock phrase, tradition sayings and proverbs. Helped them to remember the story. * Per literature societies didn’t have an author instead they have poets, singers and storytellers to echo old tales. * Of course most oral stories were lost due to not having been written down or recoded in some fashion there for can’t be collected in any anthology records. * As one can expert written literature didn’t take hold all at ones, it was used for inventory, commercial, admin., political and legal form mostly at first. * Plato s Phaedrus gives us some induction of Athenians enormous cultural change with the invention of writing. * By the time of early Roman Empire poets started to emulate oral literature. * Mesopotamia was where writing was first developed around 3300 to 2990 b.c.e. * Writings at this time where done with clay tablets left in the sun to dry. Pictographic used list livestock, food etc * By 2800 b.c.e began to use wedged -shape end sticks to make marks rather than shape ended sticks to draw pictographic. * Known as cuneiform from...
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...The epic of Sundiata was an oral tradition that follows the life of Sundiata, son of Maghan Kon Fatta and Sogolon and future King of the Kingdom of Mali. The history of the “lion prince” (Niane 14), is told by the griot Mamadou Kouyate many generations after Sundiata himself died in the 1200’s. It remained spoken only until scholars began publishing African oral tradition as stories in the mid-1900s. Mamadou Kouyate explains that his reason for telling the history of Mali in this fashion is, “…so that the lives of the ancients might serve them as an example, for the world is old, but the future springs from the past, (1).” The epic itself are plainly written words of an oral account, but that does not take away from the fact that the history and tale is a reliable source of information on the old kingdoms of Western Africa and the Kingdom of Mali specifically. Griots, like Mamadou Kouyate, were men who had ,”…learnt the art of historical oratory through long years…bound by an oath, (viii).” Though certain words are often changed when a person retells a story, Griots were raised from their youth and trained to retain exact details of a history in order to better retell it in the future. Griots were highly respected men who maintained traditions of their people and were often more than not advisers to the kings of Mali. Griots, “…for want of archives, records the customs, traditions and governmental principles of kings, (vii).” These men told history so it can be an example to...
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...html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/></head><body><a href="antugan is an epic story told in the great oral tradition of the Maranao tribe. It is a story about the great Prince Bantugan, the greatest warrior of the kingdom of Bantugan. In the play, Bantugan, after courting the beautiful but evil sorceress of Bambalay Anonan, Maginar , decides to return home to Bumbaran. Upon his return he finds out that his brother and king of Bumbaran, Agaanon Dalinan, driven by his jealousy over the prince warrior's fame, has ordered out a proclamation which forbids all the people of Bumbaran from speaking to him. Deeply saddened, Prince Bantugan departs from his beloved land. While traveling, he is accidentally placed under a spell by the vengeful Maginar. He falls lifeless in the Land-Between-Two-Seas where the beautiful Princess Datimbang finds him. The question of the corpse's identity puzzles everyone until Bantugan's faithful parrot, who has been looking for him, finds him in his lifeless state. Fearing that the kingdom might be held responsible for the great warrior's death, the king of the Land-Between-Two-Seas decides to ship Bantugan's body back to Bumbaran. He sends out a parrot in advance to tell of the prince's fate. The news of his death quickly spreads, reaching the ears of Miskoyaw, Bantugan's mortal enemy, who decides to finally invade Bumbaran. Meanwhile, Prince Madali and Prince...
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...“ Legends on the Net” In the article “ Legends on the net”, Jan Fernback examines a unique type of folklore – urban legends and their transformation into cyberspace. The author used two main arguments to support her contention. First, many characteristics of contemporary urban legends are inherited from oral folklore that existed long time ago before technology appeared. Second argument is as mediated urban legends gradually proliferate, cyberspace plays an important role for primary oral culture to survive and represents actual meaning of orality and literacy. According to the article, Professor Jan Brunvard had first coined the term “urban legends” since 1968. Urban legends are a unique type of folklore – traditional beliefs, stories and customs of community that had been passed through the generations by words of mouth. Familiar cultural mores, values and beliefs are presented in folklores. Urban legends inherit many similar characteristics from folklores. For example, they are popular stories concerning with humiliating, humorous, horrible and supernatural events that are transmitted from people to people via oral or written communication. Legends are anonymous because they arise spontaneously and are difficult to trace the origin of the stories. Urban legends are usually false however, they tell a type of truth. They unselfconsciously reflect the major concerns of individuals in societies. Urban legends somehow contain moralistic component and reinforce social...
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...Personal Responsibility David Flor There are a couple of critical issues when it comes to the study of what a religious tradition says. The first is to make a distinction between the oral tradition and the written tradition. Many well-developed, world religions have an established canon of sacred texts, as well as an oral tradition. In some cases, this also has come to be written down. For instance, in Judaism, there is the tradition of the Oral Torah and the written Torah. The written Torah has become the Tanakh or the Hebrew Bible as we know it. The Oral Torah has also been written down in established commentaries in the Talmud. However, many indigenous religions have not written down their oral traditions. In fact, there are still some indigenous people that do not have a written language, and so their entire religious tradition is passed down orally from generation to generation. These oral traditions are more difficult for scholars to study and to follow over time. es GEN/200 08/05/2013 Bernadette Porter-Drayden Personal Responsibility Personal responsibility is doing what is meant to be done and fulfill the commitments that are already made. It brings positive personal change into a person’s life and also transforms an individual into a more effective person who contributes to a more positive, energetic and dynamic organizational culture. When one fails to be personally responsible, the necessary effort falls to others. What this means to...
