Oral literature, orature or folk literature is a genre of literature that is spoken or sung as opposed to that which is written, though much oral literature has been transcribed.[1] There is no standard definition, as anthropologists have used varying descriptions for oral literature or folk literature. A broad conceptualization refers to it as literature characterized by oral transmission and the absence of any fixed form. It includes the stories, legends, and history passed through generations in a spoken form.[2]
Pre-literate societies, by definition, have no written literature, but may possess rich and varied oral traditions—such as folk epics, folknarratives (including fairy tales and fables), folk drama, proverbs and folksongs—that effectively constitute an oral literature. Even when these are collected and published by scholars such as folklorists and paremiographers, the result is still often referred to as "oral literature". The different genres of oral literature pose classification challenges to scholars because of cultural dynamism in the modern digital age.[3]
Literate societies may continue an oral tradition — particularly within the family (for example bedtime stories) or informal social structures. The telling of urban legends may be considered an example of oral literature, as can jokes and also oral poetry including slam poetry which has been a televised feature on Russell Simmons' Def Poetry; performance poetry is a genre of poetry that consciously shuns the written form.[4]
Oral literatures forms a generally more fundamental component of culture, but operates in many ways as one might expect literature to do. The Ugandan scholar Pio Zirimu introduced the term orature in an attempt to avoid an oxymoron, but oral literature remains more common both in academic and popular writing.[5]The Encyclopaedia of African Literature, edited by Simon Gikandi (Routledge, 2003), gives this definition: "Orature means something passed on through the spoken word, and because it is based on the spoken language it comes to life only in a living community. Where community life fades away, orality loses its function and dies. It needs people in a living social setting: it needs life itself."
In Songs and Politics in Eastern Africa, edited by Kimani Njogu and Hervé Maupeu (2007), it is stated (page 204) that Zirimu, who coined the term, defines orature as "the use of utterance as an aesthetic means of expression" (as quoted by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, 1988). According to the book Defining New Idioms and Alternative Forms of Expression, edited by Eckhard Breitinger (Rodopi, 1996, page 78): "This means that any 'oral society' had to develop means to make the spoken word last, at least for a while. We tend to regard all the genres of orature as belonging to the homogeneous complex of folklore."
Building on Zirimu's orature concept, Mbube Nwi-Akeeri explained that Western theories cannot effectively capture and explain oral literature, particularly those indigenous to regions such as Africa. The reason is that there are elements to oral traditions in these places that cannot be captured by words alone, such as the existence of gestures, dance, and the interaction between the storyteller and the audience.[6] According to Nwi-Akeeri, oral literature is not only a narrative, but also a performance.
History of oral literature
Oral tradition 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. Thus even where no phrase in local language which exactly translates "oral literature" is used, what constitutes "oral literature" as understood today is already understood to be part or all of the lore media with which a society conducts profound and common cultural affairs among its members, orally. In this sense, oral lore is an ancient practice and concept natural to the earliest storied communications and transmissions of bodies of knowledge and culture in verbal form from the dawn of language-based human societies, and 'oral literature' thus understood was putatively recognized in times prior to recordings of history in non-oral media, including painting and writing.
Oral literature as a concept, after 19th-century antecedents, was more widely circulated by Hector Munro Chadwick and Nora Kershaw Chadwick in their comparative work on the "growth of literature" (1932–40). In 1960, Albert B. Lord published The Singer of Tales, which influentially examined fluidity in both ancient and later texts and "oral-formulaic" principles used during composition-in-performance, particularly by contemporary Eastern European bards relating long traditional narratives.
From the 1970s onwards, the term "Oral literature" appears in the work of both literary scholars and anthropologists: Finnegan (1970, 1977), Görög-Karady (1976),[7] Bauman (1986), in the World Oral Literature Project and in the articles of the journal Cahiers de Littérature Orale.[8]
Deaf culture
Although deaf people communicate manually rather than orally, their culture and traditions are considered in the same category as oral literature. Stories, jokes and poetry are passed on from person to person with no written medium.[citation needed]
Finnegan, Ruth (2012), Oral Literature in Africa. Cambridge: Open Book Publishers. CC BY edition doi:10.11647/OBP.0025
Ong, Walter (1982), Orality and Literacy: the technologizing of the word. New York: Methuen Press.
