Rich Oral Tradition Research Articles

Mexico's Oral Narrative and Global Contexts

The first question that comes to mind when considering the role of the corrido and oral traditions in the re-writing of literary histories is whether or not it has a place at all within a new global context. Certainly, the topic of oral traditions has surfaced with insistent frequency at literary conferences somewhat like an illiterate grandmother turning up at a cocktail party for sophisticated young writers. She may have helped build the house but she seems out of place, her presence a bit embarrassing, and the problem of where to sit her at the table an uncomfortable one. Although most are quick to recognize the foundations of national literatures in epic narratives such as El Cid or Le Chanson de Roland, the oral tradition that produced these works is often dismissed as a distant point of departure from which to hurry forth in order to examine more relevant written works. In spite of suggestive yet cumbersome terms such as “orature”, the concepts of “literature”, “history”, and “globalization” are not readily associated with oral narrative traditions. Oral compositions are too often associated with pre-history not history proper, with the assumed simplicity of low culture not the complexity of high culture or with an assumed confinement to local contexts like the fairground, coffee house, or cantina not the open, world stage. The view held by the Marques de Santillana (1398–1458) in the fifteenth century that oral compositions could only please “gente de ‘baxa y servil condicion’”, people of low and servile condition, continues to hold considerable sway even today (Mariscal 120). The view that oral narrative offers a point of departure, a prehistoric basis from which more noble, more sophisticated works could evolve is well illustrated by Domingo F. Sarmiento’s La vida de Juan Facundo: Civilizacion y Barbarie (1845). Here he reduces the rich oral tradition of the Argentine pampas to a medieval European anachronism:

The Structure of an Oral Tradition – Mapping of Hungarian Folk Music to a Metric Space

To find the essential musical relations characterising 2323 typical Hungarian folk melodies as a musical system, we developed a method relating melodies to points of a multidimensional Euclidean melody space. The study of the resulting point systems is based on the method of principal component analysis, and shows the inherent relations of a rich oral musical tradition as a very regular, unbroken clustered structure. The majority of the points are grouped in parallel as well as perpendicular clusters. The musical interpretation of parallelism and orthogonality highlights certain basic construction and variation principles in Hungarian folk music.

Songs and storytelling: bringing health messages to life in Uganda.

In villages without doctors and hospitals in the remote eastern Ugandan district of Pallisa, traditional birth attendants and mothers are solving the most serious health problems through the teaching power of songs and stories. The village's rich oral tradition was enlisted as the principal means not only for transmitting these important health messages, but also for supporting their practice throughout the community. Utilizing existing community traditions such as songs and storytelling offers culturally appropriate ways of enhancing the communications component of the health care system to make it serve the poor majority in a readily comprehensible, credible, affordable, and accessible form. These non-formal active-learning methods are highly compatible with and promotive of the general principles of primary health care, especially for their empowering, participatory and sustainable qualities. It is only a natural extension for health educators to more fully employ the use of the time-honored oral traditions of songs and storytelling as a vehicle for communicating health messages. For students in the health professions, awareness of these proven principles for engaging people at the local levels will contribute to more effective training, strategic program design, and advocacy.

The Triumph of Rhetoric Over Policy: Gubernatorial Politics in the American South, 1967–1972

Despite the wealth of research on the office of governor since the 1960s, studies of the rhetorical/symbolic power of the office are not commonplace. As a result, an incomplete picture of the office emerges, a problem magnified in the South, a region with an exceptionally rich oral tradition. Southern gubernatorial performance from 1967–1972 concerning the issue of school integration provides an excellent opportunity to examine an era where gubernatorial rhetorical opportunities assume center‐stage in explaining governor‐constituent relations. An examination of four southern governors reveals that executives in this period fulfilled their integration campaign pledges not in a literal policymaking sense, but through the political rhetoric, alliances, and general racial tone adopted by their administrations. This finding highlights the importance of gubernatorial symbolism and suggests that gubernatorial power is not rooted solely in the institution, but in the cultural and political environment as well.

