What is true about pre-colonial African literature?

In the pre-colonial African societies oral literature was the only form of literature known to the various people of Kenya. The literature also corporated past events that were hidden in proverbs, riddles, tales, taboos and superstitions, legends and myths.

What is pre-colonial African literature?

The pre-colonial literature is the literary works done before the coming of the white men to the African continent. Before then, there was the use of oral Page 2 traditions and folktales and these made the literature of this period very interesting to children.

When did Africans started writing their literature?

Early African Literature: An Anthology of Written Texts from 3000 BCE to 1900 CE.

What are the main ways that knowledge of the precolonial Southern African past may be useful?

Knowledge of the precolonial history of South Africa helps in developing better understanding of the Colonial South Africa. This helps in embracing the changes experienced during the development.

How is oral literature of the ancient African transmitted?

Oral traditions are messages that are transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages may be passed down through speech or song and may take the form of folktales and fables, epic histories and narrations, proverbs or sayings, and songs. There is a rich tradition throughout Africa of oral storytelling.

What is pre-colonial period?

The pre-colonial period broadly refers to the span of time prior to the introduction of European colonialism in areas across the world.

What is African written literature?

African literature, the body of traditional oral and written literatures in Afro-Asiatic and African languages together with works written by Africans in European languages. Works written in European languages date primarily from the 20th century onward.

How did African literature start?

African literature has origins dating back thousands of years to Ancient Egypt and hieroglyphs, or writing which uses pictures to represent words. Sub-Saharan Africa developed a written literature during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

What does it mean to be precolonial?

Definition of precolonial : existing or occurring before an area undergoes colonization precolonial America precolonial cultures.

When was the pre-colonial period?

The Precolonial Era (1450–1620)

What are the differences between oral literature and written literature?

Oral literature is done through words and speaking, whereas written is through the written word. Written literature can be in the form of short stories, novels and prose whereas oral literature can be described as poems and bards.

What are some examples of pre-colonial African literature?

Examples of pre-colonial African literature are numerous. Oral literature of west Africa includes the Epic of Sundiata composed in medieval Mali, The older Epic of Dinga from the old Ghana Empire. In Ethiopia, originally written in Ge’ez script is the Kebra Negast or book of kings. One popular form of traditional African folktale is

What is the ‘oral nature of African unwritten literature’?

The ‘Oral’ Nature of African Unwritten Literature 1The significance of performance in actualization, transmission, and composition. Audience and occasion. Implications for the study of oral literature. Oral art as literature. 2Africa possesses both written and unwritten traditions.

What is the difference between African literature and European literature?

In contrast to the common perception of European literature which generally refers only to written documents, African literature greatly involves and includes oral literature. Traditionally, Africans have revered good stories and storytellers, as have most past and present peoples around the world who are rooted in oral cultures and traditions.

What are the oral arts of Africa?

The Oral Arts of Africa are rich and varied, developing with the beginnings of African cultures, and they remain living traditions that continue to evolve and flourish today. Oral literature is often referred to as “traditional literature”, “folk literature” or “folklore”. It simply means “literature delivered by word of mouth”.