Oral Literature in AfricaRuth Finnegan's Oral Literature in Africa was first published in 1970, and since then has been widely praised as one of the most important books in its field. Based on years of fieldwork, the study traces the history of storytelling across the continent of Africa. This revised edition makes Finnegan's ground-breaking research available to the next generation of scholars. It includes a new introduction, additional images and an updated bibliography, as well as its original chapters on poetry, prose, "drum language" and drama, and an overview of the social, linguistic and historical background of oral literature in Africa. This book is the first volume in the World Oral Literature Series, an ongoing collaboration between OBP and World Oral Literature Project. A free online archive of recordings and photographs that Finnegan made during her fieldwork in the late 1960s is hosted by the World Oral Literature Project (http: //www.oralliterature.org/ |
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Common terms and phrases
actual African oral literature African studies Akan allusive animal appear areas artistic aspect associated audience Bantu languages Bascom cattle characteristic chief chorus collections common context conventional culture dance detailed dirges discussion divination Dogon Doke dramatic drum elaborate elephant Eshu example expression fact Finnegan formal frequent Fulani functions funeral further genres Hausa hunter hunting Ibibio ideophones individual instance interest involved Junod Kikuyu kind king language Limba linguistic literary forms man’s mother myths narrator Nigeria Nketia non-literate Nyanja occasions Ogun oral literature particular performance play poetic poets political praise names praise poems praise poetry proverbs recited references religious rhythm riddles Rwanda seems Sierra Leone significance singer singing Smith and Dale social society sometimes songs Sotho Southern Bantu speech stories story-teller style sung Swahili Thonga told tone Tracey traditional various verbal verse West Africa words Xhosa Yoruba Zulu