Tsaaior, James Tar (2010), "Webbed words, masked meanings: Proverbiality and narrative/discursive strategies" in D. T. Niane's Sundiata: an epic of old Mali. Proverbium 27: 319–338.
Vansina, Jan (1978), "Oral Tradition, Oral History: Achievements and Perspectives", in B. Bernardi, C. Poni and A. Triulzi (eds), Fonti Orali, Oral Sources, Sources Orales. Milan: Franco Angeli, pp. 59–74.
Vansina, Jan (1961), Oral Tradition. A Study in Historical Methodology. Chicago and London: Aldine and Routledge & Kegan Paul.
^Eugenio, Damiana (2007). Philippine Folk Literature: An Anthology. Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press. pp. xxiii. ISBN9789715425360.
^Kipchumba, Paul (2016), Oral Literature of the Marakwet of Kenya, Nairobi: Kipchumba Foundation. ISBN1973160064, ISBN978-1973160069.
^Parker, Sam (16 December 2009). "Three-minute poetry? It's all the rage". The Times.
^Auger, Peter (2010), The Anthem Dictionary of Literary Terms and Theory, Anthem Press, ISBN9780857286703, at p. 210, and Roscoe, Adrian (1977), Uhuru's Fire: African Literature East to South, CUP Archive, ISBN9780521290890 at p. 9.
^Nwi-Akeeri, Mbube (2017). "Oral Literature in Nigeria: A Search for Critical Theory" (PDF). Research Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies. 3. ISSN 2579-0528.
^Samarin, William J. (1980). "Noirs et blancs: leur image dans la litérature orale africaine: étude, anthologie. By Görög-Karady . Paris: Société d'Etudes Linguistiques et Anthropologiques de France, 1976. 427 pp. n.p." Africa. 50 (1): 106–107. doi:10.2307/1158658. ISSN 1750-0184. JSTOR 1158658. S2CID 147222497.
^Barnard, Alan, and Jonathan Spencer, Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology (Taylor & Francis, 2002).
External links
Look up orature in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Media related to Oral literature at Wikimedia Commons
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Folk literature redirects here For the collection of Chinese literature see Suwenxue congkan Further information Literature Oral literature and Oral tradition Oral literature orature or folk literature is a genre of literature that is spoken or sung as opposed to that which is written though much oral literature has been transcribed 1 There is no standard definition as anthropologists have used varying descriptions for oral literature or folk literature A broad conceptualization refers to it as literature characterized by oral transmission and the absence of any fixed form It includes the stories legends and history passed through generations in a spoken form 2 Contents 1 Background 2 History of oral literature 3 Deaf culture 4 See also 5 Bibliography 6 References 7 External linksBackground EditPre literate societies by definition have no written literature but may possess rich and varied oral traditions such as folk epics folk narratives including fairy tales and fables folk drama proverbs and folksongs that effectively constitute an oral literature Even when these are collected and published by scholars such as folklorists and paremiographers the result is still often referred to as oral literature The different genres of oral literature pose classification challenges to scholars because of cultural dynamism in the modern digital age 3 Literate societies may continue an oral tradition particularly within the family for example bedtime stories or informal social structures The telling of urban legends may be considered an example of oral literature as can jokes and also oral poetry including slam poetry which has been a televised feature on Russell Simmons Def Poetry performance poetry is a genre of poetry that consciously shuns the written form 4 Oral literatures forms a generally more fundamental component of culture but operates in many ways as one might expect literature to do The Ugandan scholar Pio Zirimu introduced the term orature in an attempt to avoid an oxymoron but oral literature remains more common both in academic and popular writing 5 The Encyclopaedia of African Literature edited by Simon Gikandi Routledge 2003 gives this definition Orature means something passed on through the spoken word and because it is based on the spoken language it comes to life only in a living community Where community life fades away orality loses its function and dies It needs people in a living social setting it needs life itself In Songs and Politics in Eastern Africa edited by Kimani Njogu and Herve Maupeu 2007 it is stated page 204 that Zirimu who coined the term defines orature as the use of utterance as an aesthetic means of expression as quoted by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong o 1988 According to the book Defining New Idioms and Alternative Forms of Expression edited by Eckhard Breitinger Rodopi 1996 page 78 This means that any oral society had to develop means to make the spoken word last at least for a while We tend to regard all the