Early Osage Peyotism

The Osage Indians are reported to have been the most ardent converts to the Big Moon variant of the Peyote Religion, and are today the only remaining practitioners of Big Moon Peyotism. This paper presents an examination of the rich oral tradition regarding the period of initial exposure, trial, and adoption of the religion. Analysis of this information indicates that the accepted account of this critical period in the history of Osage religious practice requires reconsideration and revision. In addition, I argue that studies ofPeyotism among Plains Indian societies could benefit from the application of a range of theoretical explanations to account for the acceptance of Peyotism.

Oral Epics from Africa: Vibrant Voices from a Vast Continent

It seems incredible that heretofore there has not been an introductory anthology of African epics presented in English. Western culture traces its literary heritage to such well-known epics as the Iliad and the Odyssey and Gilgamesh. But is only recently that scholars have turned their attention toward capturing the rich oral tradition that is still alive in Africa today. The twenty-five excerpts in this volume have been selected and introduced in order to offer English-speaking readers a broad sample of the extensive epic traditions in Africa. The introduction to the volume, and the introduction to each epic will enable students to understand the context of each epic and also develop leads for further inquiry. The book is divided geographically with nineteen epics representing West Africa, two from North Africa, and four from Central Africa. There are bibliographies for each section and epic.

The <i>skaz</i> narrative mode in short stories by W. C. Scully, Percy FitzPatrick, Perceval Gibbon and Herman Charles Bosman

While an overwhelming amount of cultural activity worldwide has been (and is being) conducted in societies which had (or have) very little or no knowledge at all of writing, and which can therefore be described as predominantly ‘oral’ cultures, very little attempt has been made in the field of South African literature to examine how oral modes of cultural exchange influence and interpenetrate the more recent written (literary) modes. South Africa is a region which has several rich oral traditions and it is therefore important to explore how aspects of these traditions are incorporated into (written) literature. This paper looks at the use of the fictional narrator and skaz (the Russian Formalist term meaning 'speech') in some South African short stories by Scully, FitzPatrick, Gibbon and Bosman. It is argued that whereas Scully and FitzPatrick produce only partially successful narratives in the skaz style, Gibbon and Bosman introduce greater artistic and ideological complexity to the form.

Northern Voices: Inuit Writing in English

Inuit of northern Canada have a rich oral tradition in their ancient languages and a more recent tradition of written English. Penny Petrone traces the two paths that link the cultural past of arctic peoples with its expression in the present day. The book's first section includes traditional legends, myths, folk history told by native story-tellers, and poetry sung by Inuit composers. The second presents statements and observations by some of the first Inuit to come into contact with European newcomers, including official reports, interviews, letters, and diaries. Next are early poetry and prose in translation, much of it autobiographical. The final section includes contemporary Inuit writing, from essays and speeches to fiction, poetry, and other genres of imaginative literature. The editor has provided an introduction for each item and arranged the material chronologically to give historical perspective and continuity to the whole.

The History of Literacy in Spain: Evolution, Traits, and Questions

Compared to other European countries, one of the characteristic features of the expansion of literacy in Spain since 1500 has been the lack of firm and sustained religious, political, and ideological goals for its promotion and support. Also, the advancement of literacy in Spain has been much more dependent than elsewhere on schooling and on urbanization through migration from rural areas. Therefore, an analysis of literacy in Spain will be of special interest because of the contrast it provides to the countries of central and northern Europe and because of the opportunities it offers for an examination of the relative roles of central and local governments and of the Catholic church. Moreover, as Spain is a country with both a rich oral tradition and a significant written literature, we can investigate the complex and peculiar relationships between orality and literacy, between oral and written languages and cultures. And, in a region noted for its linguistic complexity, this analysis can be combined with a study of the clashes and interactions between two or more oral and/or written languages (Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Castilian, Catalan, Basque, Galician), the development of literacy in one or more of them, and their uses in the family, religious, administrative, and school domains. As this latter issue of linguistic conflict is much too complicated for a short article, it will not be discussed here.

