Table of Contents
How were West African traditions preserved and passed?
For centuries, the beliefs, values, and knowledge of West Africans were passed down orally from one generation to the next. In medieval times, written traditions also became important. In this section, we’ll look at the oral and written traditions of West Africa.
Who is responsible for preserving oral tradition in West Africa?
The griots
The griots’ role has traditionally been to preserve the genealogies, historical narratives, and oral traditions of their people; praise songs are also part of the griot’s repertoire. Many griots play the kora, a long-necked harp lute with 21 strings.
How do oral traditions help preserve a culture?
Oral traditions and expressions are used to pass on knowledge, cultural and social values and collective memory. They play a crucial part in keeping cultures alive. Because they are passed on by word of mouth, oral traditions and expressions often vary significantly in their telling.
How can we preserve oral tradition?
There are a few basic rules for paper (transcript) preservation of an oral history collection:
- Make sure transcriptions are created on acid-free paper.
- Save original transcript, and make copies for public use. Do not loan out original.
- Store paper copies of transcriptions in archival-quality, acid free boxes.
Why is preserving our oral history so important?
Oral history enables people to share their stories in their own words, with their own voices, through their own understanding of what hap- pened and why. With careful attention to preserving our sound recordings, the voices of our narrators will endure to speak for them when they are gone.
What is the culture of Western Africa?
West Africa forms the westernmost region of the African continent. People have occupied the area for thousands of years, and its population is ethnically diverse though culturally relatively similar. The beliefs of native cultures include Islam, Christianity and various traditional African religions.
What is the history of oral tradition?
The Role of the Oral Tradition in the History of Civilization. The oral tradition is a way of passing down from generation to generation essential beliefs, traditional values, moral norms, or teachings. The oral tradition was important to many countries in the past and still is. It is a way of keeping record before the invention of writing.
What is African oral literature?
African literature is literature of or from Africa and includes oral literature. Oral literature (or orature) may be in prose or verse. The prose is often mythological or historical and can include tales of the trickster character. Storytellers in Africa sometimes use call-and-response techniques to tell their stories.