Oral Tradition Notes

Notes: Period 3 and 5

Theme and Oral Tradition

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Storytellers and poets of long ago did not

write down the tales they told.
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Stories/poems used to be learned and recited

from memory.
These stories were often reflective of their culture
The term Oral Tradition refers to the literature they
passed down through the ages by word of mouth.

These tale of love, ambition, and friendship

in the oral tradition were more than to just
entertain. They are a window to the history,
customs, beliefs, and values of the cultures.
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Oral Tradition Terminology

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The perspectives on life, or points of

view, expressed in this literature reflect
the cultural experiences of the tellers
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aka the experiences that shape their society

Example:
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The stories of a warrior culture tell of

battle and adventure, heroism and
sacrifice.

Experiences of war along with the

emphasis placed on bravery and loyalty
form the social and cultural context for
such tales- the values, beliefs, and
experiences the tales reflect and affirm.

Themes
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What is a theme?
A universal theme is an insight into life and human nature that appears
in the literature of many different times and cultures.
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importance of heroism
strength of loyalty
power of love
leadership
good vs. evil
greed (vices in general)

Storytellers have told these universal themes using archetypes

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an element that recurs throughout literature of different cultures

- character types
- plot patterns
- images
- symbols

Forms of Oral Tradition

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Myth:
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describes the actions of gods or heroes or explains

the origins of elements of nature
is present in the literature of every culture
- Ancient Greek and Roman Myths are known as classical mythology
- examples:
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Prometheus, son of the Greek god Zeus, defies his father and the other gods
by giving fire to humanity

Folk Tale:
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follows a simple formula

deals with heroics, adventure, magic, or romance
Frequently features animal characters with human traits
This includes fables or fairy tales
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a poor fisherman catches a fish and the fish tells him if he lets him go, in exchange
the fish will grant him three wishes. Man and wife become greedy and they lose the
fish and end up in poverty

Forms of Oral Tradition Continued

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Legend:
- recounts the adventures of a hero from the past
- often relates events that are based off of historical truth
- includes tall tales, which feature exaggeration
- Example:
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Stories of Davy Crockett portray this real life man as a superhero who frees the sun,
uses lightning to fly, and defeats the entire British navy single-handedly

Epic:
- is a long narrative poem
- combines features of myths and legends
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depicts a larger-than-life hero who usually goes on a dangerous journey; the hero is
helped or hindered by supernatural creatures of gods
gives a detailed portrait of culture
Exmaple:
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The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic from Mesopotamia where the hero is part human
and part god. He displays wisdom and strength but struggles on his quest