ORAL AND WRITTEN ORAL AND WRITTEN LITERATURELITERATURE

African Oral And Written African Oral And Written LiteratureLiterature

IntroductionIntroduction Traditional LiteratureTraditional Literature Fables, Folktales, Myths & Fables, Folktales, Myths &

LegendsLegends PoetryPoetry The NovelThe Novel ConclusionConclusion

IntroductionIntroduction Western definitionWestern definition

Imaginative or critical Imaginative or critical writings whether in the writings whether in the form of prose or verseform of prose or verse

To become literature, To become literature, stories, proverbs, stories, proverbs, legends, etc. must to legends, etc. must to recordedrecorded For a long time, there was For a long time, there was

not written language in not written language in most of Africa (literature most of Africa (literature is Latin for “written”)is Latin for “written”)

Attempts were made by Attempts were made by colonists to document colonists to document oral literatureoral literature

Traditional Or Oral Traditional Or Oral LiteratureLiterature

Used interchangeably to Used interchangeably to refer to stories that refer to stories that have become the have become the cultural heritage of the cultural heritage of the communitycommunity

Most African stories Most African stories have moral endings, have moral endings, however, many are however, many are composed for composed for entertainmententertainment

Stories have been Stories have been revised by the teller revised by the teller and tailored to the and tailored to the audience of a particular audience of a particular place or timeplace or time

FablesFables

Seen as fiction as Seen as fiction as designed to teach designed to teach

Straight out instruction Straight out instruction and open ended for and open ended for interpretationinterpretation

What is in print is only a What is in print is only a small part of the small part of the storytelling event and storytelling event and make the lessons make the lessons memorablememorable

Fables usually use animal Fables usually use animal characters to educate the characters to educate the reader or listenerreader or listener Aimed at children to teach Aimed at children to teach

them the values of the them the values of the communitycommunity

Community knows that the Community knows that the story is fiction, but the story is fiction, but the message is considered message is considered importantimportant

MythsMyths

Considered sacred Considered sacred stories that deal with stories that deal with origins and origins and explanations of explanations of natural phenomenon natural phenomenon and human and human institutionsinstitutions

Original tellers Original tellers thought the stories to thought the stories to be true and treated be true and treated them as sacredthem as sacred

Myths are not usually Myths are not usually fictitious storiesfictitious stories

FolktalesFolktales Seen as fiction as in Seen as fiction as in

fables and also used to fables and also used to teach indirectly, but also teach indirectly, but also to express the individual to express the individual and communities hopes and communities hopes and fears, to provide and fears, to provide entertainment and to entertainment and to create a role model of create a role model of desirable conduct for the desirable conduct for the communitycommunity

Brothers Grimm made the Brothers Grimm made the folktale famousfolktale famous

Characters tend to be Characters tend to be humans who encounter humans who encounter adventures and problems adventures and problems but can contain animalsbut can contain animals

LegendsLegends Unverified stories, more

closely related to history or biography

Reflect peoples ideals as embodied in the actions of heroes

Tell a people’s history as recalled thorough oral tradition and used frequently to create a cultural or political identify for the group

Some legends tell the significance of specific landmarks like mountains and waterfalls

Group AssignmentGroup Assignment

Break into groupsBreak into groups Each person read your exampleEach person read your example Select one exampleSelect one example Try to determine if it is a myth, Try to determine if it is a myth,

fable, legend or folktalefable, legend or folktale Determine if there is a moral or Determine if there is a moral or

lesson involvedlesson involved Select a team member to read the Select a team member to read the

story to the class and present your story to the class and present your findingsfindings

PoetryPoetry More contemporary than traditional More contemporary than traditional

literatureliterature Family rites connected with birth, death, Family rites connected with birth, death,

marriage, religious ceremonies were all marriage, religious ceremonies were all occasions to recite poetryoccasions to recite poetry

Part of every day lifePart of every day life Hunting, harvesting, preparing mealsHunting, harvesting, preparing meals

Poets, like griots can be esteemed or Poets, like griots can be esteemed or distained based on the culturedistained based on the culture The larger the poets repertoire, the more The larger the poets repertoire, the more

respected they arerespected they are Modern poetry is concerned with cultural, Modern poetry is concerned with cultural,

social, political or economic lifesocial, political or economic life Themes could deal with spirits, death, oppressionThemes could deal with spirits, death, oppression

The NovelThe Novel The African novel in newThe African novel in new Most novels were an Most novels were an

outgrowth of the society outgrowth of the society in which the author livedin which the author lived

Moving from a limited Moving from a limited view to a global view of view to a global view of lifelife

Wrote of traditional life, Wrote of traditional life, religion and colonial religion and colonial oppressionoppression

Novelists have gained Novelists have gained worldwide recognition worldwide recognition since independencesince independence

ConclusionConclusion

Long journey to develop its own Long journey to develop its own written literature and to written literature and to preserve the oral traditionspreserve the oral traditions

Themes must go beyond colonial Themes must go beyond colonial past and focus on the future and past and focus on the future and provide a sense of directionprovide a sense of direction