Introduction to O ral Literature

1. Introduction to Oral Literature Shallon Moreen Atuhaire Department of Distance Learning Makerere university

2. Who I am • My Name is Shallon Moreen Atuhaire and I will be helping you in learning African Oral Literature. • In this recording, we shall give a simple definition of oral Literature and give the generic classification of Oral Literature.

3. What oral literature is? • In African Oral Literature for Schools, Jane Nandwa and Austin Bukenya define oral literature as "those utterances, whether spoken, recited or sung, whose composition and performance exhibit to an appreciable degree the artistic character of accurate observation, vivid imagination and ingenious expression" (1983: 1).

4. Simply put Oral literature refers to traditional art forms handed down across generations orally/ by word of mouth.

5. Self contradiction • The expression is self-contradictory in a sense that literature, strictly speaking, is that which is written down; but the term (Literature) is in this case used to emphasize the imaginative creativity and conventional structures that mark oral discourse too. Oral literature shares with written literature the use of stylistic devices (like heightened language, metaphors, irony, rhyme and rhythm, sarcasm) in various ways.

6. oral written • They are authored by communities not individuals • They are performed and not written • It is applicable to a defined context although it can be applied universally. • Setting and performance take centre stage in making meaning out of any oral literature piece. • Authored by individuals • Written rather than performed • The context does not majorly affect the meaning. • Most written Literature is not performed except drama and poetry

7. Relationship between oral and lit Oral Literature Written Literature

8. Classification of oral Literature • There are various modes of classifying Oral Literature, but for this lecture we shall use the generic classification to identify the various forms of Oral Literature. This kind of classification, defines oral literature terms on the basis of their characteristics. The generic mode of classification is preferred because it is the most extensive and treats oral literature forms independent of others.

9. 3 major generic classifications

10. Oral Narratives We shall now classify oral narratives further

11. Oral Narratives

12. Let us now watch a video of a myth from the Banyankole of Western Uganda

13. The story of Ruhanga and his sons

14. Assignment • I would now like you to watch this video again and attempt the following questions. You will give presentations during our next class session according to three groups that we shall form today. • Each group should attempt tasks 1 to 3 in your presentations. • Task number 4 should be done individually after your group discussions.

15. Assignment Tasks • Discuss the relevance of the myth you just watched on the video to the Banyankole. • Read Ruth Finnegan’s “African Oral Literature” and define a myth. • What peculiar characteristics do Myths have compared to other Oral Narratives? • Prepare a myth from your society that you will narrate to the class and give its implication to that society.

16. Look ahead • In the next lecture, we shall do a study of another type of oral narratives, namely, Legends.

17. Thank you & Blessings