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...Ong was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to a Protestant father and a Roman Catholic mother; he was raised as a Roman Catholic. In 1929 he graduated from Rockhurst High School. In 1933 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rockhurst College, where he majored in Latin. During his time at Rockhurst College, he founded a chapter of the Catholic fraternity, Alpha Delta Gamma. He worked in printing and publishing prior to entering the Society of Jesus in 1935, and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1946. In 1941 Ong earned a master's degree in English at Saint Louis University. His thesis on sprung rhythm in the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins (see An Ong Reader, 2002: 111-74) was supervised by the young Canadian Marshall McLuhan. Ong also received the degrees Licentiate of Philosophy and Licentiate of Sacred Theology from Saint Louis University. After completing his dissertation on the French logician and educational reformer Peter Ramus (1515-1572) and Ramism under the supervision of Perry Miller at Harvard University in 1954, Ong returned to Saint Louis University, where he would teach for the next 30 years. In 1955 he received his Ph.D. in English from Harvard University. In 1963 the French government honored Ong for his work on Ramus by dubbing Ong a knight, Chevalier de l'Ordre des Palmes académiques. In 1966-1967 Ong served on the 14-member White House Task Force on Education that reported to President Lyndon Johnson. In 1971 Ong was elected a Fellow of the American...
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...Teach Africa tm World Affairs Council of Houston The Oral Traditions of Africa What are oral traditions? Oral traditions are messages that are transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages may be passed down through speech or song and may take the form of folktales and fables, epic histories and narrations, proverbs or sayings, and songs. Oral Traditions make it possible for a society to pass knowledge across generations without writing. They help people make sense of the world and are used to teach children and adults about important aspects of their culture. The art of storytelling There is a rich tradition throughout Africa of oral storytelling. Although written history existed for centuries in West Africa, most writing was in Arabic, and the majority of people did not read or write in Arabic. So the transmission of knowledge, history and experience in West Africa was mainly through the oral tradition and performance rather than on written texts. Oral traditions guide social and human morals, giving people a sense of place and purpose. There is often a lesson or a value to instill, and the transmission of wisdom to children is a community responsibility. Parents, grandparents, and relatives take part in the process of passing down the knowledge of culture and history. Storytelling provides entertainment, develops the imagination, and teaches important lessons about everyday life. World Affairs Council of Houston PO Box 920905 Houston, TX 77292-0905 Voice...
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...Guanima and Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men. Oral tradition dates back to the beginning of time, this tradition includes folktales, myths, legends, songs, riddles and any other form of verbal communication. Different aspects of the tradition has been used in various ways, including for entertainment, education, providing histories, or to bring awareness to societal ills. While each country/society have their own oral traditions and folktales, there are those folktales that are shared by several different communities. However, even though different communities may share the same stories, inevitably, those stories will be changed based on the specific community’s culture, language , history and geographical location. The effects of location and history on the folktales within the community can be seen very clearly in the texts An Evening in Guanima by Patricia Glinton Meicholas, and Mules and Men by Zora Neal Hurston, respectively. ***You need a very strong thesis here*** In “Talkin Ol' Story: A Brief Survey of the Oral tradition in the Bahamas”, Patricia Glinton Meicholas describes the Bahamian ol' story as existing “in a dream time landscape where human beings exhibit a fluid morphology…”(Meicholas 10). Much of Bahamian oral tradition , like that of the African Americans, has been influenced by what has come before, during and after the trans Atlantic slave trade. The enslaved African brought with them a culture rich in oral traditionthat included songs, riddles, proverbs...
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...CHAPTER ONE METHODOLOGY, THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter sets out to examine the methods used in this study, the importance of methodology in research and it also, examines the types of theories necessary for the study. METHODOLOGY This refers to the theoretical approach(es) employed in the work. It is the systematic study method that are, can be, or have been applied within a discipline. Methodology here refers to both methods of data collection and method of data analyses. Field work is the very first step to come up with this work. The method use in collecting data in this study are based on interviews and personal participation in the performance which serves as primary sources.in order to collect data, the researcher acted as part of the audience meanwhile, the performance was recorded without the performers knowledge because it would have been difficult for materials to be collected through other methods such as dialogue, for example. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Theoretical framework refers to the concept that are related to the research topic to determine the statistical relationship the paper will measure. The approach that will suit this topic is the sociological approach. In the sociology of literature, Diana Laurenson and Swing Wood argue that: Essentially the scientific objective study of man, society, the study of social processes, seek to answer the question of how society is possible, how it works, why it persists. Through a rigorous...
