The Role and Purpose of Literature and the Oral tradition in the Life of African Peoples

Whether oral or written, literature is a mirror of life. It reflects what people do and think, how they live, what they experience and the values they hold. It is a portrait of life, and consequently it covers every theme of human existence. Man is put at the centre of action, and it is literature and the oral tradition which tell us something about man in relation to the universe and the response to his environment. Man draws a picture of himself and of the world as he sees it. He depicts the imprint of his moods and personality, his characteristics and activities, his kindness and cruelty, his quarrels and friendships, his slaughters and rescues. These two are the media of a self-portrait, and the streams which transport most of the cultures and customs of our peoples. As such, every story and every myth, every proverb and every riddle, every custom and every taboo, must be viewed against the background of its setting in order to be fully understood and interpreted. We may consider the role and purpose of literature and the oral tradition under three main categories.

As an outlet for creative activity: This role is fulfilled chiefly by oral literature. Every community has its artists, poets, musicians, story-tellers, wood-carvers, makers of masks and other figures, all of whom have the urge to "create" apiece of art. The activities of these artists form an outlet by means of which they express their moods, feelings, emotions, knowledge and interpretation of the world in which they live. In traditional societies, the artists are not normally paid: their greatest rewards are in form of feeling that they have accomplished something and have given an outlet to their creative urge. As such, the original authors, poets and musicians responsible for our stories and songs, are in most cases completely unknown. Literature, like the oral tradition, is thus public property: the treasure of the community which has produced and inherited it.

Creativity is not, however, only in terms of originating something. It also functions on the level of transmitting what has been created: Otherwise the work of the artists dies out completely and the community is thereby impoverished. Therefore, in telling stories, for example, the narrator does not simply repeat mechanically a story he has heard. The story-teller retains the structure and plot of the story, but it is his responsibility as a creative transmitter, to supply flesh to the skeleton. This he accomplishes through the use of his own words, in his voice and mannerisms, by inserting jokes if these fit into the story, and in the manner in which it is told. The story becomes alive or half dead according to how it is told. The same can be said about songs and pieces of music. The musician's work dies or lives on depending on how it is handled by those who receive the music and songs, and those who repeat these in their community. The musician and the creator of stories depend on the mouth and tongue of their fellow men and women, for the dissemination and the publication of their work, since in traditional life there were no books to do the job for them. In that process of entrusting their work in the hands of the community, the artistes and their audience show a mutual trust and relationship the absence of which is ruinous to both groups.

The role of entertainment takes on different forms. Some of it is in form of humour which so often splashes from African faces. Laughter and gaiety are like additional shadows to African peoples who laugh everywhere and at all times. Life, even when it is sad, can burst out with gaiety. There are stories with humour, jokes and satire. Other stories may be exaggerated by the narrator to create humour. Some of the stories and myths take the form of the marvel - such as unusual objects and experiences, places that cause wonder and make one to hold one's breath, or journeys of adventure. Riddles always fulfill the purpose of entertaining, in addition to stretching people's imagination. Songs and satire are powerful tools of ridicule against one's opponents or enemies.

The educational role is extremely important, since literature and the oral tradition are the two main media of transmitting knowledge and information. It is in this form that the history of the community is handed down, its moral values and ethical principles reiterated and the laws of the community maintained. We have already seen the place and value of proverbs as powerful and concise instruments of instruction, which are often related to the experience and situations of the people.