1. The African Oral Tradition
Feature Menu
Introducing the Selections
Literary Focus: Oral Tradition
Reading Skills: Understanding Cultural Characteristics

2. The African Oral Tradition

3. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
The stories of Africa’s oral tradition weave a social fabric, joining communities and preserving cultural values and traditional beliefs.

4. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
Stories often reveal the wisdom, humor, and vitality of African cultures. These stories include
epics
fables
folk tales
myths
poems
proverbs

5. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
Many of Africa’s oral tales are distinct types, such as
traditional hunting song
trickster tale
dilemma tale
chain tale
Congo lullaby

6. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
Traditional hunting song
Common to many oral traditions is the ancient belief that words have magical powers. Many hunters believed that a hunting song could ensure a successful hunt by casting a spell over prey.
Example
“Elephant-Hunter, Take Your Bow!”

7. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
“Elephant-Hunter, Take Your Bow!”
Gabon Pygmies who hunted elephants hoped to cast a spell over their prey by singing. The song leader would sing the main stanzas, and the other hunters would join in the refrain.
“Father elephant, you have been heard from afar.
Elephant-hunter, take your bow!”

8. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
Refrain
A refrain is a repeated word, phrase, line, or group of lines.

9. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
Trickster tale
The trickster, a universal or archetypal figure in folk tales from around the world, uses cunning to fool those who are bigger or stronger. Throughout Africa, the trickster is often an animal, such as a spider, a tortoise, or a hare.
Example
“Why We Tell Stories About Spider”

10. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
“Why We Tell Stories About Spider”
Tricksters, like Anaanu, the Spider, use wit and deceit to fool others. Anaanu uses cunning to bring God a swarm of bees, a live python, and a live leopard—the King of the Forest.
In the olden days stories were told about God, not about Anaanu, the Spider.

11. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
Dilemma tale
A dilemma, or enigma tale, is a moral tale that ends with a question, inviting the audience to share their judgments. Dilemma tales are truly interactive, for they require audiences to think about right and wrong behavior and to debate their opinions.
Example
“The Five Helpers”

12. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
“The Five Helpers”
After marrying a mysterious stranger, the beautiful daughter of a chief disappears. Five helpers come forward to save her. Which of these five men does best?
“[The snake] decided that he would marry her. So he changed himself into a man ”

13. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
Chain tale
A chain tale, or cumulative tale, is a formulaic story in which every incident that came before is repeated as each new incident is added. (The song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” may be a familiar example.)
Example
“Talk”

14. The African Oral Tradition Introducing the Selections
“Talk”
An extended joke that stretches reality beyond belief, “Talk” is an entertaining tale from the Ashanti of central Ghana. Animals and inanimate objects speak humorous truths in this chain tale.
“It wasn’t the cow who spoke to you,” the dog said. “It was the yam. The yam says leave him alone.”
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15. The African Oral Tradition Literary Focus: Oral Tradition
Stories from the oral tradition are not written down but are passed from generation to generation by word of mouth.

16. The African Oral Tradition Literary Focus: Oral Tradition
The performance of African oral literature almost always involves spirited audience participation.

17. The African Oral Tradition Literary Focus: Oral Tradition
Songs and tales often use the call-and-response format, in which the leader calls out a line and the audience responds with an answering refrain.
“Elephant-hunter, take your bow!”

18. The African Oral Tradition Literary Focus: Oral Tradition
As Africa becomes more urbanized, professional entertainers are replacing traditional storytellers and introducing new styles of performance.
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19. The African Oral Tradition Reading Skills: Understanding Cultural Characteristics
African oral literature features repetition and parallel structure, which create rhythm, build suspense, and serve as memory aids.

20. The African Oral Tradition Reading Skills: Understanding Cultural Characteristics
In Africa, storytelling is a performance art that creates bonds among community members and transmits traditional cultural values.

21. The African Oral Tradition Reading Skills: Understanding Cultural Characteristics
To envision the storytelling experience, try reading each selection aloud, imagining the interactions of storyteller and audience.
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22. The African Oral Tradition Quickwrite
Make the Connection
Words can inspire, heal, and encourage. They can also wound, deceive, and ruin reputations. Can you think of a speech that impressed you, advice that influenced you, or criticism that hurt your feelings? Jot down a few ideas about the power of words in your life.
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