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...From an individual perspective, it would be of essence to identify with the mechanisms implemented by the slaves with the objective of depiction upon their cultural resources in order to challenge the dehumanizing thrust of slavery. Having led to the extradition of Africans, the individuals displaced brutally from their native lands, viewed it necessary to draw on the resources of their cultures while anticipating for survival from the dehumanization enhanced by captivity. Substantially, the major mechanisms implemented by the slaves revolved around the existence of slave individuality, entrenched in African beliefs. Importantly, the invention of original communal set-ups would be viewed as the core mechanism that confronted the ill-treatment...
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...For as long as could be remembered, oral traditions existed in African societies. For Africans, oral tradition was a means for passing down history, folklore and stories from generation to generation. Everyone’s story is different; passing along oral traditions works to convey one’s culture. Oral tradition can even go so far as to teach the traditional values of life and give religious insight. Dr. Vincent Muli Wa Kituku explains that “voice unified a family, clan, or community”. In tradition, griots serve as storytellers, musicians and singers. They memorize these stories and songs completely, and pass them along. Thus, the role of the griot is important in the conservation of African history and culture. Throughout history, people have visited Africa and several countries within only to return home and share stories of their adventures. They recount what they see and often times regurgitate stories that they have heard. Is it possible to relate a visitor’s tale of Africa to the tales passed through generations by storytellers? While recounting a visit in a foreign country does give others an idea of that country may be like, hearing a story from someone within the culture provides a better understanding of that culture. D.T. Niane’s story of Sundiata and Ibn Battuta’s stories in Africa both provide the reader with knowledge of African history. However, given the importance of spoken word in African culture, Niane’s work serves as a more reliable source and properly provides...
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...book, Facing Mount Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta establishes the history and culture of the Gikuyu society. Articulated from an African perspective, the book demonstrations both the rich culture of the Gikuyu society, and even the threats of European impact over a population of people whose whole lives are centered on social customs and religious ideas. He defends the African customs and troubles the British dominated in Kenya. Certain points are cited throughout his reading with respect to the explanation of Gikuyu society. Oral tradition, family clan, age grouping, marriage, religion and sexuality play a reflective role in the lives of the Gikuyu culture. Kenyatta discovers the British taking advantage of the work-force the Gikuyu provide. He additional states that the British took away their right to religion and has described them as an uncivilized and sluggish society. Kenyatta explains that the British took away their right to religion and has described them as an uncivilized and sluggish society. He states that oral custom is a vital trait that a young child in the Gikuyu culture acquires from his birth. Writing and reading were not ideal abilities since the oral tradition permitted the child to grow and adapt to this type of personality. The child was directed through the teachings of his parents so that one day he or her may be able to carry this tradition to their offspring. Folklore, tribal dances, tribal customs, and farming were all taught orally and through hands-on skills...
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...The word scripture is a major phenomenon in the history of religion. Therefore, scripture becomes an important concept in the study of religion. Essentially, the concept of scripture is ambiguous and complex; it does not denote a self-evident and simple phenomenon. Thus, the definition is problematic and has been defined differently by different scholars of religion. However, this essay will analyse the assertion that “In both popular and scholarly use today, the concept of scripture is wrongly thought to denote a self-evident and simple phenomenon (e.g a sacred book). Using examples, the essay will show why scripture is a very ambiguous and complex concept which involves much more than the simplistic perception. Different scholars have come up with different definitions of scripture. The word scripture is derived from a Latin word “Scriptura” which means writing. It is also connected to a Hebrew word “Ketav” which means any piece of writing or holy writing. According to Krishna in Henze (2007:67), “… scriptures are the sacred writings of a religion or the writings that reveal the knowledge of God.” In this sense, scriptures come from the creator who through the sacred writings guides his people. In short, scripture is a book of wisdom and knowledge. People who read the scripture become knowledgeable and this becomes the essence of spirituality. Scriptures are the final authority in secular and sacred affairs for a believing community. Through Holy Scriptures, God communicates...
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...Kourtnea Knowles The Dozens is an element of the African American oral tradition in which two competitors, usually males, go head-to-head in a competition of often good-natured insults. They take turns "cracking," "snapping," "ribbing" or insulting on—one another, their adversary's mother or other family member until one of them has no comeback. This is called playing the dozens or doin' the dozens, and sometimes dirty dozens, The dozens is a contest of personal power—of wit, self-control, verbal ability, mental agility and mental toughness. Each putdown, each "snap", ups the ante. Defeat can be humiliating; but a skilled contender, win or lose, may gain respect. The dozens is one of the contributing elements in the development of hip hop, especially the practice of battling. The dozens can be a harmless game, or, if tempers flare, a prelude to violence. While the competition, on its face, is usually light-hearted, smiles sometimes mask real tensions. But in its purest form, the dozens is part of an African-American custom of verbal sparring, of woofin' and signifyin', intended to defuse conflict nonviolently, descended from an oral tradition rooted in traditional West African cultures. "Yo mama", or "yo madra" are common, widely recognized argumentative rejoinder in African-American vernacular speech, is a cryptic and sometimes comical allusion to the dozens. Four examples would be, "Yo mama is so fat, when she jumps in the air, she gets stuck!" or "Yo mama is so stupid that...
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