Introduction
Oral literature is a broad term which may include ritual texts, curative chants, epic poems, musical genres, folk tales, songs, myths, spells, legends, proverbs, riddles, tongue-twisters, word games, recitations, life histories or historical narratives among others. Therefore, it is well and clear to say and explain oral literature as any form of verbal art which is transmitted orally or delivered by word of mouth. During their presentation, those utterances, whether spoken, recited or sung, their composition and performance exhibit to an appreciable degree the artistic character of accurate observation, vivid imagination and ingenious expression. Oral literature is meaningful and useful to us in many and different ways. It is not only material from the past but also a great deal of new material being composed and performed today. People everywhere including those in towns make up stories, jokes, sayings and songs about their experiences and they share them by performing them in theatres (professionally), among friends and family (casually) and in school (institutionally). Both old materials from the past and new material performed by our oral artists is useful to us in a some ways.
First Oral literature is meant for entertainment, all human beings need to relax, to amuse themselves and get their minds off the dull struggles, worries and sorrows of life. An exciting well-told story, a sweet melodious and rhythmic song, or even a simple exchange of jokes and riddles soothes our minds and refreshes our brains.
Secondly, entertainment is a useful means of educating and informing people. We are attracted to stories, proverbs or songs because they are enjoyable. Moreover, they contain useful information and skills which we learn as we enjoy ourselves.
Oral literature makes us aware of ourselves, other human beings, our environment and our history. Stories, songs, proverbs, riddles and jokes in oral literature use colorful words and vivid images to describe human beings, their feelings and their behavior towards one another. These performances also portray natural phenomena like landscapes, plants and creatures in the same lively language. They also recount events and happenings in our lives and in the history of our societies. Hence these performances stimulate our observation and imagination. We begin to understand the things described better and in a new light. Oral literature gives us insight into people, things and events.
Oral literature comes in as a core in today’s life setting. It is the repository of the critical knowledge, philosophy, and wisdom for non-literate societies. This literature through narrative, poetry, song, dance, myths and fables, and texts for religious rituals provides a portrait of the meaning of life as experienced by the society at its particular time and place with its unique existential challenges. It encapsulates the traditional knowledge, beliefs and values about the environment and the nature of the society itself. It arises in response to the universal aesthetic impulse to provide narratives that explains the nature of life and describes human responses to challenges. This literature portrays how one is to live a moral life and explains the nature of one’s relationships to divinity. It thus retains the society’s knowledge to be passed on to succeeding generation.
It contains the history of the society and its experiences. In various forms oral literature portrays the society’s belief systems that makes sense of life. It provides a guide to human behavior and how to live one’s life. With the arrival of literacy, the core of this literature and its art rapidly disappears.
It is also the repository of artistic expression in a society. Its beauty resonates across cultural frontiers. As such this literature is a response to the universal human instinct to find balance, harmony, and beauty in the world and the need to understand pain, suffering, and evil. It explains the causes of human suffering, justifies them, and suggests ways of mediation and the healing of suffering.
Oral literature also functions to fulfill the need for religious belief and spiritual fulfillment necessary for human existence. This universal human realm, peopled by spiritual beings and their personalities, is revealed through stories, tales, songs, myths, legends, prayers, and ritual texts. Such literature recounts the work of the gods, explains how the world and human existence came about, and reveals the nature of human frailty. Oral literature serves to communicate ideas, emotions, beliefs and appreciation of life. This literature defines, interprets, and elaborates on the society’s vision of reality and the dangers in the world. It deals with the human adventure and achievements against odds. Through the texts of the society’s rituals and ceremonies the ecological elements that are critical to the society’s livelihood are portrayed and their functions sanctified.
Conclusion
Generally, oral literature is still useful to the modern society as from the above, the society depends largely on it.
Musyoxx answered the question on March 17, 2018 at 14:07