genres of orature as belonging to the homogeneous complex of folklore Building on Zirimu s orature concept Mbube Nwi Akeeri explained that Western theories cannot effectively capture and explain oral literature particularly those indigenous to regions such as Africa The reason is that there are elements to oral traditions in these places that cannot be captured by words alone such as the existence of gestures dance and the interaction between the storyteller and the audience 6 According to Nwi Akeeri oral literature is not only a narrative but also a performance History of oral literature EditOral tradition 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 Thus even where no phrase in local language which exactly translates oral literature is used what constitutes oral literature as understood today is already understood to be part or all of the lore media with which a society conducts profound and common cultural affairs among its members orally In this sense oral lore is an ancient practice and concept natural to the earliest storied communications and transmissions of bodies of knowledge and culture in verbal form from the dawn of language based human societies and oral literature thus understood was putatively recognized in times prior to recordings of history in non oral media including painting and writing Oral literature as a concept after 19th century antecedents was more widely circulated by Hector Munro Chadwick and Nora Kershaw Chadwick in their comparative work on the growth of literature 1932 40 In 1960 Albert B Lord published The Singer of Tales which influentially examined fluidity in both ancient and later texts and oral formulaic principles used during composition in performance particularly by contemporary Eastern European bards relating long traditional narratives From the 1970s onwards the term Oral literature appears in the work of both literary scholars and anthropologists Finnegan 1970 1977 Gorog Karady 1976 7 Bauman 1986 in the World Oral Literature Project and in the articles of the journal Cahiers de Litterature Orale 8 Deaf culture EditAlthough deaf people communicate manually rather than orally their culture and traditions are considered in the same category as oral literature Stories jokes and poetry are passed on from person to person with no written medium citation needed See also EditAkyn Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative Ethnopoetics Guslar Hainteny Improvisation Intangible Cultural Heritage Kamishibai Korean art Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity National epic Oral poetry Oral history Oral tradition Oral formulaic composition Orality Pantun Patha Seanachai Yukar Storytelling World Oral Literature ProjectBibliography EditFinnegan Ruth 2012 Oral Literature in Africa Cambridge Open Book Publishers CC BY edition doi 10 11647 OBP 0025 Ong Walter 1982 Orality and Literacy the technologizing of the word New York Methuen Press Tsaaior James Tar 2010 Webbed words masked meanings Proverbiality and narrative discursive strategies in D T Niane s Sundiata an epic of old Mali Proverbium 27 319 338 Vansina Jan 1978 Oral Tradition Oral History Achievements and Perspectives in B Bernardi C Poni and A Triulzi eds Fonti Orali Oral Sources Sources Orales Milan Franco Angeli pp 59 74 Vansina Jan 1961 Oral Tradition A Study in Historical Methodology Chicago and London Aldine and Routledge amp Kegan Paul References Edit Oral literature Encyclopaedia Britannica Eugenio Damiana 2007 Philippine Folk Literature An Anthology Quezon City The University of the Philippines Press pp xxiii ISBN 9789715425360 Kipchumba Paul 2016 Oral Literature of the Marakwet of Kenya Nairobi Kipchumba Foundation ISBN 1973160064 ISBN 978 1973160069 Parker Sam 16 December 2009 Three minute poetry It s all the rage The Times Auger Peter 2010 The Anthem Dictionary of Literary Terms and Theory Anthem Press ISBN 9780857286703 at p 210 and Roscoe Adrian 1977 Uhuru s Fire African Literature East to South CUP Archive ISBN 9780521290890 at p 9 Nwi Akeeri Mbube 2017 Oral Literature in Nigeria A Search for Critical Theory PDF Research Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies 3 ISSN 2579 0528 Samarin William J 1980 Noirs et blancs leur image dans la literature orale africaine etude anthologie By Gorog Karady Paris Societe d Etudes Linguistiques et Anthropologiques de France 1976 427 pp n p Africa 50 1 106 107 doi 10 2307 1158658 ISSN 1750 0184 JSTOR 1158658 S2CID 147222497 Barnard Alan and Jonathan Spencer Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology Taylor amp Francis 2002 External links Edit Look up orature in Wiktionary the free dictionary Media related to Oral literature at Wikimedia Commons World Oral Literature Project voices of vanishing worlds University of Cambridge Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oral literature amp oldid 1124265449, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
