In contrast to the common perception of European literature which generally refers only to written documents, African literature greatly involves and includes oral literature. Traditionally, Africans have revered good stories and storytellers, as have most past and present peoples around the world who are rooted in oral cultures and traditions. Ancient writing traditions do exist on the African continent, but most Africans today, as in the past, are primarily oral peoples, and their art forms are oral rather than literary.
In contrast to written "literature," African "orature" is often created to be verbally and communally performed as an integral part of dance and music. Oral literature (or orature) is often sung or recited, by bards or griots (West African praise-singers, poets or musicians) and can take the form of songs, with tongue-twisters, recitations, poetry, proverbs and riddles. Manners, customs, superstitions, ballads, proverbs, etc. are roughly the constituents of oral literature. The Oral Arts of Africa are rich and varied, developing with the beginnings of African cultures, and they remain living traditions that continue to evolve and flourish today.
Oral literature is often referred to as "traditional literature", "folk literature" or "folklore". It simply means "literature delivered by word of mouth". There are certain techniques which may be used to good effect in oral literature but which may not work in written literature; on the other hand, there are certain techniques and elements in written literature which may be seen as borrowings or survivals from oral literature.
For the African people, oral tradition is linked to their way of life. Most African societies place great worth in oral tradition because it is a primary means of conveying culture. It is also a mode of transmitting feelings, and attitudes. For centuries, African people depended upon oral tradition to teach the listener's important traditional values and morals pertaining to how to live. Oral tradition delivers explanations to the mysteries of the universe and the meaning of life on earth. In African religion, it is the guiding principle in which to make sense of the world.
The storyteller (griot) was an artist in himself as he had to make the stories interesting and colourful to relay the message and also to keep the interest of the people who were listening to him. The myths and legends would relate how the world began and the meaning of life on earth. Some of the folktales which were told were meant to teach a lesson to those listening to deter them from making mistakes or behaving in a selfish or mean way as some of the characters in these stories did. African oral literature is often told using "call-and-response" techniques, where the storyteller would engage the audience through interaction with them.
Another integral part of Oral tradition is the integrating of music. Music plays an important role in African societies. Music, dance and singing are found in every community. Music also transmits knowledge and values, and it is way of celebrating important community and personal events. Combined with oral tradition and dance, a visual art form is created for the message being communicated. The most important musical instrument of Africa is the drum. Drums accompany different forms of communication, including storytelling, singing, and dancing. The drum was widely used to pass messages to the people of the village and also to the surrounding villages. The drummer was considered very important because it was his choice of words and the way he composed his songs that would relay the right message to those listening. The drum he would use was considered almost sacred.
Proverbs and riddles were also used to teach those listening about the good and bad qualities in human beings and how to judge a good character. A West African proverb goes like this "A large eye does not mean keen vision" which cautions a person not to be too trusting of another and not to take things at face value. Another one says "If you run after two hares you will catch neither." This obviously teaches the listener not to be greedy and to be content with what you have no matter how little. I would be dwelving more into proverbs in another post on "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe.
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