Researching Police Deviance: A Personal Encounter with the Limitations and Liabilities of Field-Work

Accounts of field-work occasionally reveal the stress, the deep personal involvement, the role-conflicts, and the time-consuming nature of observational studies for the researcher (e.g. Whyte, Wax, Hofland, Johnsonl). Clarke' has written of the anguish of certain anthropologists, causing some even to abandon the field setting; while Van Maanens has contrasted the rich oral tradition among academics, centred on what ostensibly 'really' happened in the field, with the self-censored material in publications on their research experience. That experience may appear incoherent, blurred, or stressful at the time and researchers may have considerable difficulty portraying the story behind the story of their field-work (perhaps because it is embarrassing or else it is considered unsuitable for a 'serious' publication). Reading Van Maanen's insightful work stimulate* me to take out an article I had written several years ago, but which I had been unable to publish fully at the time, and to rework it in an attempt to convey in depth both the constraints encountered in the field and my reflections on the research experience long after departure. My initial account was somewhat gloomy and reeked of weary disillusionment. Now I can take a more dispassionate look at the research I conducted with the Amsterdam Police in the period 197X1980. My purpose in this paper is to focus on three elements of that fieldwork. First, I wish to convey the strain I experienced in a demanding field setting; second, I want to communicate my acute awareness of the limitations of research in penetrating sensitive areas of institutional life; and, third, I hope to illuminate some of the ethical dilemmas encountered in the field (which one may only fully be conscious of in retrospect). And perhaps I should add that, however rough the passage, the experienced field-worker has almost a moral obligation not to discourage others but rather to incite them to get out into the field. For there is something irreducible in the mundane dilemmas of even the most unproblematic field situations that forces academics to

Merger and Metamorphosis in the Fiction of Mildred D. Taylor

Merger and Metamorphosis in the Fiction of Mildred D. Taylor Mary Turner Harper (bio) Afro-American folktales abound with the audacious antics of the rabbit and the daring deeds of the slave character, John or Jack. Whether animal or human, the heroes of these tales, usually smaller and certainly less powerful, eventually triumph over their stronger and more powerful foes through sheer cunning and wit. Without the aid of magic they ponder, plan, and act—sometimes quickly, sometimes deliberately—and most often succeed in their endeavor. Should they not attain the total success hoped for, they regroup, ponder anew, and plan another course of action. Those who read or listen to these tales remain delighted. Perceptive readers or listeners recognize that the primary thrust of these shenanigans is survival and that beneath the mischievousness and the lighthearted banter, lies a deeper, more profound meaning. Such readers or listeners realize that these characters symbolize the spirit, the will of those men, women, and children who searched for momentary release as they too struggled to survive. The real life descendants of John and Brer Rabbit and other folkloric characters have continued to enthrall as they have regaled audiences with tales of their hardships, their accomplishments, joys, faith and hope. In so doing, they have created legacies that have been passed on orally from generation to generation. Such oral legacies undergird much of Afro-American writing, from the slave narratives and autobiographies to the more imaginative literature. This rich oral tradition infuses Mildred Taylor's work, resulting in an imaginative blending of history, cultural traditions and practices so as to create a sequential Bildungsroman in four works—the novella, Song of the Trees (1975), the novels, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1976), Let the Circle be Unbroken (1981), and the novella, The Gold Cadillac (1987). In her Newbery Award Acceptance speech, Taylor recalls how she absorbed this oral tradition: And at night when neighboring relatives would gather to sit on the moonlit porch or by the heat of the fire . . . talk would turn to the old people, to friends and relatives who then seemed to have lived so long ago. As the storytellers spoke in animated voices and enlivened their stories with movements of great gusto, I used to sit transfixed, listening, totally engrossed. It was a magical time. (401) Other Afro-American writers have also been captivated by this tradition. Similar magical times in Henning, Tennessee led Alex Hailey through ten years of research, resulting in his fusion of the oral, the real, and the imagined in Roots (1974), a work he himself refers to as "faction," a combination of both fact and fiction. Along with the influence of the writers whose books she devoured at the local library, novelist Paule Marshall remembers the women gathered in her mother's kitchen after working all day as domestics and how the utterances of these "mouth-kings"—as she calls them—heightened her sensibility as a writer.1 Margaret Walker, influenced by her grandmother's stories, researched her ancestors and created Vyry and other memorable characters in Jubilee (1966). Virginia Hamilton and many others recall the tales of their childhood and acknowledge their influence. James Baldwin, likewise, has incorporated the memory of this tradition in his short story "Sonny's Blues" as the narrator, Sonny's older brother, remembers those times in his own childhood of "the old folks . . . sitting around the living room talking about where they've come from, and what they've seen, and what's happened to them and their kinfolk" (98).2 And eventually the child intuitively knows that the lightness of that magical time metamorphoses into a darkness and then into the light of stark reality: The darkness outside is what the old folks have been talking about . . . The child knows that they won't talk any more because if he knows too much about what's happened to them, he'll know too much too soon, about what's going to happen to him. (98) Similarly, Taylor asserts, "Yet even magical times must end" (Newbery Award speech 401). Taylor, the child, comes to realize that her beloved stories are not just "tales of faraway people, but...

