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Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Oral traditions Essay

galore(postnominal) ancient scholars believed Africa had no history prior to colonialism because there was no attested evidence. Professor A.P. Newton, who was a distinguished British historian in the early on 20th century, believed that there was no African history because most of the African society was illiterate before the European intrusion. History, he said, solitary(prenominal) begins when men take to writing. He, as substanti whatsoevery as others who had the same opinion, failed to go by dint of that African communities existed long before colonialism and so had their own history, stock-still though it had non been put into writing at the time. Oral customs dutys affirm contend and continue to play important roles in the history of Africa as well as its present. Songs, folklores, superstitions, etc. be just some of the things that hold prat been passed from times to generation spontaneously. We see the evidence of some of these superstitions in J.P. Clarks _Abiku_ as well as Wole Soyinkas _Abiku_.Both poems are based on traditional superstitions and it is evident from the title, _Abiku_, which is a word from the Yoruba language of Nigeria that is apply to detect a child that dies and is reborn, usually multiple times. It is believed that such children are not of the sympathetic instauration, but rather belong to the spirit world and so they keep going back and forth from unitary world to the other unless the childs family is up to(p) to make the child stay in the compassionate world, using traditional methods most times. These tones and actions are results of oral traditions and, even with the rise of western education in Yoruba communities and Nigeria in general, continue to be upheld by some population. Clark and Soyinka are evidence of the continued dependence and belief in oral traditions by a lot of Africans, even by and by extensive western education.These Africans could be doing this as an in air rebellion agains t western ideas and principles that have sought to ridicule and destroy African culture. During the colonial era, the Europeans did their trump to destroy African culture, especially those that had to do with superstitions and religious beliefs that did not typify with western principles. Concepts like reincarnation were frowned upon heavily by the European missionaries seek to change the religious beliefs of Africans and since most aspects of life were based on trust at the time, changing ones religious beliefs meant changing ones political, social and economic beliefs as well. However, with the rise of heathenish nationalisms, Africans began to dissent European standards as the ideal and focus on bringing African culture back to the forefront. Hence, we see Soyinka and Clark as well as more other African poets bringing their cultural superstitions to their literary works, even though most of them are written in European languages.In Soyinkas _Abiku_ poem, almost every line is do up of cultural beliefs and practices as they relate to the _Abiku_ child. He even dips into non-African oral traditions in the line that says, entertain/ this, and dig me deeper still into/ the gods swollen foot. (14-16). Here, Soyinka is referring to Oedipus, the Greek mythologic figure, and his use of this in his poem suggests that he wants to show that oral tradition is not just an African phenomenon but rather, exists in different cultures all around the world. While, he doesnt expand on this line, it is important because it stands break from the rest of the poem as it is not connected to Yoruba tradition at all and it makes known to its reviewers the fact that oral traditions are universal.Also, Soyinka writes his poem from the disciplines point of view as a means of homosexualizing the character. The ideal of _Abiku_ is usually explained as an other- worldly phenomenon, which made it easier for a lot of throng to disassociate themselves with the idea. However, Soy inka writes his poem in first person in come out to make known to people the fact that _Abiku_ children do exist and they are, in fact, human beings. He brings the _Abiku_ child to the forefront and though the rhetoric is tinged with superstitions and cultural traditions, the fact that it is being told from the childs perspective is a humanizing effort. there is no doubt that the poem emphasizes cultural and eldritch notions, especially through the child, however, the poems use of words like Mothers (line 26) paints a human picture in the minds of the readers. The juxtaposition of spiritual and human language used in the poem lets the readers know that both the spiritual and the human are present in this _Abiku_ child. Therefore, the poet brings to light the idea that the spiritual i.e. traditional and the human i.e. rational can exist and coincide with one another. He is apothegm that African culture can exist fount by side with western culture and one doesnt have to dimini sh the other, which is the direct opposite of what was preached by European missionaries.Also, it is important to note that these two poets as well as most African writers are invested in the conceit of Africanism. Keeping African cultures alive is important and we see the poets using their poems to motivate Africans and the world in general that African culture still exists and has not been destroyed by urbanization. Oral traditions have never been completely legitimate as adequate sources with which to make any kinds of analyses because of the fickle nature of the human memory and so, writing these poems allows the poets show the readers that the culture is still there and these stories and beliefs have not been forgotten. It was important for Africans in historical times to repeatedly observe the oral traditions so they would not forget any parts of it and this is besides one of the reasons why African writers usually add some elements of oral tradition into their works.A lo t of African communities did not have any means of recording their culture for future generations so they just made sure the younger generations became aware of these traditions from the early stages of their lives so these traditions became engrained in their minds by the time they were adults. However, with the colonization of Africa, a lot of Africans are now able read and write these oral traditions and because of this easy access, a lot of Africans have become unaware of a lot of cultural traditions that would have been passed orally. So, the writers complicate oral traditions in their written works to bring these stories, beliefs, practices, etc. back into the minds of Africans and the world.This is why Soyinka and Clark include some traditional processes in their poetry. Soyinka writes about the charms that people believed would keep the _Abiku_ child from going back to the spirit world must I weep for goats and cowries/for palm oil and sprinkled ash? He takes the reade r into the world of the _Abiku,_ using cultural rituals, which then reminds the Africans who had forgotten and informs those who were not underground to this information initially. Clark takes his readers into the immediate environment of the _Abiku_ child, both the physical environment and the spiritual environment Do stay out on the baobab channelize/follow where you please your kindred spirits/if indoors is not large for you.In conclusion, oral traditions are very important in African culture as well as other cultures around the world and the use of written language in passing oral traditions has been facilitatory in bringing forgotten histories back into the minds of its people.BIBLIOGRAPHYFage, J. D., and British Broadcasting Corporation. Africa Discovers Her Past. capital of the United Kingdom Oxford University Press, 1970.Henige, David P. The Chronology of Oral Tradition Quest for a Chimera. Oxford Clarendon Press, 1974.Adesanmi, Pius. Youre Not a Country, Africa A Person al History of the African Present. Johannesburg Penguin Books (South Africa), 2011.

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