James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (04/17/91)
Index Number: 14993
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
Are you familiar with the Odyssey? It is a famous written
work. Do you know how that story was first created and spread?
(Response: At first it was spread orally.) That's right, initially
it was passed on orally. (Response: ^Initially it was a dance.)
Really? Initially it was a dance? Anyway, basically the Odyssey was
an oral story. Much, much later it was put down in writing. Many
cultures across the world, in fact most people around the world, do
not have a writing system. Most languages used around the world do
not have a writing system. So, what do people do? Does that mean
those people don't have literature? (Response: They have drawings.)
Maybe they have drawings with a few words. (Response: Oral
tradition. ) What happens? For example, Navajo clans have a special
religious ceremony for the initiation of boys into manhood. Their
ceremony is rich with memorized oral stories that have been passed
down through the generations. These oral stories have re mained the
same through many generations. Did you know that?
Oral passages are included within the category of literature.
Oral passages are literature too. Literature is not limited to
passages that are written and read. Literature can be divided into
two categories: written literature and oral lit erature. People
accept both of these categories as part of literature now. The
structures of written literature and oral literature are a little bit
different. Oral literature tends to be more "repetitive" (patterned)
than written literature. It has a special way of repeating ideas
within the organization of the piece of literature. Written
literature does not do this. Written literature tends to be longer.
A whole book could be written on one topic. Spoken literature tends
to be shorter and consists of repeated memorized sections. Though
written and oral literature have different structures, each has a
structure of its own. Oral literature has a unique structure which
characterizes all oral literature. This structure is used reg ardless
of the language used or the people creating the oral literature.
There are basic principles of how oral literature is structured.
Likewise, written literature has a structure of its own. Each form
has its own unique structure yet both of t hese fall under the same
category of literature. Literature is not limited to written forms.
Oral passages are also considered part of literature.
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