“Don't Tell”: Imposed Silences inThe Color PurpleandThe Woman Warrior

The Color PurpleandThe Woman Warriorexhibit parallel narrative strategies. The respectively black and Chinese American protagonists work their way from speechlessness to eloquence by breaking through the constraints of sex, race, and language. The heroines turn to masculine figures for guidance, to female models for inspiration, and to native idioms for stylistic innovation. Initially unable to speak, they develop distinctive voices by registering their own unspoken grief on paper and, more important, by recording and emulating the voices of women from their respective ethnic communities. Through these testimonies, each written in a bicultural language, Walker and Kingston reveal the obstacles and resources peculiar to minority women. Subverting patriarchal literary traditions by reclaiming a mother tongue that carries a rich oral tradition (of which women are guardians) the authors artfully coordinate the tasks of breaking silence, acknowledging female influence, and redefining while preserving ethnic characteristics.

Communication Theory: An Indian Perspective

There is an Indian perspective to communication but this can only be developed if researchers modify the Western models so long in use while they at the same time examine the experiences and experiments that are being conducted in Third World countries.Indian researchers should look inwards, study the social system, the way of life of rural India, where the bulk of the population lives if they wish to examine the existing communication patterns. A rich oral tradition exists and offers great scope for research.

Core Values among the Blasket Islanders

The Blasket Islands off the coast of south-west Ireland were the home of the most westerly Europeans, until the last inhabitants were evacuated in 1953. They were essentially fishermen, but also pursued limited farming, increasingly supplemented by transfer payments from the Irish state, and by the remittances of those islanders who had emigrated in expanding numbers to the United States. The Blasket people maintained a rich oral tradition that preserved much of the Celtic heritage that elsewhere had passed into oblivion. Regrettably they were not visited by a social anthropologist, although students of the Irish language, as well as folklorists, went in some numbers from the Scandinavian countries and Britain.

Problems of transition of rural indian society from oral to written tradition through adult edcuation

India, having a rich oral tradition, yet with nearly two thirds of its population still illiterate and more than half of them below the poverty line, poses a challenging task to the literacy workers of not only reducing the socio-economic disparities but also of bridging the gaps between the oral and written traditions in the context of a pluralistic and multilingual society. The present paper summarises the experiences of a large number of literacy workers and adult educators who have been grappling with the problem of establishing the socio-linguistic base of literacy teaching and learning and linking the mother tongue of the linguistic minorities with the standard regional languages since the launching of the National Adult Education Programme in 1978. The focus on the adult learners' needs in the programme facilitated the introduction of a new pedagogy with emphasis on their internal motivation, development of social awareness and a critical consciousness. The immediate and perceptible behavioural outcome of an effective adult education centre has been found to be a comparatively higher degree of articulacy, power of discrimination and a sense of knowledge organisation and protest orientation. However, as much of these behaviours are qualitatively assessed through conversation and reading, the above developmental indicators may essentially highlight a modulation on the existing oral traditions rather than a transition to behaviours indicative of the tradition of writing.