What is oral literature according to different scholars?
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, tongue-twisters, word games, recitations, life histories or historical narratives.
Who defined oral literature?
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).
Why is it called oral literature?
The term oral literature originates from here; at the early stage of human history, all literary works were preserved by oral tradition. As writing systems were invented and literacy replaced orality, such oral literature was also written down as fixed texts.
What are the differences between oral literature and written literature?
What is the difference between oral and written language? Oral language is designed to be listened to and to sound conversational, which means that word choice must be simpler, more informal, and more repetitive. Written language uses a larger vocabulary and is more formal.
What are the different types of oral literature?
Beyond the epic, the main oral genres include the folktale; song, including laments, praise songs, and work songs; folk drama; myth; and, closely related, legend and historical recitation. There are also the minor genres of the proverb and the riddle.
What is the difference between oral and literary tradition?
Oral tradition is information that is passed down from generations by words that is not written down. On the hand literary tradition would be a language that is written and well spoken. It also makes whatever is written down permanent. Both are similar but slightly different from another.
What are characteristics of oral literature?
Some of these characteristics are: verbal variability; performance; audience and dynamism. Let us look at them one by one. Oral literature as a composition rendered verbally is highly fluid. You will notice that each oral artist performs a common text in an individual way.
What is the difference between oral literature and written literature?
What are the differences between oral tradition and oral history?
Oral history is fundamentally different from that of oral tradition; oral tradition is a way of transmitting general cultural issues from one generation to another. Oral history, as used currently, refers to the act of collecting evidence and documents, through various scientific methods, mainly active interviewing.
What are types of oral literature?
What are the differences between oral and written literature?
Oral literature is done through words and speaking, whereas written is through the written word. Written literature can be in the form of short stories, novels and prose whereas oral literature can be described as poems and bards.
What are the examples of oral literature?
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.
What is the importance of oral literature?
Oral literature serves to communicate ideas, emotions, beliefs and appreciation of life. This literature defines, interprets, and elaborates on the society’s vision of reality and the dangers in the world.
What is the difference between oral literature and folklore?
The main difference between folklore and oral literature is the way that the literature is recorded and passed on to the next generation. The former is written or recorded whereas the latter is passed on by word of mouth. This also leads to the next important difference which is the type of effect the two forms are expected to have on the audience.