1. African Literary Tradition
Unit 2

2. Journal
Identify as many proverbs as many English proverbs as you can. Example: “It’s no use crying over spilled milk.” Choose one of the proverbs that is especially meaningful to you and tell how you have experienced the truth of that proverb in your everyday life.

3. Introduction Time: 2700 B.C. to present Place: Africa Significance:
Begins in ancient Egypt where people use paper and ink to record.
Ancient Egyptian literature is mostly religious, but also contains love poems and tales.
Oral literature—proverbs, chants, fables, folktales, and epics.

4. Early Egyptian History
Egypt referred to as the ”gift of the Nile”
Provided settlers with water
During flood season, provided silt for growing crops.
Transportation for trade
Papyrus (reeds that grew along the Nile)
Egyptians developed paper from papyrus, which was better than the clay tablets they had been using.

5. Early Egyptian History
27 centuries of civilization
31 dynasties, divided into 3 main eras
The Old Kingdom: BC; great pyramids built during this time.
The Middle Kingdom: BC; characterized by Egypt’s expanding economy and power.
The New Kingdom: 1600 to 1100BC; Egypt at peak of political power, empire reached north to Syria, east to the Euphrates River, and south to the East African countries of Nubia and Kush.

6. Early Egyptian Society
Egyptian society resembled the shape of its pyramids.
Pharaoh
Priests and scribes
Upper class (merchants, doctors, engineers, lawyers)
Workers, peasants, slaves

7. Early Egyptian Society
Fascination with death, specifically the quest for life after death.
Book of the Dead—a “traveler’s guide” to the afterlife containing everything the deceased needed to have and know after death.

8. Rise of African Civilizations
By the end of the New Kingdom (about 1000BC), Egypt had lost most of its status as a world power.
The kingdom of Kush, at the southern end of the Nile River was gaining strength.
Smaller civilizations around the edge of the Sahara also existed.
Farmed and raised livestock on the fertile grassland around the desert.

9. Rise of African Civilizations
Drought eventually drove many migrants south and west.
Old Mali
Songhai
Timbuktu—center of trade and culture in both Mali and Songhai empires

10. The Golden Age 300-1600AD marked Africa’s long Golden Age.
Sculpture, music, metalwork, textiles, and oral literature flourished.

11. Foreign Influence
During 4th century, Roman Empire had declared Christianity as state religion and took control of the entire northern coast of Africa, including Egypt.
Around 700AD, Islam was introduced into Africa.
With Islam, the Arabic writing system was introduced.
By 1235, Islam was the state religion of Old Mali, Somali, and other eastern African nations.

12. Foreign Influence
Near the close of the Golden Age (~1600AD), Christianity and colonialism came to sub-Saharan Africa.
In the late 1800s, several European powers created colonized countries.
African nations were either split apart by European colonizers or joined with incompatible neighbors.
In the mid-1900s, a move toward independence gained force, and a rebirth of traditional cultures came with it.

13. Griots Griots: Keepers of oral literature in West Africa.
Today, may be a professional storyteller, singer, or entertainer.

14. African Proverbs, p. 85
Proverbs—short saying that expresses a common truth or experience, usually about human failings and the ways that people interact with one another.
Metaphor—comparison of two unlike objects, saying one is another without the words like or as.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Alliteration—repetition of sounds, typically on the stressed syllable.
He who laughs last laughs best.
Parallelism—repetition of sentences or sentence elements that are similar in structure or meaning.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Rhyme
When the cat’s away, the mice will play.

15. African Proverbs, p. 85
In African culture, proverbs are more than just quaint old sayings.
Represent poetic form that uses few words but achieves great depth of meaning.
Used to settle legal disputes, resolve ethical problems, and teach children.

16. Your Homework
3.1 Introduction to African Literature and African Proverbs worksheet—due Monday, September 16th!