Native American Oral Traditions

Origin of Oral Traditions The origin of what we call American literature predates the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. Oral tradition is the foundation of literature. Early rock carvings and petroglyphs are perhaps the first examples of written language.

Newspaper Rock, Utah

Newspaper Rock, Utah

“The belief that words in themselves have the power to make things happen —especially words in extraordinary combinations—is one of the distinguishing features of native American thought; and it may be said that for the people who share this belief a connection exists between the sacred and the verbal, or to put it in more familiar terms, a connection between religion and poetry.” - John Bierhorst, The Sacred Path Importance of Stories “The belief that words in themselves have the power to make things happen, especially words in extraordinary combinations, is one of the distinguishing features of native American thought; and it may be said that for the people who share this belief a connection exists between the sacred and the verbal, or to put it in more familiar terms, a connection between religion and poetry.” - John Bierhorst, The Sacred Path

Stylistic Elements of Oral Traditions Words are powerful, sacred, and magical; they can bring about physical change in the world. The Speaker must be careful, clear, and deliberate, for he will be taken at his word. There is a connection between the sacred and the verbal; to be careless with words is to violate a fundamental morality… “your words are truth, power, and bond.”

“The belief that words in themselves have the power to make things happen —especially words in extraordinary combinations—is one of the distinguishing features of native American thought; and it may be said that for the people who share this belief a connection exists between the sacred and the verbal, or to put it in more familiar terms, a connection between religion and poetry.” - John Bierhorst, The Sacred Path Native Mythology The heart of the oral tradition is the story. Traditional stories passed down from generation to generation which explain why the world is the way it is, is called a Myth. Myths generally involve immortal characters/beings and contain elements of the supernatural/magic.

“The belief that words in themselves have the power to make things happen —especially words in extraordinary combinations—is one of the distinguishing features of native American thought; and it may be said that for the people who share this belief a connection exists between the sacred and the verbal, or to put it in more familiar terms, a connection between religion and poetry.” - John Bierhorst, The Sacred Path Native Mythology Myths attempt to explain such things as… Natural phenomenon The origin of humans The customs and religious rights of people Events beyond the control of people.

“The belief that words in themselves have the power to make things happen —especially words in extraordinary combinations—is one of the distinguishing features of native American thought; and it may be said that for the people who share this belief a connection exists between the sacred and the verbal, or to put it in more familiar terms, a connection between religion and poetry.” - John Bierhorst, The Sacred Path Native Mythology Myths teach the values and ideals of a culture, tenets the culture holds as important. Myths are the stories that a culture uses to create a coherence in its life, values, and symbols. Myths are not stories in isolation: they express a culture’s whole life; all it is and all it values. Myths give a concrete form to a set of beliefs and traditions that link people today to ancestors from the past.

“The belief that words in themselves have the power to make things happen —especially words in extraordinary combinations—is one of the distinguishing features of native American thought; and it may be said that for the people who share this belief a connection exists between the sacred and the verbal, or to put it in more familiar terms, a connection between religion and poetry.” - John Bierhorst, The Sacred Path Creation Mythology Myths tell stories of cultural origins and its understanding of major issues of life and death. The sacred directions: North, South, East, West (in various forms) The children of the sun Worlds piled on top of each other Primordial waters Perpetual destruction and recreation Powerful heroes and tricksters

“The belief that words in themselves have the power to make things happen —especially words in extraordinary combinations—is one of the distinguishing features of native American thought; and it may be said that for the people who share this belief a connection exists between the sacred and the verbal, or to put it in more familiar terms, a connection between religion and poetry.” - John Bierhorst, The Sacred Path Creation Mythology Native American myths and legends of human creation reflect, in a myriad of ways, a common belief… “People are a living part of the natural world; brother and sister to the grain, the trees, the buffalo, and the bear.”